PMRC chief named Best Press Photographer

By Provincial Media Relations Center (PMRC Leyte)
December 24, 2008

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  Leyte province’s Media Relations Center OIC-Chief Gina P. Gerez was adjudged the Best Press Photographer in the recently-concluded 1st Express It At The Park Mass Media Awards- a first of its kind media awards conferring recognition to exemplary works of practitioners in the mass media profession.

Ms. Gerez, who has been with the Provincial Media Relations Center for a number of years now, took the top award for the Best Press Photographer category, besting two other entries, by submitting her exceptional photo titled “A Stone at a Time”.

The picture captured mothers and their children helping place stones where their houses would be built inside a Gawad Kalinga Village. The award winning photo was taken by Gerez during a visit made by Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla to a rising GK Village in Palompon, Leyte.

For winning the top spot, Ms. Gerez received a trophy, cash prize and an appliance set.

Meanwhile, other media practitioners were also accorded awards and recognition in three other different categories such as Best News Feature Writer, Best Radio News Reporter and Best TV News Reporter.

Winning the Best News Feature Writer was Reyan Arinto of Leyte Samar Daily Express for his article “Breaking the Culture of Silence among VAW victims” which told the plight of abused women and how they are helped by non-government organizations and the government itself.

Arinto is also one of the co-anchors and news presenter of the province’s weekly radio program “Hingyap han Leyteño” and a consultant to the Leyte province’s official quarterly publication, The Leyte Chronicle.

Coming in as first and second runners-up were Emil Justimbaste of West Leyte Weekly Express for his entry “Dark Clouds hang over Lake Danao Toursim Program” and Sarwell Meniano of Leyte Samar Daily Express and BusinessWorld for his piece “Cause-oriented group vows to look for more anomalies.”

Meanwhile, in the broadcast category, the two local TV stations battled it out for the top three spots were ABS-CBN Tacloban’s Melanie Bingco declared as the grand winner in the Best TV News Reporter Category. She submitted the entry “Ordinaryo,” a report showing the real predicament of ordinary Taclobanons in the midst of the city’s bid to become highly urbanized.

On the other hand, the Best Radio News Reporter Category, which was pitted by reporters representing the two AM Tacloban-based radio stations, saw Francis Batula winning the top plum while Lizbeth Abella as the runner-up.

The surprise award for the night was the Media Personality of the Year, which plum went to Miriam Garcia Desacada of Leyte Samar Daily Express. A veteran reporter with more than a decade behind her working in the media profession, the Philippine Star and DYVL Aksiyon Radyo correspondent was cited for her number of years of dedicated work in the media and in maintaining responsible journalism.

Department of Tourism-8 Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes, who was also one of the awards’ esteemed member of the Board of Judges, said the award came in an opportune time “to recognize efforts of the men and women behind the news.”

She said the DOT is willing to support the awards next year should Express It At The Park decide to hold it again.

Mr. Dalmacio Grafil, founding chairman of the Express It At The Park, said during his talk that hopefully this year’s award would be an event that could be continued in the coming years.

Winners of the first awards ever held was chosen by a Board of Judges composed of Palanca awardee Prof. Merlie Alunan of the University of the Philippines, PIA-8’s Aurora Casimpan, Leyte Normal University AB Communication’s Head Cleofe Luangco-Lajara, Fr. Raymund Mazo of the St. John the Evangelist School of Theology and DOT-8 Dir. Tiopes.