Victoria Mareposque, a news writer from the Benildean Press Corps (BPC) and a Diplomacy and International Affairs student, received a Special Jury Citation in the In-Depth Report category at the 10th UNCJA, organized by The Varsitarian, UST’s official student publication. The awards were announced during the fellowship night of the 26th Inkblots, held on Jan. 12 at the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building, University of Santo Tomas (UST), Manila.
The 10th UNCJA emerged as a platform for student-journalists to explore critical social issues, demonstrating remarkable depth and courage in their reporting across three competitive categories.
The awards attracted nearly 400 entries from over 70 student publications nationwide, with entries meticulously screened by the UST Department of Journalism.
In-Depth Report category
The Flame, the student publication of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters, won first place with "From Streets to Sheets: Motorcycle Drivers Turn to Sex Work Amid Hard Times" by Zoe Airabelle Aguinaldo, Jianzen Deananeas, Joss Gabriel Oliveros, and Ma. Alyanna Selda. The piece exposed motorcycle taxi drivers' economic survival strategies through sex work.
The Special Jury Citation went to Mareposque whose piece "Bridging the Gap: Integration of PWD Employees in the Workplace" shed light on the workplace challenges faced by persons with disabilities, emphasizing the critical need for stronger legal protections. The report was originally published in The Benildean: Impulse.
Editorial category
The Flame's "Token Directive, Token Statement" written by Fatima Baduria and Bless Aubrey Ogerio won by critiquing the removal of the EDSA People Power Revolution from national holidays.
Roselle Ochobillo from The Communicator, the official student publication of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines’s College of Communication, received a Special Jury Citation for "Hustisyang Nakaangkla sa mga Naghaharing-uri," which exposed systemic biases in the Philippine justice system.
Feature writing category
The Feature category showcased storytelling, with a unique tie between The Flame and FEU Advocate, the official student publication of Far Eastern University.
Ma. Alyanna R. Selda's "Through Sticks and Strings: Pinoy Puppeteers Struggle to Survive Post-Lockdown" from The Flame followed a puppeteer's struggle post-pandemic, while Eunhice Corpuz and Mark Vincent Durano "From the Middle to the Orient: Olive Trees Resprout in ‘Little Gaza" of FEU Advocate explored the Filipino-Palestinian community.
Special Jury Citations went to narratives from KRISIS, UP Journalism Club, on "5 Shots, One Mother, and a Newfound Crusade: The Odyssey of Nanette Castillo" written by Karl Patrick Wilfred Suyat and The Guidon, the official student publication of Ateneo de Manila University, on "Tilling the Land: Women Farmers of Tayabas" authored by Zaki Dayrit and Josiah Tomas.
Significance of campus journalism
In an interview with The Benildean, Asst. Professor Felipe Salvosa II, Chairperson of UST Department of Journalism and Assistant Publications Adviser to The Varsitarian, shared about the role of campus publications in the upcoming Midterm Elections 2025.
“Campus publications are in a unique position to report on the elections in a critical and independent manner because they are not in a student journalism organization to generate profit,” he explained.
He further adds by quoting Manuel Mogato, a Filipino Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, that journalism in campus publications is pure in the essence that there is no influence by external factors such as advertisers and school administrators.
“Dapat ang kinukuha para magtanong sa mga senatorial debates ay ang mga student leaders at campus journalists dahil wala silang agenda, so they are in the best position to cover the midterm elections in all levels,” he emphasized.
The Benildean has a notable history of success in the UST National Campus Journalism Awards, previously winning in 2018 with the editorial piece "Kapatiran o Kamatayan?" and having another entry "What Will Be Left When There Are No Rights?" recognized as a finalist in the same category.
A distinguished panel of judges evaluated the entries, including Philstar.com chief editor Camille Diola, OneNews.PH assistant editor Janvic Mateo, Pulitzer Prize winner Manuel Mogato, VERA Files co-founder Luz Rimban, and PhilStar Life columnist Joel Pablo Salud.
The UNCJA plays a crucial role in promoting campus journalism, supporting the objectives of the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, which aims to foster critical thinking, ethical values, and press freedom among young journalists.
