CSC campus writers bag 13 major awards in regional tertiary schools journalism contest

The Catanduanes State Colleges students once more proved their dominance in scholastic journalism competition when they hauled 13 major awards, including the much coveted Highest Individual Pointer citation, during the 6th Regional Tertiary Schools Press Conference (RTSPC) held on November 23-25, 2005 at Bethlehem Retreat House and Human Resource Development Center in Sogod, Bacacay, Albay.

WINNERS ALL - Top placers in the RTSPC 2005-2006 Individual Writing Competition - (left to right) Anthony Emerenciana, Michael Jake Arcilla, Mark Anthony Viñas, Adem Nalu Rubio and Loraine dela Cruz. (GSR/CSC)

Leading this year’s awardees are Mark Anthony Viñas, (College of Industrial Technology) - Highest Individual Pointer; Loraine Dela Cruz (College of Education) - 1st Place, News Writing (Filipino); Anthony Emerenciana (College of Nursing and School of Midwifery) - 1st Place Copyreading and Headline Writing (Filipino); Mark Anthony Viñas (College of Industrial Technology) - 1st Place, Comics Strip Drawing (English); Adem Nalu Rubio (College of Education) - 1st Place, Poetry Writing (Filipino); Mark Anthony Viñas (College of Industrial Technology) - 2nd Place, Editorial Cartooning (English); Mark Anthony Viñas (College of Industrial Technology) - 2nd Place Literary Graphics Illustration (English); Michael Jake Arcilla (College of Education) - 2nd Place, Copyreading and Headline Writing (English); Anthony Emerenciana (College of Nursing and School of Midwifery) - 3rd Place, Editorial Writing (Filipino).

In the Group Writing Competition, the First Issue of the CSC Statesman, the official tertiary student publication of the CSC garnered the following awards: 4th Place, Best Devcom Page, 5th Place, Best Page Design, 5th Place, Best Opinion Page and 5th Place, Best Magazine category.

The Highest Individual Pointer Award is given to a contestant that earned the biggest point in all the writing competition. From the many schools that competed in the said event, the CSC garnered this prestigious citation.

The winning student writers are all senior editors of The CSC Statesman, the official tertiary student publication of the Catanduanes State Colleges.

About 160 student writers coming from private and state colleges and universities in Region V, including community colleges, took part in the annual regional writing competition. As regional winners, they will represent the CSC in the 5th Luzon-wide Higher Education Press Congress Individual and Group Writing Competitions to be held on the first week of February 2006 at Naga City.

Prominent journalists from the Philippine Daily Inquirer Southern Luzon Bureau, key officials from Philippine Information Agency and other government entities, media specialists from the academe and officials from Commission on Higher Education Regional Office V served as resource persons and judges during the 3-day event.

Most Reverend Jose C. Sorra, former Bishop of the Diocese of Legazpi, gave a lecture focusing on the overview of the Philippine media today as well as imparted insights on ethical standards about the trade during the final day of the press conference.

Addressing the more than 160 finest student journalists in the Bicol Region, the Catandunganon Bishop exhorted: “Media today is the most powerful and unpredictable of all human tools that now threatens to replace the Church, the school and the home, as the primary headmaster of the youth. Accordingly, you must respect it with awe, exercise it with honesty, diligence and responsibility. But above all, live out religiously media’s ethical tenets of Do’s and Don’ts. And you will surely enjoy it more as a vocation rather than just a moneymaking profession”.

The Bishop cited Isagani Yambot’s discussion on social responsibilities and competencies required of media – that is for "media practitioners to take a vow of poverty and obedience – poverty because journalism, particularly print journalism, does not pay very high salaries, and vow of obedience because you have to obey the laws governing media, the Canons of Taste, the ethical standards of the media”.

This year’s Regional Tertiary Schools Press Conference was organized by the Bicol Association of Tertiary Schools Publication Advisers in coordination with Commission on Higher Education Regional Office V.
(GSR)