By Karren Jay G. Asgar
The Central Echo, the official student media of Central Philippine University clinched multiple awards during the 9th Campus Press Awards. Pubmat courtesy of The Central Echo Facebook page.
On June 7, 2024, the Central Echo bagged multiple awards during the 9th Campus Press Awards under the 15th year of The Spectrum Fellowship held at Nature’s Village Resort, Talisay City, Negros Occidental.
Out of 16 student publications nationwide, the Central Echo secured 1st place for Best Newspaper, 1st place for Best Newspaper Layout, and 2nd place for Best Editorial. The four-day event was organized by The Spectrum, the official publication of the Student Media Corps of the University of St. La Salle (USLS).
In an online interview with Pierre Jhun San Pedro, one of the Editors-in-Chief, he shared that attending this event served as a valuable refresher course on crucial topics and issues, reminding campus journalists as to why they need to stand their ground and hold the frontlines.
“As journalists, we have a responsibility to side with the people. The fellowship served as a powerful reminder that we are the amplifiers of truth, and now more than ever, our role is needed. We have to hold those in power accountable, uplift the voices of the marginalized, and stand in solidarity with each other,” he said.
With the theme “SENTINEL: Fortress of the Free Press,” this journalism fellowship has been graced by 12 prominent individuals in the field of journalism, such as Avon Ang, Brell Lacerna, Kenneth Roland Guda, Inday Espina-Varona, Cartoonist Zach, Jade Mark Capiñanes, Kyle Anne Villariza, Raffy Lerma, Julius De La Peña, Rep. Raoul Manuel, Keith Brandon Cari-an, and Romeo Subaldo Jr.
“As Centralians, we have a duty to stand with the truth and the people. Journalism is the lifeblood of a healthy democracy, and we must never allow it to die. This is why we must stay vigilant and actively support not just our main university publication, but also our local college publications. We can support them in simple ways, be it by reading their works in print or online, engaging with them on social media, but most importantly, we can do it by contributing our own voices,” San Pedro added.
The said event was attended by seven student journalists, namely Pierre Jhun San Pedro, BS Computer Science-3; Ray Angelo Jagna-an, BS Nursing-3; Leandro Saldajeno, BS Respiratory Therapy-3; Daren Kern Ecullada, BS Pharmacy-3; Kristen Thea Lozada, BS Chemical Engineering-2; Benedict Julz Plondaya, BS Psychology-1; and Ralph Humphrey Coronado, BS Biology-1.