i-Witness wins in 2017 Lasallian Scholarum Awards

GMA News TV's i-Witness won a Lasallian Scholarum Award for Outstanding Televised Feature on Youth and Education for its documentary "Walang Maiiwan", at the 14th Lasallian Scholarum Awards (LSA) at De La Salle University on Monday.

"Walang Maiiwan" tells the story of students in the remote area of San Guillermo, Isabela as they struggle through ocean and mud every day to make it to Burgos East Elementary School, where children are content to stop as soon as they learn how to read and write to work instead of going further with their education.

"'Yung award na 'to, hindi naman talaga sa 'min. More than the i-Witness team, talagang para ito du'n sa mga teachers na nagbubuwis ng buhay nila para makapagturo du'n sa mga bata," documentarist Kara David said.

"Marami na kaming ginawang stories about children na ang daming struggles going to school. Pero ang hindi natin nakikita, 'yung sacrifice din ng mga teachers just to teach them. At itong mga teachers na 'to, talagang they would move heavens, they would climb mountains and all those places para maturuan 'yung mga bata," she continued.

Kara David (first row, 3rd from right), one of the hosts of iWitness, accepted for the show the Lasallian Scholarum Award for Outstanding Televised Feature on Youth and Education for its documentary "Walang Maiiwan." Other awardees hold their trophies. The Lasallian Scholarum Awards were given at De La Salle University on Oct. 23, 2017. Rie Takumi

David further added, "In this age of social media and internet, sana hindi natin makalimutan na marami pang liblib na lugar na kailangang-kailangan ng edukasyon at saludo talaga ako dun sa mga teachers na walang sawang nagbibigay ng suporta sa mga bata. Education is our obligation."

Fourteen entries from GMA Network were counted as finalists among two of seven LSA categories, including Outstanding Online Feature Story on Youth and Education and Outstanding Televised Feature Story on Youth and Education.

GMA's finalists in the Outstanding Online feature story on youth and education category of the LSA are:

• “What Would First Contact With Aliens Be Like?” by Angelica Y. Yang;
• “K-12 Students To Get Emotional Wellness Education” by Rie Takumi;
• “A Primer On Baybayin” by Stanley Baldwin O. See; and
• “Public Lab Opens Doors To Pinoy Innovators And Inventors” by Czyka Tumaliuan.

These were published by GMA News Online.

A fifth story published by GMA News Online and nominated in the same category, “Kids More Likely To Stop Bullies When Parents Tell Them To” by Lisa Rapaport, is from Reuters.

For Outstanding Televised Feature Story on Youth and Education, the following made the cut:

• I-Witness’ “Sa kanlungan ng musika” and “Walang Maiiwan”;
• Motorcycle Diaries’ “Lason sa Paraiso”;
• Reel Time’s “Kuya” and “Pagkatapos ng unos”;
• AHA’s “Mga bata sa bingitkang Suba”;
• Investigative Documentaries’ “Bugsay” and “Paaralan”; and
• Brigada’s “Sa ngalan ng karunungan”

This year's LSA is themed "@ Youth PHL" as a nod to the role electronic mass media has in delivering facts and news to Filipino youth.

Sponsored by the Office for Strategic Communications of De La Salle University, the LSA recognizes outstanding media coverage of Filipino youth and education issues by print, photo, broadcast, and campus journalists.

In a statement the DLSU wrote that the campaign aims to generate awareness among various sectors, from government and non-government organizations to private companies and individuals, on critical issues confronting the education sector.

Media intelligence firm, Media Meter, screened youth and education pieces. These were then reviewed and graded by an independent panel of screeners before  being turned over to the LSA board of judges. —KG, GMA News