Reel Time wins 2013 UNICEF Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award

Reel Time’s SALAT (Bone Dry), a documentary made by GMA News TV highlighting child malnutrition in Philippines, won the Grand Prize at the 2013 Unicef Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award for broadcasting.

Filmed in the Tondo district of Manila, one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the country, the documentary tells the story of Mary Rose -- a 10 year old whose height and weight are comparable to that of a 5 year old child. She lives with her five siblings, who have all been diagnosed as severely malnourished. 
 
Mary Rose said, “When I go to school, sometimes I get dizzy. I fall asleep on my chair in classroom because I haven't eaten. I don't get to eat because my mom doesn't have any money.” Despite this, Mary has never stopped pursuing her two greatest dreams in life – to finish her studies and to find out what chicken tastes like.

Reel Time’s SALAT was praised by the jurors for addressing the issue of hunger very powerfully. Dr Javad Mottaghi, Secretary General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, said that SALAT showed the power that simple documentary style could bring to even the smallest story: “This short film is an example to all of us in the industry of how our program-making tools can be properly used with simplicity, skill and compassion.”
 
CASBAA CEO Christopher Slaughter said: “We commend GMA Network for producing this program, which highlights the problems of child malnutrition in the Philippines, using television to spread the message.”
 
The Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award, created by ABU, CASBAA  and UNICEF in 2001, is given annually to the best television programme produced in the Asia-Pacific region with a focus on children’s rights. The Award was presented on 24 October in Hong Kong during the CASBAA Convention.
 
Reel Time’s SALAT previously won a George Foster Peabody Award and a Silver Medal at the 2013 New York Festivals. Reel Time airs every Sunday night at 9:00 PM only on GMA News TV Channel 11.


(IN PHOTO from left to right: The team behind Reel Time's award-winning SALAT documentary - Program Manager Nowell Cuanang; Exec. Producer Sharon Masula; Researcher Michael Cristobal; and Director Aaron Mendoza.)