The impact of youth-led stories in changing the discourse on national issues took center stage at the 2024 Lasallian Scholarum Awards (LSA) at The Verdure last March 20 with the theme “Youth Beat.”
LSA is the University’s annual awards ceremony that honors media coverage of both professional and campus journalists on youth and education across six categories.
University President Br. Bernard Oca FSC, in his opening remarks, underscored the core of the LSA and hoped that more would be encouraged to write stories “that are anchored on truth, ones that are written or produced with the aim of bringing us back to our shared mission of helping one another and sustaining our world.”
Broadcast journalist Kara David was selected as outstanding media personality of the year from a pool of nominees selected by members of the DLSU Student Media Council. In a pre-recorded message, David recalled past recognitions she received in the LSA, which she said motivated her to documentaries in her early years as a journalist.
Technological feature stories took the spotlight in two categories. The LSA recognized a piece from ABS-CBN’s Rhia Grana headlined Filipino invention that could give robots human-like feeling wins robotics award in UK as the outstanding published feature article on De La Salle University. The feature centered on a multi-capable sensor made by Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Dr. Alexander Co Abad.
Ongoing debates on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in academia were weighed in the article Will AI Chatbots Take Over Education? by Patrick Kyle Adeva of the Philippine Collegian, which won as outstanding published feature article on youth and education in a school organ. In an interview with The LaSallian, Adeva said that he looks forward to seeing more educators shift their perspective and recognize AI as a tool and not necessarily a hindrance to the quality of education.
Also nominated in the same category are The LaSallian articles Out of sight, in the mind: The sobering reality of mental health issues by Clarisse Bernal, Red Binay, and Therese Genota, and An open secret: Uncovering queer stories from all-girls schools by Summer Sanares, Samantha Ubiadas, and Kazandra Vargas.
Two articles from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, When Young People Conquer Cancer by Marge Enriquez and Numbers fall but PH teen pregnancies persist, mirror economic, learning gaps by Kurt Dela Peña, were tagged as outstanding published feature article on youth and education in a nationally circulated publication and outstanding online feature story on youth and education, respectively.
The documentary Batas Bata of The Atom Araullo Specials by the program’s namesake and GMA Public Affairs was awarded outstanding video feature story on youth and education. Araullo shared with The LaSallian that the documentary calls on viewers and lawmakers to better understand issues surrounding children in conflict with the law and spark more fruitful discussions on lowering the age of criminal responsibility.
Nominees were selected based on the screening done by Isentia, a media intelligence company. The final winners were determined by a panel of judges consisting of renowned director Pepe Diokno, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino Commissioner Arthur Casanova, Academe Foundation Executive Director Sachie Nadal Reyes, and Br. Richie Yap FSC.
Each awardee in the professional categories took home a sculpture crafted by Toym De Leon Imao. The token is meant to symbolize the growth of ideas using one’s five senses.
The full list of winners and nominees may be found below:
Outstanding Media Personality of the Year
Kara David
Outstanding published feature article on youth and education in a school organ
Winner:
Will AI Chatbots Take Over Education?
by Patrick Kyle Adeva, Philippine Collegian
Nominees:
An open secret: Uncovering queer stories from all-girls schools
by Summer Sanares, Samantha Ubiadas and Kazandra Vargas, The LaSallian
Bagong Bihis: Ang Pagkubli ni Sara Duterte sa Lumulubhang Krisis sa Edukasyon
by Angelica Paller, Philippine Collegian
Buwagin ang Siksik na Kurikulum: Pagpuksa sa Lumalalang Sistema ng Edukasyon
by Jasmien Ivy O. Sanchez, FEU Advocate
Dissecting the Mental Health Care and Counseling System in Basic Education
by Sean Marcus Ingalla, Philippine Collegian
How Learning Loss Stunts Children in the Long Run
by Sean Marcus Ingalla, Philippine Collegian
Hustle, Hit, Quiet Quit?
by Ally De Leon and Felicia Singson, The Guidon
Kung Pati ang Kaguruan ay Nasa Krisis
by Ryan Maltezo, Philippine Collegian
Out of sight, in the mind: The sobering reality of mental health issues
by Clarisse Bernal, Red Binay and Therese Genota, The LaSallian
Wikang Gen Z: Ang pagsabay sa uso ng wikang Filipino
by Michelle A. Agustin, The Varsitarian
Outstanding online feature article on youth and education
Winner:
Numbers fall but PH teen pregnancies persist, mirror economic, learning gaps
by Kurt Dela Peña, INQUIRER.net
Nominees:
Bakit kami mahirap?’: Fresh grad Leo Jaminola reflects on struggles as working student
by Gaby Agbulos, RepublicAsia
DepEd eyeing school break ‘learning camp’
by Janvic Mateo, The Philippine Star
Explainer: How the ‘K+10+2’ system may not address root issues, challenges that hounded K to 12
by Cristina Chi, The Philippine Star
Is AI the future of education? UP profs start debate
by Jericho Zafra, RepublicAsia
Millennial leaders driving positive change–in schools, at sea
by Russel P. Loreto, INQUIRER.net
No more concept of Top 1′: DepEd memo stirs discussion on recognizing academic excellence in the Philippines
by Yoniel Acebuche, The Philippine Star
The working student’s plight: the choice between acads and assets
by Gaby Agbulos, RepublicAsia
This young Filipino inventor bags James Dyson Award for developing a portable keychain microscope
by Jessica Pag-Iwayan, Manila Bulletin
When classes start today, many students will need help relearning last year’s lessons
by Cristina Chi, The Philippine Star
Outstanding published feature article on youth and education in a nationally circulated publication
Winner:
When Young People Conquer Cancer
by Marge C. Enriquez, Philippine Daily Inquirer
Nominees:
Baguio kids perform poorly in English DepEd survey
by Vincent Cabreza, Philippine Daily Inquirer
Kids’ yoga: Teaching empathy, cooperation, compassion
by Jesse Pizarro Boga, Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine schools level up with new tech
by John Victor D. Ordonez, Business World
School, DepEd execs endorse ‘mass promotion’ – ACT
by Jane Bautista, Philippine Daily Inquirer
When children bear children
by Roderick Abad, Business Mirror
Outstanding video feature story on youth and education
Winner:
Batas Bata
by Atom Araullo in The Atom Araullo Specials, GMA Public Affairs
Nominees:
Anak ng mga janitor… cum laude!
by Jessica Soho in Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, GMA Public Affairs
Battleground to Playground: Pagbangon ng Komunidad sa dating kuta ng Abu Sayyaf Group
by Lilian Tiburcio in Stand For Truth, GMA Public Affairs
Bawat Barya
by Atom Araullo in i-Witness, GMA Public Affairs
Boat to School
by Howie Severino in i-Witness, GMA Public Affairs
JUNGLE SCHOOL: Sakripisyo ng gurong Palaw’an sa kagubatan
by Abby Espiritu in Stand For Truth, GMA Public Affairs
Mga bata tumatawid ng ilog at bundok para makapag-aral
by Bernadette Sembrano and Jeff Canoy in Tao Po, ABS-CBN News
Sisid sa Putik
by Mav Gonzales in i-Witness, GMA Public Affairs
Outstanding feature story on De La Salle University
Winner:
Filipino invention that could give robots human-like feeling wins robotics award in UK
by Rhia Grana, ABS-CBN News
Nominees:
DLSU research links poor studies to bullying, youth alienation
by Jane Bautista, INQUIRER.net
DLSU’s robotic medical aid gets Singapore patent
by Jane Bautista, INQUIRER.net
DLSU’s wearable robot for stroke rehab gets international patent
by Janvic Mateo, The Philippine Star
Get to Know DLSU PUSA, Where Campus Cats Found a Home at La Salle
by Pia Regalado, Spot.ph
Iggy Escano hopes to have left lasting legacy in DLSU
by Zachi Cruz, Tiebreaker Times
La Salle engineers develop AI-aided tech to help manage traffic
by Krixia Subingsubing, INQUIRER.net
La Salle teenager highlights rise from rookie year with championship, MVP trophies
by Lance Agcaoili, INQUIRER.net
Meet Lasallian Angela Okol: How the Winner of Miss Manila Tourism Rose Above Online Hate and Shed Light on Her Advocacies
by Summer Sanares, GoodNewsPilipinas.com
PH online news media at ‘moderate level of disinformation risk’: study
by Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News
