University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) Chancellor, Dr. Clement Camposano and Project Development Assistant for Mass Media and Communications of the Office of the Chancellor, Dr. Zoilo Andrada, Jr., led the press launch of BANTALA: The UPV Media Excellence Awards (UPVMEA), yesterday, March 25, 2021, at the UPV Little Theatre, UPV Iloilo City Campus.
UPVMEA aims to recognize the work of media organizations and practitioners in the Western Visayas region. The program evaluates and recognizes the covering, writing, reporting, and publishing of news stories and events on different media platforms. It uses the Hiligaynon term ‘bantala’, which refers to announcement, information, news, publication, or notification. As a verb, the word means to publish, inform, and advise.
Recognizing the crucial role of the media in providing accurate information, Andrada said that, “The precise delivery of information is a form of democracy. Journalists, as the front liners in combatting disinformation, have a lot of stories to tell. Stories that sometimes put their lives at risk.”
Andrada added that the UPVMEA is the starting point of a more intensive university program that plans to help professionalize Western Visayas media practitioners.
Camposano, on the other hand, has recognized that our society is now flooded with user-generated content, “We no longer know what’s factual or what’s not.” The media is now faced with challenges such as the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
“Media has a more crucial role to play as the challenges it faces are becoming more complex. The watchdog function of the media has become more salient,” he said.
Camposano added that with the times changing and with these challenges in mind, holding the media awards program would bring about complex issues that both the university and the media need to tackle and engage with.
Bantala: UPVMEA is running under the tagline, “Medya: Kaupod sang Rehiyon sa Pagtib-ong sang Tunay nga Demokrasya.” Entries will be judged according to how they have measured up to the following challenges:
1. Deepening participatory democracy
2. Protecting human rights and fighting corruption
3. Fighting disinformation
4. Addressing various forms of marginalization
The search period will start from April 2021 until March 2022. The deadline for the submission of entries will be on December 15, 2021, and the final awarding will be in March 2022. UPV is set to release the detailed mechanics soon.
