PAPC-USA launches 3rd Annual Plaridel Awards

The 2013 Plaridel Awards (L-R): Deputy Consul General and Mrs. Jaime Ascalon, Arnold Pedrigal, Mrs. Teresita Paynor, Emil Guillermo, Prof. Oscar Penaranda, Esther Chavez, Robert Henry and Rene delos Santos, Tourism Director for San Francisco

The Philippine American Press Club, U.S.A. (PAPC) announced last June 19, 2014 that they are now accepting submissions to the 3rd Annual Plaridel Awards excellence in Filipino American journalism. The Plaridel Awards was established in 2012 to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of outstanding writers and publishers in the Filipino American community, as they chronicle the lives and times of their compatriots, promote and share their culture and history, champion their causes and provide a venue where readers and listeners can voice their concerns, and ideas for the betterment of the community and society at large.

The Plaridel Awards was named in honor of Marcelo H. Del Pilar, a Filipino patriot, journalist and publisher who brought his craft and zeal as an expat in Europe in late 1800s. Plaridel was his pen name. Del Pilar was a prolific writer who kept his constituents abreast with the goings on in their expat community as well as in their homeland. In him PAPC has found a hero – a person to emulate and an inspiration to Filipino writers and publishers everywhere who continue their journalistic aspirations and service to their constituents in the new land they now call home.

Plaridel Awards is open to all Fil-Am journalists whose articles/programs saw print in a Filipino American based media anywhere in the U.S. between June 1, 2013 through May 31, 2014. Deadline for submission is August 30, 2014.

CATEGORIES

Awards will be given to the best stories and articles that provide unique perspective on the issues and concerns of Filipino Americans. Categories for print and online articles include Investigative Story, News Story; Personal Essay, Feature Writing, Profile Writing, Commentary or Editorial Essay; International Reporting; Entertainment, Food, and Sports Stories; and Youth Voice (age 16 – 26. For Broadcast TV - it will for Community Reporting, and Personality Profile. For Radio – Community Programming. And last but not least, Photojournalism and Tourism.

This year’s awards will be held on Thursday, October 2, 2014 at Fort McKinley Restaurant in South San Francisco.

Last year’s Plaridel Awards Winners were:

For Best Commentary: Randy Gener/The Filam. Honorable Mention: Dy Calica-LaPutt/Asian Journal

Best Investigative-In-Depth Reporting: Joseph Lariosa/Philippines Today, and Harvey Barkin/Inquirer.net. Honorable Mention: Emil Guillermo/Philippine News

Best International Reporting: Rodel Rodis/Inquirer.net; Honorable Mention, Arnold Pedrigal/Manila Mail

Best Entertainment: Lotis Key/Positively Filipino; Honorable Mention, Carlos Zialcita/ Positively Filipino

Best Sports Feature: Emil Guillermo/Inquirer.net; Honorable Mention, Ted Laguatan/Inquirer.net

Best Food Story: Elizabeth Ann Quirino/Positively Filipino; Honorable Mention, Dennis Clemente/Inquirer.net.

Best Youth Voice: Lawrence Ochoa/The FilAm LA; Honorable Mention: Alex Drechsler /Inquirer.net.

Best Tourism Feature: Francis Calpotura/Positively Filipino.

Best TV Community Reporting: TFC/Balitang America-ABS-CBN International, Honorable Mention, Adobo Nation/ABS-CBN International.

Best Radio Broadcast: Robert Henry/EastWest Radio Show

Best Photo Journalism: Sidney Snoeck/Power ng Pinoy

PAPC also presented the Torchbearer award to Jose Antonio Vargas, who was honored for his activism on behalf of undocumented immigrants like himself, and outgoing San Francisco Consul General Marciano A. Paynor, Jr. who was hailed as a Torchbearer for instituting many improvements in consular services to the Filipino community. Keynote speaker was Oscar Peñaranda, artist, poet, published author, educator, and historian.

PAPC’s member publications are Philippine News, ABS-CBN, Asian Journal, Philippines Today, Fil-Am Star, Filipino American Radio Network, Filipino Gazette, GMA Pinoy TV, Manila Mail, Inquirer.net, Philippine Headlines, Positively Filipino, Power ng Pinoy, The Island Talk Show, and San Francisco Post.

For more information, please contact Esther Chavez, President, PAPC at esther.chavez@inquirerinc.net or Jojo Peralta, Executive Secretary at Jojo.Peralta@asianjournalinc.com