3 from Inquirer take home Lasallian Scholarum awards

ZENAROSA and Bacasmas beam with their statuettes.                       YARA LUKMAN

THE PHILIPPINE Daily Inquirer scored a hat trick in this year’s Lasallian Scholarum Awards (LSA) which highlighted media’s crucial role in not only ferreting out the truth but in helping bring about positive change in society.

Inquirer Lifestyle editor Thelma Sioson San Juan, multiawarded photojournalist Edwin Bacasmas and Inquirer contributor Benre Zenarosa took home the outstanding published feature article, photograph, and column article on youth and education awards, respectively, in the 13th LSA held on Monday at Shangri-La Hotel Makati.

Sen. Sonny Angara, chair of the award-giving body, said the works of the winners and nominees “painstakingly depict” the real situation of the country’s youth and education sectors.

 ‘Brilliance of storytelling’

“And with the brilliance of Filipino storytelling and journalistic preciseness, they highlight not just the dreary, but also the hopeful. They open up the opportunity for people to empathize and, ultimately, work toward finding solutions to our society’s shortcomings,” Angara said.

Quoting a recent The Economist story, Angara noted that because we now live in a “post-truth world,” where politicians say anything to arouse public emotions, it has become imperative for the public to recognize “facts based, honest reporting.”

San Juan’s article, “Confessions of a ninja mom—how to communicate with your kids,” published on April 6, discussed how mothers could effectively communicate with their teenage children.

 ‘By listening, being there’

“This article candidly explores how a mother can gain the trust of her children—by listening, being there and giving them ample wiggle room to live their lives and forge an identity. It also stresses how parents’ actions are more powerful than words,” the LSA said.

Bacasmas’ photo, entitled “Dumagat Pupil,” was chosen for how it embodied a child’s eagerness to learn despite being in an overcrowded classroom that lacked resources as basic as a desk.

“It is a sharp and honest portrayal of how children struggle to get the most of their school life,” the LSA said.

Zenarosa’s column “Concert in a classroom,” published in Young Blood on Feb. 4,  “bravely explored a different kind of bullying in the school setting and examines what happens when a teacher oppresses instead of nurtures.”

The LSA said Zenarosa’s work “encourages teachers to employ a more understanding and nurturing way to reach out to students in order to make a positive impact.”