AWARDRITES The Inquirer’s chief operating officer, Rene Reinoso (middle), and Central Desk chief Juliet Labog-Javellana (sixth from left), lead other officers and employees of the newspaper in receiving the Tinta Awards during the ceremony at the Manila Hotel. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The Inquirer on Tuesday bagged eight Tinta Awards from the United Print Media Group (UPMG), including the highest distinction for a photo depicting a woman cradling a victim of an alleged extrajudicial killing.
Raffy Lerma’s “Lamentation,” which came out on the Inquirer front page on July 23 last year, won the grand prix in the newspaper best photography category.
The viral photo shows the lifeless body of a suspected drug pusher, Michael Siaron, being cradled by his weeping partner, Jennilyn Olayres.
The image drew similarities to “Pieta,” the sculpture of Michelangelo depicting a heartbreaking scene from the Deposition of Jesus.
Inquirer won one gold, three silver and three bronze awards in four newspaper design categories during the ceremony held at the Manila Hotel.
Inquirer’s magazine arm, Hinge Inquirer Publications (HIP), bagged seven silver and bronze awards in magazine best photography, overall magazine design and craft art direction categories.
Pepito Olarte, former Inquirer vice president for advertising, received the Dyaryo Lifetime Achievement Award from UPMG. Olarte is a founding member of the group.
Creative excellence
The Tinta Awards, on its sixth edition this year, celebrates creative excellence in print media, such as print advertising and campaign. It was organized by UPMG in 2008.
UPMG is an organization of print media and publication companies in the Philippines, of which Inquirer is a member.
New categories
Other UPMG members include ABS-CBN Publishing, Adobo Magazine, Business Mirror, BusinessWorld, HIP, Malaya Business Insight, Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, Philippine Star and One Mega Group Inc.
This year, new categories — newspaper layout and design, creativity in magazine and special supplements—were added to the awards.
More than 300 entries were submitted by top advertising, media and public relations agencies, with 68 winners in different categories.
The gold award in the newspaper best photography category went to Lyn Rillon’s “Fistful of Panic,” which shows a man punching through locked bird cages to save his pets after a fire reached the fifth alarm in Paco, Manila.
A silver award in the best illustration category went to Inquirer’s supplement “President Duterte Inaugural Special” issue that came out on June 30 last year. The supplement cover was illustrated by Rene Elevera.
The supplement’s project director was Inquirer Central Desk chief Juliet Labog-Javellana, while the art direction was led by Inquirer Art and Design director Ralph Bagares.
Another silver award was given to Inquirer Briefing in the best infographics category for its entry “Unfinished Justice,” which looked at the martial law years and the Marcos family’s ill-gotten wealth, much of it yet to be recovered.
Inquirer Research head Minerva Generalao and researchers Ana Roa and Kathleen de Villa were responsible for the content of the infographic. Section editor is Manolo Quezon III.
Inquirer Briefing also bagged an honorable mention in the excellence for information graphics category of the 2016 Society of Publishers in Asia (Sopa) Editorial Awards for its entry, “China’s 21st Century Vision.”
Marianne Bermudez’s “Holy Cow” was recognized with a silver award in the newspaper best photography category. The photo shows a cow jumping near soldiers engaged in war games in Zambales province.
It also won the award for Excellence in News Photography in the 2016 Sopa Editorial Awards.
Inquirer received bronze awards in the following categories:
Best infographics — Inquirer Briefing’s “Nativity as faith and fact”
Newspaper best photography — Jeoffrey Maitem’s “Clearing the route”
Best newspaper supplement design — Philippine Daily Inquirer’s “President Duterte Inaugural Special”