Abelardo S. Ulanday, Inquirer associate editor for online and editor in chief of Inquirer.net and Rolando B. Fernandez, Inquirer Northern Luzon Bureau chief
Two editors of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the paper’s former Readers’ Advocate received the Glory Medal of Distinction from the University of the Philippines College of mass Communication Alumni Association (UPCMCAA) for their outstanding work in journalism.
Abelardo S. Ulanday, Inquirer associate editor for online and editor in chief of Inquirer.net, Rolando B. Fernandez, Inquirer Northern Luzon Bureau chief, and Dr. Elena “Neny” Pernia, former Readers’ Advocate and currently the dean of UPCMC, received the awards on Nov. 11 during the homecoming of UPCMCAA at the Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman, Quezon City.
Ulanday, a member of Class 1976, and Fernandez, a member of Class 1981, were cited as two of the most distinguished UPCMC alumni for their career in journalism. Dr. Pernia, a member of Class 1976, was cited for her work in education and research.
They were conferred the award together with 40 others, including politicians Senator Loren Legarda and Orly Mercado, artists Ogie Alcasid and Tessie Tomas, and media practitioners Luchie Cruz-Valdez, Kara David, Ed Lingao, Malou Mangahas, and Jessica Soho, among others.
“These personalities brought not only honor and prestige to the college but also inspiration to colleagues in various fields of communication,” UPCMCAA President Malou Choa-Fagar said.
“UP CMC has consistently pursued its vision of developing socially responsible, critical and vigilant media to help create an egalitarian and progressive society. Over the years, the UP-CMC has been consistently producing graduates who have become leaders and movers in the Philippine mass media,” the association said in a separate statement.
Dr. Elena “Neny” Pernia, former Readers’ Advocate and currently the dean of UPCMC
During their alumni homecoming, the association also awarded the Glory Awards to eight alumni for their “outstanding work and influence in their chosen disciplines and advocacies.”
The Glory awardees were: advocate Lan Mercado, ABS-CBN’s entertainment production division head Lauren Dyogi, marketing strategist Raul Castro, UP Film Institute director Sari Dalena, film scholar Joel David, journalist Roby Alampay, public relations practitioner Joy Buensalido, and GMA Network news executive Marissa Flores.
The award honors the legacy of UP CMC’s first dean, Dr. Gloria Feliciano.
READ: UP Masscom awards outstanding alumni in first-ever Glory Awards