ABS-CBN TFC's Espinosa, Conclara of Balitang America Win at 5th PAPC-USA Plaridel Awards

SAN FRANCISCO - Oct. 10, 2016 - PRLog -- "Balitang America", the award-winning daily news program produced by and aired on ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel (TFC) in North America and also globally on ANC, scored victories at the 5^th Plaridel Awards held by the Philippine American Press Club (PAPC-USA) recently at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center in San Francisco.

The Plaridel Awards recognizes excellence in Filipino American journalism and is open to all journalists whose works have been carried by Filipino American news media.

ABS-CBN North America News Desk Editor Henni Espinosa won Best Television Community Reporting for "OFW Concerns". In her team are videographers Jeremiah Ysip and Nino Nucum with Danny Manansala as editor.  San Francisco Bay Area Correspondent Rommel Conclara won Best Television Documentary for "Filipino Chef Sharwin".  In his team are videographer Jeremiah Ysip with Danny Manansala as editor.

PAPC-USA President Esther Chavez, vice president of marketing and sales and regional director for North America of Inquirer.net also presented Consul General Henry S. Bensurto Jr. of the Philippine Consulate General of San Francisco with the Torch Bearer Award for keeping "the torch of the Filipino ideals aflame through the winds of change and the passage of time as a community leader and for selflessly dedicating unmeasured time and boundless energy towards projects and activities that enable the Filipino-American press/community to thrive."

Keynote Speaker at the event was Ted Unarce, an award-wining film producer, author, and founder of MDS Foundation, a non-profit organization (www.ndsfoundation.us) devoted to aiding victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. He also co-founded TWIFF, (www.twiff.org) Third World Independent Film Festival which was recently held in San Francisco.

Unarce's award-winning documentaries include "Modern Day Slaves" which was featured at the Cannes Film Festival and subsequently screened at institutions of higher learning across the United States.

Unarce urged FilAm journalists to always write like they were writing for mainstream America and not just for a Filipino audience.

The evening's program was dedicated to Ness Ocampo, veteran radio broadcaster, who recently passed.

Other winners at the 5^th Plaridel Awards are:

Best In-depth/Investigative Story, Christina Oriel, Asian Journal

"Immigrants encouraged to naturalize despite barriers",

Best Editorial/Commentary, Wilfredo Pascual, TheFilAmLA.com

"How to remember Larry"

Best News Story, Christina Oriel, Asian Journal

"Hillary Clinton seeks support from FilAm, AAPI Voters"

Best Youth Voice, Christina Oriel, Asian Journal, "Filipino teacher honored by White House, LA City Hall"

Best Entertainment Story, Lotis Key, Positively Filipino, "Standing Room Only"

Best Food Story, Christina Oriel, Asian Journal, "LASA, FilAm chefs experiment Filipino flavors at Unit 120 in Chinatown

Best Personal Essay, Jennifer Suzara Cheng, TheFilAMLA.com, "Jennifer's diary: Martial Law through a child's eyes"

Best Feature Story, Emil Guillermo, Inquirer.net, "Thousands of Filipino-American WWII Vets make appeals over equity pay denial"

Best Profile Writing, Christina Oriel, Asian Journal, "An inside look at the life of LA Superior Court Judge Teresa Magno "

Best International Reporting (Tie)

Jesse T. Reyes, The Filipino Press "This one's for all the courageous Checks who were the only other battling bastards of Bataan, too"

Manzel Delacruz, Positively Filipino, "Missions Possible"

Honorable Mentions were presented to Tet Valdez of TheFilamLA, for Best Photojournalism, "Filipinos among Asian rallying around Hillary Clinton"; Elizabeth Ann Quirino, Positively Filipino, "My Tarlac lights up the world with Belenismo" for Best Tourism Feature, and Jesse T. Reyes, The Filipino Reporter, "Fierce fascination and fondness for ballin' basketball forever," for Best Sports Story.

Janelle Feraro, who recently won the 2016 Junior Champion of the World Competition of Performing Artists, and Myles Garcia, who describes himself as "an amateur raconteur who dabbles in the treasures of the International and Great American Songbooks", entertained the guests.  Sponsors were Philippine Airlines, Pacific Gas & Electric, Dept. of Tourism, Inquirer.net and Mango Tours.


Reference:
NERISSA M. FERNANDEZ
GLOBAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS & PR
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