STAR Reporter Bags Online Feature Story Award On Youth And Education In 17th Lasallian Scholarum Awards

The Philippine STAR reporter Neil Jayson Servallos bagged the “Online Feature Story On Youth And Education Award” in the 17th LaSallian Scholarum Awards held on Wednesday, March 9.

Servallos’ winning article was “Digital sex crimes in Asia: The Filipino mothers selling their children for online sexual abuse” published on OneNews.PH, which is powered by The STAR, on May 29, 2021.

Servallos, who covers police and local government units for The STAR, wrote about the situation of mothers exploiting their children to online sexual abuse as means to earn money amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

A master’s in Journalism students at the University of Santo Tomas, Servallos originally wrote the story for one of his reporting classes. It was expanded into a series with the editorial guidance of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ). The article was also supported by the Judith Neilson Institute’s Asian Stories project, in collaboration with ABS-CBN News, the South China Morning Post, The Korea Times and Tempo in Indonesia.

Servallos’ award-winning story is the first installment of a four-part series. His other works included: “Young girls face a lifetime battle removing their naked photos, sex videos from the internet,” “Kids in secret rooms: Why purveyors of online child sex abuse are difficult to catch,” and “‘The whole internet can be a watchdog’: How to fight online sex abuse of children.”

Three OneNews.PH articles were named as finalists in the same category:

• “‘Sayang ‘Yung Time,’ Says Student Who Attends Online Classes While Doing Construction Work” by Faith Yuen Wei Ragasa and Katrina Hallare, published on May 6, 2021

• “No Student Left Behind: Teachers Use Kolong-Kolong to Educate Aeta Students Amid Pandemic” by Anna Clarissa Barlam published on June 30, 2021

• “SPED Teacher Believes More Filipinos Should Study Sign Language As Students Create ‘Talking Gloves’ For The Deaf” by Janelle Lorzano, Anna Clarissa Barlam and Nina Angela Cruz published on Aug. 17, 2021

Hallare serves as writer for OneNews.PH, while Lorzano is a social media reporter and producer for The STAR. Ragasa, Barlam and Cruz are journalism students at the University of Santo Tomas who took their internship at OneNews.PH last year.

Ragasa and Hallare’s report focused on a Computer Engineering student in Bulacan who attends his online classes while doing construction work.

Barlam’s story was about the determination of teachers to teach Aeta students in far-flung areas by use of “kolong-kolong” or a motorcycle with a flat sidecar.

Meanwhile, Barlam, Cruz and Lorzano wrote about the invention of a pair of gloves that can interpret Filipino sign language made by a group of electrical engineering students from Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges. Their story was also featured in an exclusive video released on The STAR’s Facebook page.

On its 17^th year, The Lasallian Scholarum Awards is an annual media recognition program that acknowledges outstanding coverage of youth and education stories.

This year’s awards was held virtually and focused on the theme ”Kabanata ng Kabataan,” in view of the challenge to the Filipino youth to shape the new normal, as the country continues to combat the pandemic while preparing for the May national elections,” De La Salle University said in a statement.

Other winners included:

• Outstanding Published Feature Article on Youth and Education in a Nationally Circulated Publication: “Old-school ways a thing of the past as pandemic paves new learning landscapes” by Rizal Raoul Reyes, Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco and Mike Policarpio of BusinessMirror

• Outstanding Published Feature Story on Youth and Education in a School Organ: “Seeking justice: The uphill battle for safer spaces in academic institutions” by Alexandra Simone Enriquez and Criscela Ysabelle Racelis of DLSU’s The LaSallian

• Outstanding Feature Story on De La Salle University: “Lasallian heroes against Martial Law honored on International Day of Peace” by Aurora Quadra-Balibay of Good News Pilipinas

• Outstanding Video Feature Story on Youth Education: “Munting Bisig” by GMA Network’s “The Atom Araullo Specials”

• Outstanding Video Feature Story on Youth and Education: “Pandemic Teachers” by Kara David of GMA Network’s “I-Witness”

• Outstanding Feature Story on DLSU: “DLSU researchers use machine learning for a deeper meaning of data from international assessments” by Noel Pabalate of Manila Bulletin

This year’s panel of judges included PHINMA Corporation vice president, chief risk officer and director for strategy Danielle del Rosario, Asia Foundation chief of party, youth leadership for development Nathalie Christine Jorge, Signum Fidei Association national brother adviser and DLSU Senior High School faculty member Bro. Richie Yap, independent executive producer and writer Lolita Lachica, and multi-awarded Lasallian student leader Emmanuel Mirus Ponon.

Winners in the professional categories each received a sculpture especially designed and crafted by renowned sculptor Toym De Leon Imao.