I-Witness' 'Alkansya' wins in 9th Lasallian Scholarum Awards

CEBU, Philippines - Kara David’s I-Witness documentary “Alkansya” was awarded as Outstanding Televised Feature Story on Youth and Education in the 9th Lasallian Scholarum Awards held last August 29 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

The documentary tells of the story of Anthony, a 12-year-old boy from Eastern Samar. At a very tender age, Anthony has already mastered hard work. He works all week without rest—setting out in the wee hours of the morning to catch fish and collect sea shells, and washing cars in a nearby town in the afternoon. But Anthony’s toughest task is done at night when he dives and scours the seabed for hours, searching for a sea creature used in Chinese recipes and traditional medicine—the sea cucumber. 

Anthony’s hard work is rewarded with a measly income—few coins that he saves in his alkansya or piggy bank. But nonetheless, the boy works tirelessly to fill his money box in hope of someday fulfilling his dream of finishing his studies.

“This documentary is very special to me and my I-Witness team because it tackles two issues that are both close to my heart: child labor and education,” says David.

David also shares how the documentary served as an instrument for people to help Anthony: “I would also like to share with you that after the documentary’s airing, people started giving Anthony his much needed help. At the moment, he is already one of our scholars. He’s in his second year in high school and no longer dives to collect sea cucumber.”

“I am very thankful for Anthony’s determination. In the same manner, I am also very thankful for the Filipinos’ compassion and for the gift of education.”

In 2004, David also won the Lasallian Scholarum Award for Outstanding Televised Feature on Youth and Education for her I-Witness documentary “Gamu-gamo sa Dilim.”

Sponsored by the Office for Strategic Communications of De La Salle University, the Lasallian Scholarum Award is an annual recognition program for outstanding media coverage of Filipino youth and education issues by print, broadcast, and campus journalists. It aims to generate awareness among various sectors on critical issues concerning education. The campaign also encourages proactive initiatives toward the development of the country’s educational system.   (FREEMAN)