Vetting the academe entertainment awards

MANILA, Philippines - “Unang taon ito ng GEMS (Guild of Educators, Mentors and Students), kailangan may inspirasyon sila sa patuloy nilang paghakbang,” Cristy Fermin shared in sparkling Pilipino about her twin awards. She received them at the Hiyas ng Sining 2017 on March 1 at the Laguna BelAir Science School (LBSS) in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna.

Fermin collected the much-desired Best Female Newspaper Columnist and Best Female Radio Broadcaster for Entertainment. We know that at the mere mention of her name, juicy entertainment information flashes, their truthfulness spread open to the heart and mind of users, each clever tidbit brushed with doses of fact and fun time.

“GEMS has 90-plus voting mass media professionals from prestigious colleges and universities. We deliberate on the nominees and winners. In case of tie, we deliberate,” introduced founder-president Norman Mauro Llaguno who teaches at the LBSS.

GEMS is the latest addition to the nationwide spread of entertainment award-giving bodies by school-based organizations. It is entirely different from entertainment journalists handing out awards, networks awarding self-serving honors or professional groups recognizing their own members.

This is a good way of honoring underrecognized media performers. “Dahil sa parangal na ito, lalo pa naming paghuhusayan pero pag nakaluwag-luwag na lang ulit,” quipped Lourd de Veyra. He grabbed Best Program Host for TV5’s History With Lourd known for its hard-hitting pop edge.

Awards by industry insiders such as filmmakers and entertainment journalists seemed to have suffered a downturn for lack of sponsors, credibility issues and dwindling celebrity attendance. They have been replaced by academe-based award-giving bodies for non-reliance on sponsors, better credibility perceptions and enthusiastic support by the networks.

The University of the Philippines being the country’s premier state university awards the lifetime achievement recognition with Gawad Plaridel for film and other media. “It may not be necessary but nevertheless most welcome as a gesture for UP expressing its support for the arts and allied disciplines,” explained Noy Lauzon, former cinema programmer at UP Film Institute.

The academe goes full frontal to enhance teaching and learning all kinds of discipline. At the top of the list of mentors into handing out film awards are Pasado or Pampelikulang Samahan ng mga Dalubguro, Gawad Tanglaw or Gawad Tagapuring Akademisyan ng Aninong Gumagalaw and UP Young Critics Circle Awards.

“The school awards give an indication of the choices and preferences of the student stakeholders,” said Bong Osorio, former VP and head of ABS-CBN Corporate Communications who is now a communications consultant for the network, government agencies and private corporations.

He explained that this multiplying effect is not new. “There are more schools now that gives out entertainment awards. But the earlier ones are USTv Awards, UP Gandingan and Gawad Tanglaw,” recalled Osorio.

Television has always been there. “In fact, USTv Award has always been TV only. From my recollection, UP Gandingan has radio and TV categories while Gawad Tanglaw has multimedia,” he expanded.

“More or less, their template is the Catholic Mass Media Awards, which is even more expansive to include recordings, advertising and works of students,” he added.

“Student awards also serve as a good public relations activity for the schools since there are attendant media coverages,” summed up Osorio whose ex-company continues to be the leading recipient of such awards.

But it goes without saying that GMA network has its own share of loyals, maybe even more diehard.

They are not just award-givers; they build images.