A glorious homecoming

It felt like a mini Live A.I.D.S. – the longest-running musical variety show produced by UP Samaskom – and so much more rolled into one: a mini concert, an impromptu stand-up comedy performance by Tessie Tomas; a commencement-style speech by UP president Jijil Jimenez and a lively back-and-forth between the hosts Tuesday Vargas and RS Francisco that could easily pass for late-night talk show banter.

But in reality, the Comm Back, Comm Home Homecoming and Glory Awards hosted by the UP College of Media and Communication Alumni Association (UPCMCAA) was no staged performance. It was a real-life, fun-filled and heartwarming evening of memories and honor.

Held at the glittering Commission on Higher Education auditorium on Feb. 28, the event, which marked the UPCMC’s 60th anniversary, was every bit a homecoming. I saw former professors, some of my batchmates in Communication Research, fellow UPCMC alumni including broadcasters, film directors, actors and Sen. Loren Legarda.

There was a tribute for our beloved college employee, the late Consuelo Agapito, whom we all know as Aling Suming. Her son Raymond Agapito received the award. Prof. Evelyn David was also honored.

Also awarded was UP Samaskom, an organization within the college that marked its 30th year, for its Live A.I.D.S. (Ang Istoryang Dinebelop ng Samaskom).

2025 Glory awardees

The highlight of the evening was the awarding of the 2025 Glory Awards. It’s my honor and delight to be among this year’s awardees, along with four other fellow CMC graduates.

The award is named in honor of Dr. Gloria D. Feliciano, who led UP’s premier communications program until her retirement in 1985. Glory awardees are chosen by a jury of well-respected mass communication experts including some former awardees themselves.

“Our honorees exemplify excellence and impact in their fields, bringing pride to our alma mater and inspiring the UPCMC community,” said alumni association president and PTV-4 general manager Malou Choa-Fagar.

Below are this year’s fellow awardees. Their profiles were provided by the UPCMCAA:

Ellen Marfil is an independent filmmaker. Her feature films “Boses,” “Mga Pusang Gala” and “Lakbay2Love” have combined artistry, themes of healing and resilience and advocacy for child protection, gender equality and environmental awareness.
In 2025, she premiered “Lakambini: Gregoria de Jesus,” a historical opus that revived public awareness of the Katipunan heroine.

Elena Mangahas, who flew from the US to receive her award, “championed workforce development and connected thousands of young people to training, jobs and volunteer opportunities.” Beyond her government service, she held key volunteer leadership roles and has been a strong advocate for immigrant communities, women’s empowerment and youth with disabilities.

Issa Baron has built a four-decade track record in the marketing research field, mastering research management, analytics and business development. As co-founder of GoodThinking Research Inc. and FastforwardMR Corp., she championed agile, insight-driven approaches and the digitization of research processes.

Bobby Coloma devoted 40 years to journalism, rising to become bureau chief of Agence France-Presse in Singapore and Malaysia. He received the National Order of Merit with the rank of Chevalier from French President Jacques Chirac for his “great professionalism and dedication to objectivity.”

And, yes, yours truly.

In my acceptance speech, I said the recognition is a victory for economic journalists because business journalism is a very specialized, almost technical field that is not always appealing to ordinary readers, and yet we persist because covering the economy is very important.

I was also recognized for the stories I did outside my beat – such as covering a dangerous repatriation flight to Beirut, Lebanon at the height of the pandemic, the plight of Filipino fishermen affected by the tensions between China and the Philippines, the Duterte administration’s war on drugs and a special report I did on children’s cancer care, among others.

What a big honor it was to be recognized by peers. I share the recognition with fellow journalists, especially in this time when so many people try to discredit us.

This year’s jury included former UP vice president for Public Affairs and past UPCMC dean Dr. Elena Pernia; Philippine Communication Society past president Dr. Lourdes Portus; professor and former Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino chairman Dr. Gary Devilles; veteran television producer Chit Guerrero; TV commercial director and 2024 Glory Awardee Mandy Reyes; UP CMC dean Dr. Diosa Labiste and former ANC and CNN Philippines news director Jing Magsaysay, representing the family of Dr. Gloria Feliciano, who led the college from 1965 to 1985.

We went home with a beautiful trophy designed and sculpted by Grace Javier Alfonso, a UP professor emerita, former chancellor and UPCMCAA board director.

The Glory Awards were first held on Nov. 11, 2017. The Glory Medal of Distinction, on the other hand, was a one-time award that was bestowed upon 50 past Outstanding Alumni Awardees of the College and the UPAA during the inaugural Glory Awards ceremony in 2017.

Thank you and congratulations to UPCMCAA for another successful event. The indefatigable board is led by Choa-Fagar as president, with Anna Velasco, vice president; former CMC dean Armi Santiago, secretary; Ritzi Ronquillo, assistant secretary and Ivy Lisa Mendoza, treasurer. Aside from Javier Alfonso, other directors are Jingjing Romero, Oscar Gomez, Olive De Jesus, Gina Lumauig, Eric Montelibano, Joji Banzon, Ging Reyes, Jun Sepe and Alex Arellano.

It was good to be home.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on X @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.