EDSA SHANGRI-LA MANILA, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila (SDN) — The Philippine Heart Association (PHA) and the Philippine College of Cardiology (PCC) today, October 12, 2022, took cognizant of a select numbers of media organizations and journalists through their Platinum Heart Media Awards.
On this day, the two organizations celebrated a huge milestone, their Platinum Year, or their 70th Anniversary, highlighted by their launch of their Coffee Table Book titled “The Heart Turns Platinum”.
Another highlight of the celebration, 70 years in the making, is the recognition the PHA and the PCC bestowed to the media entities and journalists, — the PHA-PCC Platinum Heart Media Awards.
Dr. Jude Erric Cinco is this year’s president of the PHA. He lauded the partnership between PHA and the media.
“(The) media have been our partners in heart health and our voices,” he says.
The winners, in order of announcement and presentation of the 2019-2022 PHA-PCC Platinum Heart Media Awards, are:
- Manila Standard
- Nina Corpuz
- SDN — Scitech and Digital News (also known as SDN — Science and Digital News) — Edd K. Usman
- Leony Garcia (Business Mirror)
- Daily Tribune
- Mhet Sanding Minon (SMNI)
- CNN
- Leah Salterio (Philippine Star, Manila Times, ABS-CBN Online)
- Tutok 13 (IBC 13)
- Marou Sarne (Radio DWIZ and Abante)
- Ulat Bayan (PTV 4 News)
- Operation Tulong (DZRH)
- GMA News Online
- Ms. Connie Sison (DZBB)
- NET25 (Caesar Vallejos)
- Annabelle “Belle” Surara (Radio Agila, NET 25)
- TeleRadyo/ABS-CBN News (Shiela Tubalinal)
- Dr. Luisa Ticzon Puyat (TeleRadyo, host, Daily Do’s)
- ABS-CBN Corp. (ReyMell Pawid)
- Jing Castaneda (ABS-CBN)
- Jasmin Romero (ABS-CBN)
PHA’s Dr. Luigi Pierre Segundo spoke about the media award, saying it started in 2016.
He said the giving of the PHA Media Awards is being bestowed on media entities and individual reporters “to signify (PHA’s) appreciation for the noble work of media in propagating the society’s lay programs and enhancing it’s image and reputation as a scientific body and lay (healthy lifestyle and CPR) advocacy group.”
The youthful medical professional, of the hosts of the PHA’s “Usapang Puso sa Puso” seminars and lectures, noted the awards’ being in a hiatus in 2019 to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic that hit every corner of the world.
Segundo said the last PHA Media Awards given was in 2018-2019 before the pandemic.
It can be recalled the Covid-19 pandemic barreled through the globe from China in December 2019 and has since killed over six million people across the globe.
Ms. Gynna Gagelonia, PHA media facilitator, said because this year is the 70th year of the group, the 2022 accolade is named the PHA Platinum Heart Media Awards, a tribute to the group’s seven decades of service.
“The PHA Platinum Heart Media Awards doubly emphasizes the substantial and irreplaceable place of media in the PHA’s existence and in the lives of the people. It recognizes media institutions and their men and women who covered PHA-PCC from July 2019 to this day,” says Gagelonia.
“Tonight’s awarding means a lot to both the PHA and media who are both front-liners. A large majority caught the bug not just once or twice. Some lost loved ones and friends to Covid. Some are suffering from a major health issue amid the Covid. However, like wounded soldiers, these people who are ever committed to their craft, played their roles to the hilt.”
The 21 media institutions and journalists won their respective awards as they passed the PHA Platinum Heart Media Awards’ criteria, such as substance and relevance, audience/readership impact, coverage or reach of broadcast, and number of published stories.
Gagelonia took note as well of the media’s role in helping the PHA widened its advocacy network — from news media and social media to showbiz to politics.
She pointed out that the media also helped the PHA connect with top government officials. — EKU (✓)