𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐞𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐂𝐉𝐂 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭

The Rock, official student publication of San Pedro College (SPC), secured four different awards during the 4th National Campus Journalism Convention (NCJC) at the Manila Grand Opera Hotel, March 8, remaining an award-winning publication during its second appearance in the annual journalism event.

Against 60 competing schools and 386 student-journalists nationwide, The Rock won in one publication release competition, one individual contest, and in two group events.

Starting the organization’s list of accolades earned, its latest lampoon and satirical paper, The Cock, claimed back-to-back podium finishes in the Best Student Publication Special Issue, securing second runner-up in the category for this year’s convention after last year’s championship.

In the individual competitions, Junior Artist Richard Lauren Jore grabbed first runner-up in Editorial Cartooning Traditional after a striking sketch about the country’s current climate crisis.

On another note, James Martinez and Karah Mickaella Alferez earned the publication’s first win in the group events as they landed the top spot in the event’s debut of the Campus Journalism Quiz Bee.

The duo prevailed among all 30 competing schools, garnering a total of 56 points across the easy, average, and difficult rounds.

Moreover, the broadcasting department brought pride to the school after winning NCJC’s first Radio Broadcasting competition, besting all other entries in the English medium and placing third overall, combining all 10 entries that used the English and Filipino medium from secondary and college institutions.

The broadcasting team, under the Station ID DXRT 89.1 and Veritas Network, consisted of Anchors Blue Thandie Agullana and Al Kenre Baban, News Reporters George Ryan Gallardo, Isabel Amor Paracha, and Erica Danielle Salumbides, Floor Director and Scriptwriter Joel Andre Loja, and Technical Director Belle Andre Malinao.

Broadcasting Department Head George Ryan Gallardo expressed gratitude to his members and fulfillment on bringing back a broadcasting win to the publication during his term, considering it was 2024 that The Rock last won a Radio Broadcasting event in the national stage.

“It was fulfilling on my part as a Broadcasting Head. Proud would be an understatement because I saw the dedication of my [members] to our craft. Despite our academic tasks, we were still able to fit our practices to our bombarded schedules,” Gallardo said.

He also shared the pressure he felt upon knowing that all entries that used the English and Filipino medium from both Secondary and College institutions were subjected to one judging criteria, saying they felt “overpowered” as most of the contenders utilized the Filipino medium.

“This information brought us a lot of fear and we were quite unsure of what would be the results so it was a very surprising moment for us that we were able to clinch the [third spot],” he shared.

Rockers Remo Gillera and Martinez also represented the institution in Editorial Writing English, while Editor-in-Chief (EIC) Eunice Joyce Wong and Alferez competed in Feature Writing English, and Raphael Lorenz Masinadiong in News Writing English.

Meanwhile, Wong was chosen to represent the Mindanao region in the event’s first EIC panel discussion, where they had an open plenary session of sharing insights and lived experiences as a campus-journalist.

When asked about “managing the fear of pursuing campus journalism as a female editor-in-chief” in light of women’s month, she posited about being a voice to one’s self amid unjust treatment to female journos in contrast to how men are regarded in the field.

“Our responsibility is not just to be the voice [of] our studentry, it is also to be our own voice. If ever I were to encounter [prejudiced attacks as a female journalist] from any other person, I would just have to stand my ground and assert myself, especially because we all came from women,” said the EIC.

Wong was joined by the EICs of the student publications from Biliran State University – Main Campus, University of the Philippines – Diliman (UPD), and De La Salle University (DLSU).

Organized by Transforming Advocates and Champions (TRAC) Philippines, Inc., this year’s three-day NCJC transpired from March 6 to 8. It is an annual flagship program of the organization that seeks to “champion the Campus Journalism Act of 1991.”

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