CSC Statesman Bags 1st Cris Hugo Excellence Award in Campus Journalism

Another regional citation was earned by the official tertiary student publication of the Catanduanes State Colleges (CSC) at the close of 2010.

For embodying the idealism of a youth patriot, student rights’ advocate and journalist, the CSC Statesman’s First Semester, SY 2010-2011 issue bagged the First Cris Hugo Excellence Award in Campus Journalism.

The award was conferred to the CSC Statesman, the official tertiary student publication of the Catanduanes Colleges, during the 3rd Liyab Regional Journalism and Arts Festival which was organized by The Pillars, the official tertiary student publication of Ateneo de Naga University.

According to the Liyab organizers, the award was named after Cris Hugo, a student rights’ advocate and journalist.  In remembrance of his long-lasting efforts, the Cris Hugo Excellence Award in Campus Journalism is born.  The citation aims to raise the benchmark of campus publication’s issues and to highlight the culture of Bicol.

The CSC Statesman was the lone awardee in magazine category. No second and third places were declared by the award-giving body from other magazine entries of higher education institutions in Bicol.  One of the organizers of the regional journalism and arts festival said only the CSC Statesman passed with excellence the standards of the awards criteria.

In the tabloid category, no first place winner was declared.  The second place was bagged by Bicol Universitarian of Bicol University and the third place by The Façade of Universidad de Sta. Isabel.

The Liyab Regional Journalism and Arts Festival describes Cris Hugo as a young journalism student at the Bicol University College of Arts and Letters.  He committed himself in the fight for social justice, campus press freedom and various issues affecting the people.  He also became the regional coordinator and national council member of the League of Filipino Students, a post he held with profound dedication.

Just as he developed into being a stalwart of the concerns of the masses, three bullets of tyranny claimed the life of Cris on March 19, 2006. His assassinators might have found a means to silence him but never were they able to uproot the seeds of activism he planted in Bicol.  Since then, the memory of Cris serves as an inspiration to youth leaders, journalists and human rights advocates.