“Hindi pwedeng gawing biro ang ating kabuhayan, hindi pwedeng sayawan ang ating kinabukasan.” (Our very livelihood cannot be made into a joke; [the candidates for government positions] also cannot just dance their way talking about our future.)
This was what seasoned broadcast journalist Susan Enriquez mainly shared with students from various schools in Dumaguete who filled the Luce Auditorium for the GMA Masterclass hosted by Silliman University.
Enriquez talked about her experiences in the field, providing insights on the plight of Filipinos, and highlighting the need to choose the right leaders in the midterm elections in May 2025.
The event was the last stop of the Visayas leg of the Eleksyon 2025 Dapat Totoo series which aimed to “educate why we must take our role in elections seriously, and what we can do to arrive at informed choices”.
In his opening message, Oliver Victor Amoroso, GMA senior VP and head of Integrated News, Regional TV & Synergy, stressed how every vote counts during the elections. He noted that Gen Zs comprise a “huge chunk” in the voting population for the 2025 midterm elections.
People who belong to Generation Z are those born roughly between 1995 to 2010.
GMA Regional TV & Synergy, in partnership with GMA Integrated News, brought practitioners of mass media and communications to Silliman, engaging as well with students from Negros Oriental State University, Foundation University, Colegio de Sta. Catalina de Alejandria, and St. Joseph Seminary.
Hannah Petrache, GMA social media manager, tackled the power of social media and the Internet, urging students to scrutinize on the candidates’ qualifications, just like they would do in their research projects at school.
“What’s your standard for leaders? They should be performing at 100 percent most of the time,” advised Martin Antonio, GMA sportscaster and analyst, when electing our leaders.
Joeberth Michael Marti Ocao, managing editor of Digital News and GMA Regional TV, talked about the swing vote, and explained how local news matters. “The primary purpose of journalism is to provide people with the information they need to be free. Specific locations have specific needs when it comes to the news,” he said.
Veteran broadcaster Mariz Umali also urged the audience to go out and vote. She said that even if our chosen candidates are performing poorly in the surveys, we should still vote for them. “Basta nakilatis mo, nakilala mo at alam mong maglilingkod sa bayan, hindi corrupt, walang bahid ng katiwalian, kahit kulelat siya sa survey, iboto mo!” (As long as you have figured out the candidate’s [accomplishments], you were able to get to know the person, you know that he will genuinely serve the community, and has no trace of corruption charges, you will still vote for that person even though he’s last in the surveys.)
The Masterclass event was hosted by Martin Javier, with a performance by Mariane Osabel.
It was co-organized by the SU Office of Media & Public Affairs, the College of Mass Communication, the SU Student Government, the National Service Training Program, the Office of Community Extension & Service Learning, and the Culture & Arts Council. (SU Media & Public Affairs)
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Photo Caption: The SU College of Mass Communication receives the signed Panata Wall from GMA Network VP Oliver Victor Amoroso, which shows various students’ commitment to help ensure honest and truthful elections in May 2025 by fighting against misinformation and disinformation. (SU KMC photo)
