TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte (PIA)- The Kapalong College of Agriculture Science and Technology (KCAST) nearly scored a sweep of all the top prize awards in the first-ever Davao del Norte Interscholastic Press Freedom Month Competition.

KCAST won the first-place awards in the News Writing, Feature Writing, Photojournalism and TV Broadcasting competitions. Davao del Norte State College averted an all KCAST sweep as they took the first prize in the Extemporaneous Speech competition.

The awarding ceremonies were held on Nov. 9 at the DavNor Gym in Tagum City.

Davao del Norte Provincial Administrator Engr. Josie Jean Rabanoz representing Gov. Edwin Jubahib and Provincial Information, Communication and Knowledge Management Office (PICKMO) head Dr. Mervin Suaybaguio handed out the awards which serves as the culmination activity of the Press Freedom Month celebration in Davao del Norte.

In his message, Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib stressed the importance of campus journalists in the local government’s push to strengthen development communications in the province.

“News and information do not only exist on the national or regional scale with the decline of local newspapers, news sources and the rise of platforms, campus press has filled the gap in community coverages, the reportage of local events would have suffered a lot without our student journalists,” the Governor said in his message which was read by Provincial Administrator Engr. Josie Jean Rabanoz.

The Governor in his message said the spread of fake news and disinformation has made the role of student journalists ever more important being a platform of responsible journalism by providing accurate and relevant news and information to the people. (RG Alama)