Cheyenne Suarez

Meet UP’ CMCs 2025 Glory Awards honorees

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ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA --  Five distinguished alumni of the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Media and Communication (UP CMC) will be honored for their significant contributions to media and communication during the 2025 edition of The Glory Awards next month.</p><p>The awardees are veteran journalist Roberto Coloma, digital market research trailblazer Melissa Abad Santos-Baron, community worker and civic leader Elena Buensalido-Mangahas, independent filmmaker Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil, and business editor-columnist Iris Gonzales.</p><p>The awards will be presented on February 28 during the UP CMC annual homecoming at the Commission on Higher Education Auditorium in UP Diliman. </p><p>The 9th Glory Awards will be co-hosted by alumni Tuesday Vargas, RS Francisco and Kata Inocencio, with trophies designed by UP professor emeritus and alumni board member Grace Javier Alfonso.</p><p>“Our honorees exemplify excellence and impact in their fields, bringing pride to our alma mater and inspiring the UPCMC community,” said alumni association president and PTV-4 general manager Malou Choa-Fagar.</p><p>Below are the awardees of UP&#x27;s Glory Awards 2025:</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769751475557Roberto Coloma - 1.jpeg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>Bobby Coloma devoted 40 years to journalism, rising to become bureau chief of Agence France-Presse in Singapore and Malaysia. As editor in chief of the UP Philippine Collegian, he was imprisoned for upholding press freedom at the height of Martial Law. He covered pivotal events such as the People Power Revolution, insurgencies, and the removal of US bases in the Philippines. </p><p>Coloma’s reporting earned him the Catholic Mass Media Award for best in journalism. He received the National Order of Merit, with the rank of Chevalier, from French President Jacques Chirac for his “great professionalism and dedication towards objectivity.” He also served as president of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines and reported landmark global events, from the Hong Kong handover to the Trump-Kim summit. </p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769751498457Melissa Abad Santos-Baron.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>Issa Baron has built a four-decade track record in the marketing research field, mastering research management, analytics, and business development. As co-founder of GoodThinking Research Inc. and FastforwardMR Corporation, she championed agile, insight-driven approaches and the digitization of research processes. She has served three terms as president of the Marketing and Opinion Research Association of the Philippines (MORES) and held multiple leadership roles that advanced industry standards and digital adoption. </p><p>Beyond corporate work, Baron has supported consumer advocacy projects and ICANSERVE Foundation, influencing public health campaigns and cancer care policy.</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769751521998Iris-Gonzales.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>Iris Gonzales is a multi-awarded journalist who has consistently bridged the intersections of politics, social issues, and economic policy. Her thrice-weekly column “Eyes Wide Open” in the Philippine Star has exposed misuse of public funds, corporate vested interests, and government shortcomings while championing marginalized communities. Her investigative reports on Malampaya, e-sabong, POGOs, and coal power have influenced public discourse and policy, earning multiple “Feature Story of the Year” honors from the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines. </p><p>Beyond the newsroom, she has joined repatriation missions, documented the plight of Filipino fishermen, and covered the Duterte administration’s “war on drugs” and children’s cancer care, often mobilizing aid for those affected. </p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769751541685Elena Mangahas.jpg" style="width:655px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>Elena Mangahas dedicated 34 years of professional and civil service work in San Joaquin County, California, where she championed workforce development and connected thousands of young people to training, jobs, and volunteer opportunities. Beyond her government service, she held key volunteer leadership roles, including executive director of the Asia Pacific Concerns Committee, senior board member of Little Manila Rising, and president of the Rotary Club of Central Stockton. </p><p>A lifetime member of the Filipino American National Historical Society, she has been a strong advocate for immigrant communities, women’s empowerment, youth with disabilities, and mentoring minority leaders. Her contributions also extend to the arts and literature through performances in local theater, historical documentaries, and Filipino-American productions. </p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769751638706Ellen Marfil.jpg" style="width:655px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>Ellen Marfil has distinguished herself in Philippine independent cinema through her own production house, Erasto Films. Her feature films &quot;Boses,&quot; &quot;Mga Pusang Gala,&quot; and &quot;Lakbay2Love&quot; have combined artistry, themes of healing and resilience, and advocacy for child protection, gender equality, and environmental awareness. In 2025, she premiered &quot;Lakambini: Gregoria de Jesus,&quot; a historical opus that revived public awareness of the Katipunan heroine. </p><p>She has won recognitions from Cinemalaya, CineEuropa Festival in Palawan, and across the United States at the Frameline, G2 Green Earth, and International Social Change film festivals. Her works are screened in schools, communities, and global forums on education and social change. Beyond cinema, she co-founded Pelikulove.com, a multi-arts portal that nurtures new voices in film and theater, expanding access to creative education during and after the pandemic. </p><div><br/></div><p>The Glory Awards was established in 2017 to recognize alumni whose achievements in journalism, film, communication research, broadcasting, and allied fields evoke the legacy of Dr. Gloria Feliciano, the pioneering dean of UP’s mass communication program.</p>

<p>Five distinguished alumni of the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Media and Communication (UP CMC) will be honored for their significant contributions to media and communication during the 2025 edition of The Glory Awards next month.</p>

Five distinguished alumni of the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Media and Communication (UP CMC) will be honored for their significant contributions to media and communication during the 2025 edition of The Glory Awards next month.

Meet UP CMC’s 2025 Glory Awards honorees

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Meet UP CMC’s 2025 Glory Awards honorees

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 30, 2026 02:22 PM PHT

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Updated Jan 30, 2026 03:31 PM PHT

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