BSU, CSB bets top tilts

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial and officers of the PBA Press Corps and PBA Press Photography are shown with the winners of the revived PBAPC sportswriting tilt. (Fourth from left) Axell Swen Lumiguen, fifth place, Ron Jeric Faustino, fourth, Gillene Gustine Garcia, third, Eriell Estrada, second, and champion Justin Mhar de Jesus.

Bulacan State University (BSU) scored a 1-2 finish to emerge the biggest winner in the just revived Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Press Corps sportswriting contest.

Justin Mhar B. de Jesus was declared champion of the one-day event held last 22 November at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, besting schoolmate Eriell G. Estrada for the top plum worth P10,000.

As runner-up honor, Estrada received P7,000.

Meanwhile, Kyle Janrey Bustos of College of St. Benilde was the winner of the special photo contest held as part of the meet’s 25th year anniversary celebration presented by the PBA, San Miguel Corp., NorthPort and Sony Philippines. Bustos received P10,000.

The formal announcement and awarding of winners were held at halftime of Game 4 of the Governors Cup semis series between Barangay Ginebra and NorthPort, with league commissioner Willie Marcial personally handing out the prizes and the corresponding certificates.

Placing third in the writing contest was Gillene Gustine C. Garcia of St. Dominic College of Asia, followed by Ron Jeric P. Faustino of Marcelo H. Del Pilar National High School and Axell Swen A. Lumiguen of Polytechnic University of the Philippines at fourth and fifth places, respectively.

Settling for runner-up honor in the photo contest was John Edward Gaspar of Marcelo H. Del Pilar High School and Lucky de la Rosa of University of the Philippines-Diliman.

The Philippine Star sports editor Nelson Beltran, Tempo sports editor Rey Virgilio Lachica, and Malaya assistant sports editor Noli Cortez served as judges in the writing contest, while the photo tilt was judged by SPIN.ph and Sony Philippines ambassador Jerome Ascano, and award-winning and veteran lensmen August de la Cruz of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and Ernie Sarmiento of ESPN5.