Comm Program seniors and the photo essay panel at PJRC 2026 | Courtesy: Belha Puso
A photo essay documenting the people and traditions behind Cebu’s iconic street food, tuslob buwa, earned a second-place finish for five students from the University of the Philippines Cebu’s Communication program at the recently held 2026 Philippine Journalism Research Conference (PJRC) at the College of Media and Communication, UP Diliman, on November 6, 2026.
Titled “What Keeps the Pan Boiling: A Look Inside Barangay Pasil’s Tuslob Buwa Community,” the photo essay was produced by communication program seniors Giolla Abigail Abad, Dlan Casinillo, Precious Sheira Mendiola, Maria Shaila Montillano, and Blessy Shekinah Padillo.
The work was submitted as a final requirement for their Journ 135 (Photojournalism) class under Asst. Prof. Annie Perez-Gallardo.
“The panel was really interested in our work,” said Padillo in Cebuano.
The judges for this year’s photo essay category were Nana Buxani, Gil Nartea, and Rolex Dela Peña.
Their work takes readers into the streets of Barangay Pasil, Cebu City, where tuslob buwa remains part of the community’s everyday life.
Through photographs and narrative storytelling, the students documented the food’s history, the families who have sustained its preparation and sale across generations, and the shared experiences that make it an enduring part of Cebuano culture.
Beyond documenting a popular local delicacy, the photo essay offers a closer look at the people and stories behind a culinary tradition. It highlights how food serves not only as a source of livelihood but also as a marker of cultural identity, community ties, and shared memory.
The PJRC is organized by the UP Diliman College of Media and Communication’s Department of Journalism. It is an annual conference that recognizes outstanding student work in journalism research, investigative reporting, and multimedia campus journalism.
Aside from Padillo and her team, other communication students from UP Cebu also presented their work at the conference.
Zoel Radaza, Nixie Pepito, Juhl Muyco, Belha Puso, and Justine Obejero presented their investigative report, “On Blueprints and Broken Homes: UP Cebu’s Master Development Plans and the Fated Displacement of its Neighboring Communities.”
Meanwhile, the documentary “Renovision,” produced by Shaila Montillano, Vincent Castro, Maine Marmol, Zachary Matas, Angelie Oftana, and Shane Pradas, was also presented during the conference.
The achievement reflects the College of Communication, Art and Design’s (CCAD) continuing commitment to developing socially engaged communicators and storytellers who use journalism and creative media to document communities, amplify underrepresented voices, and preserve local culture and heritage.
Comm students bag 2nd place in 2026 Philippine Journalism Research Conference
