From winners to jurors…

From being previous winners at the New York Festivals (NYF), ABS-CBN executives Ging Reyes and Robert Labayen are taking on new roles in the prestigious contest as members of the 2019 Grand Jury for the NYF Television & Film Competition.

Reyes, head of ABS-CBN Integrated News & Current Affairs, and Labayen, the head of ABS-CBN Integrated Creative Communications Management (CCM), join other award-winning industry experts from all over the world in judging the entries to the NYF.

Reyes also sits in the 2019 NYF Advisory Board with 18 other esteemed leaders in media.

A seasoned news executive, Reyes has more than 30 years experience as a broadcast journalist. She joined ABS-CBN in 1986 as a production assistant, rose from the ranks to become executive producer and head writer of the award-winning "The World Tonight" and other special events, and eventually, director for news production. Prior to her appointment as the news chief of ABS-CBN, she also headed ABS-CBN’S North America News Bureau from 2002 to 2010. A premier news personality in the Filipino community in the US, she expanded the news operations of ABS-CBN in the US and Canada, contributing to the global content needs of ABS-CBN. 

Labayen, meanwhile, is a Lifetime Achievement awardee in Philippine advertising with over two decades of experience in the industry before joining ABS-CBN in 2004. He started as a copywriter and rose to the rank of managing partner and executive creative director. He also served as president of the Creative Guild of the Philippines. Labayen, who’s also a writer, painter, and songwriter, is also famous for being the creative genius behind ABS-CBN’s iconic station IDs like “Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko” and 2018’s “Family Is Love.” Under his watch, CCM has won top awards in the NYF and Promax-BDA, among many others.

After taking home three medals - one gold, one silver, and one bronze – in 2018, ABS-CBN is up for three more awards this year at the NY Festivals. Its current affairs program “Mission Possible,” with its episode “Kapit Lang Anak,” made it as finalist in the Best Public Affairs Program Category. The episode tells the story of Elsa Badilla, a single mother blind from glaucoma, and her daughter Sarah, who has Down Syndrome.  Anchor Julius Babao takes viewers for a day in their shoes, showing the mother and daughter’s dedication to each other, and their resilience despite their present conditions.

The television plug for the same episode titled “Elsa and Sarah,” produced by ABS-CBN CCM, also earned a nomination in the Station/Image Promotion category, while, ABS-CBN DocuCentral’s “Local Legends” also made it to the final round of judging in the Biography/Profiles category. The award-winning documentary series won a nomination for its episode “Karne Norte,” which puts the spotlight on traditional corned beef-makers in Masbate.

The New York Festival’s World’s Best TV & Films competition honors programming in all lengths and forms from over 50 countries with categories that mirror today’s global trends, and encourage the next generation of storytellers and talent.

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