By BIN Staff | 11:56 AM October 05, 2026
CEBU CITY — Boholano journalist Leo Udtohan won the Best in Column Writing – Opinion, English category at the 2nd Cebu Metropolitan Catholic Mass Media Awards (CM-CMMA) held Sunday, Oct. 4, at SM Seaside City Cebu.
Udtohan was recognized for his column, “Very Reliable Source” (VRS), published in The Bohol Chronicle.
Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy led the awards ceremony, which brought together this year’s awardees, nominees, jurors and representatives of various media organizations.
Among those who attended were Cebu City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña and his wife, former councilor Margot Osmeña; SM’s Marissa Fernan; and priests and bishops from Bohol, Cebu and Negros Island.
In a statement, Udtohan thanked the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu and the members of the judging panel for the recognition.
Udtohan said his column had evolved beyond being a venue for opinions and observations, becoming a platform that highlights issues and concerns affecting communities.
“This award is not just an honor but also a reminder and an inspiration to do better, write with greater purpose and continue telling stories that matter,” he said.
The award adds to Udtohan’s growing list of journalism honors.
In 2022, he won News Report of the Year at the 9th Globe Media Excellence Awards for his story, “Loon Church in Bohol rises from the rubble.”
He also won Breaking News of the Year for Digital at the Globe Media Excellence Awards in 2019.
In 2016, Udtohan was a finalist in the national Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) for his multipart series on Bohol’s recovery from the 2013 earthquake.
His article “With mobile pushcart, learning never stops” published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on August 28, 2020 was a finalist in 2021 Lasallian Scholarum Awards of De La Salle University as “Outstanding Published Feature Article on Youth and Education in a Nationally Circulated Publication.
He also won first place in Feature Writing at the 2024 Cebu Metropolitan Catholic Mass Media Awards.
A native of Tagbilaran City and a University of Bohol alumnus, Udtohan started writing his column for The Bohol Chronicle in 2008.
He is also a stringer for GMA News and Public Affairs and a correspondent for The Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The CM-CMMA recognizes outstanding works by media practitioners and organizations that promote human and Christian values.
The awards are open to media practitioners and organizations within the ecclesiastical province of Cebu, which includes the Archdiocese of Cebu and the suffragan dioceses of Dumaguete, Maasin, Tagbilaran and Talibon.
Bohol Island News nominated
Meanwhile, Bohol Island News (BIN), represented by Helen Castaño, was nominated for News Writing (Institutional Award) – English under the Print/Online Category.
The nomination recognizes BIN’s work in responsible journalism, truth-telling and community reporting.
Being shortlisted alongside other media organizations was also considered an achievement for the Bohol-based news organization, which expressed hope that the recognition would inspire its team to continue using journalism to inform and serve the community.
