Anak TV has officially begun its 2026 awards cycle in Ilocos Sur, kicking off its nationwide screenings and voting for this year’s Anak TV Seal recipients through its annual Media Literacy Symposium.
Held at Saint Paul College of Ilocos Sur, the first leg of the initiative placed the spotlight on a timely concern for families: helping parents guide children through an increasingly complex media environment. The program featured keynote talks from ABS-CBN Corporate Communications head and Anak TV vice president Kane Errol Choa and Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. Platforms and Partnerships head Danie Rose Sedilla-Cruz.
Choa anchored his presentation on real-life case studies involving social media hate and cyberbullying, showing how everyday comments, reactions and shares can affect people in real and lasting ways. He also shared practical strategies on how netizens can respond more constructively and cope when faced with online hostility.
Sedilla-Cruz, for her part, urged parents to move children beyond passive viewing and toward responsible content creation, stressing the importance of safe, age-appropriate and values-driven media engagement.
For Anak TV President Elvira Yap-Go, that role begins at home.
“Whatever your family’s situation may be, your role as parents is important. You are the light that guides children. Being the light means guiding your children to make the right and responsible decisions on their media consumption,” Yap-Go said.
The message resonated strongly with Saint Paul College of Ilocos Sur, whose school leaders expressed support for the initiative. School chaplain Rev. Msgr. Gary Noel Formoso, school president Sr. Ma. Nilda Masirag and guidance services team leader Sr. Dahlia Corazon Dabu all reaffirmed the school’s commitment to promoting responsible media engagement among students and families.
Also present were Anak TV ambassadors Ayra Mariano and Joshua Dionisio, hosts of “UNTV Good Morning Kuya,” who performed special song numbers during the program.
One of the event’s highlights was the direct participation of parents in screening and selecting child-friendly television shows for the Anak TV Seal. Votes gathered from symposium legs across the country will help determine the winners of the 2026 Anak TV Awards.
The event also engaged younger participants through the AnakTV Larolympics, where Grade 3 to 6 pupils joined traditional Filipino games such as sipa, piko and sack race. The activity reinforced Anak TV’s broader advocacy of promoting physical activity and cultural appreciation among children alongside responsible media use.
Best known for its annual Anak TV Awards, Anak TV is composed of major television networks and media stakeholders in the Philippines. Beyond the awards, the organization continues to hold media literacy symposia nationwide to educate families and involve them directly in the screening and selection process.
The Anak TV Awards recognize television programs that meet child-sensitive and family-friendly standards. Programs that receive the Anak TV Seal are affirmed by parents, teachers and students as suitable for children.
