GMA Network executive Jaemark Tordecilla was recently named among The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) for 2021 for Digital Journalism.
Tordecilla, the Network’s Senior Assistant Vice President for News and Public Affairs Digital Media and concurrently the Editor-in-Chief for GMA News Online, was given the recognition for making significant contributions to his field.
The awarding ceremonies, which was held by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Philippines last April 8, honored 10 exceptional young Filipinos who not only achieved professional excellence in their chosen fields, but also tirelessly worked toward inspiring meaningful positive change in society.
In his acceptance speech, Tordecilla shared that his team saw a spike in their online news platforms’ viewership whenever the government announced tighter restrictions during the height of the pandemic. For a couple of months in 2020 and 2021, GMA News Online peaked at No. 5 in the world, beating many other international news organizations.
“I think what it shows is that whenever Filipinos have fear or doubt or uncertainty, they try to find sources of information they could trust,” he said.
Tordecilla also said that this award was a tribute to the hardworking Kapuso team for their tireless delivery of Serbisyong Totoo using digital media.
"It’s really humbling and it feels very good not just for me, but also for our entire team at GMA. We work extended hours; we try to verify all the information to make sure that everything is correct. We take that extra step which why this job is not an easy one, and that’s why it’s even more fulfilling to be given this recognized,” he added.
Aside from Tordecilla, the other TOYM Awardees for 2021 were Ariestelo Asilo for Social Entrepreneurship; Iloisa Romaraog-Diga for Agricultural Entrepreneurship; Eleazar Abraham “Abe” Orobia for Education and Culture; Anna Oposa for Environmental Marine Conservation; Jayeel Cornelio for Education: Sociology; Maria Yzabell Angel Palma for Science and Technology; Jaime Alfonso Aherrera for Medicine: Cardiology; Lou Sabrina Ongkiko for Education and the Academe; and Melvin Sanicas for Medicine.
Fittingly, Tordecilla also leads the multi-awarded team that delivers the fastest, most relevant, and most accurate election-related news and content straight to online users everywhere. These include more than 173 million followers and subscribers of GMA News and Public Affairs' social media platforms via its interactive Eleksyon 2022 website (www.eleksyon2022.ph) powered by the Network's forerunner in technology, GMA New Media, Inc.
Under his leadership, GMA News Online launched Cover Stories, an award-winning multimedia storytelling platform that has been honored at the prestigious Society of Publishers in Asia Awards for Editorial Excellence. His team has also launched a wide range of original digital programs, including GMA News Feed, mobile-friendly breaking news videos; Need to Know, an explanatory journalism series distilling complex issues into easy-to-understand animations; Stand for Truth, a pioneering mobile journalism newscast for millennial and Gen Z viewers; The Mangahas Interviews, featuring hard-hitting conversations led by veteran journalist Malou Mangahas; and The Howie Severino Podcast, featuring GMA News and Public Affairs pillar Howie Severino and guests on riveting interviews; and Surprise Guest with Pia Arcangel, the network's newest digital program featuring fun conversations with a twist.