TWO students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines won at the Commission on Human Rights’ Spoken Word Poetry contest.

BA History student Josiah Othniel Pulas and BA Broadcasting student Carl Siongco received the first and second runner-up awards, respectively.

With the theme “Pagbangon sa Lahat ng Panahon; Recover Better: Stand-up for Human Rights”, the competition was conducted to provide the youth a platform to promote human rights.

Pulas focused on the need to listen to the cries of the marginalized in his piece, “Pakinggan Ninyo Ako.”

On the other hand, Siongco highlighted the struggles and documented killings of peasants and farmers advocating for genuine land reform and social justice in his performance entitled, “Ang Proseso ng Pagsasaka sa Bansang Pilipinas.”

“Using our art to bring awareness to different social issues and as a call to act collectively is already a huge part in helping the good cause of activists and those who are fighting for their rights,” Siongco said.

Pulas said the competition was an opportunity to prove that “even a freshman student can bring a new perspective for the improvement of the country.”

They were judged based on the message and content, interpretation and performance, originality, and overall impact of their presentations.

The panel of judges include Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates Secretary-General Rose Trajano, Philippine Educational Theater Association artist Edwin Bong Dela Torre, and CHR Commissioner Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana.