An editorial cartoon created by artist Joel Magpayo for The Philippine Times’ March editorial was declared the winner in the Editorial Cartoon category of the 2nd Multicultural Media Awards (MMA). The award was given during the presentation night on 2 September 2013 held at the Strangers Dining Room of the NSW Parliament House. It was accepted by Consul Marford Angeles of the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney, on behalf of Ka Joel and The Philippine Times.
The MMA, which was inaugurated last year, is chaired by Hon Shaoquett Moselmane MLC, member of the NSW Legislative Council.
Ka Joel’s entry, titled Divide and Conquer, “is a satirical take on Filipino unity, cleverly illustrated through a Philippine map dominated by three men representing each major region…The cartoon also shows a sun, a dominant element of the Philippine flag, a crying sun, perhaps pointing to its sad disposition because of what happens to the Filipino community. It complements the editorial commentary which urges Filipinos to disagree without being disagreeable and to respect each other despite differences in regional representation.”
In the speech given by Mr Moselmane, he paid tribute to migrant and indigenous journalists, and stated that the institution of the MMA is “long overdue”, with the history of migrant and indigenous media dating back to as far as 165 years ago. He also acknowledged their role in bringing communities together, and breaking down social and cultural barriers. “They inform, they inspire, and they involve and they turn challenges into opportunities.” Moreover, he also acknowledged multicultural media for being instrumental in “remind(ing) and link(ing) people with their ancestry”.
Ka Joel is the resident editorial cartoonist of The Philippine Times. He is a full-time artist, starting out as a cartoonist and illustrator for publications in the Philippines at the age of 16. He shifted to painting at 24, and continues to paint to this day. He runs art workshops and demonstrations around Victoria, joins and art shows and juried art exhibitions around Australia, in which he has won over 150 art awards and commendations. Visit his website at www.joelmagpayo.com.
