UE senior advertising students dominated Fine Jewelry Design Competition

by Bianca Jayne U. Lebrudo

Three UE College of Fine Arts, Architecture and Design (CFAD) students emerged as Grand Prize winners in three different categories of the recently concluded Meycauayan Jewelry Industry Association (MJIA) Fine Jewelry Design Competition!

This marked the 18th installment of the MJIA Fine Jewelry Design Competition. Regarded as the longest running jewelry competition in the Philippines, it has a total of five categories: Formal, Chic, Wedding, Plain Gold/Silver, and Ethnic.

The competition, which is open to students and professional designers alike, held its latest awarding ceremony on December 10, 2018, at the DTI International Building in Makati City.

From a pool of 25 student finalists from various schools, twelve were UE CFAD students. Overall, 200 entries were submitted, 70 of which were by UE Caloocan students.

The three UE CFAD students who won the Grand Prize in their respective categories are Diego A. Cesista III for his Formal Category piece “Blue Prestige”; Allyana Marie T. Lomboy for her Plain Gold/Silver Category piece “Asthetisch”; and Angelo Tapas Pugliatty for his Ethnic Category piece “Haribon.” These UE students were awarded a plaque of recognition and a cash prizes.

Nine other entries by as many UE-based finalists made it as finalist pieces: Reydel S. Aquino’s Formal category piece “Pelesidad”; Melo V. Adriano Jr.’s “Nakataling Damdamin,” Shaddale L. Frias “Nature Bloom,” Bianca Jayne U. Lebrudo’s “Siwang,” and Meryl Anne D. Cruz’s “Lake Bliss” in the Chic category; Yumi G. Nakano’s “Shinakki,” Joseph A. Asuncion’s “Neptune” and Jamaica Melendrez’s “Sumpay” in the Plain Gold/Silver category; and John Roland T. Dalag, who designed “Pamana” for the Ethnic category.

This year’s MJIA winners and finalists from the UE CFAD are senior Advertising Arts students mentored by fashion design professor Fe Nuguid Evangelio. Prof. Evangelio attended the awarding ceremony and shared this momentous victory with students.

Joining the annual MJIA Fine Jewelry Design Competition has been a tradition for the UE CFAD, with the College always bringing home awards from the competition, which provides winners with further exposure as their winning pieces will be part of an international jewelry exhibition in Hong Kong.