The Student Publications Unit (SPU), represented by Benildean Press Corps (BPC) and Ad Astra student journalists, advanced to the final round of the Young Stars Marketing, Advertising, and Digital (MAD) Competition—finalists were announced today, June 9, after an online preliminary round.
A total of 45 individual or two-person teams from all over the world were named finalists, with 10 teams hailing from BPC and Ad Astra set to represent the Philippines in the global competition.
Two-person teams from Benilde consisted of Multimedia Arts (AB-MMA) students Reiann Martha Saavedra who is also the Managing Editor of BPC and Juliana Ellice Polancos as Vivid Visions, ablaze; composed of BPC Sports Editor Christian Kiel Mananquil from Diplomacy and International Affairs (AB-DIA) and Aleea Sharlene Fedillaga of Export and Global Business Management (BSBA-EGBM).
The Logix team is formed by Ad Astra Customer Support Editor Karl Efraem Dela Cruz from Human Resource Management (BSBA-HRM) and Ramon Angelo Andres Deña Ad Astra Assistant Managing Editor, from AB-MMA, Ryzza Ann Gadiano Editor in Chief of BPC from AB-DIA and Lena Aileen Argosino of Industrial Design (BS-ID) teamed up for CHANGEUP, while the Summedrew Club is composed of Ad Astra Editor in Chief Shaine Harry Mias from AB-MMA and Ad Astra Associate Editor Kobe Uy from BS-ID.
Meanwhile, individual entries consisted of Architecture student and BPC Associate Editor for Print Keith Espina as A.E.P., Starlight by AB-MMA Alexi Rae Salonga, BSBA-HRM student and BPC News Editor, Mikaela Amira Barrosa as Lone Star, and AB-MMA Marcus Lee C. Aquino as Kinows.
Crystal Awardees from Young Stars 2025, Villamonte Visuals, composed of AB-MMA students Claire Denise Chua and Yohanna Elyse Mendoza who is also Creative Director of BPC, joined the roster of finalists for this year.
The Young Stars competition is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students of all majors worldwide. The Executive Jury for Young Stars 2026 is Chow Kok Keongi, Creative Partner at k2x. He has over 310 international awards such as D&AD Yellow Pencil, three One Show Gold Pencils, and metals from Cannes Lions, Clio, Spikes Asia, and MAD STARS. His career is focused on building strategy-led creative work that travels across channels and is an advocate for AI-enhanced creativity.
The finalists will advance to the MAD STARS on-site competition in Busan, Korea, from Aug. 25 to 28, where they will take on the challenge of creating a campaign in 30 hours based on the brief to be revealed during the event proper.
