Journalism freshman Nitya Aku was crowned as Queen of the Arch.
Student-produced television show Queen of the Arch finally aired its third and final episode on May 16, 2025, marking the completion of course requirements for the TV Production course of third year AB Communication students at the University of Santo Tomas.
Located in Sampaloc, Manila, the University of Santo Tomas served as the backdrop for ‘Queen of the Arch’.
The journey to the arch begins at the arch, as reiterated throughout the show. The show’s development reflects the university’s commitment to nurturing media practitioners in the heart of the nation’s capital.
Middle Child Media, a student-led production house, faced their share of challenges throughout the production.
This marks their first venture into television shows, ending a year that has seen them craft marketing plans and produce radio programs.
The third and final episode of ‘Queen of the Arch’ was appropriately titled The Coronation.
To select who will be crowned the title, three guest judges, namely Shanella Dayrit, Bea Racelis, and Krees de Guia, made themselves present for the live airing of the episode.
Pageant essentials were also featured: candidates showed off their long gowns in a walk that was accompanied by a violin performance from Music sophomore Keith David, and they proceeded to answer questions thrown at them by the guest judges in a segment entitled The Final Word.
The segment was designed to spotlight not just their intelligence and eloquence, but also their heart and vision, and how they plan to use pageantry as a platform for advocacy.
Senior High School student Diana Magundayao bagged three special awards, namely Best in Long Gown, Miss Villa Excellance (entitling her to a staycation at Cavite resort Villa Excellance), and the coveted People’s Choice award.
Recreation and Leisure Management freshman Lheian Crayl Tan won the Campus Queen award, while Journalism freshman Nitya Aku secured Miss Photogenic. Aku was crowned as the first-ever Queen of the Arch.
With her coronation as the Queen of the Arch of 2025, Aku also received PHP 5,000 in cash, in addition to vouchers from Oui Tacos, UniSilver TIME, Zero Cafe, a staycation offer from Terraza del Mar, and a Public Speaking Program Session with Host Paolo Dimaculangan.
Expressing her gratitude, Aku said: “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Middle Child Media for giving me the opportunity to represent my Faculty in the esteemed show Queen of the Arch. I am very grateful for the time I got and the people I met during this journey! Hoping to collaborate soon, if time ever allows!”
The show was a celebration of female empowerment, and its three candidates were provided a platform to showcase their advocacies and their respective cultures.
‘Queen of the Arch: The Coronation’ was broadcast live on May 16, 2025 in campus televisions.
Its replay can be watched in the Facebook page of UST Tiger TV, the television branch of the university’s media network.
Middle Child Media is a powerhouse media agency composed of third-year AB Communication students from the University of Santo Tomas’ Faculty of Arts and Letters.
The production is part of their academic requirements for the TV Production course and was developed under the mentorship of Assistant Professor Faye M. Abugan, MA, a respected educator and media practitioner known for her excellence in guiding student-led productions.
This is a press release article published by Trendrod as an official media partner of Middle Child Media for the three-part series ‘Queen Of The Arch‘.