Torch North Luzonian (Torch NL) raised its standing in the Luzonwide Higher Education Press Conference (LHEPC) 2026 after securing one championship title and multiple placements across individual and group categories.

Bannering the publication’s achievements, Sanny Agustin Jr. was hailed as Luzon’s Best Photojournalist in the English category, marking an improvement from his second-place finish in the Regional Higher Education Press Conference (RHEPC).

“I still remember the regional days when I found myself knee-deep in the river mud of the Pinacanauan River just to get the story. If it’s truly your passion, you will do your best to tell the stories of the people to the people—and that’s exactly what I did,” Agustin said.

Torch NL likewise earned recognition in other individual events, with April Dumrique placing fifth in Digital Literary Graphics (English), Jilliane Gilmo placing sixth in News Writing (English), and CJ Gallardo securing sixth place in Traditional Comic Strip (English).

In the group competitions, the publication placed third in Literary Page (Magazine), sixth in Literary Page (Newsletter), and ninth in both Feature Page (Newsletter) and News Page (Tabloid).

The results marked an improved overall performance for Torch NL in this year’s Luzonwide collegiate press conference.