QC LGU, Megaworld, Ayala lead winners at 59th Grand Anvil Awards 

01 February 2024.  The Local Government Unit (LGU) of Quezon City, Megaworld Corporation, and Ayala Corporation emerged as the top winners at the 59th Anvil Awards Gabi ng Parangal held recently at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Newport City, Pasay.

This year, the Board of Jurors unanimously decided to award two Grand Anvil winners, with the highest Anvil Award given to Public Relations programs bestowed to both the Quezon City LGU and Megaworld. Ayala Corporation, meanwhile, was awarded a Platinum Anvil, the highest Anvil Award given to Public Relations Tools.

Winning the Grand Anvil for the Gender and Development Council of Quezon City and Mullen Lowe Marc under the Government Relations Category was a Gender Advocacy campaign entitled “Quezon City Kickstarts a Widespread Advocacy for the Right to Care”.   

Another Grand Anvil was awarded to Megaworld for their MEGREEN campaign: “Megaworld’s ‘Green Starts with Me’ Sustainability Program.

Ayala Corporation, on the other hand, received a Platinum Anvil for the company’s publication, “A Life: the Ayala Group’s Digital Magazine.”

Two international PR professionals, Jaffri Amin Osman, Asia-Pacific Chair at Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management based in Switzerland; and Dr. Prita Kemal Gani, President of the ASEAN PR Network, were awarded Global Communication Excellence Awards for their notable achievements in the field of international public relations.   

The Gabi ng Parangal culminated with the awarding of the Agency of the Year to DDB Group Philippines, and the Company of the Year to PLDT and SMART.

Presented annually by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), the Anvil Awards are the symbol of excellence in Public Relations, awarded to outstanding public relations programs, tools, and professionals, after careful screening by select PR professionals and judging by a distinguished multi-sectoral jury.  

This year’s Board of Jurors was composed of Usec. Margarita Gutierrez of the Department of Justice; Taylor’s University Head of School of Media and Communications Dr. Prema Ponnudurai; Vietnam Public Relations Network chair Nguyen Khoa My; McDonald’s Philippines Managing Director Margot Torres; and Saga Events Founder Robby Carmona.

This year, 480 entries received from some 100 companies went through a three-step evaluation process of screening, and online assessment by a Board of Judges composed of respected and experienced communication professionals representing business, government, academe, and civil society; culminating in an en banc deliberation by a Board of Jurors chaired by Herminio “Sonny” Coloma, Jr., Manila Bulletin publisher and former secretary of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), to determine the winners of the major awards. 

“Two Grand Anvil winners provide highly exemplary models for emulation by organizations aspiring for excellence in the spheres of private enterprise and public governance. Their purposive determination to propagate the common good deserves commendation,” said Coloma.

SGV served as the Official Tabulator throughout the Anvil Awards judging process. 

“As the independent tabulator for the 59th Anvil Awards, SGV & Co. is pleased to play a role in celebrating the outstanding achievements of practitioners in the country’s public relations industry. We support the PRSP’s and the Anvil Awards’ goals, which are consistent with our commitment to fostering innovation and SGV’s Purpose of nurturing leaders and enabling businesses for a better Philippines,” said  Rossana A Fajardo, SGV Consulting Leader and EY ASEAN Business Consulting Leader.

Anvil Awards were received by 179 entries, of which 28 were Gold Anvil Awards recipients and 151 received Silver Anvil Awards.

Congratulating the winners of the 59th Anvil Awards, PRSP president Harold Geronimo, APR, remarked that ”your outstanding PR programs and tools prove that the local PR practice thrives and continually makes itself relevant and responsive to the evolving needs of the times.”

“It was a proud evening as we celebrated the diverse body of public relations work representative of PR’s ongoing evolution.  Now, more than ever before, the value that PR brings to the table is clear.  Building trust and credibility, PR campaigns and tools catalyze resharing among influencers and audiences, creating a ripple effect that can influence opinions, shift perceptions, move audiences to action, encourage support for change, and generally make life better for individuals, corporations and communities,” said 59th Anvil Chair Leah Huang, who also serves as the Managing Director for PR and Influence at Ogilvy Philippines.

PRSP thanks its partners, Hotel Okura and Glimsol Web & Digital Solutions, hotel partner and technology partner of the 59th Anvil Awards, along with its sponsors and media partners without whom the Gabi ng Parangal would not have been possible: San Miguel Corporation (co-presenter); Ayala Corporation, Pag-IBIG Fund and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (major sponsors); Aboitiz Power Corporation, Air Asia, Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation, DDB Group Philippines, Megawide Construction Corporation, Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, Ogilvy, Smart Communications, Sun Life Philippines (minor sponsors); Media Partners Business World, Daily Tribune, GMA Network, Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, Philippine Daily Inquirer, and the Philippine Star.

DDB Group Philippines was named 59^th Anvil Awards Agency of the Year, with top-notch campaigns across industries such as healthcare, food, and telecommunications in categories spanning social media, influencer marketing, and brand communication.

The 59^th Anvil Global Communication Excellence Awards honored two global achievers in public relations, Jaffri Amin Osman and Prita Kemal Gani (holding trophies respectively, latter’s award accepted by daughter, Ghina Amani Kemal Gani), recognized for their outstanding leadership in communication management, education, and entrepreneurship, and honored by the PRSP Board of Trustees 2023-24 led by President Harold Geronimo, APR (fourth from left). Trustees from left: Board Adviser and Past PRSP President Norman Agatep APR, Vice President-Internal and 59th Anvil Awards Chair Leah Huang, and Vice President-External Lady Ochel Espinosa. Trustees from right: Joe Zaldarriaga, Aye Ubaldo, PRSP Past President and Board Adviser Yoly Crisanto APR, Cheermae Ecarma, and Michelle Agatep-Bayhon.

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