12 recipients of CEO Excel Awards feted

MANILA, Philippines – July 12 was a red-letter day especially for the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), in the Philippines, headed by Elpi Cuna, Chairman; and Ritzi Villarico Ronquillo, President and Regional Director for North Asia.  Cuna and Ronquillo are the organizers of this annual event, with full support from their officers and members.

The CEO (Communication Excellence in Organizations) Excel Awards is indeed very appropriate since honorees are the key decision makers of their respective organizations.

“The CEO EXCEL Awards,” according to Ritzi Ronquillo, “is a prestigious honor conferred annually by IABC Philippines on top-level business leaders who masterfully and effectively champion the use of excellent communication as a business strategy.”

Company chairmen or presidents’ exceptional use of communication strategies and tools in management and leadership helps achieve business, environment and social development goals.  They help achieve organizational targets, establish esprit de  corps internally, build relationships of trust, resolve crisis and uphold the organization’s reputation among its stakeholders.

Awardees

Giant canvases containing photographs of present and previous awardees, complete with spotlights, won’t go unnoticed to awardees themselves, their relatives, friends and guests, as they were strategically  on display at the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati City, venue of the CEO EXCEL Awards.

Gathered in one room, the awardees started to come out one by one, as their names are called, to walk through the red carpet, onward to the giant canvas, located near the Grand Ballroom, to affix their individual signatures on it.

George S.K. Ty, Group Chairman, Metrobank Group of Companies, is the Lifetime Achievement Awardee.  His photo is slightly larger than the rest of the awardees, for emphasis. Atty. Darlene Marie B. Berberabe, CEO, Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund); Francisco S. Alejo III, President, San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc. (SMPFC); Rafael L. Lopez, Chief Operating Officer, ABS-CBN Global Ltd.;  Marissa L. Flores, Senior Vice President, GMA News and Public Affairs; Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, O.P., Quadcentennial Rector, University of SantoTomas (UST); Oscar Reyes, President and CEO, Meralco; Caroline L. Tanchay, President and Chairman, Oriental Peninsula Resources Group, Inc. (ORE); Maria Susana V. Ople, President, Blas F. Ople Policy Center; Gen. Nicanor A. Bartolome, Police Director

General, and Chief, Philippine National Police (PNP); Rubby Sy, Owner and CEO, Flawless Aesthetic Clinic; and Nestor V. Tan, President, BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO).

Both George S.K. Ty and Nestor V. Tan, representing their respective banks, were not able to make it, and they were represented by key officer of their respective companies.

The program proper was preceded by the Invocation, followed by the singing of the Philippine National Anthem.  While dinner was being served, Ms. Ritzi Villarico Ronquillo, IABC President delivered her welcome remarks.

“As your President,” she said, “I speak personally of the benefits of growing professionally and personally with IABC, beginning from a new member to the opportunity today of serving as Regional Director for North Asia and in international committees for the World Conferences and for the Gold Quill Awards.  We stand ready to serve and we thank you, distinguished leaders, colleagues and friends, for your support and presence in saluting excellent communication leadership.”

“Welcome to tonight’s awarding ceremonies which celebrates a renaissance leader who appreciates and uses communication in steering the organization as both a visionary and a realist,” Ronquillo told the captive audience.

In her welcome remarks, she gave recognition to the following IABC Philippines Board of Trustees: Chairman Elpi Cuna, Consultant, San Miguel Corporation; Director Kane Errol Choa, Head, Corporate Affairs and PR, ABS-CBN Corporation; Secretary Owen Cammayo, Manager, External Relations, IBM Philippines; Treasurer Jeffrey Tarayao, President, One Meralco Foundation, Inc.; Auditor Marvin Tort, Project Director, Think Tank, Inc.; Trustee Claire Papa, Head, External Communications, United Laboratories, Inc., Trustee Sherryl Yao, Head, Public Service, ABC TV5; Trustee Rosan Cruz, AVP, Lopez Holdings, Inc.; Trustee Joe Zaldarriaga, Head, External Communications, Meralco; and Ex Officio Carmencita  Arce, Executive Director, Philippine Business Center, Inc.

The following IABC Philippines Board of Advisers were also acknowledged:  Rey Anthony David, Jr., President, Great Wall Advertising, Inc.; Ramon Osorio, Vice President, ABS-CBN Corporation; Veronica Tapia-Merk, Consultant, BPI; President, Laurel Media; and Cosette Romero, SVP & General Manager, Fleishman-Hillard Pte Ltd.

Speeches

Each awardee was given a few minutes to deliver respective acceptance speeches.  And everyone did very well.

For his part, Raffy Lopez, COO of ABS-CBN Global Ltd., said:  “It is with honor and humility that I accept the IABC 2012 CEO Excel Award for Communications Excellence in Organization.  I am humbled that I was nominated and selected as an awardee; I am honored because I did not win this award alone.  It is with great pride that I share this with my global team.”

“This award validates the work of an entire organization with presence in the Philippines, U.S., Canada, Europe, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, Asia-Pacific, Japan and Korea.  Our global workforce have dedicated their professional lives to the pursuit of service to the Filipino worldwide, connecting overseas Filipino communities through news and entertainment content and other relevant products.

“At the heart of ABS-CBN Global’s service is TFC, The Filipino Channel.  Being the strongest media company with the broadest reach – 2.5 million Filipinos abroad – it plays a very important role in shaping the minds and touching their lives in a way that both empowers and entertains them.”

Reaching out to Filipinos overseas did not happen with a click of a finger, or a push button on a TV remote control.  The Management and Staff of ABS-CBN Global exerted massive efforts to understand their customer needs in the past years.  This understanding of the customer’s evolution and the Overseas Filipinos’ renewed state of thinking gave ABS-CBN the opportunity to modernize and update the TFC brand with new meaning.  As a result, the messaging and the Company’s initiatives are far more relevant in the new context and realities for the Filipinos overseas.

In updating TFC’s brand and its meaning, R.L. LOPEZ’ management team made sure that their core communication in all that they do or create, reminds and rekindles the “Filipinoness” among Overseas Filipinos.  Tayo ay Pilipino.  Then the Team highlighted how they survived and thrived wherever they are.

Magaling o Mahusay Ang Pilipino – Da Best Ang Pilipino Saan Man Sa Mundo, was the title of its 2012 first quarter SID.

“A key part of our message,” Lopez told the audience, “was to remind them that we are a global community whose achievements contribute to the image and status of Filipinos abroad and help the homeland’s economy.  So, they are flames whose bright light shine around the world, bringing joy, pride, a sense of Filipino home, family and community.”

“With my team being comprised of Overseas Filipinos themselves, ‘our lives are our message.’ We go through the same journey as the people that we serve.  This is why what we communicate bears truth and authenticity which, when applied to relationships with our customers, enable, empower and transform them.

“Thus, this recognition in communication excellence is not attributed to me alone, but to a cast of millions – my team and the global community that we serve.

“Once again, I thank IABC and everyone involved for the opportunity to share this honor with true modern Filipino heroes. Maraming salamat at para  sa  atin ito, aming Kapamilya!  Mabuhay tayong lahat,” concluded Lopez, the ever amiable, people- and result-oriented executive.