The 17th Philippine Quill and the 7th Student Quill Awards celebrate wins for Jollibee Foods Corporation as Company of the Year, DDB Group Philippines/ Ripple 8, Inc. as Agency of the Year, and the University of Santo Tomas as School of the Year, garnering the most number of excellence awards. DDB Group Philippines retained their title of Agency of the Year, and University of Santo Tomas executed an impressive six-peat win for School of the Year, bagging the top prize for six out of the seven years that the award has been given.
Jollibee Foods Corporation won as top company, coming from its First Runner- Up finish the year before. Smart Communications, Inc. was first runner-up, while Manila Electric Company (Meralco) was second runner-up. In the Agency of the Year category, Ogilvy Philippines-Pulse Communications was hailed as first runner-up and ComCo Southeast Asia finished as second runner-up. Megaworld Corporation bagged the Top Award in Communication Management for its “Eastwood City New Year Countdown to 2019-Media Relations” that gathered revelers to welcome a new year. The Top Award in Communication Research went to Meralco for its “Evaluation of One Meralco Foundation’s Household Electrification Program (HEP)” that aims to provide communities with less costly and convenient method of getting access to electricity.
Meralco also bagged the Top Award in Communication Skills with its “Meralco Typhoon Watch 2018”, an online technology platform that informed customers on how to stay safe before, during and after a typhoon, and how to use electricity efficiently and safely during such times.
IABC Philippines adopted the theme “Shape the Future” for the Quill Awards as a call to communicators to “change the conversation, change the future, “IABC President, Belle Tiongco stated in her welcome remarks.
The Philippine Quill Awards and the Philippine Student Quill Awards were held separately at the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel at Newport City. In the School of the Year race, De La Salle-College of St. Benilde placed first runner-up, while University of Rizal System- Binangonan made it as second runner-up. The Student Quill Top Awards were conferred on University of Rizal System-Binangonan’s “Team UniTEEN: Project TEENig Ni Mommy” for Communication Management; De La Salle University- Dasmarinas for “The Journ Project” under Communication Training and Education; and to UST Angelicum College for “Engkuwentro“ which bagged the Top Award in Communication Skills .
Light shows highlighted the program, adhering to the night’s theme, “Shape the Future: #ExpressYourTruth”. The 17th Quill program was supported by sponsors (GOLD) Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, (SILVER) San Miguel Corporation, (BRONZE) Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc., Smart Communications Inc., Manila Electric Company, LBC Express, San Miguel Brewery, (Top Student Category) San Miguel Purefoods, and Bank of the Philippine Islands.
Media partners were Adobo Magazine, ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), BusinessWorld, BusinessMirror, The Philippine Star, Malaya Business Insight, Manila Bulletin, and media intelligence partner iSentia. Official tabulator was Reyes Tacandong and Co. ensured accuracy and integrity of results and procedures.
IABC is a San Francisco-based professional network and global membership association with thousands of members from around the world, representing many Global Fortune 500 companies. IABC serves professionals in the field of business communication by bringing together the profession’s collective disciplines. IABC Philippines is the first chapter established outside North America, with a mission to advocate for professional growth, learning and communication excellence.