(From left) Pagcor VP for Gaming and Licensing Development Francis Hernando, Asst. VP for Corporate Communications Maricar Bautista, Pagcor Director Jose Tanjuatco and Asst. VP for Information Technology Jose Christopher M. Manalo IV, proudly display Pagcor’s trophies during the 51st ANVIL Awards. PHOTO FROM PAGCOR
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) won gold and silver awards in the 51st Anvil Awards held last February 26 at Makati Shangri-La Hotel.
Pagcor Assistant Vice President for Corporate Communications Maricar Bautista said the agency’s “Matuwid na Daan sa Silid-Aralan” school building project won a Gold Anvil Award for Public Relations Programs – On a Sustained Basis (Education/Literacy) while the “Tatak Pinoy” 3rd Pagcor National Photography Contest received a Silver Anvil Award for the Public Relations Programs Directed at Specific Stakeholders category.
Bautista said winning Anvil awards was a “validation of the huge impact and relevance of Pagcor’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs to society.”
“We’re extremely honored and grateful that our CSR projects are being recognized by the country’s respected business communicators and public relations practitioners. This achievement will further motivate us to come up with more life-changing and socially relevant projects in the future,” she said in a statement on Thursday.
Bautista said the latest award that the school building program received from the prestigious Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) was its third after getting recognition from the same award-giving body in 2013 and 2014.
It also received “unparalleled” recognition during the Philippine Quill Awards in 2013 and the International Gold Quill in 2014.
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She said the school building project, which Pagcor implements together with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), made possible the construction of thousands of classrooms in public schools nationwide.
To date, Pagcor said 2,221 classrooms in 448 sites have been completed while thousands more are being constructed in areas that have severe classroom shortage.
Meanwhile, Bautista said, the “Tatak Pinoy” 3rd National Photography Competition was another commendable effort of the state-own gaming firm “to help promote the local tourism industry by giving Filipino photographers a venue where they can showcase their talent and creativity.”
READ: Pros, amateurs win 3rd Pagcor photo contest
She said the contest drew more than 7,000 photo entries from amateur and professional lensmen all over the country.
Pagcor said the Anvil Award is considered as the most coveted prize in the Public Relations sector. The PRSP’s Anvil committee, which handles this prestigious award, receives hundreds of entries each year from both private and public institutions. All of them undergo a series of rigorous screenings before winners are selected.
According to Ron Jabal, chairman of the 51st Anvil Awards, only 140 out of 400 entries received by the PRSP made it this year.
“That was unprecedented because there were a lot of winning entries. We have more awards than what we’ve been giving before because we’re seeing tremendous amount of improvement to the entries that we received compared with the past,” Jabal said.
He commended Pagcor for participating in this year’s Anvil Awards.
“We’re very thankful and very proud that a government agency such as Pagcor has been winning because I’ve seen their entries, locally and internationally. Pagcor always submits very good entries. That is why they’ve been winning as well. I hope that Pagcor will become a model for other government agencies,” he added.
Meanwhile, Donald Lim, chairman of the Board of Jurors of the 51st Anvil Awards said, the volume of entries this year and the quality of submissions made their tasks as jurors harder.
“We are proud that this year’s winners truly embody the best of the best that our country’s PR minds can offer,” Lim said.
Other CSR projects of Pagcor that previously won Anvil awards for the agency include the Pagcor Feeding Program; “Bayanihan: Pamaskong Handog ng Pagcor 2012”; and “Old Slot Machine Stands Turned Into School Desks” during the 49th Anvil Awards. The agency’s “PNOY Bayanihan Project”; 1st Pagcor National Art Competition and its in-house publication, the “Pagcor Insider” were also recognized during the 48th Anvil Awards.