Empowering Communication Excellence: Meralco’s Triumph at the Philippine Quill and Anvil Awards
The Manila Electric Company (Meralco), under the leadership of its Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, has once again demonstrated unparalleled brilliance in the fields of business communication and public relations, clinching multiple accolades from two of the country’s most prestigious award giving bodies.
At the 20th Philippine Quill Awards, Meralco emerged as a standout, clinching an impressive total of 28 Excellence and Merit trophies, the highest among the entrant companies. Notably, Meralco’s outstanding performance earned it the title of Company of the Year 1st Runner Up.
The Philippine Quill Awards—organized by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines—is considered as the country’s most prestigious awards program in the field of business communication, highlighting its importance in achieving goals and in making a difference in society.
Aside from the quill awards, the distribution utility also bagged Gold and Silver Anvils during the 59th Anvil Awards- known as “the Oscars of Philippine Public Relations,” an annual awards program organized by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) which recognizes outstanding public relations programs, campaigns, and tools that exemplify the highest standards of PR practice in the country.
These awards recognized Meralco’s outstanding communication programs focused on public service, corporate social responsibility, innovation and sustainability.
Highlighted among the standout communication campaigns at the Philippine Quill Awards are Meralco’s programs that go above and beyond fulfillment of needs of its customers, namely “Meralco’s Always On Content in the New Normal,” Meralco Storm Watch,” “Safeguarding the Stability of the Power Grid through Power Supply and Energy Management Education,” and “The New Meralco Bill: Giving More Power to the Customers We Serve.” These proactive information campaigns reaffirm the company’s commitment to constantly position customers at the heart of the power distributor’s services with programs that aim to answer or help address their needs and requirements.
Beyond electricity distribution and generation, Meralco’s commitment to sustainability extends to people empowerment through its diversity and inclusivity program #Mbrace. A testament to the program’s impact, “Meralco Advances Diversity and Inclusion through #Mbrace” was bestowed an Excellence Award. Since it pioneered the training and hiring of female line crew in Southeast Asia in 2013, Meralco has been actively promoting gender equality in the male-dominated power industry.
For its “Liwanag sa Dilim: Amplifying the Heroism of Meralco Typhoon Odette Restoration Contingent” campaign, Meralco highlighted the spirit of bayanihan and malasakit by sending its own contingent of 150 linemen and engineers to help electricity distributors in Cebu and Bohol following the devastation of the powerful typhoon. These unsung heroes toiled for more than a month away from their families to help bring back electricity in the affected areas.
In recognition of its green mobility advocacy, Meralco’s campaign for “The 10th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit 2022” earned an Excellence Award for highlighting the progress and developments in the industry, earning wide media coverage. The company co-hosted the event with the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines alongside the Department of Energy and Nissan Philippines Inc.
Meralco’s social development arm, One Meralco Foundation (OMF), also bagged three Excellence Awards for its initiatives that put the spotlight on providing much needed support beyond its franchise.
Through its “Light Up Pilipinas” campaign, OMF shed light on the impact of its solar lamp donation program which has so far benefitted 6,000 low-income families in various communities from the provinces of Rizal, Cebu, Antique, Bulacan, Cagayan, Aurora, Laguna, Zambales, Ilocos Norte, and Catanduanes.
Rooted on its advocacy for environmental stewardship, OMF’s “One for Trees: Empowering People and Communities to Nurture Our Forests” program meanwhile presented how the foundation continuously expands its environmental program that also provides livelihood opportunities to tree farmers. In 2022, OMF marked a significant milestone under its One For Trees program with over two million trees planted and nurtured in various parts of the country. As part of Meralco’s overarching sustainability campaign, One for Trees also equips communities with the means to engage in agroforestry and raises awareness on the importance of preservation and protection of our forests.
Meanwhile, “Electrification for Development: Improving the lives of last-mile Filipinos” showed how the OMF’s electrification program uplifted the lives of those living in unserved and underserved communities across the country.
Garnering another Excellence Award is Meralco’s entry, “The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Meralco’s Spectrum on Solar Rooftop Installations,” which captured the benefits of investing in clean and renewable energy, particularly solar, by telling the story of renowned environmental advocate, Illac Diaz.
Meralco’s 2021 Corporate Annual Reports entitled “Bayanihan,” “Kalinga,” and “Malasakit” also clinched an Excellence Award for showcasing how meaningful purpose and embedded values propelled the company’s recovery and growth.
Meralco also clinched major recognitions at the 59th Anvil Awards, bagging a Gold Anvil for its campaign, “Turning Crisis Into An Opportunity: Meralco’s Efficient And Quick Communications Response To The Manage Airport Power Outages.” Meralco’s award-winning entry demonstrated its quick action to respond and resolve the issue on airport outages, which led to an overall audit on the power systems to ensure optimal operations of the country’s major gateway.
Another Gold Anvil was bestowed on Meralco’s “#BuildingABrilliantFuture with Meralco: Facebook as a Social Media Recruitment Marketing Tool” for consistently amplifying its talent acquisition and employee welfare programs.
Meanwhile, the PRSP awarded Meralco with a Silver Anvil for “Paving the Way for a Sustainable Energy Future: Meralco’s Strategic Communications Program for the 2023 Giga Summit” which narrated the importance of public discussions and consultations to achieve a sustainable energy future.
According to Joe R. Zaldarriaga, Head of Corporate Communications, “Meralco shares these significant recognitions with our partners and all our stakeholders, especially to our customers, communities and to the country we serve. These solidify our commitment to continue advancing nation-building programs that create meaningful impact, and our dedication to communicating these to our various publics, enabling and empowering them with information that can uplift lives.”