Abreeza, DFDC bag Silver Anvil Award
IT WAS a triumph not just for the organizers, but for Davao and Mindanao’s indigenous culture as well.
The 55th Anvil Awards, this year’s edition of the Philippines’ annual public relations awarding event, recognized the 2019 campaign by Ayala Malls Abreeza and the Davao Fashion Design Council (DFDC) that aimed to breathe new life into Davao and Mindanao indigenous peoples’ (IP) culture and artistry through fashion and design. Fashion Weekend Davao (FWD) was honored with the Silver Anvil for Public Relations Tools - Exhibit and Special Event Milestone at the ceremony held on February 28, 2020 at The Manila Hotel.
“Here in Davao, we’ve long known that our IP groups produce beautiful weaves, embroidery, beadworks, and patterns,” Ayala Malls Abreeza Marketing Manager Ruby Ochoa says. “We are thrilled that with this national honor, we are able to help bring their unique culture and artistry to the awareness of more people in the Philippines.”
FWD was a three-day cultural celebration that succeeded in gathering traditional and contemporary designers, makers, artisans, and creative enterprises in a series of fashion and design events that both embraced the present and honored heritage. From May 24 to 26, 2019, as the country celebrated National Heritage Month, FWD featured the following activities: Tambayayong Dabawenyo, the opening event which featured presentations by popular IP performing groups, IP beauty queens, and young designers; Stellar: Mindanao Heritage Fashion Designers Competition, where eight emerging Mindanaoan designers presented contemporary capsule collections inspired by and created with IP communities; and Artisan Fashion Market and Crafts Buffet.
A testament to the strength of its cause, FWD rounded up a powerhouse of collaborators. Reaching out to the IP groups were local government representatives from the member city and provinces of Davao Region. Pledging their support were government stakeholders such as National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Department of Tourism, Department of Trade & Industry, and Visit Davao Summer Festival. Cultural, academic, and non-profit groups pitched in; namely, Philippine Women’s College of Davao, British Council, Commission on Higher Education, and Mindanao Trade Expo Foundation Inc. Artists, makers, designers, entrepreneurs, and mall merchants also offered up their products, resources, skills, and talents.
The annual Anvil Awards recognizes the best PR campaigns, programs, tools, and more in the nation. It is organized by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), the country’s premier organization for communication and PR professionals. In PRSP’s roster are practitioners who represent business and industry, the academe, government, non-profit organizations, and professional services, among others.