Charo Rotary Peace awardee
ABS-CBN executive adviser to the chairman, chief content officer and ABS-CBN University president Charo Santos-Concio was honored with the Rotary Peace Award for 2016 by the Rotary Club of Makati last week in a ceremony held at the Ayala Museum, Makati City.
In accepting the award, Charo said ABS-CBN tries to make a positive influence on their viewers through their shows and programs.
“We try to motivate people to realize their potential and find their passion so that they can become the best that they can be, and in turn do something not just for themselves but also for the greater good,” she said. “In a conflict, the media doesn’t take sides. But it must always make a stand. We must always stand for fairness, understanding, respect for human rights and a peaceful resolution.”
Charo, who contributed to the rise of the Kapamilya network as the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines during her time as president, continues to give the company recognition not only for its body of work, but for how the work is done with her new award. She joins the list of Rotary Peace awardees like former Pres. Fidel Ramos (2000), the late Jaime Cardinal Sin (2001), ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. chairperson Gina Lopez (2003), the late Fr. James Reuter, S.J. (2004), Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga (2008), former senator and Philippine Red Cross chairman Dick Gordon (2012) and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales (2015).
The annual Rotary Peace Award was instituted by the Makati Rotary Clubs led by the Rotary Club of Makati San Lorenzo in 1999 to give recognition to persons who embody Rotary’s ideals of peace, fellowship and world understanding, whose actions and advocacies promote peace and international understanding through their selfless service to humanity.
The Rotary praised Charo for her achievements, describing her as a global media leader who has inspired the group to recognize media as a “powerful and influential tool for peace building.” She is the first media executive to be conferred with the distinct honor.
“I hope that the men and women of the company, and the country show empathy to promote peace and compassion for a better place to live in,” Charo added in an interview, where she also shared how she relishes the chance to mentor young blood that will help ABS-CBN.