PCOO wins prestigious international awards
By PCOO
MANILA, May 12 –The Presidential Communications Operations Office bagged seven major awards, including Media Hero of the Year and Government Hero of the Year, in the 2021 Stevie® Awards.
The Stevie® Awards recognized the innovations and continued commitment of PCOO to serve the public by providing relevant information and impactful initiatives during these challenging times.
Considered as the world’s premier business awards, the Stevie® Awards has conferred recognition for achievement in programs such as The International Business Awards® for 19 years. The Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards are the only business awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace in all 29 nations of the Asia-Pacific region.
Presidential Communications Sec. Martin Andanar received a “Media Hero of the Year” Award for his innovations in PCOO, and proactive daily delivery of news and information to the Filipino public. It was made possible by Laging Handa Dokyu, Network Briefing News and Public Briefing #LagingHandaPH programs even at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with these are other programs delivering to the public straight news and information about the coronavirus.
“It is an honor for the PCOO to be recognized by a prestigious award-giving body like the Stevie Awards. Winning multiple awards is an even greater compliment for the work that we do. The recognitions are a testament to our mandate as the government’s premiere communications arm,” Secretary Andanar said.
Aside from Andanar, PCOO-Office of the Global Media and Public Affairs (PCOO-OGMPA) Assistant Secretary JV Arcena bagged two individual Gold Stevie® Awards after he was hailed as “Government Hero of the Year” and “Media Hero of the Year” for his innovations in communicating the government’s policy messages and engaging the international and local media, and for risking his own life to show to the public, via Laging Handa Dokyu series, the actual situation on the ground amid the pandemic.
“Winning these Stevie Awards is truly an achievement for the work that we do as individuals and as an organization. It is a validation of the effort that we have been making to inform the public with vital facts and information, particularly those related to COVID-19 and those related to the programs and policies that benefit the public,” Asec. Arcena said.
‘The Virtual Presser and Virtual Reporting Tour’
PCOO’s The Virtual Presser and Virtual Reporting Tour (TVP-VRT) won Silver Stevie® Award for Innovation in Media, Visual Communications & Entertainment under the category of Awards for Innovation in Product Design and Development. The aforementioned program also received a Bronze Stevie® Award for Innovation in Media Relations under the Awards for Innovation in Communications/ Public Relations Category.
The PCOO-OGMPA pioneered the first virtual presser in the country in 2018, long before the pandemic. PCOO then created the platform to connect Philippine government policymakers with the international media and foreign audiences. In 2020, the virtual presser was repurposed to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming the main platform for the government to disseminate vital information.
PCOO-OGMPA, in cooperation with Radio Television Malacañang, also launched the virtual reporting tour to show to the local and international media the situation on the ground–such as the response of the government against the pandemic–without the media leaving their desks.
‘Laging Handa Dokyu: Ito ang Totoong Kwento’
The PCOO-produced Laging Handa Dokyu series, now on its 3rd season, also received a Bronze Stevie® Award for Innovation in Documentaries under the Awards for Innovation in Video Category.
The Laging Handa Dokyu is a series of experiential and informational short documentaries which highlight the lives of healthcare workers and other frontliners, as well as all aspects of the response of the government against COVID-19.
Arcena, who is also the production head/executive producer/host of the Laging Handa Dokyu, said PCOO will continue to inform, educate, and enlighten the citizenry in the midst of the pandemic.
“I share these awards and recognitions with my PCOO-OGMPA team and colleagues in the government who are working tirelessly to fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
‘PCOO Laging Handa Digital Campaign’
The PCOO Laging Handa COVID-19 Communications Digital Campaign also received a Bronze Stevie® Award for Best Use of Social Media-COVID-19-related Information.
Under this campaign, the PCOO-OGMPA produced various digital content such as infomercials (NAP and CQ videos), explainer videos (the VAXplainer), social cards and infographics, to keep the public informed about the pandemic and the response of the government.
Secretary Andanar emphasized that these multiple Stevie Awards are proof that PCOO employees and the institution itself are committed to providing the public the information they need.
“Our wins are solid proof of the quality and hard work put in by our dedicated personnel and their professionalism in performing their tasks and in serving the public, by providing them with timely, truthful, and useful information,” said Andanar.
“Winning these Stevie Awards has inspired us to be even more committed and unwavering in carrying out our duties and responsibilities to the Filipino people, especially during this crucial time of COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
Arcena, for his part, assured the public that PCOO will continue to live up to its international recognition on innovative content and information.
“Boosted by these notable wins, people can expect more innovation and creativity from our office in delivering updates and reports to the whole nation,” Arcena said.
The 2021 Stevie Awards, nicknamed the Stevies or the Greek word for “crowned”, considered a total of 900 nominations from different countries across the Asia-Pacific region. The winners will be celebrated during a virtual (online) awards ceremony on July 14. (PCOO)
