Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman and CEO Cristino L. Naguiat, Jr. joined this year’s elite roster of esteemed leaders who received the prestigious “CEO Excel Award” from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines.

The “CEO Excel Award” is the honor program of the IABC Philippines for top-level executives, CEOs and organization leaders in the country. The awarding was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati on September 14, 2015.

According to IABC Philippines, a CEO Excel awardee “is an acknowledged champion of excellent communication to achieve business goals, and a leader for good governance and responsible corporate citizenship who inspires others to serve for the greater good.”

Naguiat was recognized for his leadership and use of excellent business communication strategies which enabled PAGCOR to maintain its stature as the third largest revenue generating government agency in the country. Under Naguiat’s term, PAGCOR started remitting billions of cash dividends to the government, making the state-run gaming firm a part of the elite circle of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) which remit billions in cash dividends to the National Treasury every year.

Through its high revenues and the prudent management of its resources, PAGCOR was also able to venture into far reaching Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects, the biggest of which is the construction of thousands of classrooms in public schools nationwide. To date, the state-run gaming firm has already constructed a total of 1,745 classrooms in 361 sites nationwide. Thousands more are undergoing construction in various provinces all over the country.

According to the PAGCOR chief, being conferred with the highest leadership honor by IABC Philippines is a testament that being in government service can also be fulfilling despite the challenges.

“A lot of people believe that it is a thankless job to be in government service. There are so many challenges and people expect you to solve problems overnight. But at the end of the day, you will know that you did something right when your stakeholders and reputable organizations like the IABC recognize your efforts,” he said.

In his acceptance speech, Naguiat recognized the contribution of PAGCOR employees in the attainment of the agency’s goals. “Our corporation would not have achieved its success in the last five years of the Aquino administration were it not for the dedication of our 11,000 PAGCOR employees nationwide. As Chairman and CEO of PAGCOR, I had the good fortune of working with very good people and hardworking employees. I owe them the success of our corporation. As we often say, a good leader is only as good as his team,” he said.

Kane Errol Choa, President of IABC Philippines said this year's CEO Excel Awardees can be likened to rock stars. “The term rock star is also used to describe someone who is influential, has won the admiration of many and will be remembered by generations,” Choa explained.

Meanwhile, Joe Zaldarriaga, chair of the 2015 CEO EXCEL Awards Committee, emphasized the importance of innovation in the worlds of business and communication. “Innovation works hand-in-hand with progress, with success. It serves as a map that leads organizations to achieve its goals and targets,” he said.

IABC Philippines is the first chapter outside North America of the global International Association of Business Communicators. IABC Philippines members include the best marketing, public relations, and corporate communication practitioners across different industries and in both private and public sectors. The organization embodies the importance of international linkages and the sharing of best communication practices, ideas and experience among business professionals around the world. IABC Philippines’ banner programs are the CEO EXCEL Awards and the Philippine Quill and Student Quill Awards.

Apart from Naguiat, IABC Philippines honored 13 other business leaders from various sectors. They were Mandaluyong City Mayor Benjamin Abalos, Jr.; Nurhayati Abdullah, Country Manager of DHL Express Philippines; Miguel Belmonte, President and CEO of Philippine Star Media Group; Dr. Roberto de Ocampo, Chairman and CEO of Philippine Veterans Bank; Emilio De Quiros, Jr.,  President and CEO of Social Security System; Rohit Jawa, Chairman and CEO of Unilever Philippines; Emmanuel C. Lorenzana, President and CEO of MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., Secretary Ramon Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Felino A. Palafox, Jr., President of the Palafox Architecture Group, Inc.; Dr. Elena Pernia, Dean of the University of the Philippines' College of Mass Communication; Senator Grace Poe; Robert G. Vergara, President and General Manager of the Government Insurance and Manuel Paolo A. Villar, President and CEO of Vista Land and Lifescapes, Inc.

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