The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) once again earned the nod of PR and communication experts in the country when four of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects received Awards of Merit during the 49th Anvil Awards. The awarding ceremony was held at the Solaire Resort and Casino on February 26, 2014.

PAGCOR’s award-winning entries include the “Matuwid na Daan sa  Silid-Aralan Project” under PR Programs on a Sustained Basis (Education/Literacy category), the “PAGCOR Feeding Program” under PR Programs on a Sustained Basis (Youth/Children’s Welfare), the “Bayanihan: Pamaskong Handog ng PAGCOR 2012” and the “Old Slot Machine Stands Turned into School Desks” – both under the PR Programs on a Sustained Basis (Social Responsibility).

According to Anvil’s citation, the agency’s “Matuwid na Daan sa  Silid-Aralan Project” was recognized “for expanding the reach of its (PAGCOR’s) school building project nationwide, thereby assisting in solving the classroom shortage in the education sector.” This is the second time that the school building project won the prestigious Anvil award.

Meantime, the “PAGCOR Feeding Program” clinched an award “for being instrumental in addressing the nutritional needs of severely undernourished pupils in day care centers and public elementary schools nationwide through the daily provision of healthy balanced meals.”

Another Anvil Merit Award went to the “Bayanihan: Pamaskong Handog ng PAGCOR 2012” for “engaging its employees in reaching out to thousands of less fortunate Filipinos by constructing or renovating facilities in major government hospitals and other institutions, thereby leaving a lasting legacy to beneficiaries.”

Last but not the least, PAGCOR’s novel project on “Old Slot Machine Stands turned into School Desks” was recognized “for engaging its employees in converting non-operational gaming paraphernalia into two or three-seater school desks, thereby benefitting thousands of public school and day care students in Metro Manila and nearby provinces and preventing wastage of public resources.”

Assistant VP Maricar Bautista of PAGCOR’s Corporate Communications Department (CCD) underscored the impact of the agency’s CSR projects on various sectors of the society. “In the last 3 ½ years of this administration, PAGCOR has positioned itself as a socially-responsible corporation. The agency remains resolute in its commitment to assist the government in implementing projects that help build the nation. The recognition we got from the Anvil Awards not only proves the social relevance of our CSR efforts, but also inspires us to further outdo our previous achievements,” she said.

Atty. Eugenio Villareal, Co-Chair of the 49th Anvil Awards Board of Jurors, stressed that one of the factors that makes a program win an Anvil award is not only the “wow factor” but the entry’s sustainability in changing the lives of the Filipinos for the better.

Villareal particularly cited the uniqueness of PAGCOR’s project which transforms old slot machine stands into functional school desks. “Magandang isipin na ang mga kawani ng gobyerno ay hindi lang nasa likod ng desk pero nakikilahok at tumutulong. Yung programa ng PAGCOR na pag-convert ng mga lumang slot machines sa casino bilang kasangkapan sa classrooms, napaka-laking tulong iyan sa ating mga kabataan,” he noted.

On the other hand, Ramon Osorio - who was recently elected as 2014 PRSP President - observed that most of the programs that won are considered “very good especially those with advocacy that are CSR in nature.”

He also noted that government institutions are beginning to appreciate the value of public relations in their implementation of their programs. “PAGCOR won four awards this year and that’s a very good indication that the agency is beginning to open up and really affect the lives of its target publics and stakeholders,” Osorio said.

Jika Dalupan, Internal Vice President of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) which spearheads the annual Anvil Awards, said that the award-giving body has maintained its reputation of being the Oscars of the PR industry. “As PR practitioners we are all here to influence and change the behaviour of our target publics. This is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. This entails having a clear grasp of communication planning, implementation and commitment to excellence and ethical conduct,” Dalupan cited.

Of the more than 400 entries that vied for recognition in the 49th Anvil Awards, only 107 made it to the honour roll. Thirty four won Awards of Excellence, 73 received Awards of Merit, two clinched the Bronze Anvil and one won the coveted Grand Anvil Award.

The number of the winning entries this year was 30% lower compared to the 139 awards given by Anvil in 2013. This was primarily due to more stringent and stricter evaluation conducted by the jurors in selecting the winners.

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