2020 PANAta Awards hails Ayala’s COVID-19 response as most authentic (Gold Award)

The country’s largest organization of advertisers awarded a gold to Ayala Group of Companies’ COVID-19 response entitled “Stronger together: How the Ayala Group helped Filipinos cope with the pandemic” at the 2020 PANAta Awards held virtually last December 8.

This year, PANAta Awards introduced Gawad Pandayon to recognize brands “which have responded in a way that uplifted lives and inspired others” during this time of COVID-19. Here, Ayala bested 26 other entries under the Authenticity category, reserved for the brand which went beyond messages of sympathy but exemplified benefits to its target market.

Ayala’s entry detailed how the conglomerate leveraged on the expertise and resources of its different companies to provide relevant and integrated responses to the health crisis with speed, scale, and stamina through public–private partnerships.

Organized by the Philippine Association of National Advertisers’ (PANA), PANAta Awards is among the Philippines’ most prestigious award-giving bodies. It recognizes impactful campaigns that reflect excellent marketing and brand-strengthening practices, reviewed and judged by industry peers, representatives from the academe, and brand owners. The PANAta Awards received nearly 200 entries this year.

Ayala's COVID-19 response: speed, scale, stamina

Ayala continues to be at the forefront of the collaboration between the private sector and government. Through Project Ugnayan (www.projectugnayan.org), Ayala synergized with 270 private entities to raise over P1.7 billion worth of assistance (as of June 30, 2020) for Greater Manila Area’s economically vulnerable population, while ensuring a timely, targeted, and dignified distribution system through Caritas Manila’s network of parishes.

Ayala also partnered with other private enterprises to convene Taskforce T3 (Test, Trace, Treat) which closely worked with the IATF and the DOH to help augment the country’s testing capacity by building and capacitating laboratories. The Ayala Group built the World Trade Center "We Heal As One," a 502-bed quarantine center, established COVID-19 referral hospitals, provided all swabbing booths in the country’s four biggest testing centers and free internet connection in 80 hospitals, 3 major airports and key supermarkets nationwide as well as free calls to government hotlines. More recently, together with other members of Taskforce T3, Ayala signed up to assist the government in securing and strategizing the distribution of the much-awaited COVID-19 vaccine.

It’s healthcare arm, AC Health, kept its network of clinics under Healthway Family Clinic (formerly known as FamilyDOC) open during the lockdown to facilitate screening of suspected cases of COVID-19; converted Healthway Medical in Greenbelt 5 into a chemotherapy infusion center to give cancer patients a safe place to receive treatment; and, together with Globe, created HealthNow, an all-in-one health app for doctor teleconsultations, medical appointments, and medicine delivery.

Integrated Microelectronics Inc., Ayala’s electronics manufacturing arm, also launched the UCL Ventura Flow Generator, an FDA-approved, lower-cost ventilation device to help prevent mild cases of COVID-19 from reaching critical point, while protecting medical frontliners as it reduces the spread of aerosols.

Several support measures for Ayala’s business partners were swiftly implemented, including early and continuing rent condonation in commercial spaces; extended grace periods for bill and loan payments; and 24/7 utilities operations. The group also established the Ayala Enterprise Circle to provide its network of 250,000 SMEs—the backbone of Philippine economy—with training modules, networking opportunities, and support services to help them recover.

“We are grateful to receive this recognition from PANA. We owe this accolade to our over 55,000-strong Ayala Citizens who emulated and put into action Ayala’s sincere desire to help communities especially in areas where we operate. We will keep working together with public and private sectors in jumpstarting our economy while keeping one another safe. Be assured that at Ayala, we are one with our country in pivoting our businesses to a more resilient, sustainable future for everyone. Thank you once again to PANA for this esteemed honor,” said John Philip Orbeta, Ayala Corporation Managing Director and Group Head for Corporate Resources.

By end-October, the Ayala Group has allocated over P11.9 billion in COVID-related initiatives to support its employees, partners, customers, and the broader Filipino community.