St. Scholastica’s College (SSC) Manila will hold the 7th Hildegarde Awards for Women in Media and Communication on March 6.
The seventh year of the awards become even more meaningful following the canonization on October 2012 of St. Hildegarde von Bingen, who was also named Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI. Controversial for her outspoken demeanor at a time when women had no opportunities outside the home or cloister, Hildegarde was a visionary who published books, composed music and made art, works which were influential during her time and continue to be relevant to this day.
Taking inspiration from the Hildegardian tradition of courage and advocacy for truth, SSC established the Hildegarde Awards for Women in Media and Communication in 2007 to celebrate women’s achievements in the mass media and its allied fields. It is the only award-giving body of its kind in the Philippines today.
This year’s St. Hildegarde Lifetime Achievement awardees are advertising executive Yolanda “Yoly” Villanueva-Ong and the Institute of Women’s Studies (IWS), founded by Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB.
Villanueva-Ong is considered one of the pillars of the Philippine advertising industry. She has received many awards throughout her career, among them the TOWNS Award for Communication and Social Marketing in 1995; Agora Award for Outstanding Achievement in Marketing Management in 1999; Industry Maverick Award at the 4As-P Advertising Summit; and CEO Excel Award in 2006. In 1994, she also became the first Filipino to judge in the prestigious Clio Awards in New York. As head of Campaigns and Grey, Ong also advocated for the positive portrayal of women in advertisements.
The Institute of Women’s Studies was established in 1985 with the mandate to advocate awareness for women’s issues. In addition to offering short courses, livelihood programs and gender-sensitivity workshops, the IWS has also been involved in media publishing and broadcast production. Among these initiatives are several award-winning books and programs aired on radio. For the past three years, the institute has also been producing “Nunsense,” a TV talk show on women’s issues hosted by Mananzan.
The St. Hildegarde Lifetime Achievement awardees will receive trophies designed by sculptor Maria Magdamit. The trophies, drawn from Magdamit’s famous “Diwata” series, depict nymphs in tranquil repose, emerging from the earth. It is the artist’s homage to nature and her life-giving rituals. The work also echoes Hildegarde’s brand of eco-feminism, evident in her writings on the healing properties of plants.
The Hildegarde Awards also recognizes outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism, advertising, development communication and print/online journalism.
Winners in the Broadcast Journalism category include ABS-CBN’s “Matanglawin” and GMA 7’s “Reporter’s Notebook” and “Investigative Documentaries” for television, and DZMM’s “Aksyon Ngayon,” DZRH’s “Art to Art” and Radyo Singko’s “Relasyon” for radio.
In the Advertising category, awardees are BBDO Guerrero’s “Makabagong Pilipina” for Modess; BBDO Guerrero and Proximity Philippines’ “Athlete” for Anlene; and Publicis Manila’s “Serbis” for Nestlé.
Advocacy campaigns that will receive awards in the Development Communication category include “Hits” by Gabriela, the “Anti-Epal” campaign, and A.G. Saño’s Dolphins Love Freedom initiative.
Winners in the Print/Online Journalism category are Rappler’s Jannica Diaz and Nikki Luna, and Bulatlat’s Anne Marxze Umil.
The 7th Hildegarde Awards is open to the public and will be held March 6, 2:30 p.m., at St. Cecilia’s Hall of St. Scholastica’s College, Manila.
For inquiries, contact Pauline Raymundo at 0915-4661633 or Michelle Sancianco at 0939-9105592.