THE Manila Electric Company (Meralco) was a big winner at the 2021 Stevie International Business Awards (IBA) after hauling several recognitions.
Meralco hauled a total of three (3) golds, three (3) silvers, and three (3) bronzes for its initiatives centered on communication and customer service excellence, and transparency.
Thus, Meralco became the most recognized Philippine utility at the world’s premier business awards program, besting 3,700 nominations submitted by organizations from 65 nations.
Meralco President and CEO Atty. Ray Espinosa remarked that excellent customer service and communication are at the core of what they do in Meralco, and transparency is a value they’ve long adhered to.
“To be recognized internationally for campaigns focused on these is definitely an honor, and a feat for the many men and women of Meralco who have been toiling relentlessly towards the fulfillment of these programs, despite adversities brought by the pandemic,” added Atty. Espinosa.
Awarded as gold for the best annual report among utilities in 2021 was the Meralco Annual Report, with the Meralco Sustainability Report landing a silver. Judges cited both reports for being transparent, providing text and illustrations for “a clean, concise presentation, with a human touch and lightness.”
One Meralco Foundation (OMF), the company’s social development arm, also scored a gold for its program “One for Trees: Helping Farmers Survive the Pandemic through Sustainable Reforestation.” OMF’s electrification campaigns “Powering up Communities Amidst Pandemic” and “Energizing off-grid schools in the Philippines” both won silvers, while its “Back to School Program to support Teacher-Frontliners during the Pandemic” secured a bronze. All these programs are outreach efforts of Meralco from within and beyond its franchise area.
Also landing bronzes were two proactive Meralco customer communication programs that keep customers informed: Meralco Advisory, which was cited in the category “brand renovation” after it was reinvented in 2021 with a more digital feel, and the Meralco Facebook page, which was the company’s 24×7 source of news and information especially during the pandemic. “Clear and forceful in its messaging; excellent pivot to digital; clever and awesome work!” were among judges’ comments.
Winning another gold was “MVP The Man and His Art,” a book that showcases Filipino artistry that grace the halls of Meralco, PLDT, First Pacific, and MVP’s own residence. It was cited by judges for documenting and preserving Filipino art and culture in a book that was “exceptional in writing, design, and photography, and sophisticated and elegant in execution.”
The prestigious Stevie International Business Awards is an annual awards program that started in 2002, where top utilities and corporations join to compete on professional achievements. It honors and generates public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and working professionals worldwide, and is one of the world’s most coveted prizes.
“What we’ve seen in this year’s IBA nominations is that organizations around the world, in every sector, have continued to innovate and succeed, despite the setbacks, obstacles and tragedies of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said Stevie Awards president Maggie Gallagher. “All of this year’s Stevie Award winners are to be applauded for their persistence and their resilience. We look forward to celebrating their achievements with them during our 8 December virtual awards ceremony.”
Meralco Customer Retail Services head and Chief Commercial Officer Ferdinand Geluz said, “We are heartened by these awards as they respond to the call of our CEO Ray Espinosa for customer centricity. The wins are meaningful to us, as top professionals and our peers judge our programs and projects as world class. Our focus will continue to be our customers, the reason for our being.”