The awards night of UPLIFT 2023 was a glamorous event, to be sure. Held last March 28, 2023, guests and awardees all gathered to celebrate stories that inspire and spread positivity in the nation.
At the starting hours of the event, guests slowly streamed in at the entrance foyer of the Maynila Ballroom at The Manila Hotel - Asia's "Grand Dame". Everyone was wearing their best attire, and cocktails were served as well, all while waiting for the announcement to enter the historic ballroom.
It was a heartening sight indeed to see the awardees mingle with the media and other UPLIFT VIPs. The excitement is palpable in that space, and one can see how everyone is looking forward to the recognition ceremony.
The UPLIFT Awards 2023 trophy by artist Katrina Cuenca
Once the announcement was made, everyone went up the grand staircase of the ballroom and were welcomed with a spectacle of lights, the grand interiors of the venue, and a giant LCD screen featuring the UPLIFT 2023 logo and its trophy/artwork – specially commissioned by the Manila Bulletin, and created by visual artist Katrina Cuenca.
The Maynila Ballroom at The Manila Hotel
The trophies were displayed on a circular table at the ballroom for all to see and admire - artworks made of rippled copper, twisting into a flamelike figure.
Before the awarding ceremony, attendees were treated to a four-course dinner, courtesy of the talented kitchen staff of The Manila Hotel. We dined on caesar salad, smoked salmon and lobster chowder, and Australian beef tenderloin. For dessert, there was mango tart in coconut vacherin. Pralines and chocolate truffles were also served, while the main event unfolded.
Inform, inspire, empower
After the serious business of eating was done, we then proceeded with the recognition ceremony.
Manila Bulletin President Dr. Emilio C. Yap III said it best in his welcome speech, on what UPLIFT is all about.
“In 2016, we stepped up our effort to adapt digital technology as our principal platform in content creation. We decided to embrace a triad of responsibilities: inform, inspire, empower.”
Manila Bulletin President Dr. Emilio C. Yap III
He also explained, how, according to the American Press Institute, the foremost value of news is to empower the informed, to provide citizens with the information they need to go on and become productive members of society.
“UPLIFT is an acronym for Unite, to Perform, to Lead, to Inspire, to bring Focus, and to Trend. The attributes or elements of stories that potentially elevate our audience’s sense of hope and optimism,” he continued.
And what is a more virtuous endeavor than uplifting and inspiring the hearts and minds of our readers?
What followed was a night of encouragement, good news, and hearty good fun. First to receive the UPLIFT 2023 trophy was the Quirino State University, awarded for their admirable development of clonal protocols that can help the propagation of forest and fruit bearing plants.
UPLIFT Project Head Philip Cu-Unjieng with Quirino State University President Dr. Hermenegildo F. Samoy, Jr. and Project Head of Clonal Propagation Protocols Dr. Edgar Benabise
For sports, the award went to gymnast Carlos Yulo, who was not able to join the ceremonies himself. Instead, his mother and father received the trophy on his behalf. The hefty trophy became the good-natured joke of the night. As some of the awardees struggled to lift the metal art piece.
Mark Andrew Yulo and Angelica Yulo (parents of gymnast Carlos Yulo)
The TUPAD program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) was given an award as well, with their programs to help the underserved sectors of the workforce. DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma accepted the awards personally, “We are indeed humbled by this singular recognition. This award will further inspire us to do more, in the service of the Filipino people.”
Manila Bulletin Editor-in-Chief Loreto Cabañes; Manila Bulletin President Dr. Emilio C. Yap III; SM Investments Vice Chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson; Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma
For the agriculture category, Jocelyn Mamar received the award with an ear-to-ear smile, and called for more women to go into farming and agriculture for food security and business sustainability – well-timed for Women’s Month.
Manila Bulletin Editor-in-Chief Loreto Cabañes with John & Marga Nursery Farms owner Jocelyn Mamar
Lifeline 16-911 Medical, Inc. President and CEO Michael Deakin accepted the award for the healthcare category with an amusing speech that lightheartedly made fun of the serious nature of his company.
Manila Bulletin Editor-in-Chief Loreto Cabaňes; Chief Medical Officer of the Medical City, Dr. Ruben G. Kasala; Chief operating officer of the Medical City, Atty. Virgilio Martin P. Samson; and Lifeline 16-911 Medical Inc, CEO & President, Michael Deakin
“Our customers do not want to call us; nor do our customers want to use our services; neither we or our clients want to spend anytime with each other. So much so that we measure our interaction in minutes and in seconds. We physically grab our customers, tie them up, strap them down. We jab them, we stab them. We oxygenate and intubate them, we defibrillate and electrocute them. If they complain, we sedate them and knock them out completely.”
Despite the jesting speech, Deakin was humble in admitting, that despite this “terrible” customer service, his company, and the Lifeline 16-11 team saved more than 450 thousand lives over the last 28 years.
Manila Bulletin Editor-in-Chief Loreto Cabaňes and the representative of Dolly de Leon, Zena Bernardo
Dolly de Leon, who inspired the whole nation in her internationally recognized and awarded role in the movie “Triangle of Sadness,” accepted her award via video message. The actress is currently filming her next big movie in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Manila Bulletin President Dr. Emilio C. Yap III with Zennor Hydroponics Farm owner Rafael Pagaling
For the e-commerce category, the Lapu-Lapu City was awarded for their forward thinking initiatives in digitization of government services in their locality. For the MSME category, Zennor Hydroponics Farm was lauded for pioneering new techniques to grow plants – thus providing a sustainable source of food for all.
Manila Bulletin President Dr. Emilio C. Yap III with the Arts, Culture, and Education awardee Chef Rafael Jardaleza Jr.
Chef Rafael Jardaleza Jr. was ever a champion of food, culture, and education. Indeed, many a journalist or food writer went thru the early days of their career touring the great food places of Western Visayas with this iconic Chef as guide and host. For big business, The SM Group was recognized for their efforts in sustainability, diversity, and women empowerment.
Manila Bulletin President Dr. Emilio C. Yap III with Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Wilcon Rosemarie Bosch-Ong and SM Prime President Jeffrey Lim
The UPLIFT Awards 2023 was indeed a grand success. May these stories of success, optimism, and hope, become a torch that will light our way thru the rest of the year. And whatever challenges may still come, let us look back to these stories and remember that everything is not doom and gloom.
We can’t wait for the next UPLIFT awards, and the new stories that will come to light.
