Unilab Foundation bagged the top prize and two other awards at the 49th Anvil Awards of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines for Unilab Ideas Positive, a nationwide program that empowers the Filipino youth as co-creators of health solutions for communities.
In recognition of the significant health transformation brought about by its empowered youth teams, Unilab Ideas Positive merited the Grand Anvil, the highest form of recognition for a public relations program in the country that is granted selectively and only when a program deserves it. It bested over 400 entries and was chosen over 100 awardees at the 49th Anvil Awards, in February 26, 2014. In the 49-year history of the Anvil awards, there Grand Anvil was awarded only 41 times. The Anvil is a symbol of excellence and quality in public relations in the Philippines, awarded by a distinguished multi-sectoral jury to outstanding public relations programs and tools.
UIP also won an Anvil Award of Excellence under the Public Relations Programs on a Sustained Basis-Community Development category and an Anvil Award of Merit under the Public Relations Program Directed at Specific Stakeholders - External: Youth category.
The history of UIP is true to the legacy of the founders of Unilab. From its inception in the Corporate Affairs Group (now Institutional Branding Group) to its current form under Unilab Foundation, UIP has remained a true symbol of the Bayanihan spirit inside and out. The teams within the Unilab family that have handled it through the previous three runs have all believed that by working together, the goal of a healthier Philippines will be attainable.
From Ideas to Outcomes
UIP enables college students nationwide to team up and bring to life their innovative, sustainable ideas to address health concerns in their chosen communities. In 2012, Unilab Ideas Positive marked its third year and first nationwide run. More importantly, it challenged the youth teams to deliver real health outcomes and positive results within a 6-month implementation period. Twelve teams from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao each received Php 100,000 seed money and trained in a 3-day social marketing boot camp to turn their ideas into reality. Some of the outstanding health outcomes that the chosen communities experienced are as follows:
· Eradication of diarrheal diseases from 75 cases to zero in Sitio Pang-Pang, Dumangas, Iloilo
· Significant decrease of malnourished children from 217 to 4 in Brgy. La Paz, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras
· 63% decrease in the prevalence of worm infections among school children in Brgy. Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet
Now on its fourth run, UIP continues its legacy to build a healthier Philippines, through the youth, one community at a time. Fourteen teams are set to showcase the positive outcomes of their projects on June 2014 at Bayanihan Center.
In winning the Grand Anvil, Rhodora Palomar-Fresnedi, SVP, former head of Corporate Affairs and Executive Director of Unilab Foundation, has this to say: “The Grand Anvil is an affirmation of the direction we are taking in building a healthier Philippines. The bigger reward, however, is in transforming the youth into becoming active participants in delivering health outcomes. In the end, any form of leadership, and in this case, leadership by and for our youth, is about significant results.”
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