[ffb_section_0 unique_id=”3gbueu2f” data=”%7B%22o%22%3A%7B%22gen%22%3A%7B%22ffsys-disabled%22%3A0%2C%22ffsys-info%22%3A%22%7B%7D%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22fg-container-large%22%2C%22no-padding%22%3A0%2C%22no-gutter%22%3A0%2C%22gutter-size%22%3A%22%22%2C%22match-col%22%3A0%2C%22force-fullwidth%22%3A0%7D%7D%7D”][ffb_column_1 unique_id=”3gbueu2g” data=”%7B%22o%22%3A%7B%22gen%22%3A%7B%22ffsys-disabled%22%3A%220%22%2C%22ffsys-info%22%3A%22%7B%7D%22%2C%22xs%22%3A%2212%22%2C%22sm%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22md%22%3A%2212%22%2C%22lg%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22is-centered%22%3A%220%22%2C%22is-bg-clipped%22%3A%220%22%2C%22xs-last%22%3A%22no%22%2C%22sm-last%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22md-last%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22lg-last%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22xs-offset%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22sm-offset%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22md-offset%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22lg-offset%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22xs-pull%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22sm-pull%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22md-pull%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22lg-pull%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22xs-push%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22sm-push%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22md-push%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22lg-push%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22xs-overlap%22%3A%22no%22%2C%22sm-overlap%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22md-overlap%22%3A%22unset%22%2C%22lg-overlap%22%3A%22unset%22%7D%7D%7D”][ffb_paragraph_2 unique_id=”3gbuf22m” data=”%7B%22o%22%3A%7B%22gen%22%3A%7B%22ffsys-disabled%22%3A%220%22%2C%22ffsys-info%22%3A%22%7B%7D%22%2C%22text-is-richtext%22%3A%221%22%2C%22align%22%3A%22text-left%22%2C%22align-sm%22%3A%22%22%2C%22align-md%22%3A%22%22%2C%22align-lg%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D%7D”][ffb_param route=”o gen text”]

Makati, Philippines – The EON Group, an integrated communications consultancy, won two major bids under The Department of Tourism (DOT). Geared towards promoting the Philippines as a fun and dynamic destination, these creative and social media projects will be handled primarily by the firm’s digital and creative technology arm, DiG.

EON was entrusted by the DOT to provide social media management and strategic planning services for the government agency, conceptualizing and executing a social media strategy and promotions plan to increase the visibility of Philippine-associated destinations and products, as well as sustain the “It’s More Fun In The Philippines” campaign.

The proudly-Filipino communications consultancy will take on the tasks of creating content to drive engagement across all of the agency’s social media platforms, developing and executing a media plan, and managing influencer partnerships.

“We look forward to working with EON in capturing the global audience through social media and other innovative digital strategies that ensure worldwide engagement. We expect this partnership to yield world-class content that will contribute to the growth of the tourism industry,” said DOT   Assistant Secretary Howard Lance Uyking.

The EON Group also won the bid to provide creative services for the Department of Tourism’s promotional efforts for the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), which will take place in Clark, Subic, Manila, and other nearby areas later this year. The event is expected to gather around 17,000 participants from different countries, including athletes, team officials, technical officials, press, and media attendees. Apart from bringing together athletes from South East Asian countries, the Philippine-hosted 2019 SEA Games will also serve as an avenue to showcase the beautiful tourist destinations of the country.

EON is in charge of digital and audio-visual content creation, as well as the development of a media plan targeting all Southeast Asian countries, with the objective of promoting sports tourism to help boost foreign tourist arrivals.

“This partnership with The EON Group signifies the Department of Tourism’s vision to effectively promote the Philippines through quality marketing campaigns that showcase our products and our people,” said Assistant Secretary Uyking. “Our hosting of the Southeast Asian Games is a great platform to promote sports tourism in the country,’’ he added.

“These are two very exciting wins that align with EON’s advocacy of branding the Philippines,” said Junie del Mundo, co-founder and Chief Executive of The EON Group. “It is both an honor and a welcome challenge for our Filipino team of global thinkers to show that our country is a dynamic destination with caring, collaborative, creative, and colorful people.”

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17 September, 2019, Dubai, UAE: A major study on the Filipino community in the UAE revealed that highly skilled Filipinos are now represented across all industries contributing to the country’s economy and that 64% of Filipino respondents are college graduates while 6.7% hold post graduate degrees. 

The EON Insight: Focus on the Filipino in the UAE, the first ever study into the contribution of the Filipino community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has today (Tuesday, 17 September) been released by The EON Group. The study sought to further understand the size, scale and contribution of the UAE’s third largest expatriate demographic. 

The study also showed that 62% of the Filipinos surveyed can be found in sectors that are seen to contribute to the UAE’s economic diversification and expansion. The top five sectors they work in are architecture, engineering, and construction (17%), tourism and hospitality (16%), customer service (13%), health and medical fields (10%) and marketing and advertising (8%). 

An increasing number of Filipino workers are further providing semi-skilled and highly skilled labour, shifting away from low-skilled work areas. In job positions, 46% of Filipinos are in associate, supervisory, and mid-senior level manager roles, according to the survey.

Junie Del Mundo, Founder and CEO, The EON Group said “This study shows, for the first time, both the impact and contribution of the Filipino community to the UAE. The community is very engaged, increasingly wealthy, proud of their new home and looking for ways they can help support the diverse, tolerant and multicultural country that is the UAE. There is an increasing opportunity for companies to directly engage with this community.”

Paul Raymund Cortes, Philippine Consul General in Dubai and Northern Emirates,   said, “We are very proud of our relationship with the UAE thus far and we continue to be optimistic that our people to people exchanges and our economic ties will even deepen as the years go on. Our ties with the UAE are one of our most strategic relationships, be it trade, cultural, and human relationships. We welcome EON’s study as it shows the already deep ties between our countries and our peoples and the wealth of opportunities presenting itself for an even richer relationship.”

Key Findings: 

• The UAE is a highly attractive destination for professional Filipinos due to the economic opportunities and tolerant open society. 
  • Highly skilled Filipinos are now represented across all industries. 64% of FIlipinos in the UAE are college graduates and 6.7% hold post graduate degrees. 
• The Filipino community is an ever-increasing contributor to the economic  diversification and growth of the UAE economy
  • 62% of the Filpinos surveyed can be found in sectors that are seen to contribute to the UAE’s economic diversification and expansion. 
  • The top five sectors they work in are architecture, engineering, and construction (17%), tourism and hospitality (16%), customer service (13%), health and medical fields (10%) and marketing and advertising (8%) 
  • 37% earn at least AED 8,000 a month, with 20% earning AED 13,000 a month. 
  • Filipinos are big spenders, with 48% going to the mall at least once or twice a month, with 45% willing to spend up to AED 50 for one meal and 16% willing to spend more than AED 80.  
• The Filipino community has a long-term commitment to the UAE, with Filipinos increasingly looking to invest and build deeper interlinked roots into the UAE. 
  • 41.3% of Filipinos surveyed have been living in the UAE for 2 to 5 years, while 37% have been living in the UAE for more than 6 years 
  • 31.5% plan to stay in the UAE for another 3 to 5 years 
• The ability to worship freely and in peace is a major draw for the Filipino community
  • Survey data shows that their home country’s culture plays a key role in shaping Filipinos’ activities in the UAE, with Filipinos continuing to observe Filipino traditions and practices 
  • A number of Filipinos spend their free time participating in church activities such as Bible studies and community service programs 
    • The Filipino weekly mass, held every Friday at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Dubai, sees an average weekly attendance of more than 2,000 
    • Simbang Gabi, a Filipino Christmas tradition of daily masses over a 9 day period has attendees between 30,000 and 35,000 per day 
• The social media connectivity and positive promotion of the UAE by the UAE based Filipino community has contributed to the UAE being a top 10 destination for travelling Filipinos
  • Filipinos are an untapped force of marketing in the UAE as they are constantly connected online 
  • Filipino influencers are making their mark in the UAE by creating well-curated content that is relevant to their fans and following, and are performing well in terms of engagement and reach. 

“The Filipino community plays an important role within the UAE. Increasingly, there are opportunities for UAE-based companies to engage and market to this sizeable community. The community is looking to be engaged across a broad range of industries. Whether it be the ability to purchase their own home, build smarter relationships with financial services companies, take advantage of the UAE’s entrepreneur focus, the next generation of Filipino community is increasingly a significant and important player in the consideration of companies,” added Del Mundo.

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Makati City – 25 April 2019 – The EON Group, a Filipino communications consultancy firm, was named the winner of a Gold Stevie® Award for Most Innovative Public Relations Agency of the Year, and a Silver  Stevie® Award for Excellence in Innovation in Business Product and Service Industries in the sixth annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards today. 

More than 900 nominations from organizations across the Asia-Pacific region were considered this year for various categories, and the EON Group won both Gold and Silver in two different categories that recognize best practices on innovation. 

“The communications industry is in the midst of a massive disruption, and the move to differentiate ourselves and focus on higher value services is the only logical way forward,” says Mori Rodriguez, EON’s Chief Innovation Officer. “Innovation is a corporate value and we live it in all aspects of the business, from product all the way to talent development.” 

While this is EON’s first win at the Stevie Awards, the communications consultancy has been recognised for its innovation by Enterprise Asia, winning an International Innovation Award for Organization and Culture in 2017. Among its list of recent accomplishments is the prestigious International Gold Quill Award in 2018 for the Philippine Trust Index, the company’s proprietary research that looks into the levels and drivers of trust among Filipinos, and Public Affairs Asia’s Gold Standard Award for Public Affairs Consultancy of the Year in 2018. 

“We are very pleased that entries to this program grew again this year,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards. We extend our warmest congratulations to all of this year’s Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners.”

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word for “crowned,” the awards will be presented to the winners at a gala banquet at the InterContinental Hotel in Singapore on Friday, 31st of May. Details about the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards and the list of Stevie Award winners are available at http://Asia.Stevieawards.com. 

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Twenty years ago, my partners and I opened EON in the midst of an Asian financial crisis. Not coming from a business background, we genuinely believed that if we just followed our vision, things would work out.

Little did we imagine the difficulties that the market was experiencing at that time — and it went on for about five years!

So what I did was to knock on doors. Literally.

In those days, you would never see me behind my desk because there’s no money to be made if I stayed in the office. So I went out and knocked on doors in order to aggressively expand our network. My faith had to be bigger than my fear. There were times when I’d promise a service then wonder how we could actually pull it off! And because we tried to keep a tight rein on costs, we had to do everything by ourselves — even if we only had three employees, including me.

WHERE CAUTIOUS MEETS AUDACIOUS

Growing a company constantly involves leadership decisions that are astute as they are daring. When EON was starting out, we strategically reinforced our modest assets with unrelenting hard work, conservation of resources, and finding the right people and organizations to partner with. Once we arrived at the critical mass of means and connections, we cautiously but deliberately expanded our services according to what we perceived to be the immediate and the imminent demands of the market.

Being the best in class requires an acute sensitivity to changes in the communication landscape and the audacity to anticipate our stakeholders’ needs.

Even today, we make it a habit to look at the trends that are happening in the market and put every effort to be ahead of that trend. We are keen observers of life and this is a skill that the company wants all our people to develop, so we regularly send them to training programs and events, both within and outside the country, because that’s where they will learn how to spot the latest movements and innovations in the industry.

Although I’ve relinquished most of my executive duties to the younger managers, I continue to read all the news monitoring reports that our teams produce every single day because I want to be kept updated on everything that’s going on — whether it’s news coming out of our clients or our competitors. At the same time, I make sure I’m up-to-date with what is happening in the industries where our clients are, and with relevant news about the country, the region, and even the entire planet because we also care about the changes in our natural environment.

From all of these data, you have to extract and distill valuable insights that will enable you to make informed and strategic business decisions. As they say, knowledge is power. And with that power comes the confidence and fearlessness to aspire for greater heights.

THE HEART OF LEADERSHIP

Whenever I am asked about my management style, I always refer to Robert K. Greenleaf’s concept of “servant leadership” which begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve first, then makes a conscious choice and aspiration to lead. For a servant-leader, championing the greater good is the highest priority and the ultimate goal is to create a ripple effect that would encourage those who have been served to follow suit.

All of EON’s founders trace their roots back to government service, which is founded on service to the people. We brought that same philosophy with us when we launched the company two decades ago — that we are here to serve.

We are here to serve our clients through our professional expertise and by upholding sound business ethics. We are here to serve our employees by providing career opportunities in a nurturing environment where they can refine and enhance their abilities. We also serve the communities where we operate through the various advocacy programs we are involved in. And as a result of all these, we ultimately serve our country.

This has been our guiding principle from the onset of our operations and it has been quite successful in propelling us to where we are today.

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For most Filipino companies, diversity and inclusion (D&I) is hardly a top priority. Although Corporate Philippines generally welcomes women and LGBT into the workforce — unlike other societies where they are overtly excluded — there is hardly any effort to ensure that office rules and policies promote D&I.

Although Filipino firms recognize the need for fairness in their dealings with their people, practices that are anti-women and anti-LGBT are rife in the Filipino workplace. Some of them are subtle, while some are so ingrained in the culture that they are just taken as standard operating procedure. For instance, managers may choose not to employ or promote a talented individual because of gender preferences and orientation.

Sometimes, this is more of a deep-seated bias. Women and LGBT, for instance, may not even be considered for hiring or promotion into roles that are “reserved” for men, which include most positions in the C-suite level. “Babae ’yan, mas bagay ito sa lalaki (She’s female, this position is for a male),” we often hear from not-so-enlightened managers. Similarly, xenophobic workers may ostracize LGBT and refuse to engage meaningfully with them, or worse, even subject them to covert types of bullying.

What these companies do not realize is that they are missing out on the myriad advantages and the richness of culture that come with having a diverse work force and, most importantly, a diverse and inclusive leadership.

I speak from experience. Diversity is what the EON story is all about: from a small group of 5 to a colorful bunch of 150 people with different sensibilities, mindsets, beliefs, and life choices, coming together under the company’s singular mission-vision to uphold truth for good. Without diversity, the EON Stakeholder Relations Group would not have achieved all it has today.

Throughout our 20 years, it was our attention to diversity that allowed us to create a culture of innovation and openness that allowed us to break new ground for our clients and for ourselves. Yet we never articulated this. This is why when we did a re-articulation of our core values a few years ago, diversity sprung out as a value that needed to be professed. By professing it, we embraced it, proclaimed it, and made it part of our strategy.

Today, we are a healthy mix of 41% males and 59% females, with 24% representing the LGBT community. Our diversity — which celebrates our similarities, differences, and uniqueness — have led us to creating our best work: the most honest, engaging, and compelling stories that reflect our myriad experiences and the richness of our views.

A study by McKinsey shows that the EON experience is not exactly unique. According to the study, companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. Also, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. More tellingly, companies in the bottom quartile both for gender and for ethnicity and race are statistically less likely to achieve above-average financial returns than the average companies.

Let me explain how this could have come about, based on EON’s experience. Embracing diversity meant fostering an environment of authenticity and openness, where people can comfortably talk about their similarities and differences.

What I realized is that when individuals feel valued because their authentic selves have been recognized, we create an environment where people can shine. At EON, people are proud to be unique, and with nothing to hide, they are able to perform optimally. They are not afraid to try out innovative ideas that inevitably lead to great business results for clients.

This is why I believe that Filipino companies should strive to promote diversity. As a business strategy, it brings about real results.

It is important to point out that achieving diversity in our company isn’t an accommodation, but rather has come about as a result of our commitment to meritocracy. We have always assigned our leaders by focusing on a person’s skill, competence, and contribution, regardless of their gender, belief, persuasion, or background. As a result, today 3 out of our 4 business unit heads are female and 60% of our management committee are part of the LGBT community. It is also worth noting that our Government Relations and Public Affairs unit, which services a lot of male-dominated industries such as government, construction, energy, and tech, is led by a woman. Under her unit is our Crisis and Reputation Management team, also headed by a female director.

As champions of truth-telling, we encourage each and every one of our employees to stay true to themselves. That is why at EON, we create platforms and opportunities that allow them to do so, through initiatives such as leadership trainings to ensuring holistic well-being, through our talent development and learning unit, aptly named EON University.

One thing is clear: only by being authentic can one truly rise to leadership. And as business owners and decision makers, it is our responsibility to make sure that our people are allowed to live authentic lives and through it, be positioned for success. In the end, their success is also ours.

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Makati, Philippines – The country’s leading communications consultancy, the EON Group, celebrates 20 years in the industry by institutionalizing more than a decade’s history of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs and initiatives through the launch of the EON Foundation. The momentous occasion occurred on the evening of the 27th of September in the Ayala Museum, where guests were serenaded by the Philippine Madrigal Singers. 

Through the EON Foundation, the EON Group maintains its core advocacy of branding the Philippines by ensuring that every Filipino is given every opportunity to reach their full potential—to let them thrive and be their most creative, colorful, collaborative, and caring self. They are committed to helping Filipinos meet their most basic needs—needs that are aligned with the United Nations’ top five sustainable development goals: no poverty, zero hunger, good health for all, quality education, and gender equality. 

“We aim to achieve these goals by doing what we do best: using our expertise in storytelling to enable and strengthen relevant connections among non-profit organizations and key stakeholders. We believe that by telling stories, we can make even more good things happen for our partner-organizations,” says Junie del Mundo, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of the EON Group.  

CSR is deeply embedded in EON’s history, with its employees regularly engaging in volunteer activities and working tirelessly alongside trusted clients on their own CSR programs, in order to create shared value and make an impact that’s bigger and more meaningful across communities.

“Every EONite understands that CSR is not just an option – this is not something we simply do once or twice a year. CSR is in our DNA and embodies who we are as a company,” says del Mundo. 

While the launch took place in the form of a benefit concert, the EON Foundation illustrated its expertise in the industry by communicating compelling stories and messages on behalf of their six partner organizations: Love Yourself, KYTHE Foundation, GREAT Women, Hands On Manila, Museo Pambata, and Rise Against Hunger. 

An exhibit on the Foundation’s partner organizations also allowed guests ample opportunity to learn more about the causes, converse directly with the founders of the organizations, and donate to the partner organizations of their choice. With the inspiring artistry of the Philippine Madrigal Singers’ rendition on the values of Filipino pride and love, everyone embodied the spirit of generosity, and concluded a successful evening for all of the partner organizations. 

Currently, the EON Foundation partners with six organizations, but more projects and new partnerships are already in store for the next year.

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At no other time in its history does the Philippines need a country brand more than today. Despite the country’s string of achievements (and occasional missteps), the need for a country brand is even more compelling at this time when disruption has become the norm.

A quick scan of the day’s headlines underscores the continuing need for a Philippine country brand—the Kuwait-Philippines row, Boracay’s six-month closure, the passage of the tax reform law. All these could have been opportunities to use the Philippine country brand to engage people and rally them toward a common goal.

An imperative in good times and in bad, a country brand ensures a nation does not remain anonymous, or even worse, irrelevant in today’s age of volatility, technological advances and rapid development. A country brand should be strong not only in the eyes of the world, but also in the minds of its own people, so that they would gain ownership and accountability for the things they say and do in representing their own country.

This is why countries are investing millions of dollars in communications research and campaigns to have a brand that stands out and beckons people to perceive the country beyond what tourist guides say or negative press coverage say.

The brand advantage

Countries with strong brands enjoy a vital competitive advantage in the global market. In contrast, those without a strong brand are often marginalized or ostracized. A country brand is so powerful that it could alter the outcome of investment and business decisions, and for a country like the Philippines, this can have a major impact on the economy and the lives of its people.

Definitely, nation branding is not the same as tourism promotion. It encompasses the country’s strengths—its people, culture, its uniqueness that differentiates it from other nations.

Given the multiple dimensions of a country brand, building it is an endeavor that cannot rest solely with one entity. Rather, it should be shared by both the government and the private sector. After all, it is the private sector and private individuals who are out there interfacing with other nationalities, whether in their work, business or other initiatives.

The private sector leads the way

There is much that the private sector can do to enhance the Filipino brand, especially by creating products and services that mirror the strengths of the Filipino.

One fine example is how a group of Filipinas, led by Jeannie Javelosa, worked with globally renowned fashion designer Christian Louboutin, who in turn produced the limited edition Manilacaba bags, inspired by the jeepneys and handicrafts of the Philippines. Part of its sales proceeds will also support the Gender Responsive Economic Action for the Transformation of Women (Great) Project, which will showcase Asean women’s artistry and be a source of pride for all Filipinos.

Equally noteworthy is how solar lighting solutions designed by Illac Diaz’s Liter of Light has captivated the rest of the world. Their simple, do-it-yourself two-step technology creates local jobs, teaches green skills and empowers energy-poor communities. Liter of Light has shown that the Philippines has the technological competence and innovative thinking to back its humanitarian spirit.

Research goes a long way in helping build a solid country brand.

When the very first Philippine Brand Audit was undertaken by the Eon Group in partnership with the IT-BPM Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), its goal was to understand perceptions of the IT-BPM industry in order to strengthen it. The study covered key players in the Philippines and its trading partners worldwide, and revealed areas of weakness and strengths that the Philippines can address. In so doing, the audit provided valuable insight that the government can use as it crafts its brand building strategy.

Nation branding has long been an advocacy of Eon. Over the years, we have hosted workshops with various stakeholders to gain greater insight on how to build the Philippine country brand. In all these, a common thread has emerged—how the Filipino people are at the heart of the country brand.

Study after study, the Filipino people have remained as the most compelling competitive advantage of the Philippines. Filipinos are the brand; it’s our greatest value proposition, and one that’s already known across the globe because of our millions of overseas workers and professionals acting as our brand ambassadors wherever they are.

Four qualities of the Filipino people prop up the Philippine country brand.

First, we are creative. The Philippines has a rich history of arts and creativity, exemplified by our Filipino artists and scientists and some of our greatest innovators in society.

We are also caring. Caring for others is innate in the Filipino culture, with malasakit (empathy) being a significant aspect of it. This is why Filipinos are often sought after in care-giving, nursing, and medical fields.

Third, we are collaborative. We are open and willing to work with others.

And finally, we are colorful. No day in the country is dull and boring because of our rich traditions, indigenous products, cuisines, folklore and our cultural disposition to always be happy.

Certainly, there is much that the private sector can do to cultivate these strengths and build the Philippine country brand into a stronger brand in the global arena.

One way to do this is by opening a platform for collaboration, such as the National Branding Council, which has been created by the Presidential Communications Operations Office. The National Branding Council will execute national branding policies directed at showcasing the country’s strengths in trade, investment, international policy, internal affairs and tourism. By moving it forward, the private sector can play a more active role in enhancing the Philippine country brand.

In this age where chaos and complexity are the new normal, it is but right that the private sector join the government in building a stronger Philippine country brand. This is, after all, our brand—representing our minds, hearts and souls.

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The EON Group, a Filipino-owned communications firm, was awarded a Gold Quill Award of Merit by the International Association of Business Communicators’ (IABC) for its nationwide research, the Philippine Trust Index 2017. 

The Gold Quill Award is the third award that EON received for the Philippine Trust Index (PTI), but it is the first international recognition for EON’s proprietary study that looks into the levels and drivers of trust among Filipinos. Previously, the PTI of 2014 received a Philippine Quill Award of Excellence and Top Award for Communication Research in 2016, as well as a Philippine Anvil Special Award for Excellence in the Use of Research in Planning, Measurement and Evaluation in 2016. 

“Our seven-year work in the Philippine Trust Index has always been driven by our belief in the value of understanding better the Filipino people and how we build trust-based relationships and even among each other,” EON Group’s CEO, Junie del Mundo, said. “Today, we are being globally recognized for the hard work we have put in since day one in 2011, and we’re very proud of it.” 

The PTI is the EON Group’s multi-awarded proprietary research on trust in the Filipino Society. It is a nationwide survey that cuts across socioeconomic, educational, geographic and demographic backgrounds to discover just how much Filipinos trust the six key institutions in society – the Government, the Business Sector, the Media, Non-Governmental Organizations, the Church and the Academe.

While the PTI was first launched in 2011, it has undergone many changes to remain timely and relevant with every iteration. For the fifth PTI released in 2017, EON turned social media into a pillar of the study by exploring Filipinos’ trust in social media compared to other institutions, and by listening in on social media conversations about trust in the six key institutions to discover whether online discussions truly reflect on-the-ground realities. 

The creativity and expertise that the EON Group has put in has certainly paid-off because “only exceptional work earns an IABC Gold Quill Award”, said Cindy Schmieg ABC, IABC Fellow, chair of the awards committee. “The award winners represent our profession of ethical practitioners contributing to organizational outcomes.” 

For more than 40 years, IABC’s Gold Quill Awards have recognized excellence in strategic communication worldwide and are acknowledged as one of the most prestigious awards programs in the global communications industry. The awards will be presented at the Excellence Gala, held on Tuesday, 5 June 2018, as part of IABC’s World Conference in Montréal. For more information on the Gold Quill Awards, please visit the Gold Quill Awards website.

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Makati, Philippines –  The EON Group’s Head of Multimedia Productions and award-winning motion picture writer and director Noel Escondo is returning to the Cannes Film Festival in France for the second year in a row in May 2018, this time for his short film, Alaala. His film will be among a diverse selection in the prestigious festival’s Short Film Corner, which curates the best of short films from all over the world each year.

Alaala, or “memory”, follows the story of a man who  returns home and recounts his memories with his former lover through a poem. The film is the product of Escondo’s take on 24-hour Challenge Guerilla Filmathon during the Cinema Rehiyon 9 Film Festival in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley last August 2017. Alaala was conceived, filmed, edited and released all in one day, and it was co-produced with Patsy Ferrer and Myk Cruz through Cut! Print Productions. 

Since 1999, Escondo has been working in the film and television industry as a writer, host and director, but he only started producing films in 2016. His first film, Nakaw, earned him his first ticket to the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 and also won numerous awards including the prestigious Gawad Urian Award for Best Short Film. 

“To be included again in the Cannes Short Film Corner is overwhelming,” said Escondo, “It opens up opportunities to meet programmers and filmmakers from all around the world. It is a humbling experience.” 

Alongside his award-winning film endeavors, Escondo also heads EON Group’s newly formed Multimedia Production unit. 

“If there’s one thing that I’m really thankful for right now is that I’m working in EON, which has supported me from the beginning,” said Escondo. “The space I have in EON allows me to create content not only for our clients but also to further harness my potential as a filmmaker.” 

Escondo and his team will journey to the South of France for the 71st Cannes Film Festival in May 2018 to present their short film, Alaala. 

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