The industry biennial ARAW Values Advertising Awards presented Special Awards to honor select and deserving individuals and industry leaders as well as entities over the years in recognition of pioneering initiatives and sustained dedication on the promotion of values advertising and positive values for social change and nation-building. The endowment of Special Awards, as an award of distinction, require the unanimous decision of the ARAW Values Advertising Awards Organizing Committee, and upon the turnover of the above awards program to the Advertising Foundation of the Philippines, by the ARAW Values Awards Executive Committee, in consultation with the Ad Foundation executive officers. Special Awards are not regularly presented for every season of the once-every two-years’ ARAW Values Awards.

There are few recipients of the ARAW Values Advertising Special Awards since 1998. Facts and data on the proposed recipient(s) of the above mentioned are carefully evaluated with the invaluable contributions to the enhancement, growth and sustainable development of values advertising and the ARAW Values Advertising Awards as a distinct and unique awards program.

The 2000 ARAW Values Advertising Awards, jointly chaired by ASAP and MORES, with Arnedo “Dodie” Lucas at its helm, presented Special Awards to three (3) industry leaders, for pioneering values advertising in post-Martial Law years. Recipients were Jose “Totoy” Avellana, Herminio “Minyong” Ordonez and Antonio “Tony” R. Samson.

The 2006 ARAW Values Advertising Awards, co-chaired by Raul S. Alvarez and Antonio R. Samson, presented Special Awards to twelve (12) business organizations as “the Forerunners of Values Advertising”. These were: (1) Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) for “Pamilyang Uliran” TVC: (2) Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company for “Let Freedom Ring” campaign, “Bayan Ko” TVC, “EDSA 80’s” TVC and “Feel” TVC; (3) Philippine Airlines for “Shining Through” campaign and “Philippine National Anthem”; (4) Jollibee Foods Corp. for “Lola” TVC; (5) Johnson & Johnson Philippines for “Pamana” TVC; (6) RFM Corporation for Sarsi’s “Angat sa Iba” TVC and Pop Cola “Bilib” TVC; (7) Nestle Philippines, for “Sa Mata ng Bata” campaign; (8) Philusa Corporation for Mediplast series of radio campaign; (9) Radio Veritas Broadcasting Corp. for “Housewife” |RC and “Sacrament” radio campaign; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for “Rhodora”, “Paco” and “Santiago” multimedia campaign; San Miguel Corporation for “Tanaw”, “Rebulto” and “Medalya” multimedia campaign; and (12) Citibank N.A. for “Tulungan sa Kinabukasan” Direct Marketing campaign.

The 2008 ARAW Values Advertising Awards, with Johnip G. Cua as the overall chairman, presented Special Awards to three (3) industry leaders for their visions and pioneering and sustained work as values advocates. These were Javier “JJ” Calero, for envisioning the ARAW Values Advertising Awards and the ARAW 7 Cornerstone Values; Luis “Louie” J. Morales, for envisioning the creation and organization of an advertising foundation as the industry’s development and advocacy body in 1983 and seeing its realization in 1989; and Jaime “Jimmy” Santiago, for initiating the Creative Guild of the Philippines’ DIWA Awards.

Special Awards were not presented in the years 2010 and 2012 as the ARAW Values Awards marked its 7th and 8th biennial seasons. The ARAW Values Advertising Awards Overall Organizing Chairman prioritized addressing the needs for the awards program on the following: (1) adopt a more structured organizational set up of the biennial awards program; (2) expand the awards program’s coverage to include industry, government, NGO’s and students in marketing communications as competition participants; (3) review the Competition Rules and Jury Process, to make the awards program more embracing and responsive as well to trends and developments in marketing communications; and (4) review the ARAW 7 Cornerstone Values, its relevance to the times and its clearer understanding and appreciation by the general public.

The 9th ARAW Values Advertising Awards, Executive Committee with Ed Sunico as Overall Chairman, in close consultation with the Ad Foundation executive officers, revived the presentation of the ARAW Values Special Awards. Ad Foundation Executive Director Linda Gamboa and ARAW Values Awards Creative-Production Committee Chairman Eugene Demata developed the “Tanglaw ng ARAW Values Special Award” to honor a deserving individual on organization in recognition of outstanding contributions to the growth, development and enhancement of the ARAW Values Advertising Awards. For 2016, Mr. Eugenio L. Lopez III was “Tanglaw ng ARAW Values Special Award” recipient.

For the 10th ARAW Values Awards Overall Organizers Chairperson Blen Fernando, together with the Executive Committee decided to bestow the “Tanglaw ng ARAW Values Special Award” to honor past industry leader and foremost values advocate, JJ Calero.

And for the 11th ARAW Values Awards, a special resolution bestowed the Tanglaw ng ARAW ng Kalikasan, posthumous, to Regina Paz “Gina” Lopez.

Before she passed away, she planted trees that could live up to 75 years and cleaned rivers that may run forever.

Gina Lopez literally made the world a better place. She started ABS-CBN’s Bantay Kalikasan program which planted trees on a land area of 2,700 hectares through its “Save the La Mesa Watershed” campaign. The La Mesa watershed is a reservoir from which at least 12 million people get their drinking water.

It was also Bantay Kalikasan that developed the La Mesa Ecopark which is now a natural paradise in the metropolis.

Gina was the first Filipino to receive the Seacology Prize from the US-based nonprofit environmental conservation organization. It was in recognition of her achievements in preserving island environments and culture.

Gina’s devotion to nature is surpassed only by her desire to help improve the lives of people.

As Chair of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, she helped relocate residents who were affected by floods caused by an overflowing Pasig River. The relocatees have been given livelihood opportunities that helped them become self-sufficient.

Before becoming Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Gina vigorously crusaded against mining in island ecosystems. It was a cause she continued to fight for while in office because she knew how mining could damage people’s health and the resources from which people get their food and livelihood.

Gina also started ecotourism projects that help grassroots communities find livelihood in the natural resources they care for.

I worked with Gina on so many projects. Everything that she did she did even when no one was looking. Even when no one asked her to do those things or follow those dreams. Even after people around her have said that goals were no longer feasible, Gina persevered like nothing was impossible.

Gina believed in her heart that man and nature are one in soul. That’s why we believe that, when among the trees in La Mesa Ecopark, Gina is still here with us.