The Agora Awards: The beacon of Philippine marketing excellence
Before 1954, marketing in the Philippines existed in what might well be called “the dark ages” of the profession. The term “Marketing” was synonymous merely with selling or distribution of products, while “Marketers” conjured images of fast-talking salesmen making misleading sales pitches for poor quality products. Marketing practitioners could not come forward and present themselves as professionals instrumental in allowing consumers to make informed choices. But all that changed when fifteen brave pioneers pooled their efforts and private funds to create the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA)—an organization firmly grounded in integrity and honesty, committed to promoting marketing as a noble profession with high-level standards. From this transformative foundation emerged, in 1979, the Agora Awards: a flagship recognition program conceived over informal dinners at the old Jade Vine Restaurant on United Nations Avenue by three visionary leaders—Ernesto G. Roceles, Renato S. Esguerra, and Guillermo T. Garcia—who saw the opportunity to honor outstanding marketing practitioners and forever transform the image of the profession. Now in its 44th season, the Agora Awards stands as the highest distinction in Philippine marketing—a “luminescent beacon” that guides the industry toward its highest potential, constantly refining its criteria to ensure that every awardee reflects true mastery and enduring value.
As the flagship recognition program of the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA), the Agora Awards stands as the highest distinction in Philippine marketing—a “luminescent beacon” that guides the industry toward its highest potential. The awards honor individuals and organizations whose work demonstrates strategic quality, execution excellence, and measurable impact in the market and in society.
Today, the Agora continues to evolve, constantly refining its criteria to ensure that every awardee reflects true mastery and enduring value.
The history of the Agora Awards is a journey from the “dark ages” of skepticism to the “glow” of industry brilliance. Prior to the formalization of the industry, marketing was often viewed as mere selling or distribution, synonymous with “fast-talking salesmen” and misleading pitches. The profession lacked structure, standards, and respect.
In 1954, the PMA Foundation was founded by 15 PMA pioneers to transform marketing into a “noble profession” grounded in integrity and high-level standards. This foundational moment set the stage for professionalizing an entire industry. By 1977, the Agora Awards were conceptualized by pioneers Ernesto G. Roceles (1976-77 President), Renato S. Esguerra (1974 President), and Guillermo T. Garcia (1974 EVP), in order to honor outstanding practitioners and cement the industry’s transformation. What began as a vision to recognize excellence became the industry’s most prestigious honor.
In 1979, the awards were launched with three foundational categories: Marketing Management, Marketing Education, and Entrepreneurship. Between 1986 to 1989, the program expanded to recognize organizational excellence, introducing Export Marketing, Marketing Company of the Year, and tiered Entrepreneurship categories (Small, Medium, Large Scale). Fast forward to 2014: Under the first chairship of Alpha Allanigui, the External Tabulation Team was introduced to ensure independent third-party validation of scores, reinforcing the awards’ credibility. The program then introduced in 2023 the Marketing School of the Year and Marketing Agency of the Year, acknowledging the critical role of institutions in shaping marketing excellence.
In 2024, during the 43rd Agora Awards, the Agora SMILE (Stellar Marketing Innovators: Legacy of Excellence) was launched to celebrate PMA’s 70th year. The awards also underwent specialized refinements:
Marketing Education was split into Institution and Individual Educator categories
Marketing Communication was divided into Enterprise/Organization and Individual categories
New pillars were introduced: Sustainability, Social Enterprise, and Marketing Campaign
The 44th Season: Comprehensive category framework
The Agora Awards are now living benchmarks, continuously evolving to mirror the complexity of the modern Filipino market. In 2025, during its 44th Season, Agora entered its Luster Era: The program transitioned to a standardized 100-point scale across four core pillars, with indicators tailored specifically to each category, creating a more rigorous and transparent evaluation framework. These four pillars are:
I. Strategy (25 points) Strategic Coherence: Alignment of vision with specific goals. For educators, this might mean curriculum excellence; for companies, it evaluates market positioning and strategic direction.
II. Marketing Execution & Innovation (30 points) Ingenuity in Practice: Excellence in leveraging category-relevant tools. This could mean pedagogical technology for educational institutions or digital supply chains for corporate entities. The focus is on how strategy translates into innovative action.
III. Impact & Results (35 points) Stakeholder Value: Verifiable growth and measurable outcomes, whether demonstrated through student success, social welfare improvements, or corporate profitability and market share gains.
IV. Filipino Identity & Purpose (10 points) Cultural Luster: Commitment to the “noble profession” philosophy and promoting Filipino world-class service standards. This pillar ensures that excellence serves not just commercial interests but national development.
The 44th season awards were grouped into two major clusters: Individual Categories and Enterprise/Corporate Categories. Individual Categories recognize:
Outstanding Achievement for Marketing Management
Outstanding Achievement for Marketing Communications
Outstanding Achievement for Marketing Education (Higher Education)
Outstanding Achievement for Marketing Education (Collegiate)
Outstanding Achievement for Overseas Marketing
Outstanding Achievement for Entrepreneurship (Large, Medium, and Small Scale) Enterprise/Corporate Categories include:
Enterprise/corporate categories include, on the other hand, include:
Outstanding Achievement as Marketing Company of the Year
Outstanding Achievement for Export Marketing
Outstanding Achievement for Advocacy Marketing
Outstanding Achievement for Sustainability Marketing
Outstanding Achievement for Marketing Communications
Outstanding Achievement for Marketing Education
Outstanding Achievement for Social Enterprise
Outstanding Achievement for Marketing Campaign
The Marketing Company of the Year category exemplifies the rigorous evaluation process. Nominees are assessed across all four pillars, with judges expecting winners to demonstrate both strong business outcomes and meaningful societal contribution. The judging process rewards companies that deliver growth with purpose—strong market results combined with credible impact on people and communities.
Governance and integrity
The Agora’s prestige is maintained by a multi-layered judging ecosystem that ensures absolute transparency and credibility. The final board of judges are composed exclusively of Agora Awardees; this distinguished body ensures that only those who have earned the Laurel can bestow it upon another, keeping the “Glow of Greatness” untarnished. The principle is simple but powerful: excellence recognizing excellence.
Then there is the Screening Council. Formalized during the chairship of Alpha Allanigui, this council of Past PMA Directors and Presidents serves as the expert gatekeeper, vetting all candidates before they reach the Vanguards. This layer ensures that only the most qualified nominees advance to final judging.
Finally, the External Tabulation Team, introduced in 2014, provides third-party auditing of all scores, eliminating any possibility of bias and ensuring complete transparency in the evaluation process.
The Agora Awards maintains a cross-industry approach, recognizing excellence from a wide range of sectors. Eligibility extends to any organization that can demonstrate outstanding marketing strategy, execution, and impact, regardless of industry vertical. The awards program has recognized some of the Philippines’ most prominent companies since its inception. Previous Marketing Company of the Year winners include:
1991 – Philippine National Bank; Trimec Trading Corporation (Popperro Popcorn)
1992 – Easycall Communications Philippines Inc.; Lamoiyan Corporation
1993 – The French Baker Inc.
1994 – Dai-Ichi Electronics Manufacturing Corp.
1995 – Philippine Wireless Incorporated (formerly Pocketbell Phils., Inc.)
1996 – Jollibee Foods Corporation
1997 – Smart Communications, Inc.
1998 – Philippine Daily Inquirer
1999 – BPI Card Finance Corporation (BPI Globe Banko Inc.)
2000 – Globe Telecom Inc.
2001 – United Laboratories, Inc. (Unilab)
2003 – San Miguel Corporation
2004 – Mercury Drug Corporation; Megaworld Corporation
2005 – Chowking Foods Corporation
2006 – The Philippine Star
2007 – Universal Robina Corporation
2008 – Ayala Land, Inc.; Cebu Air, Inc.
2009 – Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc. (Sun Cellular)
2011 – Century Canning Corporation
2012 – Petron Corporation
2013 – Alaska Milk Corporation
2015 – ABS-CBN Corporation
2018 – SM Supermalls; Vista Land & Landscapes
2019 – Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc.
2020 – Mega Global Corporation
2023 – UnionBank of the Philippines
This complete roster spans diverse industries—from telecommunications and banking to food service, retail, media, and manufacturing—reflecting the program’s commitment to recognizing excellence across the Philippine economy.
Winning an Agora Award carries significant weight in the Philippine business community. It serves as a high-value credibility marker, signaling that a company or leader has delivered marketing that is strategic, effective, and relevant to national development—not just commercially successful. The recognition validates that winners have achieved the expected standard of excellence: strong business performance delivered with meaningful contribution to society.
With UNAHCO’s win in the Marketing Company of the Year category, the Agora marks a significant milestone: The first time a company from the Animal Health and Nutrition Industry has received this prestigious award. UNAHCO’s integrated multi-business structure, which operates 14 business units across the agri-food value chain, represents a strategic differentiator that enables marketing execution from animal nutrition and animal health to agribusiness and related services, creating broader ecosystem impact than traditional single-brand models. The company’s focus on supporting backyard farmers is strengthened by the depth and continuity of execution—sustained field engagement, technical support, and integrated programs that convert intent into measurable livelihood and food-system outcomes.
The gold standard
Through nearly half a century of rigorous evolution and uncompromising integrity, The Agora Awards remain the most coveted distinction in the industry, serving as the definitive gold standard for marketing excellence across Asia. As the marketplace evolves, so does the Agora—constantly refining its criteria to ensure that every awardee reflects true mastery and enduring value.
The journey from the “dark ages” of skepticism to today’s “luminescent beacon” represents more than institutional evolution. It represents the transformation of an entire profession, guided by the vision of pioneers who believed that marketing could be—and should be—a noble calling dedicated to creating value for businesses, communities, and the nation.
