Nestlé PH supports Plastic 3R Hacks PH in search for innovations to tackle plastic pollution

Industry experts from the private, public and NGO organizations came together as the judges to review the proposals during the final round of the Plastics Hackathon - Team STP , upper left, was declared the winning team 

Nowadays, the younger generation is actively doing its part to save the planet by championing advocacies to combat climate change and plastic waste, supporting sustainable brands and their causes, and promoting the importance of a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. With the help of technology, they are developing practical and effective solutions that haven’t been tried before to address pressing environmental problems.

Recently, young minds harnessed fresh and unique ideas to solve plastic pollution through a nationwide virtual hackathon called Plastic 3R Hacks PH, organized by Redwizard Events Technology in collaboration with the Healthy Oceans and Clean Cities Initiative.

More than 150 participants representing cities and universities across the country registered for the competition and underwent a series of virtual activities to develop their projects. After preliminary judging, ten teams were selected, advancing to the final stage in which they pitched their projects to a board of judges composed of industry experts and representatives from UN-Habitat Philippines and the Government of Japan.

In the end, Team STP from Manila was declared the winner for its project that combined urban farming, data science, and IoT to decrease household generated waste and increase the recovery rate of plastic waste. The team received a cash prize of Php 50,000, which will help it to further develop its project.

The winning team STP Manila with Misha Rabat, Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs and Sustainability of Nestlé Philippines 

With the vision that none of its packaging, including plastics, ends up in landfills and the environment, Nestlé Philippines fully supports initiatives like the Plastic 3R Hacks PH that drive awareness and discourse on the plastic waste crisis. During the program, Misha Rabat, Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs and Sustainability of Nestlé Philippines, shared the company’s initiatives to achieve its ambition of making 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025 while reducing virgin plastic consumption by 1/3.

“At our research centers in Switzerland and around Asia, we are looking at alternatives to plastics. In the Philippines, one of our recent milestones is the shift from plastic to paper straws for our ready-to-drink products We’re also reducing plastics in our operations and testing refilling stations to distribute our products.”

“One of the things we are doing to avoid our waste ending up in nature is sustaining plastic neutrality. This means we are recovering the equivalent amount of plastic that we put out in the market. Since August last year, we‘ve collected over 18,000 MT of plastic that are repurposed through our cement partners.”

Nestlé Philippines also supports infrastructure for the collection, sorting, and recycling of plastic waste, and has developed school modules, and guide materials for parents and teens on solid waste management endorsed by the National Solid Waste Management Commission. 

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron and First Counsellor Rafael de Bustamante with the EU Whiz Finalists

 

EU Whiz Youth champions awarded by the EU Delegation

After a fun and exciting competition run, Philippine Normal University-Manila (PNU), University of the Cordilleras (UC-BCF), and Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) emerged as the top winners in the EU Whiz Online Competition, the “My Space, My Rights” video competition, and the “Green ECO I See” digital art competition respectively at the recently concluded EU Whiz: Filipino Youth of the FEUture.

 

A total of 1,132 students from 146 colleges and universities all over the Philippines participated in the three main competition categories--the biggest turnout in the history of the EU Whiz since its inception in 2006. 

 

PNU composed of Robert Stephen A. Co, Daniel C. Ortañez and Louis Vincent R. Bautista outlasted 175 teams in a grand display of knowledge on the EU and EU-Philippines Relations during the EU Whiz Online Competition. Joining the podium finishers are Gizelle Amour T. Tagabi, Rodel C. Pacit and John Patrick B. Magbato of West Visayas State University (WVSU) in second place; and Ronica Raine B. Babsa-ay, Sharilyn B. Rufino and Miriam Agnes A. Dampilag of Benguet State University in third place.

On the other hand, UC-BCF students Jan Millescent G. Blanco and Nyssa Bianka E. Tagapulot were awarded the Grand Prize for the “Green ECO I See” digital art competition with their entry “Meeting Grounds of Intersectional Environmentalism”. Their piece highlights the mutual connection between culture and environmentalism. Rounding out the category are first runner-up winners Nicole Anne Argañosa, Mesfin Bram Diosina and Elisha Gabrielle R. Briones from iAcademy with their entry “Colors of Nature”; and second runner-up winners New Era University Students Meryll Joyce T. Dirain, Krizle Lorenz P. Policarpio and Mark William A. Fabro with their entry “Beam of Hope”.

Meeting Grounds of Intersectional Environmentalism

Grand winner - Digital Art Competition
Entry title: Meeting Grounds of Intersectional Environmentalism
School: University of the Cordilleras
Team members:  Jan Millescent G. Blanco andNyssa Bianka E. Tagapulot

Colors of Nature

1^st Runner Up - Digital Art Competition
Entry title: Colors of Nature
School: iAcademy
Team members:  Nicole Anne Argañosa, Mesfin Bram Diosina, and Elisha Gabrielle R. Briones

BEAM OF HOPE

2^nd Runner Up - Digital Art Competition
Entry title: BEAM OF HOPE
School: New Era University
Team members:  Meryll Joyce T. Dirain, Krizle Lorenz P. Policarpio, and Mark William A. Fabro

Meanwhile, BPSU dominated the “My Space, My Rights” video competition—bagging both Grand Prize and first runner-up spots with Abegail P. Casabuena, Gerryline D. Maceda and Aira Joyce E. Gonzales’ entry “Lens of Hope” and Shaina Rey R. Pisigan, Michael Angelo A. Cervantes and Marvyn Jules C. Casimero’s entry “Salimpusa” respectively. UC-BCF clinched the second runner-up spot with Jillian Olivia M. Ramos, Ella Marie V. Bie and Thea Marie S. Lomboy’s entry “Empowered through Time”.

 Lens of Hope

Grand Winner – Video Competition
Entry title: Lens of Hope
School: Bataan Peninsula State University
Team members:  Abegail P. Casabuena, Gerryline D. Maceda, and Aira Joyce E. Gonzales

Salimpusa

 

1^st Runner Up – Video Competition
Entry title: Salimpusa
School: Bataan Peninsula State University
Team members: Shaina Rey R. Pisigan, Michael Angelo A. Cervantes, and Marvyn Jules C. Casimero

 Empowered through Time

2nd Runner Up – Video Competition

Entry title: Empowered through Time

School: University of the Cordilleras

Team members: Jillian Olivia M. Ramos, Ella Marie V. Bie, and Thea Marie S. Lomboy

“I have made the engagement with youth one of my priorities. I am confident that all the EU Whizers will become ambassadors of our partnership and friendship. Kudos to the winners and we are looking forward to engaging further with you,” said EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron.

 

“Conducting this year’s EU Whiz on the digital platform has allowed us to broaden our reach and discover more skillful and talented young Filipinos than ever before. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, these Filipino youth were able to utilize their inherent knowledge and creativity to advocate for key issues such as the need for green economy and youth rights. All these showcased the relentless spirit of the Filipino youth.”

 

Apart from the annual conduct of the inter-collegiate competition, the Delegation looks to build a community of EU Whizers who will continue to use their talents and skills to promote a better understanding of the shared EU and Philippine values.

 

“This is exactly what we at the EU strive for—to offer a platform for the youth who inspire positive change in the world. We hope to create a community of passionate young individuals and nurture them to become advocates and champions of tomorrow.”

 

Ambassador Véron and First Counsellor Rafael de Bustamante announced the winners in the EU Whiz grand competition, digital art and video creation competitions. Atty. Lily Freida Milla, Officer-in-Charge Executive Director, Commission on   Higher Education provided an inspirational message for the EU Whizers.

 

The panel of jurors for the digital art and video competitions were composed of well-known and accomplished creative professionals including Mr. Dan Matutina, Ms. Anina Rubio, Mr. Elvert Bañares, and Ms. Sandra Aguinaldo. 

 

The EU Whiz Online Competition was also supported by the Commission on Higher Education, the Philippine-Italian Association, and the Embassies of the Czech Republic and Hungary in the Philippines.

#IntelligentPR gets Comm&Sense nominated for Agency of the Year at Ph Quills

Comm&Sense’s big bet on data-driven communications - or simply, “Intelligent PR” - appears to be a step in the right direction as the agency was nominated for the Agency of the Year award for the second time in a row on the back of its record haul of 15 Philippine Quill Awards from the International Association of Business Communicators - Philippines.

Leading the 15 recognitions is the collaboration between Comm&Sense and leading health maintenance organization (HMO) PhilCare which produced the PhilCare Community Quarantine (CQ) Wellness Index, a study on the state of well-being of Filipinos as they faced the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rolled out in the summer of 2020, the PhilCare CQ Wellness Index looked into the actual state of well-being of Filipinos while in quarantine. The study also examined how various sectors of society across the country responded to the effects of the lockdowns and the pandemic as a whole. 

The PhilCare CQ Wellness Index received two top division award nominations: One for Excellence in Communications Research and the other for COVID Communications, a special division in this year’s Quills dedicated to business communication efforts in response to the pandemic. 

Apart from these, Comm&Sense and its affiliates received awards for its collaborations with clients in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, financial services, and healthcare services. 

A full-service digital PR agency established in 2005, Comm&Sense has since then always believed and practiced #IntelligentPR, which is rooted in data, whether from clients or from research. Data and actionable insights are crucial in each communication plan the agency makes for campaigns to have impact on their respective target audiences.

The data-driven content is then followed by creative execution and smart amplification. Together, the three elements are what clients need to build credibility with their respective customers. 

The relevant insights gathered by PhilCare CQ Wellness Index were then amplified through both traditional and online media and would serve as a springboard for the HMO to come up with the appropriate action given the continuing pandemic.

Jaeger L. Tanco
Founder and President, Comm&Sense 

“This win at the Quill Awards just goes to show that our brand of #IntelligentPR just makes sense. For the last 15 years, we at Comm&Sense have made sure that each campaign and communication plan we come up with answers clients’ communication needs and responds well to the needs of their respective audiences. We are truly honored to have pushed the bounds of PR with this feat,” said Comm&Sense founder and president Jaeger L. Tanco.

He added that the agency was honored to be part of the successes of its clients and thankful that they were able to help especially during the pandemic.

Comm&Sense Director Eusebio H. Tanco, for his part, said that the agency’s awards were a validation of its move towards data-driven communications.

“Through data, we were able to understand the public more. People want hard proof, especially when making important decisions, whether they be personal or for business. We were able to communicate with them the way they wanted even before this new normal. It has definitely helped Comm&Sense create successful campaigns and we’re proud of that,” EHT said. 

SM wins in PR Awards 2019

SM Supermalls - PR Awards 2019  Silver Awardee for Best PR Campaign: Entertainment

SM wins in PR Awards 2019