A lot of eyebrows got raised in the media industry after Sonshine Media Network, Inc. (SMNI), a media network owned by a “(Self-)Appointed Son of God” and known for red-tagging critics of the current administration, bagged an award for “Ethical Journalism” at the 8th Asia Pacific LUMINARE Awards.
For us in the media industry, the fact that a station, owned by a self-serving pastor hiding under the cloak of perverted Christianity and has blatantly shown bias and disregard for journalistic standards, the award is, at best, laughable.
But what got people’s attention more is not just the fact that the award-giving body was a relatively unknown entity, but that (if enterprising netizens who snooped into the organization are to be believed), you could get yourselves granted an award for pay.
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If that is true, then Asia Pacific Luminare Awards might as well fall under the category of so-called “vanity awards.”
In this type of award, instead of being granted under certain criteria set by the organization and judged by an independent panel, awards are given to people who PAY the award-giving organization.
Legitimate award-winning bodies have lambasted the proliferation of “vanity awards,” largely because these awards give the recipients a false sense of achievement and legitimate honor. Kumbaga, tinulungan lang ng awards body ang recipient na buhatin ang sarili niyang bangko.
And some enterprising award-giving bodies in the Philippines have also taken advantage of the fact that here, awards often add to the legitimacy and authenticity of a business or an organization, as well as the fact that many Filipinos are so hungry for validation and attention.
According to some Redditors on the r/Philippines thread, some enterprising awards-giving bodies have been involved in a scam where they will send an email saying their brand was chosen as "best of the year."
The catch? Like what one netizen discovered about Asia Pacific Luminare Awards, you have to actually pay them by signing up as a “sponsor” for the event.
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In its defense published in social media, Asia Pacific Luminare Awards said “the Corporate entity has been in the Awards business for the past so many years and that it has already gained the utmost trust and confidence of its Awardees as can be learned (sic) from the many testimonials that its Awardees have imparted and shared with many others.”
Wait a minute. That paragraph alone, to me, is clearly suspicious. No legitimate award-winning body would need to rely on “testimonials” to enhance its credibility. These people sound like multi-level marketing (MLM) companies who almost always have to rely on testimonials from “satisfied” costumers to sell more products.
To be clear, no one is insinuating that the recipients of the Asia Pacific Luminare Awards actually paid to receive the award.
But here’s a thing: “awards-peddling” is an insult to legitimate award-giving organizations who wish to honor people who actually work hard to excel in their chosen careers – and, by extension, to those who genuinely strive to achieve their goals without the thought of rewards.
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