MANILA, Philippines – In recognition of their top-notch achievements in automotive media, 14 journalists walked away with much-sought-after hardware at the 2009 Henry Ford Awards, held at Makati City's Whitespace in Manila on December 2.

Now in its ninth year, the Henry Ford Awards is unparalleled in its efforts to recognise automotive journalism excellence in print, broadcast, on-line reporting and photography. Although the Awards are sponsored by Ford Group Philippines, the judging is unbiased and the awards are given to the best automotive reporting of any company or brand in the Philippines auto industry.

“We recognise the key role that our friends in the automotive media have played and continue to play in growing our business in the Philippines. Alongside us, they each have built their careers with the ups and downs of the industry – their insights and voices contribute to shaping the automotive landscape of the country," said Ford Group Philippines (FGP) President Rick Baker

"Acknowledging this, we chose ‘Drive History’ as the theme for this year's awards, to celebrate these individuals as well as our long-standing and continued partnership with them,” he added.

A large contingent of the Philippines automotive journalist corps were joined by the entire FGP team at the much-anticipated annual gala event.

TopGear Philippines swept the awards, bagging five prestigious citations, including 'Best Environment and Conservation Story' (Dinzo Tabamo) and 'Best Automotive Industry Feature' for Print (Paulo Subido).

The 'Best Motoring Section' – the most anticipated award of the evening – went to the Business Mirror for the third consecutive year. The judges were not only impressed by the broad sheet's superior content, but also by its distinct look, and striking layout, and noted the meticulous care that went into producing the section each week.

Perennial Henry Ford Award winner James Deakin – C! Magazine editor-in-chief, Philippine Star motoring columnist, and Radio NU107’s 'Counterflow' host – received the award for 'Best Automotive Test Drive Story of 2009'. Other print category winners included Ulysses K. Ang of the Philippine Star for 'Best Safety Feature Story' for his article on road rage management, and Tet Andolong of the Business Mirror for 'Best Motorsports Feature' with a touching tribute to the late Pocholo Ramirez.

Winners in the television categories were Stoplight TV for 'Automotive Industry Feature' with their story on “Alternative Fuels” and AutoReview for the Ford Group Philippines Feature Story, “Ford Everest from Then ‘til Now”.

Radio was included in the broadcast category this year for the first time, as it continues to grow in influence for automotive journalism. 'TurboTime' hosts Mike Potenciano and Lindy Magnaye swept the radio awards, bringing home citations for 'Best Automotive Radio Feature' and 'Automotive Industry Feature for Broadcast'.

What it's all about

The Henry Ford Awards began humbly as a Christmas party in 2000, and has developed into the Philippine automotive industry’s longest running and most fiercely contested awards ceremony. 

“It's a night of bonding and camaraderie, driven by friendly competition, with the overall vision of elevating the standards of automotive journalism in the country,” explained Baker.

The integrity of the award selection is upheld by a respectable roster of judges that go through a rigorous two-phase judging process. This year, the Henry Ford Awards also solicited the help of special judges who are experts in their field. 

The awards form part of FGP's commitment to give due recognition to journalists who have supported the automotive industry by providing consumers with accurate news reports and information.

2009 Henry Ford Award judging panel.	Baker welcomes guests to the function.	FGP team with the 2009 Henry Ford Award winners.
Bands Techy Romantics and Taken By Cars provided the evening's entertainment.	Baker, Popong Andolong, motoring editor of the Business Mirror, and Neal McCarthy, corporate communications manager, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa, on stage during the event.	Skits throughout the evening helped highlight the importance of each category.