GMA Network Chairman Felipe L. Gozon has been hailed Communicator of the Year (COTY) by the International Association of Business Communicators, becoming only the third Filipino to receive the prestigious award.

The network giant chairman and immediate past CEO received the recognition himself during the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Asia Pacific Awards on Monday, March 18, at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel.

According to a 24 Oras report on Monday evening, for Gozon, being named Communicator of the Year– which he won in the Executive Leader Category– is a “very great honor.” 

He also said that receiving the award from no less than a “respectable global community of communicators” is “deeply meaningful.”

“This recognition holds even greater significance in a year of convergence  – the 55th anniversary of the IABC, the 75th anniversary of our company, GMA Network, and receiving this prestigious award at the age, my age of 85," he added.

The award underscores Gozon's consistently outstanding contributions in the field of communication, and the pivotal role he’s played as a head visionary at the helm of the country’s leading broadcasting company.

Gozon was joined by GMA Network Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications Angela Javier Cruz in receiving the award.

During an interview with GMA Integrated News after the ceremony, Gozon said that while there are many challenges at present that the network is facing, fake news remains to be the real and serious problem.

“There are many challenges now facing the network and we are trying to address them. But today, the problem is really fake news, how to be truthful in news reporting,” he said.

Meanwhile, IABC’s Barbara Pesel, Chair of the Asia Pacific Board of Directors, had nothing but words of commendation for Gozon– in an interview calling him an “impressive individual” and a “leader” whose leadership of GMA deserves recognition. 

“Atty. Gozon is an impressive individual. He is a leader that through communication with his team, he inspires people to recognize the importance of Philippine culture. I think it was this collaboration and this bringing these people together that made GMA what it is today. For that, we recognize the importance of his work and award him the Communicator of the Year,” she said.

IABC is a reputable organization of professional communicators from various fields and industries whose objective is to pinpoint the best industry practices from different parts of the world.