The 2008 awardees are Emily Abrera, Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid, Rosa Rosal, the Women’s Feature Service-Philippines under its executive director Olive Tripon.

Named after Hildegard von Bingen of Germany, the Hildegard Award is given to women with exceptional accomplishments in the field of media and communication.

St. Hildegard was a renaissance woman who was knowledgeable in various areas like religion, music, medicine, geology, biology, and even physiology and the environment. During her time, her prophetic visions and wisdom were greatly valued and sought by kings and bishops.

The trophy for the 2008 Hildegard Awards of the Mass Communication Department of St. Scholastica’s College, Manila, was crafted by promising visual artist Ovvian Castrillo.

The trophy depicts a faceless woman on a pedestal, highlighting the woman’s triumph in her efforts to contribute to the betterment of society aptly capturing the achievements of this year’s awardees. Castrillo said the faceless figure represents every woman and emphasizes their potential to be the best in their chosen field.

Saying he is a "keen supporter of women’s interestds," Castrillo describes the trophy as his rendition of a woman’s ascension, reaching an apex and creating ripples through her voice as a woman. The figure made of marble/resin composite is set on a wooden base.

Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid introduced the provision in the 1987 Constitution recognizing the vital role of communication and information in nation-building. She also sponsored 13 other communication-related provisions in the Constitution.

She is one of the founders of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication and helped organize the first journalism school outside Metro Manila, the Silliman University School of Journalism.

Believing in the use of information technology as a learning delivery system, Dr. Rosario-Braid was involved in The Metropolitan Educational Television Project of the Ateneo de Manila University. It is the first distance education project in the Philippines. Her interest in distance learning is such that she headed the National Distance Learning Program of the UNESCO in the Philippines from 1990 to 1996.

The Women’s Feature Service Philippines is this year’s institutional awardee. Its executive director Olive Tripon, who received the Hildegard Award on its behalf, describes WFS as an international news and features organization that produces stories on development from a woman’s perspective.

WFS is the only international news/features syndicate featuring crisply-written opinions and articles on development from a gender perspective. With its global outlook, WFS has writers from 40 countries, and media clients all over the world. Its articles are published by small and large newspapers worldwide.

The WFS began in 1978 as a UNSECO-UNFPA initiative, and became an independent organization in 1991 with headquarters in New Delhi, India and Manila, and the Philippines.

The Philippine Bureau or WFS-Philippines started in 1987 with a handful of contributors, gradually growing into an independent news agency in 1992. With regional bureaus in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, WFS-Philippines now has a pool of about 30 freelance women writers from all over the country, all writing on gender-related issues like women’s rights, violence against women, reproductive health and women’s spirituality.

The organization is now working towards a magna carta for women, the implementation of the campaigns of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDA), and a co-sponsored project with McCann Erickson and Johnson & Johnson called "Aim High Pinay."

Emily Altomonte-Abrera was cited for her advocacy in promoting women-friendly advertisements. One of the most influential women in the Philippine advertising industry, Abrera is the first women chief executive officer and president of McCann Erickson-Philippines.

Multi-awarded actress, humanitarian and social worker Florence Lansang Danon, more popularly known as Rosa Rosal was honored for her roles as humanitarian and social worker.

Her talent as an actress is undisputed. Among her award-winning works are Anak Dalita, which earned her a presidential citation from President Ramon Magsaysay; Badjao, which received positive reviews at the Edinburgh Film festival; and Biyaya ng Lupa, where she portrayed the role of a 60-year-old woman.

But her many roles on the silver screen are no match for her real-life role as a humanitarian and social worker. She is best known as the heart and soul behind the Philippine National Red Cross, and the pioneer behind public service broadcasting, in the form of the shows Damayan and Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko.

In 1973, Rosal hosted the first public service program on television, Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko. It was so well received by viewers that it beat the ratings of the national basketball games. Complimenting her social advocacy on television is her work with the PNRC.

She started as a PNRC volunteer in 1950, pioneering mass blood-donation campaigns and encouraging other celebrities to do the same. She also led the armed forces and citizen cadets in annual blood donation programs, eventually making the PNRC open regional centers that are more accessible to donors.

Her PNRC service has spanned almost 58 years. Yet, for her, there is still a long road ahead. "There’s no retirement for me," she says. Rosa Rosal is a sterling example of how one person is able to touch lives with her compassion and dedication.