“A mark among the best the Filipino expat community has to offer” – This is how 2018 TFT Advertising Professional of the Year Arnold ‘Nicholo’ Jallores shares his TFT Awards journey in a nutshell as he continues to leap towards greater heights in his career as an advertising professional while empowering fellow Filipinos through a newly launched initiative.
Last year, Jallores made his mark as the first awardee to strut the stage wearing a branded astronaut suit as his nod to Nikon, the brand whose audience grew from 200,000+ to 1.8 million in just three years as he handled its social media platform.
“I have to admit: a picture of a branded astronaut receiving an award is a huge icebreaker for pitches and new biz meetings, as not only is it a cool and novel sight, it demonstrates my innate ability as a campaigner!” beamed Jallores as he shared that he had since been able to leverage on the win to acquire new businesses for the agency he works for.
But more than the business that pays the bills, Jallores found his calling to empower fellow Filipinos working in the field of media and marketing through the launch of the Filipino Communicators Collective: “It’s an association of UAE-based media and communications professionals which I have founded together with my friends and contemporaries Danelle Palang, Tricia Jimenea, and Joseph Alcantara – a fellow TFT Awardee.”
A platform for responsible thought leadership
Jallores shares that winning the awards led him to become ‘a better Social Media Manager and a more confident community leader’ – the latter title of which he admittedly said still gives him the chills.
“Truth be told, the latter title still intimidates me to the point of severe anxiety, but I know that I will just have to own it at this point because that is simply what a TFT Award does to you: Your opinion instantly has more weight. Your voice becomes more resonant and impactful as the TFT Award thrusts you into a leadership position, whether you’re prepared for it or not,” said Jallores.
The 2018 TFT Awardee furthers that the narrative of his journey towards winning the awards was never self-centered as he attributes his win towards entities that he had worked with: “I would not have received that award without the help of the brands that I’ve worked with and the support of the UAE government that has made this Nation such a furtile ground for us all. I did not build my career in a silo. I will not receive any industry recognition in a silo. If am to be any measure of an achiever, it is only because I am in a place in my life that enables me to be great at what I do.”
Empowerment over glory
Jallores shared that fellow aspiring nominees should look beyond the glitz and glamour – as the real reward lies with the platform that the award-giving body provides for all winners as it links them to the heart of the Filipino community in the UAE.
“If you’re in this for the glory, you’re probably in this for the wrong reason. Consider this quote from Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison: “When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.” If you win a TFT Award and you only let it sit on your counter for you to look at whenever your self-esteem needs a boost, then you really didn’t win an award – you just won a trophy. That trophy is beautiful, but it’s not just there to prop up your ego. Use your power to strengthen and enable others. That’s how we make this world a better place,” shares Jallores.
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Now it its 5th year, The Filipino Times Awards, the award-giving body dubbed as ‘the Oscars’ for Filipinos in the region pushes the narrative for outstanding Filipinos to shine on the world stage once again as it will recognize individual Filipino trailblazers in their respective fields, as well as brands which Filipinos love across the region.
The Filipino Times Awards is a testament to the ongoing advocacy of the publication to continue uplifting the image and to showcase the greatness of global Filipino professionals. Each Filipino here in the UAE is encouraged to nominate their fellow Filipinos whom they deem can be beacons of inspiration for future generations.
To nominate your deserving candidate or a brand that you love, visit www.thefilipinotimesawards.com
