SUBIC, Philippines —The most anticipated event during the 21st Philippine Advertising Congress (PAC), the Araw Awards, turned into a celebration not only of industry creativity but also its capacity to produce results from investment.

Margot Torres, 21st PAC chair and vice president for marketing of McDonald’s Philippines, said that for the first time in the history of the congress, the effectiveness of industry output—in terms of ad or campaign—was considered a criterion for the selection of awardees.

“This is a shift that only started with this year’s ad congress. For the first time, judges also looked for the effectiveness of an ad or a campaign for a brand. I guess with the global economic crunch, this is also a sign of the changing times,” Torres said.

The emphasis on delivering practical benefits from creative campaigns began with the downturn in global economy, which also gave the event its theme even before typhoons struck the country and led to the transfer of the PAC venue from Baguio City to this free port.

Torres also led the turnover of chairmanship of the next advertising congress in 2011 to Philippine Daily Inquirer president Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez.

Pepito Olarte, PDI vice president for advertising, said the venue for the 22nd PAC had yet to be discussed and decided upon. “But we are looking forward to organizing the next ad congress. It’s going to be very exciting,” he said.

At least 1,000 delegates attended the Araw Awards on Saturday night, the culmination of the 21st PAC that opened on Nov. 18.

Activities and discussions during the largest gathering of creative minds in the industry focused on the theme “Perspectives: Ano sa tingin mo (What do you think)?”

Originally slated to be held in Baguio, the congress was moved to Subic after the typhoons battered the country from September to October. Moreover, landslides and floods damaged roads leading to the summer capital, prompting organizers to hold the event in Subic, the 20th PAC host in 2007.

The organizers decided to donate proceeds from the congress to efforts in rehabilitating typhoon-hit areas and to help victims recover.

Charmaine Canillas, chair of the Advertising Board of the Philippines and vice president for advertising and promotions for Petron Corp., said the P1.3 million generated from ticket sales would go to the Philippine National Red Cross chapter in Baguio.

Canillas said the recent disaster struck a chord in the advertising industry’s heart. It “helped the industry refocus its efforts in communicating positivism rather than purely commercial undertakings,” she said.

“Despite the sudden change in venue, we can still look at this as a positive thing. And in the end, it worked out well for everybody. We’re here to celebrate creativity, but we have also been able to contribute to our fellow countrymen,” Torres said.

The Araw Awards, hosted by brothers KC and Troy Montero, began to heat up when the winners for the bronze, silver and gold awards were announced.

Categories of entries included film, radio, print, outdoor, ambient and point-of-purchase, digital, direct to consumer, design, Araw craftsmanship awards and Araw media awards.

The most eagerly awaited awards of the night were for the production house (Hit Productions), media agency (Media Contacts Inc.), creative agency (TBWA/Santiago Mangada Puno) and advertiser of the year (Pacific Paints Philippines/Boysen).

And as the rise of digital channels was highlighted by congress speakers, a digital award was given, which went to BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines.

The Kodak vision award for technical excellence in cinematography went to Dindo Martinez for “Pula,” an ad for Nescafé, by Filmex.