Insider Spotlight
Why it matters
The approach earned GCash two Merit awards and one Excellence distinction at the 2026 Philippine Quill Awards, underscoring how the company is linking communications campaigns with actions that can be quantified beyond audience reach.
Driving the news
Through GForest, everyday activities such as sending money, paying bills and making transactions allow users to earn energy points for virtual trees.
GCash, its partners and local communities then translate these into tree-planting efforts aimed at restoring ecosystems and supporting local livelihoods.
Its “Driving Collective Climate Action Through GForest and EcoRun” initiative received the Excellence in Communication Management for corporate social responsibility. The program brought together 12,000 race participants, helping fund the planting of 76,000 trees and mangroves nationwide.
Corporate sponsorships contributed another 52,000 trees, bringing the initiative’s total to 128,000, with NGOs, universities and merchant partners participating in the effort.
Meantime, GCash also received a Merit Award in the Communication Skills Division for its audio-visual campaign addressing SMS spoofing scams involving International Mobile Subscriber Identity catcher technology.
The campaign distilled a complex fraud threat into the reminder: “Basta may link, ‘wag mong iclick!” Its animated, bite-sized videos reached more than 1.5 million users organically and recorded a 22.6-percent engagement rate, which the company said was more than four times the industry benchmark.
What they’re saying
“For us, these recognitions are not just about winning awards—they are about proving that communication can drive real, positive change in people’s lives,” GCash vice president for corporate sustainability and communication Michelle Fernandez said in a statement.
“Whether it’s protecting families from scams or mobilizing communities for climate action, we see every campaign as part of a larger responsibility to make digital innovation meaningful for Filipinos.”
The big picture
GCash’s initiatives show how a digital platform can use communications not only to build awareness, but also to encourage safer online behavior and convert everyday engagement into environmental action. —Ramon C. Nocon | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
