Teleperformance in the Philippines (TP) has won a gold award in the 55th Anvil Awards for its advocacy program “HIV Awareness: Building a Circle of Advocates”.

The Anvil Awards is presented annually by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), and is the symbol of Excellence in Public Relations. It is awarded to outstanding public relations programs and tools after careful screening by select PR professionals and judging by a distinguished multi-sectoral jury.

“We take this recognition as a sign that we are on the right track, and that communities are ready to work with us in fighting the dangerous stigma around the issue of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Our goal is to promote health and wellness for all and to support people’s endeavor to create communities that are truly welcoming and respectful of each other,” said Teleperformance Philippines Senior Vice President for Human Capital Resource Management Jeffrey Johnson.

Launched in 2015, Teleperformance is one of the first companies in the Philippines to develop a comprehensive HIV Awareness and Advocacy Development program, with the support of its program partner, non-governmental organization Project Red Ribbon Care Management Foundation. The program is recognized by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

Over the years, TP has built and tested its Adapt, Adopt and Advocate program framework that directly addressed the challenges brought about by fear of discrimination, social stigma, and perceived risk to employment. The program provides information, knowledge, tools, and an institutionalized support network that our people can rely on and trust.

In 2019, the program aimed not only to empower all employees with correct information and promote the importance of getting voluntarily tested through the utilization of test kits made easily accessible in company on-site clinics but to also grow a network of advocacy partners and employee-advocates. The goal was to reach Teleperformance Philippines’ employees of over 47,000-strong workforce located in 21 business sites spread across Metro Manila, Antipolo, Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao and participated by all genders.

The 3As Framework guided the people and team going through the HIV Awareness Program:

Adapt aims to educate the people by tapping on the expertise of resource persons from Department of Health and Project Red Ribbon to complement Teleperformance Philippines’ official HIV-policy with an e-learning module available for all employees. They also produced podcasts and Educational Learning Plans (ELPs) on the topic which leaders and Supervisors could use to facilitate learning activities within the team.

In Adopt, Teleperformance Philippines’ offers free and confidential HIV screening in all its on-site clinics and by partnering with organizations to promote safe sexual practices and behaviors among its employees.

Advocate aims to use personal influence to create a greater impact. Throughout the year, Teleperformance Philippines conducted HIV 101 Talks across its 21 business sites, facilitated by doctors and professionals. Through these face-to-face interactions, the company provided employees with opportunities to step-up and volunteer themselves to be part of the circle of advocates and join the work towards spreading knowledge and skills in health and wellness.

Through the HIV Awareness Program, Teleperformance Philippines has created a circle of advocates, willing to publicly stand up and speak about HIV/AIDS. It created an environment where personal testimonials and truth-telling became possible as people felt empowered and enabled by a supportive community. The HIV Awareness Program was executed across multi-channels, from grassroots activations up to social media advocacies.

Teleperformance has also been sharing its best practices and program model with other organizations such as the Philippine Financial and Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP). Recently, Teleperformance Philippines was also recognized with the Duyan Ambassador Award from Project Red Ribbon, for its commitment and support for children with HIV.