Manila, 11^th July 2023: The tenacity of the cyber criminals has gone so far and wide that organisations in the Philippines are incurring as much as $1 million or more to recover from the attacks. In the process of expediting their defence work to shackle the malicious actors, the Filipino companies have witnessed the emergence of numerous technology and digital leaders.

At PhilSec Awards 2023, the country’s most revered cybersecurity awards show, these avant-garde leaders were not only brought to the limelight but also got rewarded for their exemplary work. It was on the evening of 6 July 2023, at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila where the Philippines witnessed the year’s most glamourous cybersecurity awards show.

To give a bigger picture, the event powered the most grand celebration of cybersecurity and recognized its champions from 5 niche categories. The winners are mentioned below.

• Cyber Woman of the Year – Charmaine Valmonte (CISO, Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.)
• CISO of the Year – Jojo Nufable
• Digital Leader of the Year – Lito Villanueva (Founding Chairman, Fintech Alliance.PH; EVP/Chief Innovation & Inclusion Officer, RCBC)
• Security Practitioner of the Year (Private Sector) – Edison Dungo (Director for Information Technology, Manila Doctors Hospital)
• GRC Leader of the Year – Noel Andres Perdigon (SVP – CISO, Insular Life Assurance Company Ltd.)

Unceasingly glitzy, the show had a very pompous beginning with paparazzi lights, photo booths and a red carpet to guide the VIP participants to the main activity area. To top it all, the show got an electrifying start with the most phenomenal performance by Urban Crew, Philippines’ most popular dance group that got fame with America’s Got Talent. The congregation literally got stunned by their ultimate flips, aerial moves, and irresistible swag.

The winners were announced by the Jury members that comprised none other than the most renowned thought leaders in the sector, LCOL Francel Margareth Taborlupa (Battalion Commander Philippine Army – Armed Forces Of The Philippines), Mary Joy Abueg (President – National ICT Confederation Of The Philippines), Allan S Cabanlong (Advisor & Former Assistant Secretary – Cybersecurity & Enabling Technologies, Department Of Information And Communications Technology (DICT)), COL. Joey Fontiveros (Deputy Regiment Commander, Army Signal Regiment, PA) and Mel Migrino (Chairman & President, Women In Security Alliance Philippines).

Expressing his views, one of the award winners, Noel Andres Perdigon (SVP – CISO, Insular Life Assurance Company Ltd.) commented,

“Let me share with you a precaution that I stumbled upon while preparing for my Fireside Chat the other day.  It says, “give a man a zero day, and he will have access for a day; but give a man the privilege to phish and he will have access for a lifetime.”  So what does this mean? We have to be vigilant, we have to create the culture of being security-aware, and live it every day, so that there will be no zero days and phishing to haunt us.”

On a lighter note, the glamorous evening also echoed with bursts of laughter as the stand-up act by Alex Calleja left everyone in stitches. All in all, PhilSec Awards 2023 was a complete experience in itself that started a new era of cybersecurity awards marked by a lot of flavour, style, and entertainment.

The participants were seen having a great gala time with a ravishing cocktail dinner for their indulgence that even included some fine entrancing champagne ladies.

Another award winner from the evening, Lito Villanueva (Founding Chairman, Fintech Alliance.PH; EVP/Chief Innovation & Inclusion Officer, RCBC) while expressing his gratitude towards the PhilSec team and the esteemed jury members also mentioned,

“It is truly inspiring to get recognized alongside industry experts who have accomplished groundbreaking work in propelling our country’s digital landscape forward. This is not just a personal achievement but a testament to the unwavering commitment and collective efforts of every fintech player & organisation in the Philippines, let us continue to foster a culture of cybersecurity, digital resilience and financial inclusion that will shape our nation’s future.”   

For more information about the event, log on to: