AGC Power Holdings Corp. Chairman and CEO Archie G. Carrasco delivered an inspiring message at the 33rd Agora Youth Awards, presented by the Philippine Marketing Association and co-presented by AGC PHC.
For the second year, AGC PHC partnered with the Philippine Marketing Association to co-present the Agora Youth Awards–an annual recognition program honoring outstanding young marketing students from across the country. The awarding ceremony took place last August 8, 2025 at the BYD Aseana Manila Bay and honored 10 finalists in its Junior Marketing Association (JMA) category and 15 students in its Individual category.
To determine the awardees, each of the finalists presented their marketing plans for Global Dominion Financing Inc. before a distinguished panel of judges—six for the JMA category: Patricia Poco-Palacios, Enrique Caeg, Edwin Mapanao, Paul Anthony De Guzman, Sy Bryan Lato, and Therese Castrojas-Galang; and five for the individual category: Jill Peña, Jos Ortega, Mary Faith Abaño, Diana Ong, and Ar Polinar.
As with the previous year, Carrasco gave the inspirational speech intended to spur on the Gen Z marketers to become future disruptors. Last year, he urged them to take opportunities and “to take on the world, to innovate, and to lead with integrity and passion.” This year, he offered guidance to the awardees as they embarked on their professional journeys.
“In marketing, your sharp mind will help you analyze consumer behavior, craft effective strategies, and anticipate trends before they happen. But remember—knowledge expires quickly in a fast-changing industry. So keep learning. Stay curious. Your degree is not the end of your education; it is only the start.”
IQ, EQ, AQ – The Marketing Power Trio
Carrasco began by emphasizing the value of IQ, or intelligence quotient, and its relevance to marketing. He explained that an analytical mind enables marketers to understand consumer behavior, develop effective strategies, and anticipate emerging trends.
“The real world is exciting, but it is also unpredictable. It’s full of opportunities, but also of obstacles that will test you. Intelligence quotient will get you the opportunity, emotional quotient will help you keep it, and adversity quotient will make you rise above it,” shared Carrasco.
Drawing from his decades of experience and interactions with professionals across multiple industries, Carrasco then discussed the significance of EQ, or emotional quotient: “You will work with people from all walks of life—clients, colleagues, suppliers, bosses. Your success will often depend on your ability to understand, manage, and inspire people. EQ is about empathy, resilience, and self-awareness. In marketing, you can’t connect to an audience if you cannot first connect with people.”
Finally, Carrasco turned to what he believes is the most critical trait: AQ, or adversity quotient. He described it as the capacity to remain adaptable and forward-looking in the face of setbacks.
“This is perhaps the most important of all. AQ is your ability to adapt, recover, and thrive in the face of change or hardship. You will be rejected. Your ideas will be criticized. Some campaigns will fail. The market will shift without warning. But if you have AQ, you will see obstacles as detours, not dead ends. You will pivot, innovate, and keep moving forward,” Carrasco shared.
A Footnote on The Power of Collaboration
AGC PHC also contributed marketing services expertise through its Marketing Services Group: Events100 (program management), DigistarPH (performers), and KLiQ Inc. (photo coverage).
The Agora Youth Awards was also supported by The Business Manual (TBM), of One MEGA Group Inc. as its official media partner. TBM covered the event from the press conference to the awards night activities and featured profiles of each of the individual finalists.
Photo courtesy of Kim Santos and Excel Panlaque of KLiQ Inc.