After much deliberation, the Dot Property Philippines Awards have been postponed until 2021 in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Philippines has been one of the hardest hit countries in Asia with more than 220,000 COVID-19 cases reported. A decision was made to call off this year’s awards entirely with the country still reeling from the disease.
“Ultimately, we felt that it just wasn’t appropriate to organize the Dot Property Philippines Awards in any format this year. As people struggle with unemployment and many in the business community find themselves fighting to keep the lights on, it’s important not to lose sight of what really matters,” Dot Property Philippines Country Manager Tanya Peralta-Yu, explained. “The focus needs to be on the country’s efforts to overcome COVID-19 as well as the recovery from it.”
The Dot Property Philippines Awards was launched in 2017 with last year seeing the program expand to include a presentation ceremony held in Metro Manila. This year’s event had originally been scheduled for September at The Peninsula Manila, but those plans were adjusted in late March.
In order to host the safest possible event that followed all local regulations, an entirely digital ceremony was proposed as part of the Dot Property Awards ‘On Screen’ series. However, everyone at Dot Property felt it best to call off this year’s festivities altogether with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to disrupt daily life in the Philippines.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by COVID-19. We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to the medical frontline workers and health professionals in the Philippines for their tireless efforts in the battle against COVID-19,” Peralta-Yu stated.
The Dot Property Philippines Awards will return in 2021 although no date has been set. Since the situation remains fluid, Dot Property will continue to closely monitor what is happening in the country before making an announcement regarding next year’s presentation ceremony.
