TLDR: The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Junior Marketing Association (JMA) has reclaimed the prestigious Agora Youth Award after a four-year hiatus, winning the ‘Most Outstanding Marketing Students in the Philippines – JMA Category’ at the 33rd Agora Youth Awards. Their winning advocacy focused on leveraging artificial intelligence and ethical leadership to foster progress within marginalized communities, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 9.
Manila, Philippines – The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Junior Marketing Association (JMA) has emerged victorious at the 33rd Agora Youth Awards, securing the coveted ‘Most Outstanding Marketing Students in the Philippines – JMA Category’ after a four-year gap. The award ceremony, held on August 8, 2025, at the BYD Aseana Manila Bay showroom, recognized the UST JMA’s innovative advocacy that championed artificial intelligence (AI) and ethical leadership as catalysts for advancement among marginalized communities.
The winning team, collectively known as the ‘Gen Z Disruptors,’ comprised seven talented students: Naj Fernando, who served as team leader and president of UST JMA, along with Patricia Bagsic, Trisha Mariano, Phrileane Sideño, Gregore Valencia, Gellea Barrera, and Lyzza Del Rosario. They were among 10 finalists who presented their comprehensive marketing plans to a distinguished panel of judges.
Their advocacy was meticulously aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG 9, which focuses on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. According to Naj Fernando, the team’s inspiration stemmed from marketing’s inherent role as a ‘driver of innovation and progress.’ Fernando elaborated, ‘We saw the potential to champion innovation not just in technology, but in mindsets—encouraging young people to see creativity as infrastructure, and sustainable progress as an attainable goal.’
The 33rd Agora Youth Awards, an annual recognition program for marketing students, was successfully hosted by the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) in partnership with AGC Power Holdings Corp. (AGCPHC). This year’s competition resonated deeply with the PMA’s 71st-anniversary theme, ‘AI-Nabled Pinoy Marketer,’ which aimed to push the boundaries of what young marketers could achieve by integrating AI, innovation, and sustainability into real-world solutions.
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Other notable contenders in the JMA Category included Batangas State University–TNEU, which secured 2nd place, and Silliman University, which placed 3rd. The UST JMA’s triumph underscores their commitment to innovative marketing strategies and their forward-thinking approach to societal challenges, particularly in harnessing emerging technologies like AI for social good.
