The Henry Ford Awards (HFA) from Ford Philippines is the only awards program that recognizes the excellence of journalists in the motoring sector. They are celebrating their 25th year this 2026 and with that, they honored 25 journalists from different media outfits, with one being awarded a special award.
This year’s theme is “Stars and Stories in Silver” and instead of awarding entries just from the past year, they honored the multi-awardees from the past 25 years. These individuals are not only winners, they also helped shape the automotive sector through their journalism. A new trophy design was also unveiled which is more contemporary in concept and design, while being unarguably an HFA trophy.
“The motoring media have always been an invaluable part of our industry – helping bridge automotive players like Ford with the Filipino public, and the Henry Ford Awards serves to honor their dedication and commitment to their craft,” said Pedro Simoes, managing director, Ford Philippines.
19 journalists were hailed as Silver Mile Luminaries – 15 esteemed people and 4 media outlets who have gotten the most awards throughout the 25-year history of the HFA. They are the following, by order of surname.
Silver Mile Luminaries (Journalists)
Jason Ang
Ulysses Ang
James Deakin
Manny de los Reyes
Ronald de los Reyes
Junep Ocampo
Vince Pornelos
Iñigo Roces
Tessa Salazar
Vernon Sarne
Paulo Rafael Subido
Dinzo Tabamo
Niky Tamayo
Eric Tipan
Steven Edward Yu
The Silver Mile Luminaries (Publications) were Business Mirror Motoring Section, Philippine Daily Inquirer Motoring Section,Fast Times of The Manila Times, and Top Gear Philippines.
As with the HFA every year, they also recognized the excellence of the current breed of journalists. The categories have been narrowed down for this year and are focused on the highly effective outputs of writeups and video content from journos and content creators.
The judges for this year are stacked by respected leaders in the education, business, and creative fields. This ensures that the winning pieces are not only effective to peers in the motoring beat but is viable for the general public as well. Phase 1 judges are Dr. Christine Cox – Chair, Department of Communication, Ateneo de Manila University; Dr. Jan Bernadas – Chair, Department of Communication, De La Salle University; Dr. Ma. Diosa Labiste – Dean, College of Media and Communication, University of the Philippines – Diliman. Meanwhile, Phase 2 judges are Mae Dichupa – Head of Marketing in Ayala Malls; Kane Choa – Vice President and Head of Integrated Communications, ABS-CBN Corporation; and Chito Maniago – Vice President for Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Globe Telecom.
The judges went through around 100 entries for the Industry and Ford categories, and have named the following as the cream of the crop in 5 categories.
Automotive Vehicle Review of the Year (Article) – “What the Mazda Miata means to my family despite never having owned one” by Carlo Chungunco for Top Gear Philippines
Automotive Vehicle Review of the Year (Video) – “2025 Nissan Z NISMO Review | Sharper, Faster, Greater” by Earl Lee for AutoDeal
Ford Launch Story of the Year – “What happens when the car you once loved returns as a Hybrid?” by MJ Jucutan for GadgetMatch
Ford Automotive Video Feature of the Year – “2025 Ford Bronco Review | The Best Off-Roader Yet?” by Jack Gutierrez for AutoDeal
Ford Automotive Short-Form Video of the Year – “FORD BRONCO: Can you tame this beast?” by Roy Robles for Zigwheels Philippines
The biggest award of the night was the new Butch Gamboa Lifetime Achievement Award named after the pioneer of the Philippine motoring beat. It was awarded to Manila Bulletin Executive Editor Pinky Concha-Colmenares, who is a personal friend of the late Butch Gamboa. The recognition is given to a journalist whose body of work has made a profound and lasting impact in the industry, informing and inspiring audiences while elevating the standards of automotive storytelling.
“The Butch Gamboa Lifetime Achievement Award is a tribute to the legacy of Butch Gamboa, one of the Philippine automotive industry’s most revered figures. We are honored to present this award to Ms. Pinky Colmenares, a pillar of Philippine motoring journalism in her own right. She has been a beacon of inspiration where her excellence, professionalism and passion to serve have paved the way for the continued success of motoring journalism and its impact to the broader automotive industry,” said EJ Francisco, Communications Director, Ford Asia Pacific Distributor Markets and The Philippines.
