2024 Tala Awards: Confidence to Shine
BrandedUp in partnership with Vanguard Aesthetics Philippines
Vanguard Aesthetics and Merz Aesthetics® celebrated the Tala Awards with the theme, “Confidence to Shine” with over three hundred industry partners of the growing Philippine aesthetics industry.
This year’s theme, "Confidence to Shine", was inspired by and celebrates the outstanding performance of their partner dermatologists, plastic surgeons, aesthetician physicians, and beauty clinic owners all over the country.
Guests donned classic and modern Filipiniana ensembles in black, gold, and silver, as they flocked to attend the event held at The Shangri-La at The Fort’s Grand Ballroom last Aug. 23. It was an inspired gathering to honor the partnerships of the industry’s best aesthetics practitioners, as celebrated with Merz Aesthetics® and Vanguard Aesthetics.
Stepping into the bridgeway leading to the ballroom, a gallery of moving photos featuring Ultherapy® Philippines ambassador Heart Evangelista, and the latest Ultherapy® campaign - The Power of U greeted the guests as they made their way into the venue. Leading further into the foyer were displays of Merz Aesthetics® products; the only regenerative biostimulator Radiesse®, and the latest in the Belotero® line, Belotero® Revive. The crowd favorites Belotero® Soft, Intense, Balance and Volume alongside the Merz Anti-Wrinkle Injection also adorned the venue.
A countdown featuring the history of Merz Aesthetics®, and its products signaled the start of the event, with host Issa Litton introducing Merz Asia Pacific Regional Associate Vice President, Regional Commercial, Raymond Ong.
Raymond Ong began by acknowledging and recognizing the inimitable passion of aesthetic doctors, “You share your thoughts, and the planning entailed when treating your patients, the artistry in your hands, in work, and the care you show your patients.”
Raymond Ong goes on to quote author Simon Sinek to describe the commitment of the partner doctors and clinics when it comes to treating patients - “Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion. Tonight is your night, and we appreciate and acknowledge you.” The Tala Awards, now on it’s 6th year, was created for the doctors, sharing the same thrust and drive to enable more patients to Look Better, Feel Better and Live Better.
Raymond Ong continues to share the commitment of Merz Aesthetics® and Vanguard Aesthetics—robust marketing support and product innovations, continued education and groundbreaking studies to further grow the aesthetics space in the Philippines.
“Our vision is not ours alone, and we thank all of you who are with us here tonight, for placing your continued trust in Merz Aesthetics® brands, and in VanguardAesthetics.”
The Vanguard ACES
Truly focused on placing aesthetics practitioners in the limelight, the night began with the first-ever recognition of the Vanguard ACES. The group of stellar KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) and trainers who have been instrumental to Merz Aesthetics® and to Vanguard Aesthetics in the past year—are considered the first batch of "Aesthetics Champions & Educators" of this program.
Presented by Dr. Stephen Claudio, Regional Medical Affairs of Vanguard Aesthetics alongside EAM Associate Director for Medical Affairs of Merz Aesthetics®, Dr. Kathlea Newland, the message of the citation is clear—“Your mission of helping Filipinos look better, feel better, and live better is only going to get bigger from here. And you, our dear doctors, are the best part of this amazing journey!”
Doctors who received the recognition were: Dr. Aivee Aguilar-Teo, Dr. Ailynne Marie Vergara Wijangco, Dr. Almond Derla. Dr. Angela Gomez, Dr. Angela Hernandez, Dr. Arnelle Quiambao, Dr. Beverly Ong Amoranto, Dr. Camille Angeles, Dr. Christian Peralta, Dr. Contessa Salvador-Alapag, Dr. Emy Christine Onishi-Limchoa, Dr. Gerald Sy, Dr. Henry Claravall, Dr. Irene Gaile Robredo-Vitas, Dr. Iris L. Templora, Dr. Jonathan Nevin Yu, Dr. Lindsay Gail Wilson Torralba-Garcia, Dr. Ma. Carmelita Vergara, Dr. Ma. Suzanne Datuin and Dr. Stephen Lacson.
Only the Authentic Ultherapy®
Truly an ode to the shining confidence emanating from the crowd that night, vibrant performances were rendered to open and highlight the awarding ceremonies.
There is value to Ultherapy®'s authenticity. While similar machines claim the same level of efficacy, there is a reason it remains to be the Gold Standard* for non-invasive skin lifting and tightening.
To introduce the Ultherapy® segment of the night, a live painting performance by Odette Cagandahan enthralled the audience, revealing the face of Ultherapy® Philippines, Heart Evangelista. As the lights dimmed, the voice of the ambassador could be heard, narrating prose that is empowering, enlightening and real, as it was related to her own personal milestones.
As snippets of her early years were revealed, Heart encouraged everyone to own their power.
“Be proud yet prudent. Be brave. Be more than brave. Be striking, be bold. Be confident. Take the chance, even when the chances evade you. Take the leap, whether or not a safety net has been cast. Set no boundaries, fight for your goals, make those mistakes. Own your narrative. And be authentic. This is your place. You’ve finally found her. You’ve found The Power of U.”
True to her status as a global fashion icon, Heart Evangelista entered the ballroom owning her power. As she walked onstage, she indeed embodies the gold standard. With a quick tête-à-tête with host, Issa Litton, Heart Evangelista captured the attention of everyone in the room with her presence and charm.
The Power of U is a campaign that dares you to find and define your own transformation story. Each individual discovery of your own authenticity and using that as your own power. Being in the public eye for most of her life, it is in this very scrutiny that Heart Evangelista finds her power - to be her own woman, defining her path, and creating her authentic story.
As Heart Evangelista puts it, “The Power of U is being your unique self. There’s no one who will be like YOU…As cliché as it may sound, it is what’s inside that will truly shine and what will save you in the end.”
As representatives of the certified Ultherapy® centers nationwide come up the stage with Heart Evangelista, the outlook for these confidence champions radiates like no other. The Power of U is a call to owning your story. The path you take creates a story that does not end, and no matter how different our paths could look, it is our own—and that is simply, The Power of U.
The Tala Awards Stellar Winners
Awardees shone the brightest last Aug. 23, with over 70 awardees vying for brand and overall awards.
House of Obagi (HOO) took home four awards – the Overall 3-Star Award, 5-Star Merz Pure Anti-Wrinkle Treatment Award, 3-Star Ultherapy® Transducer Award and 3-Star Ultherapy® Control Unit Award.
Skin MDC Laser Dermatology Slimming Center took home fourawards for the night. Aside from the Overall 3-Star Award, Dr. Marie Diane Chan also took home the 3-Star Belotero® Award, 5-Star Merz Pure Anti-Wrinkle Treatment Award, 3-Star Radiesse® Award.
The biggest star of the night was The Aivee Clinic, taking home the highest and most prestigious Overall 7-Star Award presented by Merz Asia Pacific Regional Associate Vice President, Regional Commercial, Raymond Ong, Vanguard Aesthetics Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Ng and General Manager, Tetet Go.
Ryan Ng presented the award by saying, “The recipient of this award is a commercial leader in the Philippine aesthetics industry. We are happy that together with Merz Aesthetics®, they have helped empower countless Filipinos to discover the confidence to be and the confidence to shine. May you always inspire Filipinos to be the grandest, fullest, and always a step further with the confidence to shine.”
With their exceptional performance, The Aivee Clinic took home a total of six awards for the night. Aside from the Overall 7-Star Award, Dr. Aivee and Dr. Z Teo also took home the 7- Star Ultherapy® Transducer Award, 7-Star Merz Pure Anti-Wrinkle Treatment Award, 7-Star Belotero® Award, 5-Star for Ultherapy® Control Unit Award and a 3-Star Radiesse® Award for the night.
Dr. Aivee and Dr. Z Teo, alongside ambassadors Kylie Versoza and Bela Padilla went onstage to accept the award and dedicated the success to their team of doctors, nurses, and staff as well as to their patients who have trusted them through the years.
“It is truly an honor to be receiving the top award for tonight - The Overall 7-Star (Tala) Award, for The Aivee Clinic for the past seven years. We are extremely grateful as this year also marks the 15th year Anniversary of The Aivee Clinic. It’s truly a milestone for us to be recognized once again, and consistently for almost a decade now. It’s a testament to our unwavering commitment to provide the highest quality treatments to our patients," said Dr. Aivee Aguilar-Teo.
Being the sole winner of the top award for the Ultherapy® Transducer, Dr. Aivee Aguilar-Teo recalled how the Gold Standard* treatment for skin lifting and tightening has been a patient and doctor favorite within The Aivee Clinic.
“To be consistently awarded as the Number 1 provider of Ultherapy® in the Philippines since 2013, which makes it 11 years in a row is truly a feat. I remember, The Aivee Clinic was one of the pioneers in introducing this revolutionary treatment way back 2009, before Ultherapy® became a household name, that it is today," Dr. Teo said.
At the end of her speech, Dr. Teo spoke to the audience, sharing a message to her fellow doctors and health care practitioners.
“Before we end the night, I would also like to congratulate all our co-awardees for tonight. Thank you, Vanguard Aesthetics, for recognizing all the hard work and efforts of everyone in this room. May we all continue to elevate the standards of dermatology and aesthetics industry locally and globally.”
The Aivee Clinic also took home a Vanguard ACES (Aesthetics Champions & Educators) recognition given to Dr. Aivee Aguilar-Teo, and the Ultherapy® Authenticity plaque.
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Merz Aesthetics® and Vanguard Aesthetics congratulate all the winners of the 2024 Tala Awards and look forward to strengthening the partnership further. This continues to be driven by the company’s purpose and commitment to fuel confidence and help Filipinos look better, feel better and live better.
On Ultherapy®
For more information on the product and a complete list of accredited Ultherapy® clinics, you may visit ultherapy-asia.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
On Vanguard Aesthetics & Merz Aesthetics® Products
Visit vanguard-ph.com and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Vanguard Aesthetics Philippines.
