In the wonderful world of award-giving bodies, where trophies are handed out like candy on Halloween, a peculiar trend has emerged: the rise of the “pay-to-win” awards. 

For the modest sum of P15,000, you too can become a nominee in the prestigious “Buy-It-Yourself Awards.” Yes, it’s the pinnacle of achievement in the “Who Can Cough Up the Most Cash” category. 

These awards don’t just recognize talent; they recognize the thickness of your wallet. With a registration fee that could fund a small vacation, it’s clear that the only thing these awards are buying is their own credibility. 

In the end, it’s not about talent or achievement; it’s about how deep your pockets can go.

The Adobo Chronicles’ social media director and investigative journalist Jake Don contacted a few of such award-giving bodies under the guise of nominating us for some prestigious award to add to our credentials.

Lo and behold, two of the agencies we contacted immediately responded to our application/nomination, albeit with the information that we needed to send them P15,000 as “registration fee.”

Of course, it wasn’t clear whether that P15K would assure us of a plaque, trophy or a recognition we truly deserve. Or not!