Lizelle G. Maralag, GMA Network’s Chief Marketing Officer, has been named Media Icon 2025 by the Media Specialists Association of the Philippines (MSAP) during Synergia: The 2025 Media Congress.
MSAP—the country’s premier body of media agencies, strategists, and communications professionals—awards the honor to those “who have laid the groundwork and continue to inspire the journey of the media industry.” In recognizing Ms. Maralag, the organization cited the depth of her influence, the rigor of her leadership, and her decisive role in shaping Philippine media into a modern, insight-driven, and people-powered profession.
In receiving the honor, Ms. Maralag said:
“I would like to thank the Board of MSAP and the highly respected jury of industry leaders and members who honor me with this prestigious award. This award is not for me alone. It is for the media professionals who uphold integrity and excellence in their craft. It is for the leaders who make the tough calls—the calls no algorithm can make—working hard to do right by their clients’ media investments, however difficult it may be. It is for the young media talents who are not enticed by corrupt practices, whose thirst for continuous learning is not compromised by power-tripping or entitlement, but strengthened by their own hard work, creativity, and refusal to settle for mediocre work.”
For nearly three decades, Ms. Maralag—known to many as LGM—has been a pillar in the Philippine media landscape. She began her ascent in advertising, rising to become CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group Philippines. Under her leadership, Starcom earned multiple Agency of the Year recognitions, and she set an industry record for the most Media Agency-of-Record pitch wins over a decade.
In 2010, she joined GMA Network, bringing with her a strategic mindset shaped by agency rigor and a deep respect for creativity and results. As Chief Marketing Officer, she oversees marketing and commercial innovation across the Network’s broadcast, international, and non-broadcast platforms. Her leadership has helped GMA become the Philippine broadcast company with the most number of local and global marketing awards.
A founding co-chair and past president of MSAP, Ms. Maralag has long been a champion of strong measurement frameworks, digital-forward planning, and the rise of branded content as a strategic channel.
She is equally celebrated for mentoring and championing women in leadership. Aptly called “Mother” by her teams, she is regarded as the Mother of the Modern Media Industry in the Philippines, having carved pathways for talent—coaching planners, empowering strategists, and mentoring executives who now lead agencies and client teams nationwide and even worldwide. Her influence is evident in the generation of media professionals who credit her as a formative force in their careers.
Her influence extends beyond her role in the industry. She is the 2019 Hildegard Awardee for Women in Media and Communication (Advertising) for her contributions to youth-focused communication and women’s leadership. She has served as Chairman of the Radio Research Council Adjudication & Review Board, Director of the TV Research Council, and as a juror in major local and regional award shows, including the APAC Effies.
