THE 25th National PR Congress, the country’s biggest gathering of PR and communication professionals, turns the spotlight on building consensus, to together explore solutions toward ensuring truth in the practice of communication.
The annual PR congress, set Sept. 27 and 28 at Shangri-La at the Fort, Taguig City, engages all PR and communication practitioners and aspirants alike to uphold truth in the age of disinformation with its theme of “Truth or Trolls: PR in the Age of Disinformation.”
“By attending the Silver PR Congress, we aim not only for delegates of diverse generations and industries to reaffirm the role of PR in building strong, trust-based relationships but also to turn this time into an opportunity for us to be agents of positive change in service of society,” said PRSP President Ritzi Villarico Ronquillo, APR.
With the theme, “Truth or Trolls: PR in the Age of Disinformation,” the 2018 PR Congress reaffirms the role of PR and communication professionals in establishing harmonious relationships based on truth and authenticity.
This supports PRSP’s overarching principle for this year’s National PR Month of “One for Truth,” which seeks to unite communicators and their publics to be vigilant in consistently practicing responsible and truth-based communication.
Held annually, the National PR Congress, the longest-standing professional advancement platform in the industry, brings together top PR and communication professionals from different sectors to promote ethical practice and high standards of public service. This year, the two-day event welcomes leaders and professionals from various fields and sectors—from marketing to human resources, government institutions to NGOs, and entrepreneurs. They will experience a comprehensive learning experience of five plenary sessions, each tackling in-depth views on politics, elections and communication, effects of fake news on brands and media, capability building (Public Relations 2.0), industry health check and trends, and brand citizenship.
The initial lineup of speakers comprises industry experts and strategic leaders who will share their insights on key issues affecting the industry and the nation as a whole:
- José Manuel Velasco, chair of the Alliance of Public Relations and Communication Management, will discuss addressing challenges to brands and companies from the viewpoints of global PR practitioners in both the academe and business;
- Antonio Carpio, Supreme Court senior associate justice on the West Philippine Sea;
- Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Secretary of the Department of Tourism on the quest for strong National Branding of the Philippines
- Alfredo Pascual, CEO and fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), on ethic s and good governance and its impact on corporate reputation
- Ellen Tordesillas, VERA Files trustee and writer, on how to spot fake news
- Manny Mogato, Pulitzer Prize journalist, on the upcoming mid-term elections;
- Carlo Ople, PLDT Vice President, on the continuing rise of millennials and Generation Z as a megatrend in 2019 and beyond;
- Ida Tiongson, president and executive committee member of Opal Portfolio Investments, and Victor Jose Africa, managing director of Eurekloud Corporation, will look into the future of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics in PR;
- Estrella Elamparo, senior partner at Divina Law Offices, on how to protect oneself against libel in cyberspace;
- Lourd de Veyra, print and broadcast journalist, on how to manage online negativity;
- Weldon Fung, SEA managing director of Meltwater, on digital crisis management and how to create a safety net with online PR tools;
- Lady Ochel Espinosa, Isentia Manila head of Insights and research, on key measurements that define PR effectivity; and,
- Eduardo Mapa, Jr, digital entrepreneur of Castle By The River, on trends in media and influencer marketing;
Other topics include technology and social media in PR, on how PR professionals can make the most of social media’s role and influence; and neurolinguistics applications in PR.
As a Congress finale, head of Smart Communications’ public affairs group Ramon Isberto, APR will head the process that will lead to the formulation and declaration of the Manila Mandate, a code on the ethical standards, principles and practices that will be observed by the communication profession. This is envisioned to be jointly adopted by the country’s largest communication associations and announced at the Congress. Among the participating associations are the International Association of Business Communicators-Philippine Chapter led by its president Joe Zaldarriaga, AVP of Meralco and PRSP through president Ronquillo.
According to National PR Congress Chair Cherie Mijares, APR, “Years of experience in the industry have taught us one lesson: To consider oneself as an effective communicator, one must be able to gracefully adapt in an agile environment without compromising values and quality of work. For the Silver PR Congress, it is time to face rapid advancements in technology and media consumption and negotiate the challenges of a post-truth society while upholding truth, integrity and authenticity.”
Register online now with the early-bird rate at http://bit.ly/prcongress2018, extended up to September 14, 2018. PRSP members may secure their exclusive members-only link from prcongress@prsp.ph.
For more information and updates, visit the official PRSP Facebook page www.facebook.com/PRSPofficial or e-mail inquiries at prcongress@prsp.ph./PN
