National PR Congress ventures “into the unknown”

The National Public Relations Congress, the biggest learning and networking event in the local PR industry, will be holding its 31^st installment on September 26-27 at The Manila Hotel, with a host of expert speakers to discuss some of the most relevant topics for industry practitioners today.

This year’s theme, dubbed “Into the Unknown: Communication in the Time of VUCA,” will bring to the fore some recent and possible future developments that have rocked and may potentially disrupt the industry. VUCA stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity – a state of constant and unpredictable change that demands novel and agile strategies to be able to succeed.

Grupo Agatep President Norman Agatep, also the Chair of this year’s PR Congress, will open the event, followed by the keynote to be delivered by The Misfits Camp Chairmom and Founder Merlee Jayme about how artificial intelligence (AI) can never replace the human touch. Kantar Media Managing Director Jay Bautista will follow with a talk on how media consumption can shed more light on today’s multi-generational society.

Also speaking on the first conference day are Department of Budget and Management Undersecretary Goddes Hope Libiran, who will talk about crisis response in the realm of public service; ABS-CBN Creative Communications Management Head Robert Labayen, who will discuss how entertainment can foster meaningful audience engagement; and TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Melvin Mangada, who will tackle cancel culture and how brands can turn a boycott into a “buycott.”

Two panel discussions will also take place on Day 1. Brick Management Consulting Principal Consultant & Founder Myke Santos, University of Santo Tomas Creative Writing Department Chairperson Dr. Joselito Delos Reyes, Tangere CEO Martin Penaflor, and Publicis Groupe Philippines Chief Creative Agencies Officer Tats Cruz will engage in a discussion around stakeholder communication in the era of social media, AI, and Web3, to be moderated by ABS-CBN Integrated Corporate Communications Vice President Kane Errol Choa.

The other panel discussion will revolve around brand reputation as shaped by multiple stakeholders outside of brands themselves. Panelists include KahnDo Solutions Co-Founder and CEO Jolina Kahn, Creator and Influencer Council of the Philippines President Jako De Leon, Philippine Daily Inquirer Business Editor Tina Arceo-Dumlao, and Reddit Country Lead Jules Garcia.

The second day of the conference will kick off with BS Works CEO Cliff Eala delivering a keynote on how data and behavioral sciences can help communicators do their jobs better. This will be followed by a presentation from Synergy Market Research + Strategic Consultancy President and CEO Germaine Reyes on how brands can harness statistics to craft meaningful narratives.

Also speaking on Day 2 are India’s School of Communications and Reputation Dean Hemant Gaule, who will discuss how AI has affected the public relations profession; Havas Media Philippines Data & Analytics Head Philip Tiongson, who will talk about generative AI; and Global AI Council Country Director Catz Jalandoni, who will tackle whether or not ethics in PR can co-exist with AI.

As with the first day, there will also be two panel discussions on the second day. The first one will center on how brands can master emerging platforms in today’s multi-screen society, which will include Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines President and Ogilvy Consulting Philippines Head Manny Gonzales, Homonym Founder & CEO Mike Constantino, Octopus&Whale Founder & CEO Joey Tiempo, and Facts First Podcast Founder and Host Christian Esguerra as panelists, and World Communications Malaysia Managing Director Jaffri Osman as moderator.

Capping off the event is a discussion around the fate of Philippine public relations in the age of AI, to be kicked off by a talk by PAGEONE Group Chairman & CEO Ron Jabal, and with Public Relations Society of the Philippines President Andy Saracho, International Association of Business Communicators Philippines President Belle Tiongco, and International Public Relations Association Philippines Chairman Noel Nieva as reactors. Moderating the discussion is Ripple8 Managing Partner & Media Relations and Activations Director Michelle Orosa-Ople.

The National Public Relations Congress is one of the flagship programs of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, the oldest and most respected organization of PR practitioners in the country. This year’s Congress is made possible with the support of DigiPlus and PLDT Home as Platinum Sponsors; BDO, Development Bank of the Philippines, EastWest Bank, and San Miguel Corp. as Silver Sponsors; and BPI, DDB Group, GlueUp, Meralco, Metrobank Foundation, SM Foundation, Philippine Veterans Bank, and PhilCare as Bronze Sponsors. Also supporting the event are Pag-IBIG Fund, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation, Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, Grab, Jollibee Foods Corp., Pascual Laboratories, URC, Watsons, and Intellicare. Official media partners are GMA Network, BusinessWorld, Nerve/Rappler, The Daily Tribune, and The Philippine Star. Official Digital OOH Partner is DOOH Philippines, Inc.

To learn more about the event, visit https://app.glueup.com/event/into-the-unknown-114688/.