Namamana marks my first column for BusinessMirror as the newest member of the local franchise of International Public Relations Association (IPRA). Thanks to the invitation of my University of Santo Tomas schoolmate Red Samar, Corporate Communications Manager of JG Summit Holdings Inc. IPRA board and members warmly welcomed me at the General Membership Meeting held in July 2023.
At my inaugural monthly meeting, the launching of the outstanding book project, “PR Matters: A Communicator’s Guide to the Dynamic World of Public Relations” was the biggest agendum. A whole two months were spent in hands-on preparation by seasoned public relations practitioners for the launch of one of the most awaited PR trade books.
Trust me, “PR Matters” created so much buzz that even my 81-year-old dad egged me to give it to him as his birthday present. You might ask why an octogenarian would want a copy of the book. My dad, Willie Capulong, is a former newspaper man turned PR practitioner. Following a warm recaption for the “PR Matters” book, he wanted his copy to still compare notes. At his prime age, he maintains his Facebook column, attends local press conferences in Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and maintains one housing and few politicians as clients.
Growing up, I witnessed him implement PR campaigns where some tactics and tools had been done by me with my two other sisters. Four decades ago, our weekends, rain, or shine, were almost always spent delivering press releases to major dailies and tabloids in the Metro. I have memorized the routes and locations of the major dailies and publications. I know the best time to deliver the press releases to meet the so-called deadlines. I grew up meeting up close and personal, editors in chief, business, and motoring editors. I even met my first boyfriend, now husband, at the National Press Club since we were both campaigning for specific press candidates running as officers.
Without a doubt this inceptive exposure to the field propelled me to take up Communication Arts at UST where the late and much-loved Ramon Bong Osorio was a college teacher in about 3 or 4 professional courses, particularly PR courses, Introduction and Advance. Upon graduation in 1990, armed with a cloth of independence, I declared that I would work outside WEC and Associates. Being a “nepo” baby, I landed a PR Assistant job under the tutelage of Romeo “Butch” Pajarillo, then director of Public Relations Unit at the Department of Trade and Industry.
My dad worked for a leading Cebu-based motor vehicles distributor as their corporate communication head starting from when Japanese motorcycles were its prime product moving to the four wheeled vehicles, South Korea’s Daewoo and American made Chrysler cars. In 1994, I joined my dad at his firm where we had a petroleum company as a client and took charge of their break in the Philippine market in the mid 1990’s.
In my current role as head of Corporate Affairs, Public Relations management is one of the pivotal tasks. Back to the PR grind, I see myself duplicating some of Dad’s strategies and tactics. In the decades he spent in Public Relations, I picked up a lot of time-tested lessons and soft skills that others would have just read in textbooks. Here are top five lessons:
1. Pakikisama (Building Relationships)—James E. Grunig who coined the Excellence Theory, emphasized the role of public relations in building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. This significant role was well introduced to me at an early age and somehow, it is but natural to foster new and genuine connections, networking, and cultivating trust for whatever account I was working with. Perhaps this is the layman’s term where ma-PR originated from. When you put relationship building and maintaining as a core function of PR, then all your efforts will center on ensuring that trust is always upheld.
2. Pakikipag-usap (Effective Communication)—Without a doubt, public relations professionals need persuasive communication skills. But form and substance dictate how one communicates. Joseph McCormack in his book, Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less, focused on brevity as a skill that one must possess to be effective in communicating with your publics. This too is what I learned from my dad, who started as a reporter for The Manila Times and the defunct Daily Express. Through his own writing, he passed on the art of crafting compelling messages, tailoring communication to different audiences, and utilizing various channels to deliver information effectively.
3. Pang-aangkop (Adoptability and Flexibility)—This skill is necessary in an ever-evolving discipline. My dad pushed the importance of being in tune with the latest in industry trends, technological advancements, and societal changes. Now more than ever, in today’s digital age, communicators of all ages must navigate various online platforms and channels. In the late 80’s, all my college friends had it easy since we drafted our thesis using the early versions of Apple desktop called Macintosh computers at the time when most of our classmates used typewriters for their manuscripts. So even if we are called immigrants of the digital age, both my dad and I strictly ensure we keep up with the latest devices, relevant apps, and acknowledge the strong presence of artificial intelligence.
4. Pangako ng etika at integridad (Ethics and Integrity)—I have learned early on that the only way to conduct one’s agenda is through ethical means and maintaining exacting standards of integrity. I used to joke that we could have amassed wealth if my dad had leveraged his connections decades ago. No matter how lucrative a project may be, if it will end up unacceptable to the environment and our society, it will not be accommodated. As a result, I have given one too many lectures on ethical decision-making process, emphasizing the long-term benefits of ethical behavior to establish credibility and trust.
5. Pagkamalikhain (Creativity and Innovation)—Definitely being creative and innovative are key skills in any field. PR often calls for producing creative ideas and thinking outside the box to capture what is now called a scarce commodity – attention and engage audiences at their preferred platform. To be creative, one must be exposed to a wide range of inspirations through reading, joining interest clubs, constant updating, and continuous learning. My dad encouraged all his kids to embrace creativity, explore innovative approaches, and challenge conventional thinking.
Succinctly, there are more lessons from my dad that would entail a whole book. Fortunate it may seem, my kids are walking in the same communication and creative industries arena. The communication courses I handle at the Department of Communication at Far Eastern University allow me to pass on these lessons to Generation Z students integrating technology-driven creative output.
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier organization for PR professionals around the world. Rowena Capulong Reyes, PhD is the vice president for Corporate Affairs of Far Eastern University (FEU). She is an executive committee member of the Metro Manila Film Festival 2023 and heads its education committee. She was formerly the Dean of FEU Institute of Arts and Sciences and Colegio de San Juan de Letran. She is the immediate past president of the Philippine Association of Communication Educators serving two terms.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer our readers’ questions about public relations. Please send your questions or comments to askipraphil@gmail.com.