The Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) formally announces the hosting of the 29^th National PR Congress alongside the 28^th Student PR Congress in a milestone joint event happening this September that marks a variety of firsts for the country’s premier organization for public relations professionals.

A first in hybrid format, the two events will take place on September 1 and 2, 2022, with the joint Congress hosting key participants attending in person at The Manila Peninsula. Those from the regions, meanwhile, will attend virtually in compliance with current COVID-19 restrictions.

“This joint PRSP event is the most prestigious and highly anticipated gathering of communicators and Public Relations professionals in the Philippines. We are happy to host the Congress again in a hybrid format after holding it virtually during the past few years, and we are equally excited to have both the Student Congress and the National PR Congress in one event. The roster of speakers this year will be composed of the biggest business leaders and visionaries from both local and international organizations and companies who will impart valuable insights to help us blaze a trail during these challenging times,” says Harold C. Geronimo, APR, President, PRSP. 

With the theme, “The Tipping Point: Reboot”, the joint Congress aims to propagate truth, innovation, and progress as key anchors for communicators, helping rebuild responsibly and sustainably as the economy reopens. With the Filipino youth now a strong force to reckon with, the joint Congress aims to inspire as well inform, enabling understanding from all stakeholders, encouraging collective action to use communications for good.

“The joint Congress aims to nudge stakeholders that it is time to act, to do better for one’s self, community and country at a time of great change,” adds Cathy Yang, Chair of the 29th PR Congress. “We’re here to inspire through thought leadership, from those who have thrived and served fellow Filipinos throughout the pandemic. We’re here to listen to the youth, a key stakeholder shaping our nation’s collective futures. So our theme is anchored on our key aspirations on truth, innovation and progress.”

“As responsible communicators, we must help the Filipino youth defend the truth today, if we expect them to defend our democracy tomorrow. Highly engaged as they are in online spaces, we must utilize innovation to ensure a safe space for them, harnessing opportunities for them to make decisions for their own welfare. Only then can we hope for sustainable progress as individuals as part of a wider community that makes up an empowered nation,” says Franz de la Fuente, Chair of the Students’ PR Congress.

The PR Congress is the largest congregation of public relations practitioners across industries in the public sector, civil society, and students in the country. The Students’ Congress, on the other hand, is the annual gathering of students eager to learn more about the public relations industry from leading practitioners in the field. The twin annual conferences are spearheaded and organized by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP). For more information, visit the event website or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PRSPofficial

Join the International Leadership Conference on June 4, 2022, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.

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For inquiries, please visit http://aseanprnetwork.org or email secretariat@prsp.ph.

After successfully concluding its Students’ PR Con last November, the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) is now set for its second leg of this year’s Students’ PR Congress with the Students’ Grand Prix Hack Sprint Edition.

Being the first hack sprint edition of PRSP’s annual student event and competition, the upcoming Students’ Grand Prix will be fully virtual and students from all over the country can participate.

The event will be divided into three phases. Phase 1, the Nationwide Selection, invites students (1 team per school comprised of 3 members) to submit a position paper about “The Great Resignation”, a topic provided by Jobstreet Philippines, the Platinum Sponsor for Students’ Grand Prix. Students can access this by visiting bit.ly/GrandPrixGreatResignation.

Each participating team should submit their entries and other requirements (forms can be downloaded at bit.ly/PRSPGrandPrixEntryForm) to studentsprcongress@prsp.ph until the extended deadline of January 14, 2022.

The top 20 finalists from participating schools all over the country will move on to phase 2, the Hack Sprint phase, where they will only be given 24 hours and a maximum of 10 slides to develop and present their public relations plans. Students will be briefed on February 3 and must start developing their plan for submission within 24 hours, on February 4, 2022. A distinguished jury will evaluate and score the entries, and identify the top 5 teams moving forward to the third and final phase.

The Top 5 teams will then proceed to phase 3 and the final round of the competition, the Pitch Proper, where each team will be presenting their plan to a select jury from the Students’ PR Con Platinum Sponsor, members of PRSP and professionals from related industries. Happening on February 5, winners will be announced on the same day and they can win exciting prizes courtesy of PRSP Students’ PR Con and Grand Prix Hack Sprint sponsors.

Participating schools and students should stay tuned to PRSP Students’ PR Congress Facebook and LinkedIn Pages for further announcements.

The PRSP Students’ Grand Prix Hack Sprint is supported by JobStreet as platinum sponsor; Maynilad Water Services, NIVEA and PLDT as gold sponsors; Converge ICT Solutions, GCash, Maya, PayMaya, Smart, Unilab Consumer Health and Unilab Skin Sciences as silver sponsors; and Jollibee Foods Corporation, McDonald’s Philippines (Golden Arches Development Corporation), Meralco, Teleperformance and SM Supermalls as bronze sponsors. COMCO Southeast Asia served as the event’s staging and creative partner with ABS-CBN, Adobo Magazine, Class A Magazine, ClickTheCity.com and WhenInManila.com as media partners and Warner Music Philippines and PhilPop Musicfest Foundation as entertainment partners.

The event is also supported by student organization partners – ADPROS from Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Manila, Mass Communication Students’ League from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila), PRSSP (Public Relations Student Society of the Philippines) from University of the Philippines – Manila, HAU Communicators’ League from Holy Angel University in Pampanga, Journalism Guild from Cavite State University, Josenian AdComm Guild and Josenian Communication Society from San Jose Recoletos University in Cebu, Kapunungan sa mga Mass Communicators from Silliman University in Dumaguete, SWU Junior Communication Designers Guild from Southwestern University in Cebu, The Society of Student Communicators from Negros Oriental State University in Dumaguete, and Junior Marketing Association from Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro.

Ferdinand Bondoy, Chairman of PRSP Students’ PR Con and Grand Prix 2021, Board Trustee of PRSP and Regional Integration & Chief Executive Director of COMCO Southeast Asia said, “We’re thrilled to finally open the doors of PRSP’s Students’ Grand Prix to students and schools all over the Philippines, especially with the promising new perspectives our student delegates have acquired from the informative activities in our Students’ PR Con last November.”

Norman Agatep, President of PRSP and President and Managing Director of Grupo Agatep shared, “We’re inviting students from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to be part of this historic Students’ Grand Prix. This is the first time that PRSP’s PR Congress for students is done virtually, which makes it possible for more schools and universities to be part of it regardless of the distance.”

To learn more about the PRSP Students’ Grand Prix Hack Sprint 2021, follow www.facebook.com/studentsprcongress or linkedin.com/company/prsp-students-pr-con-and-grand-prix. For inquiries, please email studentsprcongress@prsp.ph.