Two Books on Philippine Radio

I have just bought two highly welcome books, both on the history of Philippine radio. One is "Appropriation of Colonial Broadcasting", A History of Early Radio in the Philippines, 1922-1946, (2008), by Elizabeth L. Enriquez, and the other is Stay Tuned, The Golden Years of Philippine Radio, by Ben Aniceto and Friends (2007).

Dr. Betsy Enriquez was a radio and TV broadcaster and a professor of broadcasting and media studies at U.P. for many years. Mr. Aniceto was a broadcast stalwart who ran AB S-CBN's Channel 2 until the declaration of martial law in 1972.

These two books should gladden not only students of broadcast media but also those who have been entertained and instructed by radio all these years. Dr. Betsy gives radio's development in the country a historical perspective. Commercial radio started and flourished here during the American regime and can, therefore, be viewed as an instrument of American colonial policy.

Mr. Aniceto discusses landmark developments as well, and provides personality profiles of the scores of managers, announcers and entertainment personalities who have figured in the history of Philippine radio.

Radio has been a dominant provider of news, opinion, entertainment and mass information in the country for almost 80 years. Before the advent of TV in the 1950s radio was the most far-reaching and maybe most influential medium of information and opinion hereabouts.

Dr. Enriquez asks a couple of intriguing questions in her book. "Does our more recent colonial past adequately and simply explain why Philippine broadcasting sounds and looks like American broadcasting? What may be the impact of this situation on the consciousness and sense of identity of Filipinos?

Mr. Aniceto puts together here articles by other broadcasters and features and vignettes on the numerous personalities and programs that dot the history of radio in the Philippines. Everybody seems to be here. Whether or not that makes for an exciting coherent history, or story, is another question.

But blessed is Ben for having told in his own, active- participant's, way his take on the story of this vital thing called Philippine radio.

Why PR Is Upbeat

Public Relations people are basically optimistic, gifted with a positive outlook. When I ask my fellows about their prospects in our PR business, hardly any one says things are down, or will be worse.

In fact, in spite of numerous challenges in our business, they are hopeful. We are never deterred, let alone feel vanquished. If there is one thing that I have learned in this business, it is that the opportunities for doing better often outweigh the problems.

One explanation may be that PR, precisely is largely designed for creating new and better opportunities for business, helping solve and create strategies for growth, through building and enhancing positive relation ships with customers and other sectors. Even when sales are down, business will have need for creative strategies, which are increasingly the province of PR.

Instead of being downcast PR practitioners these days are hopeful, because they are busy. New fields are developing that offer fresh opportunities, including, for instance, medical tourism, and the heightened demand for PR in the use of digital media.

IT and health care PR, higher demand for which we predicted more than 10 years ago, continue to be top-level services. PR, more than ever, is used in helping sustain and enhance brands, in restore trust in business and political and institutions and strengthen CSR as strategy and commitment. And, of course, marketing communications and issues and crisis management continue to be availed and grow in sophistication and influence.

I am speaking here of PR in Philippines. Though PR practitioners generally work in the background, I know that they do significant, though often unheralded work. Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP Group CEO, spoke late last year (Institute of Public Relations) of the "remarkable renaissance " of PR. PR companies have had much to do with this.

Sir Martin said, "PR companies have learned their lessons. They are more professionally managed and spend more time on staff retention and incentivisation. Clients' satisfaction is valued. Quality and financial controls are firmly in place."

I am proud of working in a PR agency.

CSR in PR

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a natural in the Philippine setting. Helping out inheres in the Filipino character. Every one looks out not only for himself and his family, but for his community as well.

This defining feature of the Filipino psyche and of community life is expressed in the spirit of the bayanihan, depicted in a painting, or photo, of a group of men carrying on their very shoulders a whole house, maybe not more than a bahay-kubo, as it is moved from one location to another.

The Filipino spirit says-- when the community needs my help, I will be there, even if all I can give is part of the weight of your house on my bare shoulders.

Not that the Filipino has had to need much calling.

As life is poor, there is always need to pitch in . Natural calamities, poverty, the challenges to a society trying to transition to higher levels of growth, the diaspora of breadwinners, problems of peace and security, and the inability of government and society to answer to urgent needs of an expanding population, have increased the demand on all sectors--including business--to help society.

At first, business in the Philippines decided that CSR was something it had to get into, because corporations existed not only to make profits. Which was, and still is, correct. But in the first stages of CSR in the Philippines, in the 1960s and early 1970s, the need was not as pressing and all-encompassing as it is now.

Now business has to accelerate and expand its involvement, make it more real, more relevant and appreciable. This means it has had to devote more knowhow, or science, if you will, aside from genuine compassion, to make CSR more truly meaningful in the country.

CSR organizations and NGOs are called on to be more focused, and accountable.

Fortunately, Public Relations has been part of the development of CSR in the Philippines. The late PR practitioners Jose Carpio and Oscar S. Villadolid, both of San Miguel Corporation, played key roles in the organization (1970) and promotion of the vision and work of the Philippine Business for Social Progress.

Hardly any serious PR program is approved without a CSR component. In many cases, entire PR programs are CSR programs. What used to be called do-gooding is still that, except that now ever bigger resources, more energy and organizational knowhow and stronger focus on service delivery are expended and applied in CSR work by more individuals and organizations annually.

Public Relations practitioners, not only of big and established corporations, but even of small ones, are committed to CSR as a corporate way of life. They regard CSR not only as something that they must do, but that they hugely enjoy doing. It is after all, part of their make-up as individuals, as people of business and as citizens.

(N.B. Painting above is by Jun Virtusio).

Dear Oscar

Another pillar of Philippine PR has passed away. Oscar S. Villadolid (seated, left, in photo) died last week at the age of 79. His friends knew that for Oscar, who had been ailing, it was just a matter of time.

 His friends and admirers in PR, journalism, and public  service mourn his passing. For Oscar was a gentleman, a  journalist, a writer, and PR practitioner of far- reaching accomplishments. Oscar was a prime mover in Philippine PR's pioneering role in the promotion of corporate social responsibility.

Oscar was the only one among  PR practitioners in the country who got as far as serving as Ambassador, to the Holy See at that. He was also among the earliest TOYM (Ten Outstanding Young Men) awardees (for Journalism, 1963). 

He reached a career pinnacle in Philippine PR practice, Senior Vice President of PR, of San Miguel Corporation, which he served  for many years. He was President of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines  (PRSP) and gave it flair and distinction.  He was a successful man of  abiding humility and complete lack of airs. He was always willing to help.

I liked Oscar  as a writer, and thoroughly enjoyed reading his book on World War II, about how he and his family survived it. As a columnist, he was tops as a commentator on foreign affairs.

Oscar's beautiful summa cum laude wife, Alice, and their family, are now bereaved of the love and care of this kind compassionate man.  As we, his colleagues in PR, also are.  We looked up to him, and learned from him that a PR person can rise so high and  accomplish big things but stay true and humble, faithful to his role as a family man and a leader in his chosen profession. 

PR "Prescriptions" for Would- Be Presidents

Candidates for President in the 2010 elections in the Philippine will find it harder this time. I mean, harder than just   presenting  their lonesome selves, and waiting for the votes to come in. Voters will be be more demanding of their candidates, and dismissive of those who will offer not much more than their names.

For those who will market and promote Candidates, including PR managers, the following may be helpful.

1. Popularity still does count, but will not be enough. Easy recall and recognizability may  push the Candidate up front, but that is just the beginning. Candidates will have to traverse a lot of ground before they  get the vote.

2. A great number of voters are young, and many of them disdain popularity and lack of depth, and popularity and glibness, for they  suspect here weakness of principles.

3. Issues are fine, but what issues are really important, and which ones will connect to the voter,  and to which voter? How strongly will your Candidate "connect" with the issues? Often those who insist on "issues" themselves sidestep issues because they really would rather go on with it fast, depending on their high-recall names.

4. Spending a lot of money, or pretending that you have a lot of it to burn, can be counterproductive.  Old and new voters get the impression that profligate candidates themselves believe  that voters can be bought, and these are not be trusted.

5.  Candidates are not products, but people. Candidates  must be able to think, reason out, express and defend  what they believe in and explain to the voters how will they preserve and enhance the republic, serve our people and help keep their freedom and win their prosperity.

6. Voters expect  top-calibre Candidates to choose from, those with high intelligence, proven leadership,  commitment to the public good, and willingness to sacrifice. The day of the buffoons, I fear, is over. Voters know that in spite of the setbacks  that  the country  have had to go through, it is intact, and is in many ways  better and stronger than it used to.  And its next President had better keep it being that.

7.  Candidates are for our people, but it would be nice if we had a President who can with vision, presence and accomplishments be speaking to the rest of the world as well, and gain more respect for our country.

Let us do away wit buffoons and types that we would wish we did not have anything to do about.

8.  Voters will demand from Candidates  respect and due consideration for their intelligence, and the fact that they, our Voters,  work hard for what they believe will be best for their country.

9. Show us how you see our country and what you plan, with our help, to make of  it. Be open, be communicative,  and be truthful. If, in doing so, you blunder or feel you have made a fool of yourself, admit it, explain and go on. Voters have more intelligence and sophistication than you may credit them with.

10. Show us who you really are, because whether you do or don't we will see, anyway. If you do that, and you fail to make it, that wouldn't be so bad, for there are other ways of serving our country than being President.

San Juan, San Juan!

It took just one wedding, but of two of the country's most popular showbiz celebs,  for my father's hometown to land on the front pages, and on prime time news on TV. 

Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo got married recently in the San Juan Nepomuceno Church, town of San Juan, in Batangas, and that's all it took. The town is not yet quite Taal, or Batangas City, in terms of popularity, but people at least have taken notice. Where Juday and Ryan could choose to get married must have something about it.

And does San Juan have it. It has Laiya, that beautiful coast of scores of beach resorts, of white sands, a marine life sanctuary, facilities for boating,  diving and snorkeling,  and excursions and family outings. Laiya is not one barrio, but several, that  promise to develop into a full fledged tourism complex. Investors have been coming in, attracted by a new road that leads out of the town hall through villages, rice fields and coconut plantations, and a host of economic development projects recently launched by the national government. 

Its biggest school, Batangas Eastern Academy, which everybody affectionately calls BEA, was founded by the late

And unbeknownst to many are the splendid old mansions of San Juan. I don't know if these are as numerous as those in Taal or Vigan, or as old, but they are to be seen, and reflected on. They are stately and beautiful, and locked up. They are not tourist attractions open to the public. A friend was so kind to accompany us on a visit to one of them, and it was true to its promise: old law books, for the owner was a distinguished lawyer, antique furniture, old jars,  and wide, hard-wood floors, wide windows and a great sala which hosted grand parties in the old glorious times.

At the outskirts of town is a place where they sell earthen pots (palayok),  vases, and jars, which families around have been making for generations. And they still make lambanog (fermented coconut juice).  All around are farms and orchards. The big families that made the town still have property in San Juan, but no longer live there. An institution that has stayed and grown is the 70-year old Batangas Eastern Academy, founded by the late Mercedes S. de Villa.

San Juan used to be part of what used to be the bigger town  of Rosario. Now San Juan is the second largest town of Batangas, a first-class municipality that hopes to be a city some day. It has some way to go (it has one Mercury Drug Store, but no McDonalds nor Jollibee), but it will get there.

(Photo above of San Juan de Nepomuceno Church is from Recoletos Communications, Inc.)

Pacquiao Packs It In: PR for His Country

Manny Pacquiao, the world's best boxer today, this morning sent Ricky  Hatton ridiculously flat on his back, in the second round of their bout in Las Vegas, after their flooring him  twice right in the first round.  

He has done for the Philippines something no one else is doing: making his people, all of them who have seen or watched or read of him, extremely proud of being Filipinos. 

Manny makes  people stir up, shout, jump and declare to the rest of the world: hey, we Filipinos are good, we are here, and we have what  it takes. In this hall where my son and I watched the live broadcast of  the fight this morning,  hundreds cheered up and hooted and screamed and congratulated each other:  this was a victory of our people and our country. People said to each other: "panalo tayo!, our country has won!"

We will remember for a long time that final lethal left hook that caught Hatton on the jaw: clean, clear, and utterly convincing. And when the referee ruled the fight over, for Hatton was entirely, piteously motionless for a few minutes, Pacquiao rushes to a corner, falls on his knees and says his prayer of thanks. The same thing that he does each time he fights--pray.

Another thing Manny  always does is say that he fights for the honor of his country, and dedicate his victories to his people. In all his fights, he thrills his people with his speed, power, poise, and laser- like focus. He prepares for his fights with months of concentrated and disciplined training, and with the best in his business.  He is a consummate professional.

Manny speaks English now. And he does so with complete refreshing confidence, never hesitates  responding to queries from the world's press, never mind the mishaps that await those who are not to the language born. 

He wins for his country mileage and I hope respectful notice from the rest of the world. A country that produces a champion like Manny Pacquiao cannot be  that much of a loser.  Maybe foreigners will look at our country more closely,  and  regard our people with greater understanding.

Maybe more of them will come to visit or try out investment opportunities?

Manny Pacquiao is the Philippines' best PR agency these days.