MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Media Specialists Association of the Philippines (MSAP) recently held its Media Congress, “Synergia: Media Connection Meets Evolution” — the first after six years. The event centered on the state of media in the modern age, particularly its evolution driven by the integration of artificial intelligence across virtually every platform.
Held at SPACE at One Ayala from November 27–28, 2025, the two-day event drew attendees from various agencies, including media planners, agency leaders, brand marketers, creatives, strategists, and media talents keen on exploring the future trajectory of media.
Day 1: Tapping into “Pulse: The Human Connection”
The program was divided into two main tracks, commencing on the first day with “Pulse: The Human Connection.” This initial track was dedicated to fostering purposeful, collaborative, and emotionally intelligent media practices, emphasizing the strengthening of communication, negotiation, leadership, and relationship-building skills.
Charting the blueprint for a synergistic media economy
The morning track, which centered around the “blueprint for a synergistic media economy,” began with a presentation by Dominic Ligot, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of CirroLytix. He discussed the powerful combination of human intuition and technology required to drive the next wave of media evolution.
Following him was Jay Bautista, Managing Director at Kantar Media, who provided a timely check-in on the current landscape of Philippine media in the age of technology.
Dan Robathan, Head of AI at WPP Open and WPP ANZ, wrapped up the morning session with a keynote on the security of artificial intelligence.
The future of media with humanistic values and technology
The afternoon session, titled “Human + Tech: Forging Future,” commenced with Coach Tina Sioson, Founder of MCPS Consulting. She provided insights and advice on how to maintain a healthy work-life balance by establishing necessary boundaries to prevent burnout.
Following her, Julien Normand, Head of Strategy, International at Publicis Media, delivered a talk addressing the challenge of the “goldfish attention span,” a growing concern as more people opt to skip advertisements. He shared insights on how advertising agencies and brands can engage consumers and encourage them to continue watching the presented ads.
A brief break was held in the afternoon, allowing attendees to roam around the exhibit area outside the venue. The exhibits featured different companies, offering interactive games and providing free merchandise and giveaways.
Uniting to build strategic alliances and harness data
The session resumed with a panel discussion focused on maintaining strategic alliances and forging robust partnerships with companies and other agencies to achieve long-term growth.
The panel featured Lito Pangilinan, Managing Director at Mediacom, and Matec Villanueva, Director of Marketing and Communications at Ateneo de Manila University. The discussion was moderated by Emily Abrera, former President/CEO and Chairperson at McCann Worldgroup.
Abbas Abedi, Director, Business Development at The Trade Desk, then had a talk about how harnessing emotion through an omnichannel approach connects brands with consumers across different platforms.
The final highlights of Day 1 included an insightful keynote on decoding audiences using AI and neuroscience, delivered by Paula Abjelina, Country Director at Daily Motion Philippines.
The first day was then wrapped up with a practical talk on maximizing revenue through out-of-home (OOH) media, presented by Lloyd Tronco of OOH.PH.
Day 2: Engineering “Flow: Seamless Experience”
The second day proved to be as exciting and insightful as the first, centered on the theme “Flow: Engineering Seamless Experiences in the era of AI and Tech.” This track explored how platforms, data, and human creativity converge across various customer touchpoints to create truly seamless experiences.
Building brands with cultural currency in the age of AI
For the morning track titled “Cultural Currency: Building Brands in the Age of AI,” Guy Hearn, Head of Product and Innovation at Hakuhodo H+, opened with a keynote on the future trajectory of media agencies. He was followed by Phil Tiongson, General Manager for Mix Strategy and Data Science at HAVAS Ortega, who gave a talk on anticipating behavior change to future-proof company strategies.
Professor Cherish Aileen Brillon, Faculty of UP College of Media and Communication at UP Diliman, then followed with a deep dive into major societal and economic issues with the potential to drive change.
Concluding the morning segment were Gemma Bagayaua-Mendoza, Head of Digital Strategy at Rappler, who spoke about deepening engagement through the responsible use of artificial intelligence, and Deepali Saini, Global Chief Experience Design Officer at Havas CX, who delivered a keynote emphasizing the need for momentum between media strategy and customer experience.
Connecting every dot in the experience ecosystem
The afternoon track, titled “Experience Ecosystem: Connecting Every Dot,” began with Alan Fontanilla, CEO at The Pod Network Entertainment, who gave a talk on overcoming distraction and the importance of intentional listening. Vince Jaen, Assistant Vice President, Integrated Media at MBC Media Group, followed with a discussion on how radio maintains human connection and emotional resonance in the modern age.
Mehul Mandalia, Cofounder & Head of Platform Solutions at Moving Walls, then addressed the evolution of out-of-home (OOH) media, presenting the “dynamic canvas of out-of-home” and focusing on how billboards create impact. Representing print media, Archie Carrasco, Chairman at ACG Power Holdings Corp, discussed how brands can amplify brand memory and increase conversion through print.
Next, Koma Okubo, CEO SEA at FreakOut, delivered an engaging talk on creating effective strategies based on human behaviors rather than relying on the usual “playbook.”
The event was aptly concluded by a panel discussion on organizational interests titled “From Silos to Synergy: A Unified Path for Growth and Stability.” The esteemed panelists included DMAP President Miko David; PANA PRO Emmanuel Ordinanza; MSAP President Reena Francisco; KBP President Noel Galvez; and 4As Chairman Melvin Mangada. The discussion was moderated by Donald Lim.
The two-day event was not just a conference, but rather a commitment. As the industry charts its course through the complex era of artificial intelligence and accelerating technology, the message is clear: The future of media is not technology replacing human intuition, but technology amplifying it.
This media congress established a unified mandate for industry leaders: to forge robust, collaborative partnerships and integrate media, data, and creativity seamlessly.
The blueprint for the next wave of media evolution has been drawn, and it is built on collaboration, responsibility, and relentless focus on engineering truly seamless, human-centric experiences. The momentum has been set; the industry must now flow together toward this unified, synergistic future.
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of the MSAP Media Congress 2025.
