MANILA, PHILIPPINES, SEPTEMBER 16, 2011: Self-regulation, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and values-oriented advertising practices became hot topics during the recently concluded forum Ads and Abs: The Lean Six-Sigma Way. Organized by the Ad Foundation of the Philippines, the event enjoyed jam-packed crowds who gathered to get the real score on some relevant societal issues that are intertwined with current advertising practices in the country.
Beefing up the talks were prominent local personalities Lizelle Maralag (President & COO, GMA Network), Robert Labayen (VP and Head of Creative, ABS-CBN), Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares (Chair, MTRCB), and Efren Peñaflorida (CNN Hero of the Year 2009), as well as other media and values experts from different fields of the business. Each took turns as either panelists, or speakers, in a series of talks that dabbled on production principles, values-oriented media, and even some notable campaigns for change like “Ako Mismo” and “Makabayang Pilipino.”
However, it was Atty. Rudolph Jularbal’s talk on self-regulation that really hit the spot with the attendees. A popular issue among Philippine admen these days, the Advertising Standards Council’s (ASC) legal Counsel and Spokesman took the opportunity to enlighten the audience on gray areas that usually hovered ad regulations in the country. Among those in the audience were representatives from the MMDA and Presidential Communications Group – both of whom didn’t always meet eye to eye with the ASC, specially when it came to sensitive issues like ad screening and self-regulation.
“No matter how controversial, the Ad Foundation as a non-political organization, tries to find the high points in everything. Instead of being confrontational, we decided that Ads and Abs will be a perfect venue to educate the people on what’s really going on in the issue of self-regulation among others,” shares Linda Gamboa, Executive Director and Assistant Board Director of the Advertising Foundation.
Also present were 167 students who got a glimpse of how the world of responsible brand building looked like, in the words of the esteemed panelists. “It’s good to have something like this for the younger generations, so that they get a clear picture of how the industry really looks like when they step out of school, and into the real world,” says Allen Velez, Ad Foundation Comptroller and Production Committee Head for Ads and Abs.
The successful event was also just one in a string of the Foundation’s recent activities, in it its attempt to inspire values formation among industry players, and even the government. “There’s always room for reasoning, and dialogues. Ad Foundation has always believed that and we will always stay committed to helping in any way that we could to settle any issues that affect the industries we belong in, as well as the people we serve.” concludes Gamboa.
