Initiative expands communications training beyond Metro Manila amid growing demand for trusted stakeholder engagement in digital industries
As digital services become more embedded in everyday life, organizations are placing greater emphasis on communication — not only to build their brands but also to explain new technologies, respond to cybersecurity incidents, and navigate an increasingly regulated environment.
Against this backdrop, the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) has brought its flagship professional development programs to Cebu for the first time, marking the organization’s biggest push yet to expand beyond Metro Manila.
Launched under the theme “Steward the Signal: PRSP Goes to Cebu,” the initiative brings together the PR Caravan, MAKI+FIESTA, and a series of training programs for communications professionals, students, government information officers, and corporate practitioners across the Visayas.
The Cebu expansion also marks another step toward establishing a formal PRSP Cebu chapter.
“If we’re serious about calling ourselves the country’s premier organization for public relations professionals, then we have to stop behaving as though the profession begins and ends in Metro Manila,” said PRSP President Ana Ruby Pista, APR. “Learning shouldn’t require a plane ticket. Professional growth shouldn’t depend on your location.”
Ana Ruby Pista, APR, President of PRSP
The launch was followed by the signing of several partnership agreements designed to expand PRSP’s training and industry engagement. One agreement with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) focuses on strengthening public sector communications and nation-building initiatives.
PRSP Professional Development also partnered with PLDT-Smart to support training in corporate communications, digital transformation, and crisis preparedness.
Roby Alampay, first vice president and head of the Public Engagement Group at PLDT and Smart, said the partnership reflects the group’s broader commitment to helping communities navigate an increasingly digital information landscape.
“PLDT and Smart believe that true connectivity goes beyond building infrastructure; it is about empowering the voices that shape our society,” Alampay said. “By partnering with PRSP for ‘Steward the Signal,’ we are committing to upskill regional communicators, students, and digital creators. In an increasingly complex information environment, we want to equip communities with the digital literacy and ethical tools they need to navigate and lead the conversation.”
Meanwhile, PRSP’s PR Caravan, Globe, and Southwestern University PHINMA signed a separate agreement to strengthen industry-academe collaboration and create more learning opportunities for students.
Ria Therese Repunte, executive director of the School of Design + Communication at Southwestern University PHINMA, said the university sees the partnership as an opportunity to connect students with industry practitioners and prepare them for the evolving communications landscape.
“At SWU’s School of Design + Communication, we believe communicators are not merely storytellers—they are stewards of trust, culture, and community,” Repunte said. “Our partnership with the Public Relations Society of the Philippines bridges the classroom and the profession, empowering our strategic communication students to learn from the practitioners shaping the stories that shape our nation.”
Building trust through regional collaboration, professional development
Ana Pista, APR, and Emver Cortez (both seated, at center) sign a MOA with partners to launch Steward’s Edge, PRSP’s Professional Development Training Program in Cebu
“We are thrilled to finally bring PRSP’s programs to Cebu. This marks the beginning of a stronger, more connected communications community in the Visayas,” Pista said.
She said the regional expansion reflects PRSP’s commitment to making professional development accessible to communicators outside the capital.
“No profession becomes stronger by protecting knowledge. It becomes stronger by sharing it. That’s why we chose Cebu to launch our Professional Development Program — not because Manila has enough, but because Cebu deserves it just as much.”
Pista said the role of public relations has also changed, particularly as organizations navigate fast-moving digital environments.
“Public relations isn’t about making organizations look good. It’s about helping organizations do better. It’s about listening before speaking, building relationships before seeking attention, and earning trust — not demanding it.”
Her remarks reflect a growing recognition that reputation and stakeholder trust have become business priorities, particularly for companies introducing digital products and services.
Strategic communications become essential for fintech’s next growth
PRSP officers and industry partners gather in Cebu City for the launch of “Steward the Signal: PRSP Goes to Cebu,” a collaborative initiative focused on upskilling PR and communications professionals.
For fintech firms, digital banks, payment providers, and other technology companies, communicating clearly has become increasingly important as regulators tighten oversight, AI adoption accelerates, and cybersecurity threats continue to evolve.
The two-day Cebu program continues with the Steward’s Edge professional development workshop and the PRSP Student PR Caravan at Southwestern University PHINMA.
PRSP said the initiative is part of its broader effort to expand professional education nationwide while strengthening ties among industry, government, media, and academia.
