 |
| Photo by CASA Multimedia |
On Saturday, April 12, this year’s installment of the Philippine Media Advocacy Conference (PMAC) successfully pushed through, with the leadership of the UST Communication Arts Students’ Association (UST-CASA) and the partnership of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), preaching this year’s theme of “Maximizing Media, Building Connections”.
The conference invited participants from various universities and organizations all around the country to listen to lecturers backed by the KBP and to participate in an advocacy activity workshop. The event also determined the winners of the PMAC Competition the conference had set weeks prior to the day of the event.
In her introductory remarks, faculty-in-charge Asst. Professor Anna Cielo T. Perez, MA. details the origin of the conference as the “Podcast Convention” (PodCon) and the necessity of such event gatherings where ethical standards and professional responsibility must be upheld in the field of broadcasting. She recounted a personal account of an unnamed radio station broadcaster making an inappropriate remark to the public on national airwaves. Asst. Professor Perez also mentioned the return of one of PodCon’s first guest speakers to PMAC 2025 in Atty. Cherryl S. Adami-Molina, a famed radio broadcaster and legal mind.
 |
| Photo by CASA Multimedia |
The first speaker, longtime communication professor and radio broadcaster Ms. Flordeliz L. Abanto, dedicated her time to the PMAC podium to talk about the changing landscape of communication and how the accessibility that the internet and social media brings changed how society values and interprets information. She commented that the current curriculum of education hasn’t been able to keep up yet with the evolution of journalism and broadcast media.
Ms. Abanto also lectured about the commodification of attention in the digital age, quoting American academic Herbert Simon’s words regarding the wealth of information creating a poverty of attention. “The likes and views are [the] basis for monetization, making it a commodity”, she stated, adding that social media has rewired our brains and priorities. During the final minutes of her lecture, she showed various data charts in relation to Filipino social media consumption – where the country ranks among the top users of social media in the entire world – and how ad agencies are adapting to the new age consumer where media must grab attention and truth must be the true value.
 |
| Photo by CASA Multimedia |
The second speaker, Atty. Cherryl S. Adami-Molina, also known as Atty. CAM to her TikTok audience, dedicated her talk to the history of the KBP and celebrating the various broadcasting stations that influenced the Filipino consciousness while at the same time highlighting broadcasting-related cases and controversies that changed the ethical standards of Filipino broadcasting for the better, such as the media coverage of the Mary Jane Veloso trial and 2010 Manila hostage crisis. Atty. CAM said that these mistakes were their mistakes as broadcasters, and that future generations of media practitioners must learn from them and strive to become better.
 |
| Photo by CASA Multimedia |
After the sponsored lunch, each attendee was grouped into five where they worked together as media advocates to devise a slogan that they wish to realize in the broadcasting world.
“Let's get it right the first time”, said the first group as they gave their slogan about how the often “painful” truth is "better" than regretting.
The second group advocated for the importance of being aware in these current times to elicit change, stating “To make change in media and bridge connections, we [must] take time to empower ourselves [first]”.
“The colors of Filipino media [are] not just black and white”, said the third group, bringing awareness to the stories of Filipino journalists written in “blood”, and how the media brings out truth in Filipino society.
“Truth is powerful even in the face of deception”, the fourth group said as they gave their speech about the “deceitful” discourse surrounding the media, and how the truth is the “weapon” that people possess against lies. “Media is unity and a form of resistance”, added the fourth group.
Lastly, the fifth group brought attention to the issue of red-tagging, and how despite dying as a journalist is a worthwhile endeavor, no one should ever die from telling the truth. “To fear the news is to fear the truth”, ended the fifth group.
 |
| Photo by CASA Multimedia |
After the advocacy workshop, PMAC 2025 ends with the declaration of winners the conference has held in categories related to media. The categories include “People’s Choice Award”, “Best Public Service Announcement”, “Best Radio Drama”, “Best Extemporaneous Teleprompter Challenge”, and the anticipated “School of the Year”.
The University of the Cordilleras sweeps the entire competition, bagging the People’s Choice Award in each category and the Best Public Service Announcement with their piece “Inday? Sino Iboboto Mo?”. University of the Cordilleras student Juliana Rei S. Rualo won the Best Extemporaneous Teleprompter Challenge with her entry in “Maximizing Media”. The University of the Cordilleras also won Best Radio Drama with “Akala: Role of Media in Fighting Misinformation and Social Injustice in the Philippines”. With their numerous wins, the University of the Cordilleras capped off their afternoon by winning School of the Year.
The result of each category goes as follows:
Best Public Service Announcement
1st: “Inday? Sino Iboboto Mo?” - University of the Cordilleras
2nd: “Media Literacy” - University of the Philippines Tacloban
3rd: “Climate Action” - Miriam College
Best Radio Drama
1st: “Akala: Role of Media in Fighting Misinformation and Social Injustice in the Philippines” - University of the Cordilleras
2nd: “Kung Alam Niyo Lang” - Bulacan State University - Main Campus
3rd: “Palawud nga Pangadoy” (“Palaot na Pangarap”) - University of the Philippines Tacloban
Best Extemporaneous Teleprompter Challenge
1st: Juliana Rei S. Rualo - “Maximizing Media” - University of the Cordilleras
2nd: Jude Ann Karylle L. Cañanes - “Maximizing Media” - University of the Philippines Tacloban
3rd: John Lester Permejo - “Building Connections” - University of the Philippines Tacloban
School of the Year: University of the Cordilleras
 |
| Photo by CASA Multimedia |
To close the event, UST-CASA acting president and officer-in-charge Mary Grace V. Guillen took the stage to express gratitude towards the attendees as well as the participating speakers and partnered organizations of the program.
PMAC plans to return next year to continue its mission of empowering Filipino media and responsible broadcasting.
 |
| Photos by CASA Multimedia |
