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The Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) will hold the 16th national public relations congress on September 10 and 11, with the theme, “PR : Pursuing Reforms, The Social Change Challenge”

To be held at the Manila Hotel, the PR congress forms part of the activities PRSP initiates annually to mark September as public relations month.

“We’re taking on another serious topic, such as influencing social change, to show that public relations as a communication discipline can also be used to effect meaningful changes in the society. In 2008, the PR Congress tackled the need to protect the environment. This year, we turn inward and assess the kind of changes we need to make as individuals, teams, and organizations,” said PRSP president Butch Raquel. 

“The topic is also very timely, given that we are on the eve of the national elections where we expect to see personalities mobilizing their respective PR machineries to make a mark on the public’s consciousness and, ultimately influence the voting public in their favor,” added 16th National PR Congress chairman Barbie Atienza.

Among the sessions in the two-day congress is a discussion with some of the presidential aspirants.

The 16th National PR Congress logo (please see below), reminiscent of Da Vinci’s The Vitruvian Man, implies that change has to come first from the individual. “As he extends his areas of concern to the outside world, he is called upon to make a positive impact so that as he grows, his environment develops along with him, and vice-versa. The colorful rays that envelop the man represent the affirmative influence that can be attained through the strategic, creative and skillful use of public relations,” explained Atienza.

The Congress is open to all professionals working in the communication field. Members of the academe, as well as students taking up communication courses, can also attend. Congress fee is P8,000, with early bird discounts for those who will register on or before July 31. For more details, call the PRSP Secretariat at 638-0010.