ABS-CBN holds Pinoy Media Congress for communication educators

Not even the intense rainfall and serious flooding caused by Typhoon Carina and the enhanced habagat (southwest monsoon) could dampen the enthusiasm or stop over 100 college professors participating in ABS-CBN’s “Pinoy Media Congress: Training the Teachers.”

Some of them came from northern Luzon, enduring hours of traffic due to floodwaters. Others faced delayed and cancelled flights because of the bad weather. Yet, their determination to attend the event never wavered.

The day after the storm, the members of the Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE) converged at the ABS-CBN headquarters in Quezon City, undeterred and ready for two days of learning and networking.

Reflecting the importance of the event, ABS-CBN fielded top-notch speakers on topics on multimedia journalism, teleserye ideation, TV scriptwriting, film production, digital content creation, audience research, marketing and creative communication, who engaged and interacted with the communication educators.

It wasn’t the first time ABS-CBN had collaborated with PACE. The “Pinoy Media Congress” is an annual event that gathers thousands of students and professors to discuss the latest trends and issues in media and communication. And the last time ABS-CBN staged a similar training for PACE members was 13 years ago. The media landscape has undergone many significant and dramatic changes. Many of the attending professors were younger, who may even be students when the first “Training the Teachers” was held.

PACE president Mark Lester Chico suggested holding it again this year, recognizing the need to expose its members to the current issues and trends in the media industry and help bridge the gap between academic theory and industry practices.

“The ‘Training the Teachers’ program provides a venue for our faculty members to update themselves on the latest trends in media and communication. (It) is especially important for PACE as we aim to upskill our colleagues and make sure that they are informed of the present media landscape and can shape its future. Thanks to ABS-CBN for generously sharing their expertise with us and our members,” Mark Lester said.

“Through the training program, the teachers are given an opportunity to explore the experiences and practices of the country’s leading content producer, ABS-CBN, which we hope will inform their instruction and research undertakings. In other words, the lessons and skills they get from the training can equip them with new knowledge that they can share with their students and reinforce their perspective on the present and future of media and communication,” he added.

The roster of speakers featured Robert Labayen, Kriz Gazmen, Francis Toral, Rondel Lindayag, Henry Quitain, Marizel Samson-Martinez, Carmi Raymundo, Mico del Rosario, Arlene Burgos, Jeff Canoy, Melvin Fetalvero, Jasmin Pallera, Darla Sauler, Alex Balite, Sierra Borlongan, Charina Fernandez, Diorella Agoncillo, and Yvette Tan.

The two-day training conference, which was organized by ABS-CBN Corporate Communications, covered a wide range of topics from the transformation of journalism in the digital age and the rise of AI, to the processes involved in producing teleseryes and movies, adapting to the changing media landscapes, studying audiences’ viewing habits and needs, scriptwriting for TV, and more.

One of the highlights was an interactive session with “Magandang Buhay” host Melai Cantiveros where they talked about TV hosting techniques. The participants were also treated to a behind-the-scenes studio tour of ABS-CBN’s facilities and operations. They visited the studios of “TV Patrol,” ABS-CBN News Channel and “TeleRadyo Serbisyo.” They also experienced the lively atmosphere of the popular noontime variety show, “It’s Showtime.”

Capping off the event was a surprise visit from “It’s Showtime” hosts Vhong Navarro, Jhong Hilario, Kim Chiu, Amy Perez, Darren Espanto, Jugs Jugueta, Teddy Corpuz, Ryan Bang, Jackie Gonzaga, and Cianne Dominguez, who warmly greeted the participants and posed for pictures.

For Mark Lester, the event became nostalgic. Almost 20 years ago, he participated in the “Pinoy Media Congress” as a development communication student from UPLB.

“It was an enriching experience for a young development communication student from UPLB who’s still trying to explore the field he wanted to be in. ‘Pinoy Media Congress’ opened my eyes to the different areas of media production and management, which would, later on, become my own field of expertise as a teacher,” he shared.

Now as PACE president, Mark Lester is even more convinced of the significance of the project. He said, “‘Pinoy Media Congress’ gives me an edge in terms of content that I can share with my students. Aside from my own experiences, it has been a source of lessons that I include in my discussions and at the same time enrich my perspective on the role of media in society.”

As PACE prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, ABS-CBN and PACE are looking forward to bringing the Pinoy Media Congress to even more communication students in 2025.