‘Put people before platforms,’ Coloma reminds 33rd National PR Congress delegates

This year's summit centered on the role of communication professionals in building a culture of trust

AT A GLANCE

• Sonny Coloma emphasized the importance of recognizing the human element behind audience metrics during his keynote speech at the 33rd Public Relations Congress.
• He urged public relations professionals to prioritize empathy and integrity in their communications, especially in an age dominated by artificial intelligence.

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Former Presidential Communications Operations Office Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma reminded public relations professionals of the need to “recover the human being behind the audience.”

In his keynote speech at the 33rd Public Relations Congress organized by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), Coloma said, “In the language of modern communications, people can easily become metrics: reach, engagement, conversion, impressions, click-through rates, sentiment scores, share of voice.”

While acknowledging that metrics are useful, he said communicators must first focus on the person behind every impression, the human being behind every click. “Behind every consumer is somebody trying to make a decision about what to believe and whom to trust. And behind every follower is a human relationship that can either be strengthened of betrayed.”

In the age of artificial intelligence, Coloma said the greatest advantage of the communications professional of the future “may be something profoundly human: the capacity to care, to listen, to understand, to empathize, to distinguish between what is technically possible and what is morally right…to understand that the most powerful communication…is an act of integrity.”

Citing the congress theme, Steward the Story: From Clout to Legacy, he invited participants to foster trust in Philippine society. “We must rebuild a culture where facts matter, where disagreement does not automatically mean hostility, where persuasion does not require deception, where influence is exercised with responsibility, and where technology serves humanity rather than manipulating it.”

Stressing that the communications profession has a civic responsibility, Coloma encouraged over 300 attendees to be “stewards of meaning, custodians of reputation, builders of relationships and guardians of trust” so as to create a positive environment upon which the next generation can build their own future and legacy. – Rappler.com