To celebrate #PrideMonth, the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) invited communication experts at its 2nd General Membership Meeting (GMM) last June 28 to talk about the importance of championing diversity in workplace communication as well as fostering an inclusive environment.
Dubbed “Speak Out, Stand Out: Championing Diversity in Workplace Communication,” the event held at the DivinaLaw offices in Makati City featured key speakers from MullenLowe TREYNA, the agency that won last year’s Grand Anvil Award for the Quezon City Gender and Development Council’s Right to Care Card.
The “Right to Care Card,” which was passed into an ordinance by the Quezon City Council in February this year, now works as a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) card that can grant medical-decision making rights to queer couples. It serves as portable proof that having the right to care for your loved ones should not be limited to a specific gender.
Spearheading the discussion was Jam Pascual, a seasoned copywriter at MullenLowe TREYNA, who talked about how the concept for the campaign all began. He shared, “What is care? Our team wanted to get the idea across that the ‘Right to Care’ card relates deeply to ideas and experiences that the average Filipino can understand. We wanted to convey the importance of such concepts as pag-aalaga and malasakit.”
Three other communication experts shared their insights about the initiative, with each one emphasizing how authentic story-telling and using just the right words to communicate the card’s basic concept of “the right to care” among partners – regardless of sexual orientation – is key to the success of the program.
“A factor in the Right to Care initiative’s success is its straightforward concept — the basic premise of allowing human beings to care for one another. The support and recognition it had been getting may be attributed to simple, authentic, and heartfelt storytelling,” explained Gerald Lim, PR Head of Accounts at MullenLowe TREYNA.
“But of course, communications can only do so much! We also need the support of the community for diversity and inclusivity to flourish,” he added.
Sharing insights from a legal perspective, DivinaLaw Associate Atty. Joshy Aguilar stated, “I think we should be more empathic towards the plight of others. Just because you don’t experience the same struggle does not mean that it does not exist or that it’s not real. Even the Supreme Court held that the 1987 Philippine Constitution is capable of accommodating a contemporaneous understanding of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics or SOGIESC.”
Krystel Ybañez, a Senior Art Director at MullenLowe TREYNA, for her part, shared, “The team behind Right to Care is made up of queers and allies. We have brave and supportive leaders in the office who encouraged us to make this happen. That’s why diversity, equality, and inclusion are very important in workplace communication.”
PRSP continues to uphold the values of diversity, equality, and inclusion, recognizing their importance in effective workplace communication and community support. As part of the organization’s #PRforAll theme this year, the alliance is now actively encouraging all communication practitioners to champion the values of diversity, equality and inclusivity in their respective fields.
