ANOTHER GOLD FOR UP!

The UP Diliman Communication Research Team bagged the First Place award in the recently concluded Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) 2008 Student Grand Prix finals in Landbank, Malate, Manila last September 28, 2008.

The Grand Prix, hosted by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, is an annual inter-university competition where student teams submit their best public relations campaign proposal for themes assigned by the host.



The 2008 case study involved uplifting the state of Philippine sports industry, and encouraging more Filipino youth in participating in national athletics. Philippine Sports Commission was named the client, with a ceiling of five million for a nationwide PR campaign. Seven finalist teams were selected, representing DLSU-Dasmarinas, DLSU-Lipa, Lyceum of the Philippines, Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila, University of the Philippines Diliman, and two teams from University of the Philippines Manila.



Liga ng Lakas, the winning campaign by the UP Diliman team, harnessed Filipino community leagues ("barangay ligas") and proposed to elevate these to the national context in answer to PSC's challenge. In this campaign, all key stakeholders from the barangay kept their roles as they were promoted into their national context counterparts. To cite a few, the resident athelete "Juan" translated into the Filipino Youth, the ever-supportive sari-sari store owner providing sponsorship for uniforms, drinks, and merienda, translated into the corporate liga, and the liga youth's friends, parents and "cheerers" became the liga ng supporters, etcetera.

The study framework simply demonstrated the intertwined and interdependent relationships of all publics and stakeholders, as illustrated by the woven strands of the sepak takraw ball-- which was also key to one of the three main sports highlighted in the campaign. Sepak takraw, chess, and taekwondo, the three highlight sports and logo mascots, were highlighted by the team because these exemplified a balance of mental and physical strength, and as sports which "Filipinos have the born-capabilities, as well as accessible resources to be able to excel in".

To further strengthen their battlecry "Dahil ang lakas ng bansa, sa LIGA nagsisimula", the team conceptualized grassroots-based creative collaterals and events such as a sports exposition with a cheerdance competition, one-day sports clinic of the top three sports, several creative contests, collaterals komiks-magazine, and website, and an awarding ceremony which is also a culmination event in line directly with the country's Palarong Pambansa as well.

Advised by Dr. Fernando Paragas, the winning team included the ten communication research undergraduate students Anne Czarina Alba, Frenna Mae Cruz, Miccah Doctolero, Raine Capadocia, Tristan Delgado, Regine Anne Ramos, Myk Reyes, Aleli Roselo, Jhei Soriano, Kessica Camille Tanglao.

PLM garnered silver, while a team from UP Manila got the third place. All three finalists will receive Junior Anvil trophies in the 44th Anvil awards in 2009, an annual event conducted by the PRSP which honors the country's best PR campaigns.



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Photos by Aleli Roselo

Want to see how we prepared for it? :P Click here!
How did we present it? Click here for presentation photos by Kaye Kwan.



Team credits
Adviser: Dr. Fernando Paragas
Conceptualization to proposal-making: All
Key presenters in finals: Miccah Doctolero, Raine Capadocia, Myk Reyes
Three sports mascots: Anne Czarina Alba ("Tara", Sepak Takraw), Tristan Delgado ("Chess", Chester), Jhei Soriano ("Tyk", Taekwondo)
Clickers: Frenna Mae Cruz, Kessica Camille Tanglao

Collaterals and presentation design: Aleli Roselo
Komiks art: Myk Reyes
Production inspirations! CommRes 197 classmates and UP PRads members! We <3 you guys!

Special thanks to Prof. Ramona Jimenez and Prof. Violeda Umali, for all the moral boosts, as well as providing for our ticket to this competition!

And also to Dr. Portus, Prof. Tessa Jazmines, Mam Marlu Bamaceda, and all our Ka-CommRes and MassComm students for cheering for us all the way! :D

We represent the Department of Communication Research, College of Mass Communication, UP Diliman!

September 28, 2008


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Congratulations also to the rest of the finalists! :)
Congratulations also to the CommRes 165 students and the 10th Department Extension Research Project presentation ICON, Investigating College Newspapers last September 29, 2008.