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PUBLIC RELATIONS: Accountability , Distinction , Action

PRADA EDITOR’s NOTE

The concept of PR is relatively the same all the way around. While di�erent companies and di�erent organizations may have di�erent people they need to speak to, they still have the same main job: give who ever you’re representing a good name.

It could be the government, a celebrity, a company, a product. Whatever it is, you have to make sure you give the truth while still putting yourself in a good light. Hard? Definitely. Impossible?

Nope. What if it’s a sensitive subject? There are ways. And those ways include knowing your clientele, knowing their reactions to certain things and being able to fan out their flames and calming them down enough for you to start over again. So it isn’t exactly the easiest, but with the right words and the right attitude, you can make your company seem even better than before even after a major flop. That’s the power of words after all.

It can make or break you.

Jacqueline Danielle ArnoldEditor In Chief 2013PRada Magazine

THE PHILIPINE NATIONAL POLICE:

A HISTORY The iconic uniform is shades of blue, a gold police badge on a chest plate and more often than not,TV stars ev-ery day on the local news program. They’re the first ones you call when things get tough and dangerous andyou kind of need some form of prot-ection. Otherwise known as the civiliannational police force of the Philippines,meet the Philippine National Police, a.k.a the PNP.

The PNP is located in every city on mostly every island in the Philippines.More often than not, you’ll see an armyof them on the streets on Mendiola watching dutifully over the overly enth-usiastic crowd that rallies over some cause or another. They’ll also be hangingout in the Police Station in your district when they’re not needed.

Its national headquarters is at Camp Crame in Quezon City, Metro Manila. You can usually see this area when youpass through EDSA, with it also being a short ride away from Greenhills and Cubao. It’s an area with the grey brickwall and big gates that looks imposing from the outside but quite di�erent when you walk in. This expanse is positively teeming with o�cers in blue, with the surrounding area being peaceful and clean. The o�cers regularly give you smile when you walk by and also are mor e than happy to give you help when you ask for it.

It has 140,000 personnel, with them regularly removing rouge cops from theirforces and taking on new ones as well. Their main directorate is to provide PublicSafety for the civilians. Through this, they take their job seriously, and always find ways to help out. Including programs for the public, like Medical and Dental Missions, Drug Prevention programs for schools and even Self Defence classes.

The PNP’s clientele is the media, because the Media more or less represents the public. Through this,they regularly communicate with the Press Corps, Radio Programs and Publications to release their information. After all, according them, transparency of information is the best way to bridge the gap between them and the media. The public has the right to know the truth and the truth, regardless of whether or not the news is good or bad, must be told. In that way,they are able to fulfil their directorate, especially if they gain the public’s trust. Because of the public can trust them, they can help them. And vice versa.

AN OFFICERS LIFE: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESThe PNP’s main responsibility is to protect the public’s safety. Through this, they make it a point to always be alert and be smart about their actions and the public’s reaction.

To start o�, not everyone can just join the PNP. A few thingsneed to be take into consideration. First of all, with the general requirements, you have to Civil Service Eligible, Professional, Positive, Resourceful, Obedient and Courteous.Simple things that are just smart and have basic common courtesy.

Then you have the specifics, which are more important since they ultimately decide whether or not you can providethe level of safety that the public needs. This means that anapplicant must be Physically Fit, have higher Emotional Tol-erance, be Patient and be more intelligent than most.

Higher Emotional Tolerance because the PNP deals with the things the rest of us don’t have to worry about. The blood, the gore, the reality of having to find a dead body in the sewers.They can’t go on a mission and crying at the fact that the dead child they just discovered looks like their own daughter, who’s safe at home. They can’t get irrationally angry when they’re in front of the child’s murderer. Otherwise, they may just grab the gun and kill the murderer themselves, which kind of defeats the purpose of finding the real motive behind the murder. At the same time, that crosses a few dozen human rights violations and they could possibly kill the wrong guy at the same time. For all you know, he could have been set up.

“They make it a point to always be alert and be smart about their actions and the public’s reaction.

”

Patience is mainly because the PNP have to go on a lot of undercover missions and a lot of people will point them in di�erent directions to find the bad guy. It’s either they stay and wait for the bad guy to come out and make an appearance or they have to go through fifteen suspects and grill them until they get the answers they’re looking for. And when people get frustrated, they may have a habit to get angry and hit someone. In the PNP, that’s a no-no. Because everyone is innocent until proven guilty and even then, everyone deserves respect.

Intelligence is something that the PNP holds in high regard. While they aren’t asking for doctorate degrees, they do of course need people that can think ahead. After all, according to Senior Inspector Bryan S. Gregorio, Chief for broadcast, “We need intell igent men. Because we’ll be dealing with intelligent criminals.” They need to be able to stay one step ahead to prevent any criminal from doing damage to any civilian. They need to be the smar test guy in the room.

“We need intelligent men. Because we’ll be dealing with intelligent criminals.”

Senior Inspector Gregorio also says that they have to turn away those with disabilities.An example if you were color blind, as this would a�ect possibly seeing a red tracking dot of a sniper rifle. They must also turn away those that are under height or even flat footed, as this would also a�ect the way the job gets done. They must also deal with budget costs, because then they may not get the machinery they need to go into battle properly. They need to be at their best to protect the country’s’ best: the civilians.

Their role is to protect the safety of the people by being the better person and going inthe line of fire. They serve their country, not for any special gain, but because they love it.They willingly put themselves in harm’s way to protect others and that’s a recipe for heroes. While they do admit to removing rouge cops regularly, and not every o�cer is perfect, they do their best to abide by their code of justice and honor. As Senior Inspector Gregorio told us, “There will be bad eggs. But the majority of us, well. We only care to serve. The rest of us do our jobs. And we remove the rogue cops that don’t.”

SENIOR INSPECTOR

BRYAN S. GREGORIO

All hands, Salute! Senior Inspector Brian Gregorio.

An interview with a PNP chief? The title itself is imposing enough as it is. You feel the need to check yourself, make sure you watch what you say and even stand a little straighter in his presence. The o�ce was professional, with peoplerunning here and there and you get the feel thatthey have purpose and they take things seriously. Laughter here seemed like a pretty bad idea.

At least until they start talking to you. They give youa kind smile, and o�er you chairs and make sure you know your way to the restroom should you need it. All this aside, we still felt the need to be on our best behaviour. Until an imposing figure, big, tall and bulky walks in. Imposing at first, Senior Inspector Gregorio seems like he’d have no qualms about putting eight college kids in jail should they do anything out of line.

Until he speaks. Never would you have ever met anyone as welcoming and as nice as this Chief of Police. He jokes, he laughs and he even does roll call. A bit of background, he once studied Marketing in college before turning to the police force. He quizzes us on a few basics of Marketing before getting down to business.

He is animated when he speaks, giving examples whenever he can and is completely amiable when we asked further questions. He relates the police department as having the same principles as any company, and is knowledgeable on new and old news in regards to the business world. The way he speaks of PR in the PNP, makes us feel like he knows this job inside and out, and understands the trials of it more than anyone else.

He’s like the good cop you only meet in movies, the ones that really do it because they want justice. He’s quick to point out the redeeming qualities of the Police Force and ask us to withhold judgement based on what the media lets out to the public. The Media is a hard force to conquer, he says. Building relationships with them is tantamount to gaining the public’s trust, and should they send any negative comments their way, they must defend themselves against the false accusations. But he admits it’s hard, when the media has conditioned the public to see only one side of the situation, the negative side.

“It’s in the Filipino culture, to see things negatively. In papers, you don’t see people reading the articles about the truth. If they print the truth, then it’s considered trash. No, what the public wants is controversy. And controversy in media adds to money. It’s never really about the truth anymore, it’s about how much money you gain from a story that matters.”

He doesn’t believe they can force their own credibility though, can only do their best to prove their e�orts and their innocence. And he believes he can through action. “Of course there is no guarantee,”he tells us, “but in the end, if you believe in it, I’d like to face Saint John and tell him, that deep in heart, I did my service to my country. I did it for others, not for me. Even if I die in my line of duty, I’ll know I did it for a good reason.”

And in our opinion, he’s the kind of guy Saint John would let into heaven, no questions asked.

Think Before You Speak!PR, otherwise known as Public Relations, is a tricky subject. It’s about knowing when to speak, how to say it and otherwise, knowing how to control a conversation. If you think of the words “Think before you click” on social media, try to take this one in its most practical sense.

“Think Before You Speak.”

Basically, words can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it could mean just another word that doesn’t a�ect them, because they don’t care either way. They take into being the words “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.”

Then you have the people who think too much and care too much and words will always hurt them. They may not show it, but they’ll take it in and keep it in to mull over on nights they can’t sleep. They’ll question what actions had people looking at them the way they do and they may never get their answers. A word, whether spoken or written, can mean everything to them.

In terms of this, we bring up the word, Reputation. Reputations are built on two things, word and action. Actions bring them up and words can either raise them higher or bring them down untilactions mean nothing.

To the PNP, they try their best to keep their reputation as clean as possible. Of course, with the way words get around nowadays with Social Media and what not, it gets quite hard. It’s even harder when you have cameras flashing in your face and you know you have to tell the truth but the blatant truth may be hard for the public to bear.

That’s why when you speak of PR, you also speak of Tact and Thought. Because saying things without care will either get you fired, or you’ll have more things to explain and the issue will never end. At the interview with Senior Inspector Gregorio, he told us that the PNP must strike a balance, more often the not. To be fair to their clientele, they must tell the truth. At the same time, they also have a responsibility to give their organization a good reputation.

The main job of PR is to give a good reputation. Regardless whether it’s in the Government or a privatecompany, the job stands to the same description.

In the eyes of the customer, the organization should be perfect. Therein the PR o�cer must always tell the truth because you destroy the organization image if you are caught lying, at the same time, if you delay the information you have, it’s also tantamount to lying. In the end, the most you can hope for with sensitive subjects is that you cause the least amount of damage to the organization.

In the PNP, due to their di�erent level of command, Senior Inspector Gregorio must always follow through with the orders of those who have higher command then him. So while he may be the highest in his position with regards to PR and he knows what he must say, as he was also a Marketing Graduate and is skilled in his profession, he must follow the command of those who tell him otherwise. In that case, he either has two choices, he continue with their command or he resign. Because of that, being in PR is very tricky a hard role to fulfil. They must even represent the government, by that, he gives an example. “If the president’s stand is to end corruption, we must also focus on the same. That’s why we remove corrupt cops. If it’s to be a more advanced economy,

we need to follow through by getting more advanced equipment and machinery. We are a mirror to their movements. We must add trust to their government by doing our best.”

But he also says that owning up to your mistakes is also a good idea. He brings up the Toyota Recall Crisis in 2009, stating that while they made a horrible mistake with the cars and the recall brought up millions of complaints against the company, customers are still loyal to the brand as they owned up their mistake and worked to fix it. That is the clincher he says. “You will have problems, every company does. But as long as you work to fix it, and show that you are working on it and progress is being made, the public will understand you more.”

“And always have evidence.” He laughs. “You can rebutany claim they make against you so long as you have the evidence to prove against it.” In other words, be as transparent as possible. Then no one will have a thing to say against anything and the customers will even love you more for it.

He says the reason they try to be a public as possible with certain things is that they hope to build a relationship with the public that will help them do their job better. “If the public trusts you, they will point you in the right direction.” He says. “They will give you feedback that will help make your services better and at the same time, they will patronize you more than any other organization. But if you do a bad job, they will withhold information that could possibly help you find criminals and even do things to damage your organization more.”

Loyalty and trust go along way with regards to the PNP and he believes that the media may be what’s really damaging their reputation. “Even if everyone in the PNP was a saint, because of one bad egg, well. They’d still hate the organization as whole. That’s why we try to remove those that we know are the problems because keeping them is far more damaging to us as a whole, even when we try to make things better.”

Think Before You Speak!

YOU. YES, YOU!The PNP Wants YOU!Getting into a government agency—in this case,the Philippine National Police—as a Public Relations personnel is fairly hard. While it’s true that it doesn’t really matterwhat you majored in (heck, it doesn’t even matter if you have a Bachelor’s degree or a two-year course diploma), there’s something the PNP is looking for, and you might not have it. They’re looking for the right attitude. The PNP is looking for a cross between a PR representative and a field policeo�cer. See below for details.

As a Police O�cer, apply if:

You have finished college. Every agency requires a certain level of educational attainment. In the PNP, they want you equipped with either a two-year college diploma or a four-year Bachelor’s degree.

You have passed the government’s civil service exam. This is fairly important. To be able to work at any government agency, you have to pass theirstandard civil service exam.

You are professional. Translation: you don’t bring drama in the workplace.

You are physically fit. As a police o�cer—even one who works at the PR department—chances are, you’re going to have to chase after criminals.

You are emotionally stable. As a police o�cer—even one who works at the PR department—chances are, you’re going to have to witness a lot of violence, and you’re going to have to deal with that without being in hysterics.

You have the “right” attitude. You are positive. You are resourceful. You take initiative, and you’re always courteous.

As a PR person, apply If:

You have thick skin. This is not a profession for the timid. You must be able to deal with criticism.

You are resilient. You will always be knocked down in this profession, and what defines you is how quickly you get back up

You are creative. Creativity born outside the norm resonates best with the public.

You are good at building relationships. You have to be able to establish good rapport and bridge communication through quality conversations that build strong relationships.

Those who are the following need not apply:People who’ve lost one or more of their senses (i.e., sense of sight, hearing), short people, people with flat feet, and people with tattoos.

Breaking StigmasMr. Gregorio talks about fighting the bad reputation of the country’s police forcewith a little PR.

It’s no secret that the public generally distrusts the police. Everyone, it seems, has formed unfair opinions about the public safety service. Many believe that most policemen are engaged in corrupt and unjust activities—just like the government. So how does the PNP dispute negative rumors?

This is where PR comes in. The Public Information O�ce dispels rumors by saying which or which isn’t true.

For example, rumors about the corruption in the PNP proved to be false, as the agency adopted the government’s transparency policy, which shows their allocation of the agency’s budget. Guns were bought at nearly half the price, thanks to public bidding. The spare change they picked up on the way was infused at acquiring more guns—instead of making the PNP’s pockets fatter. The PNP even dismissed 150 o�cers. “We do not tolerate rogue o�cers,” said Gregorio. The PNP are taking pain to reform their image, says Gregorio. There have been many reform programs within the agency, including spiritual activities for o�cers. Their aim is to change people’s perception by showing proof contrary to thenews and rumors circulating.

But where did this bad perception come from?

Mass media. It’s a powerful weapon and, according to Gregorio, the media has conditioned the minds of the public to view the PNP as crooked. Why? To make a profit.

Gregorio admitted that there are corrupt policemen within the agency—but the reports of these corrupt policemen are often exaggerated by “irresponsible media members” whose purpose is to attract viewers. Gregorio points out that the sad truth is, modern journalism has become profit-oriented. Most journalists tweak their stories to make it more attractive. News is being sensationalized. These are tactics geared towards their goal—not to inform the public, but rather to sell news. Media attention is a constant hazard that PR departments deal with. It is necessary that PR personnel be able to professionally deal with unsavory rumors and interests. The truth is, mass media isn’t the one at fault. “It’s the Filipino culture,” said Gregorio. Filipinos are fascinated with negativity, it’s true.

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PR inThe 21stcentury

The PNP have accepted the fact that social media is very useful for both the user and the organization. Because of that, the PNP is doing their best to maximize the utilization of social media in reforming their mandates and providing the information needed by the public. Social media is also being used a gauge to getfeedback from citizens so they can modify their mandates as needed.

For the past couple of years, social network sites have rapidly gained popularity until social networking sites evolved into a much more powerful force: social media. These days, everybody’s on Facebook, everyone’s tweeting, everyone’s putting up pictures on Instagram, or blogging on Tumblr. A whopping 79% of teenagers are using it, as well as 79% of young adults and 48% of senior citizens.

Even the PNP is a big fan of social media. They acknowledge that “social media is a powerful tool to share information to the public and being able to do our job using it,” said Gregorio. The community benefits from social media (to acquire information easily and instantly). On the other hand, the police may also benefitprofessionally from social media.

Anna Clarisse C. CeñidoI always viewed a story as a puzzle to be solved and the information it contained as puzzle pieces. These puzzle pieces can be as many as possible depending on the number of people who contributed their own facts and even their own lies to the story.

Gathering puzzle pieces is easy. But determining which pieces are the correct parts of the puzzle, isn’t. I, for one, have sided against any of the government agency, if not always, most of the time. They either had little or no credibility at all, always seemed to be corrupt, lazy, and suspicious, the list goes on. And everything negative, I attributed to the government.

What lead me to this perception? The media, which always served as my source of information.

Then I asked myself: Am I being stereotypical? I thought about it, and it’s not that I only looked at one side of the picture this whole time; it’s just that I’m only being shown one side of it. It’s not that I didn’t do my own gathering of information; it’s just that I couldn’t find anything “credible”.

And so, solving the puzzle for me is never easy. Facts here, lies there. There come moments that I give up solving it. Lucky me, my group was able to gain insights from the institution which everyone sets their eyes and ears on, and practically doubts it’s every move. It was a rewarding learning experience. Now that I’ve found an important puzzle piece, maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to solve the puzzle.

Jona Patricia DeograciasMy dad is a policeman. All Policemen are heroes. Ergo, my dad is a Hero. I believe that all policemen are heroes and they’d be willing to risk everything to serve their country. They bring honor and raise peace for our community.

They must not only be physically fit, but also mentally and emotionally capable andtheir pride comes not from knowing they will gain anything in return but rather because they know they do something great for their fellowmen. Because of the bad image that they’ve acquired from the public, Filipino policemen are often degraded and sometimes thought of as the real criminals.

Even in the movies, policemen are known to be the last ones when it comes to the ‘scene of the crime’. Some even show policemen as the master minds of the plot. That image that the public has a�ects their own image and reputation and may even cause people not to help them get their job done.

But not all policemen are rude or arrogant. I’ve been around my dad for the past 19 years, and never have I felt frightened or afraid. He always makes me feel secure and comfortable. I’ve been around policemen for 19 years, and never have I realized that they could do anything wrong or even cause something that could damage the country.

The interview with the police captain made me realize how lucky Filipinos are for having PNP to serve them. And I am even luckier then they are, because I am a policeman’s daughter.

Being a public servant is never easy. by Rin Espiritu

You’ll be criticized and accused by many and the very few who don’t will never be heard over the crowd. Some will appreciate you and the few that do will always feel like one in a million. One wrong move and people will start judging you.

I honestly used to hate the policemen because almost all the ones that I have seen in my entire life are corrupt that’s why they are sometimes called as “buwaya”. I’ve also seen them as “ningas-kugon”. Why? Because some of them will only do well in their job at first (and only when there are government o�cials around) but as time passes, they will just start conversing with their fellow policemen and won’t do their job anymore and just wait for their salary.

From yesterday’s interview with Police Senior Inspector Bryan Gregorio, Chief for Operations of the Public Information O�ce, Philippine National Police, I have learned to appreciate the police more. Especially those who are willing to sacrifice themselves just to protect their fellowmen. I was surprised that aside from protecting the public, they also o�er and provide socio-civic activities like dental and medical missions as well.

He told us that they dismissed 150 rouge cops recently because they don’t tolerate their acts and I felt happy when I heard that. And I remembered what our high school English teacher told us once that “First impressions never last”. I guess I was just being too critical of them, or maybe I was just influenced by the media, the people that always exaggerate stories about others so they can finally get a story that sells.

They Risk More Than People Think They Do.My cousin works in the United States Army. Needless to say, she knows all about being in the line of fire. And how easy it is for people to be there one day, gone the next second.

It’s because of this that I have always respected thepolice, the army, the navy. Why I don’t pay attentionto corruption in the PNP. The most I do pay attention to are the senators because I know that they don’t risk a thing to do their job. They spend their time whiling away behind their desks and merely decide where the money goes

I suppose I’ve been fortunate enough to live in the area I do, as the Police o�cers that hang around my area are always courteous and do their job properly. None of them whistle at passing ladies, they stand there and watch their surroundings and even help stop tra�c so people can cross the road. The only time I have ever hated a policeman was when they’re used for dress up;

i.e Norway Massacre, the Iceland Shooting, even in the Philippines, the Manila Hostage Crisis. Those people had no right to dress up the way they did, had no right to do what they did and slander the people that everyone else believes should be protecting them.

The mere fact that they did that, knowing that they could and would slander the public’s view of them was disgusting They couldn’t do the deed themselves, dressed as themselves. In a world where the mere concept of safety and protection is already so frail, they’ve been able to damage the reputation of the people that deserve our respect the most. Ordinary civilians barely bother themselves with the fate of the people next to them, these people do it every single day and at the cost of their own lives.

I’d like to see any naysayer gather their bravery to run after an armed hooligan. Take a few miles in their shoes before saying anything against them

JACQUELINE DANIELLE ARNOLD

Our Two Cents Worth

Last December 04, 2013 (Wednesday), we interviewed Sir Gregorio from PNP PIO. I realized a lot of things about the police of PNP. He said that being a policeman is like a marketer, because as a policeman they have to make their service consolidate for us Filipinos support their services. Their mission is to enforce the law, prevent and control crimes, maintain peace and order and ensure public safety and internal security with the active support of the community. Also, create a positive public perception of the PNP through multi-media information, education and communication program targeting PNP’s internal and external public, aimed at eliciting support, cooperation and participation in its policies and programs. And their vision is imploring the aid of the almighty by 2030, we shall be a highly capable, e�ective and credible police service working in partnership with a responsive community towards the attainment of a safer place to live; work and do business. As a policemen they are facing a lot of barriers like many Filipinos have negative insights about the PNP’s because of the power of media, wrong doings of other policemen and the old culture of Filipinos. Social media has a very good impact for the PNP because it helps them easier to have an update from the community. It is easy for them to give updates about their news and accomplishments. He also said that we as a marketing students must be sincere in making our products and services to have a loyal consumers, like a policeman they have to be sincere to their service to gain support and trust of the community.

Before saying my thoughts, First I would like to thank Mr. Ed Timbungco who gave us these thrilling activity that let us broaden our knowledge about what is really happening in the PR world. After interviewing Police Senior Inspector Bryan Gregorio of the Public Information O�ce, I’ve come to realize a lot of things. He is an intelligent and respectable police o�cer, changing my perspective of most of the policemen in our country. As we all know, PNP do not have a good image from the public, they are viewed to be corrupt and they have been receiving a lot of negative feedback. It is really vital for them to have a good public relation to people in order to gain the trust of the citizen. I have learned so much about how public relation is being done in an institution such as PNP. They have a lot of challenges and a lot of controversies they have to face through especially that the media are always keeping an eye on them. But through all the midst of it they continue to be strong and they have been striving hard to build a good reputation. To sum it all up, it has been a great and fruitful experience and I will surely apply all the knowledge I acquired in the near future.

Jellie I. Malapit

Jezaniah Isidro

PHOTOWALLBy Nigel Reyes

Public Relations plays a significant role in the PNP. Our country's police force has always been bombarded with unsavory rumors, and now the entire country perceives them in a negative manner. Our interviewee had discussedin detail the reasons for this unfair assessment is the way the media portrays them in the daily news. The PNP must learn how to deal with constant backlash from the people, and I believe that is what makes their PR department e�ective and e�cient: the constant cleaning up of their image

- Nicole Andrews

PHOTOWALL Behind The Pages

PRADACopyright 2013

Dedicated to the men and womenof the Philippine National Police

who are always willing to take risksfor the Filipino People.