UST Office of Public Affairs Director Assoc. Prof. Giovanna V. Fontanilla, has been granted the title of “APR” or “Accredited in Public Relations” by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) Board of Accreditation.
The ceremony held on September 28, 2017 at the Shangri-La in the Fort, Bonifacio Global City, in Taguig, coincided with PRSP’s 24th National Public Congress, “The Board Room 2017.”
For this year, PRSP inducted five topnotch PR practitioners: UST Office of
Public Affairs Director Giovanna Fontanilla, ABS-CBN Corporate Communications Head Kane Errol Choa, CEMEX Corporate
Communications and Public Affairs Director Chito S. Maniago, Ripple 8 Inc. of DDB Group Managing Partner Cherie Mijares,
and Millennium Challenge Communications
Director Andy Saracho.
“The new APR members received the “APR” title that is appended to their name, the green beca and the pin that signify their professional expertise and ethics in the field of public relations (PR). It is conferred to a nominated public relations practitioner only after exceeding expectations in a thorough evaluation of qualifications, in written and
oral examinations, as well as in interviews
by the Board of Accreditation.
To be nominated, a candidate for APR must have at least five years of professional practice in PR, or in teaching PR in a recognized university; a body of work that displays a high degree of competence and
understanding of the responsibility of a PR practitioner; ethical practice of PR that has earned the respect of both superiorsand peers; and extensive experience in managing a team of specialists.
Fontanilla, who has led the Office of Public Affairs for years, considers the title to signify her inspiration “to join the voice of leaders for broader, deeply engagingand truthful communication;” her gratitude to those who believe in her, especially to the University of Santo Tomas and in particular, the Office of Public Affairs team; and her commitment “to purposeful
communication and elevat ed discourse that produce sparks and eventually torches
of knowledge and enlightenment for more
discerning and perceptive understanding
and implementation of public relations
programs.”
