FROM securing a seat at the decision-making table to embracing artificial intelligence (AI), Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) President Ana Pista is setting her sights on a future where Filipino public relations (PR) professionals are recognized not merely as storytellers, but as strategic leaders shaping industries and society.
For decades, PR professionals have worked behind the scenes, shaping narratives, building reputations, managing crises, and influencing decisions. Yet despite their contributions, many remain outside the rooms where some of the most important organizational decisions are made.
For Pista, who is also the CEO of PR firm Ardent Communications, it is time to change that narrative.
Armed with three decades of industry experience, Pista is championing a more ambitious future for Philippine PR practice, one where practitioners command greater professional recognition, compete on the global stage, and harness emerging technologies without losing the human judgment and ethical responsibility at the heart of their work.
At the 33rd National PR Congress, Pista outlined a vision anchored on the PRSP Board of Trustees’ 2026–2027 theme, “Steward the Story,” a call for practitioners to take greater responsibility not only for the stories they tell, but also for the future of their profession.
Central to that vision is a five-year roadmap extending to 2030, designed to elevate professional standards and strengthen the position of PR within the country’s communications industry.
“We are doing the strategizing, the campaigns. We are behind everything,” Pista said, challenging the long-standing perception that PR professionals are primarily responsible for writing and distributing press releases.
For her, the discipline’s contribution extends far beyond publicity. PR professionals are strategic advisers who understand stakeholders, anticipate reputational risks, and help organizations navigate increasingly complex environments. Yet their influence is not always reflected in their standing within corporate leadership.
“Our problem is having a seat on the table,” she said, pointing to the need for PR practitioners to participate more meaningfully in executive decision-making.
A Roadmap for a Stronger Profession
Pista’s proposed roadmap seeks to confront longstanding challenges that have limited the industry’s growth and recognition. Among these are compensation standards, the valuation of professional services, and the practice of requiring agencies to invest considerable time and resources in preparing proposals without compensation.
She also acknowledged the disparities in budget allocation and professional recognition between public relations and related fields such as advertising and marketing.
For Pista, professionalization does not suggest that previous generations of practitioners lacked competence or integrity. Rather, it means raising standards, strengthening the industry’s collective voice, and ensuring that PR expertise is valued appropriately. The changing communications environment has created an opportunity to advance that agenda.
The COVID-19 pandemic, she observed, demonstrated the importance of effective stakeholder communication. As organizations struggled with uncertainty, PR professionals became increasingly essential in communicating with employees, customers, and other stakeholders. That experience helped reinforce the value of PR as a strategic management function rather than simply a promotional service.
Today, however, the industry faces another major transformation, driven by digital platforms, changing audience behavior, intensifying competition, and AI. “We have to stay competitive and stay updated. We keep on upskilling,” Pista emphasized.
Taking Philippine PR Beyond Metro Manila
Another milestone under Pista’s leadership is PRSP’s expansion beyond its traditional geographic center. After 69 years, the organization has established regional networks in the Visayas and Mindanao, with regional leadership intended to bring professional development and industry opportunities closer to practitioners outside Metro Manila.
The initiative, she said, represents an important step toward making the profession more inclusive and strengthening the national PR community. Her vision also places considerable emphasis on bridging the gap between academic training and professional practice.
She wants stronger collaboration among universities, industry practitioners, and students to ensure that aspiring communicators receive meaningful exposure to the discipline before entering the workforce. “You have to involve the academics to connect with the professionals,” she pointed out, underscoring the importance of industry exposure, practical learning, and continuous skills development.
Pista also noted that PR is still not widely offered as a standalone degree program, with many institutions incorporating it only as a subject or component of broader communications courses. She hopes this will change in the coming years, allowing more students to recognize PR as a distinct and rewarding career.
Her own journey into the profession illustrates the importance of that exposure. A comparative literature graduate, Pista recalled initially knowing little about PR before discovering that the work aligned with her longstanding interests in writing, communication, and leadership.
What began as an unexpected career opportunity eventually became a lifelong calling. Now leading PRSP, she sees an opportunity to help create clearer pathways for the next generation of practitioners.
Filipino PR Talent in a Borderless Industry
Pista also sees globalization as both an opportunity and a challenge for Philippine PR practice. With remote work increasingly connecting local professionals to international employers, Filipino communicators are no longer competing solely with other agencies within the country.
They are participating in a global talent market where expertise, creativity, and communication skills can command international opportunities. She cited the experience of two highly skilled professionals who were recruited by an agency in Europe, reportedly receiving salaries four times higher than what local employers could offer.
The development reflects growing international demand for Filipino talent. At the same time, it raises difficult questions about talent retention, compensation, and the competitiveness of Philippine PR firms. For independent agencies, the challenge is particularly significant.
Pista believes their flexibility, authenticity, and ability to develop unconventional solutions can provide an advantage in an increasingly dynamic marketplace. But maintaining that edge requires constant learning, innovation, and a willingness to rethink traditional business models.
Artificial Intelligence: A Tool, Not a Replacement
Perhaps the most consequential transformation facing public relations is the rapid rise of AI.
While some professionals remain concerned that AI could eventually replace human communicators, Pista believes the more immediate threat lies in failing to understand and use the technology. “If you do not have skill, if you do not embrace, if you do not learn it, then you will be left behind. You’re really going to lose your job,” she warned.
Her position is grounded in direct experience.
In 2024, Pista established the AI Center of Excellence (ACE), an initiative providing AI-related training for PR and communications practitioners. Working with an international training partner, the initiative has extended its reach beyond the Philippines to other Southeast Asian markets, including Indonesia and Malaysia. She has since witnessed a significant shift in attitudes toward AI.
Organizations and brands that initially viewed the technology with skepticism are increasingly exploring its applications, while government institutions are also showing greater interest in specialized training. However, she thinks technological adoption must remain grounded in professional competence and human direction. “I’ve always believed that AI is just a tool,” she said.
She explained that AI can improve productivity, shorten workflows, and allow professionals to devote more time to strategic and creative responsibilities. Tasks that previously required half a day, she noted, can sometimes be completed in an hour. But efficiency does not eliminate the need for expertise. “AI is only as good as the data you put in,” she stressed.
Her point is particularly relevant in a profession built on credibility, judgment, relationships, and the responsible handling of information. AI can support content development and execution, but practitioners must still understand the underlying communication objectives, evaluate outputs, and exercise professional judgment.
That distinction becomes especially important as AI-generated content grows more sophisticated and the challenge of maintaining public trust becomes more complex.
For Pista, the future of PR is not a contest between humans and machines. It is about developing professionals who can make intelligent use of technology while preserving the distinctly human qualities that make communication meaningful. And she believes Filipino practitioners should aim higher than merely keeping pace with technological change.
“We need to not just be catching up, but we have to lead it,” she declared.
Her message to the industry can be distilled into three words: “Upskill, adapt, lead.” It is a philosophy shaped by her experience navigating earlier waves of technological disruption, including her involvement in the launch of Windows 95.
Having witnessed how new technologies repeatedly transform the communications landscape, Pista views AI as another defining moment that the industry must confront with confidence rather than fear.
Stewarding the Next Generation
As PRSP moves toward its 2030 vision, Pista hopes to leave behind more than a collection of programs and initiatives. She wants to help establish a stronger professional foundation, one that improves industry standards, expands opportunities across the regions, connects education with practice, and prepares Filipino communicators for an increasingly competitive and technology-driven world.
Her ambitions also reflect a broader shift in what PR can become: a profession whose value is measured not merely by media coverage or publicity, but by its ability to guide decisions, earn public trust, and contribute to organizational and societal progress. She said stewarding the story ultimately means stewarding the people behind it.
And as AI transforms how information is produced, distributed, and consumed, the industry’s greatest asset may remain the very thing technology cannot independently guarantee: the human capacity to exercise judgment, uphold ethical standards, and build genuine trust.
The future of Philippine PR, in Pista’s vision, belongs to professionals who are prepared not simply to tell the story of change, but to help lead it.