MAY is the designated month for honoring all mothers-from working moms in business and the professions to fulltime housewives who mind home and hearth. Thus, I believe there is no better time than now to pay tribute to our colleagues in the PR industry who are doing exceptional work in public relations, communications, marketing, social causes, events and advocacies.
As public relations practitioners, we are expected to be highly creative thinkers, innovative people managers, strategic storytellers and masters of information and current events. While we’re at it, we also have to look good even when we are exhausted or feeling drained. We need to be articulate speakers who are constantly prepared to give an intelligent and informed opinion, either for ourselves, for our clients, and most especially when we are asked to speak to media.
I often say: Public Relations is a tough job. While most people note the glamor, the fun, and the opportunities to engage with celebrities or famous people, we and our teams have to put in tons of time and hard work into conceptualizing, creating, and planning every painstaking detail.
We may be seen hobnobbing with our clients and their guests at plush resorts or dining at the best restaurants or watching top-rated shows or attending glittery store openings and entertainment functions, but the stark reality is: these affairs are incredibly laborious occasions. At the very least, we must ensure the presence of important guests and members of the media at each event, which must be impeccably put together and organized so that its impact or effect will last way longer than the event itself.
It is therefore not an exaggeration to say that PR work requires tough women and if you add motherhood to that, we become almost superhuman (not a hyperbole!)
Now let me introduce you to three PR power women in my circle who have invested several decades of their lives into creating and delivering some of the most significant and memorable PR campaigns and projects that make them three of the best practitioners I hold the highest regard for. Each stands out not only for her leadership and credibility in the field, but more importantly, for managing the demands of PR work while helping ensure a wholesome family life.
These moms are amazing because they continue to prove that strong women make a big difference in successfully balancing their families and work. I have actually worked with these women at various stages in my career and I can honestly say that I admire them for their intelligence and passion, their innate kindness and genuine love for people, and for their true and lasting friendship in a world that is constantly challenged by fleeting, transactional relationships.
They are the real deal and I say this with respect and hope that there will be more like them.
Read on to learn about these mothers’ secrets, their values, and their strengths, which make them iconic in the work that they do. BALANCING a demanding career in public relations with family life was a deliberate choice shaped by where I chose to build my career. I often say that I started doing PR at the age of 15, helping my father with simple PR tactics long before I formally entered the profession. For 42 years, I have loved the work because it always felt like an extension of who I am-not simply work.
Apart from running a small advertising and PR agency, 5BC Integrated Marketing Communication, I intentionally worked in educational institutions, first at Colegio de San Juan de Letran and now at Far Eastern University, because these environments allowed me to fully manage my priorities as both a professional and a mother of three children. I was also fortunate to have a supportive partner who understood the demands and time challenges of the profession, making it possible for us to balance both career and family with mutual understanding and constant support.
Whenever possible, I brought my children along to work events so they could be part of my world, and I made it a point never to miss the milestones that mattered most in their lives, such as birthdays, school recitals, and educational field trips. In my column ‘Namamana: Public Relations, blood is thicker,’ I wrote about how family is often our first school of public relations, where we learn trust by showing up, empathy by understanding each other’s situations, loyalty, and the value of nurturing relationships. These lessons stay with us long before we enter any profession. In the first three decades of my professional life, I also had the privilege of mentoring many students who eventually pursued careers in public relations themselves, teaching them that PR is never just about publicity, but about people and relationships. For me, balance has never been about separating career and family, but about making sure both are anchored on instilled values.
(Rowena ‘Wen’ is our Secretary in the IPRA Philippine Chapter and is known for her zealous work and involvement in the Metro Manila Film Festival where she has been an Executive Committee member since 2013.) JOURNALISM professor at the UP College of Media and Communication, sports columnist at BusinessMirror, president of LarcandAsset PR, mom to three grown boys now with their own families, and grandma to three young souls.
Juggling teaching, sports coverages, PR strategizing and playing Mother Hen to biological family and professional families can be the ultimate circus act. But the might of the appointment book should not be underestimated. It keeps the airplanes of your life taking off and landing safely in the busy airport of your existence. When schedules clash, deftly assign able ‘first officers’ to handle the task. It always pays to read the terrain of your battlefield every day, and plan your moves at least a month in advance, if you can. But when surprises happen, you can only rely on your instincts and your quick-draw creativity. Trust your gut. Work is an adventure that must always be pursued with passion. But to keep flying high, get your power from your family. Family always comes first.
IN the earlier days of my professional life, work-life balance wasn’t practiced as much or in the manner that it is seen these days with the emergence of hybrid work and telecommuting. In the years before my husband’s passing, the ‘balancing’ act somehow leaned more towards work. But what made it viable was my family’s full support and understanding of the long hours that were demanded by my job. What we did on weekends revolved on my availability. Many celebratory holidays together would be spent in my workplace. Since I organized it, attending Christmas Eve Mass at our hotel for example, was de rigueur for many decades. Their understanding of the demands of my work, and acceptance to share these experiences with me, enabled me to achieve the work-life balance as we saw it, as we’d find ways to make things work, and indulge in joyful ‘we’ times during overseas and out of town trips whenever possible.
(Charisse’s reputation as the doyenne of the Philippine hospitality industry is unquestioned as she has about five decades of experience as PR for some of the country’s most prestigious hotels. She is also our member of IPRA Philippine chapter where she now serves as one of the Board of Advisers.)
Happy Mothers’ Month to all our mom colleagues in the PR, marketing, advertising and communications industry.
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premiere association for senior communications professionals around the world. Joy Lumawig-Buensalido is the President and CEO of Buensalido PR and Communications. She was past Chairman of the IPRA Philippine chapter for two terms.