We take it for granted now, but back in the 80s and earlier, the brand of medicine that your doctor prescribed you was the one you got. As a patient, you would get the brand that was doc-prescribed – no matter how expensive it was! In the Philippines, cheaper alternatives existed, but the public really didn’t know any better. Unless you were a doctor, you wouldn’t really know the generic name of the medicine. You had to rely on what brand the doctor was pushing. Even the packaging of the drugs only had the brand name, not the generic name. How would the public know that there were cheaper alternatives, that were as effective? All this changed with the Generics Act of 1988, or R.A.

One thing I proved during the presidential campaign of then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is that authenticity really is the best strategy. It was his brash talk, macho humor, and kitschy fashion that incited feelings of discomfort in some – but ended up endearing him to the majority of voters. It was very easy to frame this as his strength. He didn’t mince words, and he was unabashedly himself at all times. In short, he was always his authentic self. This brand of authenticity was what the Duterte Communications Team capitalized on, and which helped led to the first Mindanaoan President in our history. He was far from the cookie-cutter politico that everyone was used to, and instead of hiding all his flaws, we

It used to be that if you wanted to campaign for your candidate, you had to rely on the “holy grail” of tri-media: print (whether broadsheet, tabloids, or magazines), radio, and TV. It was traditional media that I was an expert in; that’s my background. But the times were changing – as I was feeling the pulse of the Philippines on a possible Duterte Presidency, I was also feeling the pulse of this emerging field of social media, and how it can be used to not just get your message out there, but to actually amplify it.  It wasn’t new per se, but Facebook back in 2016 was the game changer – specifically, free Facebook.  In 2016, Facebook offered free access to its users. This

I remember back in 2014, Lito Banayo  showed me a presentation prepared by a staff of Mr. Bong Go. The objective was to test public reaction to a possible Duterte candidacy in the 2016 elections.  I remember thinking that it was an interesting proposition. Finally, a Mindanaon candidate that could really represent the interests of the region!   After what Lito showed me. I drew up a budget and told him that, for the right kind of exposure, you will need ₱40 million. But we found ways to trim it down to eight million – this is how we did it.    Feeling the Pulse – is the PH ready for a Duterte Presidency? We needed to gauge the pulse of the public. I turned the

I think it was Boo Chanco (who was then the vice president of the news division of ABS-CBN in the 90’s) who said to Serge that if you really want help with your campaign, you should get this guy because he’s good. I don’t know if he was just pulling my leg, but that’s what he said to Serge, while pointing at me. “You should get this man,” he said.  That was how I met Sergio “Serge” Osmeña III, grandson of President Osmeña, experienced legislator, and public servant. Unknown maybe to the general public, Serge was also a seasoned political campaigner. And I am fortunate to have worked with him throughout most of his career – including the 2010 campaign of ex-president Noynoy Aquino.