By Enrico Miguel Ranoco

From an academic scholar of public relations to a thought leader in the communications industry, award-winning communications practitioner Ferdinand L. Bondoy has been elected as Chair of Students’ PR Congress and Grand Prix of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) and Corporate Secretary of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines.

ComCo Southeast Asia’s Regional Integration and Chief Executive Director Ferdinand Bondoy has been elected to the International Association of Business Communications (IABC) Philippines’ Board of Trustees for 2021 to 2023. IABC is an association of top business, industrial and organizational communicators and professionals in the world. He was named as Corporate Secretary and Chair of Digital Communications and Public Relations Committee. He is also serving as the Co-Chair of the Philippine Student Quill Awards and IABC PH CommChat Series and is spearheading a special project for youth and students.

ComCo SEA - NEw PR Smart Social - IABC PH

International Association of Business Communicators Philippines Board of Trustees 2021 – 2023

Earlier in 2021, Mr. Bondoy was also elected to this year’s Board of Trustees of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), the country’s premier organization for communication and public relations professionals. He is appointed as Chair of the Students’ PR Congress and Grand Prix and under his term, he will be introducing and leading the 1st nationwide and interactive edition of the said student activities.

ComCo SEA - New PR Smart Social - PRSP Board

Public Relations Society of the Philippines Board of Trustees for 2021-2022

A champion of strategic integrated communications, Ferdinand L. Bondoy is a multi-awarded communications practitioner with extensive communications work, regional collaboration, and international training throughout his career. Ferdinand, who is also a certified digital marketer and crisis counselor in Asia-Pacific, has mastered the diverse fields of communications. He has serviced some of the biggest global and local brands and organizations in the region and spearheaded landmark campaigns recognized by the industry here and across the globe. His works have been recognized by prestigious award-giving bodies such as Cannes Lion, Spikes Asia, PR Awards Asia, Mumbrella, MarCom Awards, Marketing Event Awards, Marketing PR Awards, Stevie Awards, Asia-Pacific Tambuli Awards, Kidlat, ARAW, Anvil Awards, and Quill Awards.

Ferdinand started young in the communications field having been an academic scholar of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila) where he graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Bachelor of Mass Communication and served as Features Editor of Ang Pamantasan Student Publication, Public Relations Officer of College of Arts and Sciences Student Council, and Block Representative of Mass Communication Students League. In his young professional years, he has been assimilated to the International Association Business Communications (IABC) Philippines as he led projects for the Digital Communications Committee of the Philippine Quill and Student Quill Awards and eventually serving as an evaluator of the prestigious award-giving body.

“Spearheading the Students’ Congress and Grand Prix of PRSP and the Philippine Student Quill Awards of IABC Philippines is close to my heart as my career and craft started through the industry’s student programs. It is an honor and an opportunity for me to give back to the industry by preparing the next generation of communications and public relations professionals and leaders, just like how I was honed in the field. It has come full circle and I think this is the reason why I was given this position, to complete the narrative that the seed sowed yesterday are the fruits harvested today.”

ComCo SEa - NEW PR Smart Social - Ferdinand Bondoy

ComCo SEA’s Regional Integration and Chief Executive Director Ferdinand Bondoy

In the same spirit of paying it forward, Mr. Bondoy together with ComCo Southeast Asia’s pool of experts, built the Camp ComCo Mentorship Program, an intensive and comprehensive talent incubation initiative, industry linkage course and apprenticeship program designed to transform communication, marketing and multimedia arts students and fresh graduates into revolutionary practitioners of the industry.  Now on its 15th Cycle, Camp ComCo has been recognized for producing high-caliber young communications practitioners since 2016. He is also fondly called as “coach” by those whom he took under his wing and mentored extensively in the practice.

ComCo SEA - New PR Smart Social - Ferdinand Bondoy

Camp ComCo Mentorship Program Alumni

In 2016, Mr. Bondoy co-founded ComCo Southeast Asia, a global award-winning integrated communications agency headquartered in the Philippines with affiliate network presence in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, which champions the practice of the emerging global disciplines of New PR and Smart Social. In just 5 years, the trailblazing communications agency has done groundbreaking work for more than 65 local, regional and international brands including reputable development and humanitarian organizations. Under his leadership, ComCo SEA has been awarded twice as Agency of the Year 2nd Runner-up at the IABC Quill Awards, Finalist for Boutique PR Consultancy of the Year in Asia at Campaign Asia Pacific’s PR Awards Asia, and 76 metals from various local and international award-giving bodies such as Spikes Asia, PR Awards Asia, Mumbrella, MarCom Awards, Marketing Event Awards, Marketing PR Awards, Stevie Awards, Kidlat, ARAW, Anvil Awards, and Quill Awards.

This year as ComCo Southeast Asia celebrates its fifth-anniversary celebration entitled “Blazing Sapphire”, the Agency looks forward to continuing igniting talent and giving back to the industry and various communities through its different programs and partnerships.

Aside from IABC Philippines and PRSP, Mr. Bondoy is also a member of the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP), the Public Relations and Communications Association Southeast Asia (PRCA SEA), the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) based in the United Kingdom, the ASEAN Public Relations Network (APRN), the Social Media Club based in Los Angeles in the USA, and the International Public Relations Association (IPRA).

Prior to ComCo Southeast Asia, Ferdinand was the Vice President for Brand Marketing, Digital, Social and Content of FleishmanHillard and Associate PR Director of Campaigns & Grey. Before his agency stint, he held corporate communications roles in First Metro Investment Corporation (and serviced its subsidiaries First Metro Asset Management Inc. and First Metro Securities Brokerage Corporation), Luen Thai International Group, and Globe Telecom, as well as a broadcast journalism post in ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs.

For more information, visit comcosea.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/ferdinand-bondoy-b7960956/.