From an academic scholar of public relations to a thought leader in the communications field, award-winning communications practitioner and COMCO Southeast Asia’s Regional Integration & Chief Executive Director, Partner and Co-Founder Ferdinand L. Bondoy has been appointed to lead the industry’s student programs this year – the Students’ PR Congress (rebranded to Students’ PR Con) and Grand Prix (Hack Sprint edition) of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) and the Student Quill Awards of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines.
Mr. Bondoy also served as one of the regional jurors of the ICCO (International Communications Consultancy Organization) Next Generation PR World Cup. The Southeast Asian leg of the competition for young PR practitioners was organized by the Public Relations and Communications Asia Pacific (PRCA APAC), the world’s largest professional PR body representing more than 35,000 PR professionals in 70 countries worldwide. He was also elected as a member of the United Kingdom based Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) International Communications Committee composed of PR leaders from across the world – Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. CIPR is the world’s only Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners, with nearly 10,000 members.
Ferdinand Bondoy has also been elected to the 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 is spearheading a special project for youth and students. Those who want to participate in the Philippine Student Quill Awards can submit their entries at www.philquill.com.
Earlier in 2021, Mr. Bondoy was elected to this year’s Board of Trustees of PRSP, the country’s premier organization for communication and public relations professionals. He is also appointed as Chair of the Students’ PR Congress (rebranded to Students’ PR Con) and Grand Prix (Hack Sprint edition) and under his term, he will be introducing and leading the 1st virtual, interactive and nationwide edition of the said student activities. The PRSP Students’ PR Con is happening this November 20, 2021 and interested parties can register at www.prspstudentsprcon.com/register.
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 and has serviced some of the biggest global and local brands and organizations in the region and spearheaded landmark campaigns recognized by the industry locally 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 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 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’ PR Con and Grand Prix Hack Sprint edition of PRSP and the 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,” said Mr. Bondoy.
“It is also an honor and a responsibility to represent the country and work for the industry in a global scale through the landmark projects and programs organized by PRCA and CIPR. And we will continue to contribute, be heard and be part of this global community of PR experts and leaders to further grow the discipline across the globe and impact social change.”
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 16th 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.
In 2016, Ferdinand 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 70 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 80 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.
COMCO Southeast Asia culminated its fifth-anniversary celebration entitled “Blazing Sapphire” with the launch of COMCO Middle East & Africa and the unveiling of its 10-year growth masterplan which includes the COMCO AOX League of Enterprises, the umbrella organization for the Agency’s existing and upcoming ventures, initiatives and advocacies.
With all these accomplishments in a short period of time, 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 Asia Pacific (PRCA APAC), the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) based in the United Kingdom, the ASEAN Public Relations Network (APRN), the Social Media Club based in the USA, and the International Public Relations Association (IPRA).
Prior to COMCO Southeast Asia, Ferdinand Bondoy 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/.