Ad Standards Council Celebrates New Leadership, Reaffirms Commitment to Self-Regulation

Makati City, March 27, 2025 — On its yearly gathering at the Makati Diamond Residences, member organizations of the Ad Standards Council (ASC) celebrated the induction of its 2025 Officers and Board members. This annual event also highlights ASC’s pioneering efforts as a model of self-regulation in the Philippines.

Outgoing Chairperson Mick Atienza representing the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA) recapped the ASC’s 2024 milestones that included the successful update of the Code of Ethics and Standards that he praised for its reflection of evolving market realities and consumer behaviour, as well as the voice of the member organizations and; an enhanced online application system that processed a record number of submissions in 2024 alone; and a series of orientations designed to promote self-regulation and to engage stakeholders across sectors.

Atienza also marked in 2024 achievements the first phase of ASC’s three-year roadmap of events in commemorating 50 years of self-regulation in the Philippines. He emphasized that the ASC’s growth stems from both internal and external strategies—strengthening ties with government agencies and enhancing staff capabilities through trainings on creative development, a better understanding of the newly updated Code of Ethics and Standards, resilience in dealing with artificial intelligence, and valuing digital media, among others.

The 2024 Chair also made mention the appointment of Robbie Aligada as Executive Director and Erwin Furruganan as Operations Manager last year.

According to Atienza, “Achieving the highest ever number of applications last year is truly an outstanding feat that can be related to more and more brand owners and creators taking heed of the fact that consumer protection is everyone’s responsibility. With the desire to reach out and encourage better understanding and working knowledge of the Code of Ethics and Standards, the ASC Management held several road shows in the form of orientations and round table conversations to various sectors like brand owners, creatives, digital and media agency, production entities, to name a few. This also allowed for a more robust discussion, clarification and consultations on the code and standards.”

While the volume of submissions to the ASC is indicative of a stable and healthy creative communications industry, over at the government side, longtime ASC government partner and collaborator, Department of Trade and Industry is focusing attention on MSME development.

Serving as Keynote Speaker and Inducting Officer, DTI Assistant Secretary Agaton Teodoro Uvero shared DTI’s focus. A lawyer, licensed customs broker, law professor, author, and expert on international trade, tariff and customs, logistics and supply chain, ASec. Uvero currently oversees DTI’s Fair Trade Group (formerly Consumer Protection Group) that is mandated to attract investments and support from local and international sources for MSME development all while ensuring consumer protection.

Said ASec Uvero, “The mandate (of the Fair Trade Group) is not only to protect consumer rights and welfare, it’s also our mandate now to protect legitimate businesses, facilitate trade and promote ease of doing business. We’ve been doing a lot of engagement with industry. We realised that a lot of the solutions that we want to implement really would be coming from the experiences of the private sector.”

ASec. Uvero encouraged continued collaboration between the private sector and the government to reinforce proactive regulation, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration between the ASC and his office. ASec. Uvero further cited how both are on parallel paths undergoing digitization efforts and streamlining processes that will cut short application and approval period for sales promotions. According to ASec. Uvero, the DTI is working on a nationwide program to fully digitalize applications for sales promotions.

Newly inducted and serving as 2025 ASC President, Anna Legarda Locsin PANA spoke on behalf of the Board of Directors reaffirming the Council’s commitment to ethical self-regulation. In response to ASec Uvero’s call to action, Locsin emphasized ASC’s dedication to working closely with the DTI to promote fair trade and the protection of consumers. Locsin further asserted that a unified industry front is crucial to maintaining integrity and public trust.

“The ASC is the ad industry’s self-regulating body which unites all sectors of the ad industry in the goal of protecting consumers while also protecting and progressing a fair and high integrity trade landscape. The industry believes in partnering closely with the DTI, and we also look forward to being timely and relevant to that partnership given the evolving trade and advertising landscape. We look forward to engaging with the DTI, to understanding your priorities and how we can support them, and to build a collaborative relationship with the Fair Trade Group,” said Legarda Locsin.

2025 Chairperson Golda Roldan accepted the year’s challenges with a passionate call for collective responsibility in the communications industry. Roldan stressed the role of truthfulness, fairness, and ethical behavior in advertising and communications, asserting that each organization and professional plays a vital part in protecting industry standards. Her message closed with a powerful appeal for clarity, courage, and collaboration as guiding principles for the Council’s continued mission.

“The role of the ASC in self-regulation is more critical than ever in a time when communications travel fast and why what we say and how we say it has real power, and with that power comes real responsibility. Each of our organisations, each of us seated here, has a part to play in ensuring that our industry continues to promote communications that is truthful, accurate, fair, decent and responsible. This is not just the task of one board, one council, one committee or one organisation. It’s a shared mission, because responsible communications is everyone’s business,” said Roldan.

On self-regulation practices, Roldan called for continued dedication to ethical standards. She stressed the importance of each organization’s and individual’s role in protecting the industry’s integrity and public trust.

“Self-regulation is working, but only because we continue to protect it, and protecting it means each of us doing our share. It’s not just about compliance. It’s about caring for the industry we belong to, for the trust we build with the public and about the legacy we leave behind,” Roldan added.

Roldan closed with a powerful appeal for “clarity, courage, and collaboration” as guiding principles for the Council’s continued mission.

With a solid foundation of achievements and a vision for progressive partnership, the ASC begins its 2025 term with strengthened resolve and renewed purpose.

For the new Executive Director, it’s challenge accepted, responding, “ASC has evolved ever since we have now grown to be a formidable organisation seen by the industry and even by the government as a model in terms of how a self-regulatory body should be decided and be operated.

As we near our 50th year of inception and implementation, achieving our dreams and aspirations as an organisation can only come into fruition with the support of each and everyone’s contribution to the industry and self-regulation in whatever form. This will help bring strength to pursue the activities we have set forth, courage to face whatever obstacles we may encounter, wisdom to decide on what will be best for the industry and heart to provide soul and spirit in everything that we do.”