Philippine Association of Public Speakers: The Future of Filipino Motivational Speaking

December 1 marks a milestone in the public speaking arena in the Philippines, with the ceremonial signing of the Philippine Association of Public Speakers (PAPS). PAPS is the first and only organization in the country that aims to standardize the quality and professionalism of public speakers through training, certification, and best-practice sharing.

The ceremonial signing was held at the Manila Bulletin headquarters in Intramuros, Manila. Eight of the founding members of PAPS participated in the signing – Pambansang Inspirasyon Lloyd Luna, AIB Training’s Chief Awesome Officer Al Ian Barcelona, Pocholo “The VoiceMaster” Gonzales, SM Retail Creative Director Cleo Serevilla, TAG Media and Public Relations Founder Grace Bondad-Nicolas, 2002 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Karen Ostrea, Professor, and Author Carlo “Pido” Aguilar Jr., and Manila Bulletin Head of External Affairs Barbie Atienza.

The evening began with a fun-filled dinner, where they took turns sharing their story and how they ventured into public speaking. It was evident that each person has his or her own story of frustration, defeat, and challenges which they have overcome to get to where they are today.  For instance, Barbie shared how he has survived late-stage cancer and is now inspiring others with his story of courage and persistence. 

Karen shared how she went from being a college kick-out to Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, and to now as an owner of a Personality Development school. Pocholo told of how he has been rejected and passed on for roles as a young voice artist by the veterans, and how those negative experiences fuelled his desire to open the doors of the industry to all aspiring voice artists, which led him to open the first and only voice acting school in the country, the Philippine Center for Voice Acting.

The ceremonial signing happened after the sumptuous dinner, which signified the official launch of PAPS. Planning for its future initiatives and programs will be scheduled in the coming weeks.