4As Philippines board aims at future-proofing Phl advertising industry

The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines (4As) formally inducted its 2026–2027 Board of Trustees during its First General Membership Meeting (GMM) held at the Gallardo Jr. Ballroom of Makati Diamond Residences on 3 March.

Leading the organization for the new term are chairman Ronald Barreiro, chief executive officer of Dentsu Creative Philippines, and president Ricky Gonzales, managing partner/Creative of Over The Moon Communications.

Also serving the organization are vice president Mike Garcia, managing director of Ogilvy Manila; board secretary Janlo Cui, business director of Havas Ortega; treasurer Martin De Guzman, managing director of Elevation; and controller Mitzie Lim-Nacianceno, VP-managing partner of McCann Worldgroup.

Completing the nine-member Board are Trustees Paolo Broma, chief marketing officer of TBWA\SMP; Henson Wongaiham, co-founder and managing partner of Ad Hoc Marketing; and Karen Go, general manager of BBDO Guerrero.

The Board was sworn in by Robert Labayen, head of Creative Communication Management at ABS-CBN, who also delivered the keynote address.

Planning for change with purpose

In his keynote speech, Labayen emphasized the need to plan for change — even in good times — and to make difficult decisions to remain relevant in a constantly evolving industry.

He shared ABS-CBN’s enduring vision to serve the Filipino people with purpose and meaning, highlighting the importance of making the organization a platform for Filipino storytelling and a home for the country’s best creative talent.

He underscored humility and collaboration as critical leadership values, encouraging agencies to recognize collective contributions and treat audiences as partners in navigating the shifting media landscape.

Steering a clear path for 2026

In his address, 4As Philippines’ incoming president Ricky Gonzales outlined the 2026 Plan of Action of the Board of Trustees, anchored on three key priorities: ensuring the sustainability of the industry, attracting more students to pursue careers in advertising, and strengthening engagement with member agencies.