PMA's 55th Marketing Conference Charts the Future of Marketing Through ONE MAP

PASAY CITY, Philippines, September 30, 2026: The Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) held its 55th Marketing Conference on September 23 at the Grand Ballroom of Hilton Manila, Newport World Resorts, bringing together marketing and business leaders, practitioners, and professionals under the theme ONE MAP (Omni Network Ecosystem Marketing Agility Protocol): Charting the Future of Marketing.

More than a one-day conference, ONE MAP unfolded as an Omni-Experience, Output-Driven Learning Journey, connecting insights, business perspectives, and hands-on experiences designed to help marketers better understand and respond to a rapidly changing business landscape.

At its core, ONE MAP brought together two interconnected ideas. O.N.E. represented the Omni Network Ecosystem, examining how channels, partners, platforms, and communities work together around a brand. M.A.P. stood for the Marketing Agility Protocol, focusing on how organizations can adapt, pivot, and turn strategic responses into repeatable approaches amid disruption.

The conference opened with welcome remarks from PMA 2026 President Michelle "Mitch" de Ocampo Ballesteros, followed by an opening keynote from Roger Wang, Vice President of the Asia Marketing Federation, who discussed progressive transformation in a challenging business environment. Margot Torres, Managing Director of McDonald's Philippines, then introduced the ONE MAP protocol and its relevance to the evolving marketing landscape.

The program unfolded across the key components of the ONE MAP framework, bringing together individual talks, panel discussions, and business perspectives.

Under Omni, Jos Ortega, Chairman and CEO of Havas Ortega and 2004 PMA President, opened the discussion on how creativity can drive business growth through customer experience. The conversation continued with a panel on the AI-agent consumer journey, moderated by Malyn Molina of EON The Stakeholders Relations Group. Jerry Muscarella of Central Square Technologies, Timothy Foster of OptiMatic Solutions LLC, and Bobbi Aniversario of Launchpad Digital examined how brands can navigate an increasingly technology-driven customer experience and whether data, technology, or trusted relationships will have the greatest influence on consumers.

The Network discussions turned to creators, communities, and retail-media partnerships, highlighting how brands can build relationships that extend beyond individual campaigns. Jojo Ajero steered the conversation among Jon Pinto of Black Star Entertainment, Gab Oreta of Juancast PH, Mylene Abiva of FELTA Multi-Media, and Apple Esplana-Manansala of The New Channel Media Corp.

The conversation then moved into Ecosystem, with Next Layderos guiding Lucien Dy Tioco of Philstar Media Group, Annaliza Laxamana of NaHeal, Erlinda De Guzman of Sun Life of Canada Philippines, and Sherman Lam of the Marketing Institute of Singapore as they explored whether long-term brand strength depends not only on how businesses compete, but also on how effectively they connect.

 Under Marketing Intelligence, Philip Tiongson of Havas Ortega, Jay Bautista of Fifty5Blue Philippines, and Martin Penaflor of Tangere Acquisition Apps discussed how marketers can recognize weak signals and respond to disruption before it becomes a larger challenge, with Mark Pascual serving as moderator. Cliff Eala of BS Works then offered a behavioral perspective through The Marketers' Behavioural Compass.

The Agility segment brought the focus to decision-making under pressure. The 48-hr Pivot, a strategists' showcase facilitated by Frederick Alegre, featured Dr. Ignacio "Jun" Cordova Jr. of Our Lady of Fatima University, Christopher Quimbo of Novellino Wines,

Scott Adrian So of Star Digital Solutions, and David Sison of Mama Lou's Group Holdings and RestoPH. The session examined how organizations respond when markets, competitors, and business conditions shift with little warning, including how leaders approach pivots and strategic decisions when time and resources are constrained.

The final pillar, Purpose, Partnership, Planet, was moderated by former PMA President Yayu Javier and brought together Gigo Alampay of CANVAS.ph, Leah Magallanes of

SM Hotels and Conventions Corp., Janice "Nice" Tiambeng of St. Luke's Medical Center, and Atty. Jose Maria "Joey" Ochave of Unilab Education Inc., RiteMed Philippines, Inc., and Pharex Healthcare, Inc. The discussion encouraged marketers to look beyond conventional sustainability and consider how businesses can contribute to regenerative outcomes.

The afternoon then shifted from discussion to application through Protocol in Action, a live crisis war-room led by Greg Banzon, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Century Pacific Food. Prof. Ricardo de Vera of the Philippine AI Business Association followed with a discussion on holistic transformation in an era of constant change, while KD Dizon, Chief Marketing Officer of Globe Telecom, delivered the closing keynote on resilience as a competitive advantage. Maeyeth Cadungog, 2022 PMA President, concluded the conference with the synthesis and closing remarks.

Beyond the main program, delegates took part in networking, business matching, fellowship, and experience zones featuring PMA's partners and participating organizations. The conference was hosted by Faye Arellano-Martinez of AQA Advertising and Prof. Randolph "Randy" Nonato.

The ONE MAP experience also extends beyond the September 23 conference. Its broader learning journey brings together connected experiences that include digital engagement, business networking, company showcase tours, fellowship activities, and the Marketing Gambit Cup. As its capstone, the Marketing Gambit Cup gives participants an opportunity to apply the frameworks and insights from the conference to real-world business challenges by developing Marketing Agility and Business Resiliency Plans.

Through its combination of expert perspectives, panel discussions, interactive experiences, and opportunities for application, the 55th Marketing Conference presented ONE MAP as more than a conference theme. It brought together conversations on marketing, technology, networks, agility, and purpose, giving delegates a broader perspective on how these forces intersect as businesses navigate continued change.

The September 23 gathering marked one point in a broader ONE MAP learning journey, one that challenges marketers not only to understand how the landscape is changing, but to connect insights, adapt to disruption, and translate learning into action.