PDI columnist Anna Tuazon 鈥擬arianne Bermudez
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Clinical psychologist and associate professor Anna Tuazon was named Best 黑料社paper Columnist at the 12th Makatao Awards for Media Excellence, an annual recognition conferred by the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP).
Tuazon, now in her third year with the Inquirer writing her Thursday column 鈥淪afe Spaces,鈥� thanked her editors in the Opinion section for the space to articulate her views on various concerns.
鈥淭hey let me write whatever I want and that freedom is something I really appreciate,鈥� Tuazon said upon accepting her award on Aug. 28, noting it was her first as a writer in the media industry.
READ: Inquirer again tops PMAP Makatao awards as 鈥樅诹仙鏿aper of the Year鈥�
A 2017 board exam topnotcher, Tuazon has a doctorate in clinical psychology from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, California. She currently teaches at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
As a speaker at the PMAP general assembly, Tuazon said she considered it her role to help create spaces for 鈥渦nderserved perspectives that are not always in the headlines,鈥� and to provide informed choices for Filipinos in pursuit of the 鈥済ood life.鈥�
鈥楶olarization鈥� in issues
鈥淲hat I鈥檝e been noticing as an observer 鈥� is that most conflicts and misunderstandings on national issues [arise] because people are focused on who鈥檚 right or wrong, but are not mindful of how they arrived at their conclusions, 鈥� she said at the gathering of business leaders and media professionals.
PMAP is a nonprofit organization counting more than 1,800 companies as affiliates.
鈥淲e see a lot of black-and-white thinking鈥攊f you鈥檙e not with us, you鈥檙e against us.鈥�
Tuazon said this 鈥減olarization鈥� is evident in politics, in the news, and most notably on social media.
Against this backdrop of a 鈥減olarized society,鈥� she thought of assuming the role, through her column, of advocating the 鈥減eople鈥檚 right to a good life and for them to have autonomy to determine what that good life is.鈥�
With psychology intersecting with 鈥渁lmost everything,鈥� including the world of business, she said, companies and their executives should align themselves with the 鈥渄reams and hopes of the Filipinos.鈥�
鈥淒esigning businesses for people is a win-win situation鈥� for industries, the workforce and consumers, Tuazon said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no business without people, and there鈥檚 no business, at least no good business, without understanding people.鈥�
For her, the only real barometers of profit and success are 鈥渧alues and sustainability.鈥�
Instead of 鈥渕anipulating鈥� consumers as part of their 鈥減ersuasion strategies,鈥� companies should 鈥済et curious [and] understand what is the good life for Filipinos and how can their products [or services] serve that,鈥� she said.
Tuazon also cautioned businesses against social media trends. 鈥淚f we鈥檙e not mindful鈥攊f all we care about are short-term profits and 鈥� views and engagements鈥擺this] could lead, at worst, to exploitation of consumers.鈥�
鈥淚t sounds like a pipe dream and it sounds naive, and it鈥檚 not the easiest or shortest [route], because usually it鈥檚 a long, painful route to get to a sustainable solution. But it鈥檚 a route worth pursuing,鈥� Tuazon said.
The Makatao Awards gives recognition to mass media professionals and organizations whose work 鈥渆nhances public understanding of the role and impact of sound people management in the public and private sectors.鈥�