OPINION
Ed Javier
The Communicator We Forgot And Why Archie Inlong Still Matters
Contributed Photo
In an age where everyone with a microphone and a buzzword thinks they're a communicator, real message discipline has all but disappeared.
Soundbites have replaced substance. Performers have replaced professionals. But one name still stands for what communication used to be and what it must be again: Archie Inlong.
We live in a time when anyone with a keyboard, a low toned English speaking voice, and a well pressed coat and tie is mistaken for a strategic communicator.
Some claim expertise because they’ve anchored a news show, earned a law degree, written a column, or simply gone viral. Others project confidence through phrasing, fashion, or proximity to power.
But in the noise of all this performance, something essential has been lost: clarity, maturity, and message discipline.
In government today, not every legal counsel, but many, want to be spokespersons. Many spokespersons want to be celebrities. More than a few believe their job is to perform, not explain.
The result is a flood of official statements that are tone deaf, shallow, or completely disconnected from public reality.
It wasn’t always like this.
There was a time when communicators knew how to deliver calm in a crisis, provide clarity under pressure, and build trust through discipline rather than drama.
That era may feel long gone, but not everyone from that tradition has disappeared.
Inlong deserves renewed attention.
For over 45 years, Inlong has quietly shaped the communication strategies of government agencies, major corporations, and advocacy groups not with spectacle, but with professionalism.
He has worked across administrations, handled sensitive crises, and helped public figures survive media storms not with spin, but with substance.
You won’t see him trending on social media. He doesn’t take swipes at political opponents in press briefings. He doesn’t insert himself into the narrative.
That is precisely why he stands out. Inlong represents the kind of communicator who tells the truth even when it’s inconvenient.
He prepares his principals before they face tough questions. He understands timing, tone, and how not to escalate when the stakes are high.
Others may deliver lines meant to be replayed on short videos. He focuses on long term reputation and public trust.
While others chase clout, Inlong builds credibility. While others provoke headlines, he prepares his principals. While others spin, he explains.
This contrast has become increasingly stark, especially now that government communications appear to be run less like a civic function and more like a campaign launch.
Recent events from the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte to various national crises have exposed just how broken our messaging ecosystem is.
With all due respect to the many lawyers currently doubling as spokespersons, there is a difference between defending a legal theory and explaining a public issue. Law school does not automatically make one a good communicator. In fact, the impulse to litigate everything in public often leads to more confusion, not less.
Just watch the daily statements coming out of Congress or Malacañang, often defensive, vague, or packed with jargon. Worse, many seem designed to antagonize critics rather than clarify positions.
Atty. Claire Castro is a prime example, speaking as if she's arguing before a Municipal Court rather than addressing ordinary citizens, with a tone so condescending you'd think she was doing us a favor just by explaining anything at all when all the media is asking for is a straight answer.
There is no coherent strategy. No empathy. Just noise.
What’s alarming is that this isn’t limited to the legislative branch. Across the executive and judicial branches as well, there is a rising need for communicators who can bridge policy with public understanding.
This is where professionals like Inlong come in.
His experience spans sectors from government departments to multinational corporations, from local governments to international agencies.
He understands the discipline it takes to deliver a consistent message across multiple platforms and audiences.
His crisis management credentials include one of the most harrowing maritime disasters in Philippine history, the 1987 ferry collision and fire that claimed thousands of lives.
Inlong strategized and handled the public communications effort, managing everything from missing persons updates to government briefings and grieving family concerns.
It was a moment of national trauma, and he helped steer the messaging with calm, empathy, and clarity at a time when the country was desperate for answers.
He also led public communications efforts following the devastating 1990 Luzon earthquake, one of the most destructive natural disasters in the country’s history. From collapsed hotels in Baguio to sunken streets in Dagupan, the national mood was one of fear and uncertainty.
Inlong helped the government manage public information during the rescue and rehabilitation phase, providing timely updates, countering disinformation, and helping sustain public morale.
Today, Baguio, Dagupan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and other previously ravaged areas stand fully rebuilt, proof that effective crisis communication plays a critical role in national recovery.
He is also best remembered for leading the public information campaign for the EDSA Para sa Masa MRT 3 project, a bold infrastructure initiative that initially faced heavy public resistance.
His communication strategy turned skepticism into support. Decades later, it’s hard to imagine Metro Manila without it.
That campaign remains a textbook example of how public trust is earned not through force, but through clarity, patience, and consistent messaging.
Both public institutions and private companies today would benefit greatly from that kind of maturity.
Government agencies, independent commissions, and even corporate boards need voices of reason who can temper rhetoric with credibility and passion with professionalism.
In a time when public trust is fragile and every word from government is met with skepticism, the role of seasoned, principled communicators has never been more critical.
Archie Inlong has proven time and again that the best voices in public service are not always the loudest. They are the most consistent, credible, and composed.
If today’s institutions want to rebuild trust, they won’t find the answer in louder voices or trendier phrases.
They’ll find it in communicators like Archie Inlong who still believe that the message matters more than the messenger.
Soundbites have replaced substance. Performers have replaced professionals. But one name still stands for what communication used to be and what it must be again: Archie Inlong.
We live in a time when anyone with a keyboard, a low toned English speaking voice, and a well pressed coat and tie is mistaken for a strategic communicator.
Some claim expertise because they’ve anchored a news show, earned a law degree, written a column, or simply gone viral. Others project confidence through phrasing, fashion, or proximity to power.
But in the noise of all this performance, something essential has been lost: clarity, maturity, and message discipline.
In government today, not every legal counsel, but many, want to be spokespersons. Many spokespersons want to be celebrities. More than a few believe their job is to perform, not explain.
The result is a flood of official statements that are tone deaf, shallow, or completely disconnected from public reality.
It wasn’t always like this.
There was a time when communicators knew how to deliver calm in a crisis, provide clarity under pressure, and build trust through discipline rather than drama.
That era may feel long gone, but not everyone from that tradition has disappeared.
Inlong deserves renewed attention.
For over 45 years, Inlong has quietly shaped the communication strategies of government agencies, major corporations, and advocacy groups not with spectacle, but with professionalism.
He has worked across administrations, handled sensitive crises, and helped public figures survive media storms not with spin, but with substance.
You won’t see him trending on social media. He doesn’t take swipes at political opponents in press briefings. He doesn’t insert himself into the narrative.
That is precisely why he stands out. Inlong represents the kind of communicator who tells the truth even when it’s inconvenient.
He prepares his principals before they face tough questions. He understands timing, tone, and how not to escalate when the stakes are high.
Others may deliver lines meant to be replayed on short videos. He focuses on long term reputation and public trust.
While others chase clout, Inlong builds credibility. While others provoke headlines, he prepares his principals. While others spin, he explains.
This contrast has become increasingly stark, especially now that government communications appear to be run less like a civic function and more like a campaign launch.
Recent events from the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte to various national crises have exposed just how broken our messaging ecosystem is.
With all due respect to the many lawyers currently doubling as spokespersons, there is a difference between defending a legal theory and explaining a public issue. Law school does not automatically make one a good communicator. In fact, the impulse to litigate everything in public often leads to more confusion, not less.
Just watch the daily statements coming out of Congress or Malacañang, often defensive, vague, or packed with jargon. Worse, many seem designed to antagonize critics rather than clarify positions.
Atty. Claire Castro is a prime example, speaking as if she's arguing before a Municipal Court rather than addressing ordinary citizens, with a tone so condescending you'd think she was doing us a favor just by explaining anything at all when all the media is asking for is a straight answer.
There is no coherent strategy. No empathy. Just noise.
What’s alarming is that this isn’t limited to the legislative branch. Across the executive and judicial branches as well, there is a rising need for communicators who can bridge policy with public understanding.
This is where professionals like Inlong come in.
His experience spans sectors from government departments to multinational corporations, from local governments to international agencies.
He understands the discipline it takes to deliver a consistent message across multiple platforms and audiences.
His crisis management credentials include one of the most harrowing maritime disasters in Philippine history, the 1987 ferry collision and fire that claimed thousands of lives.
Inlong strategized and handled the public communications effort, managing everything from missing persons updates to government briefings and grieving family concerns.
It was a moment of national trauma, and he helped steer the messaging with calm, empathy, and clarity at a time when the country was desperate for answers.
He also led public communications efforts following the devastating 1990 Luzon earthquake, one of the most destructive natural disasters in the country’s history. From collapsed hotels in Baguio to sunken streets in Dagupan, the national mood was one of fear and uncertainty.
Inlong helped the government manage public information during the rescue and rehabilitation phase, providing timely updates, countering disinformation, and helping sustain public morale.
Today, Baguio, Dagupan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and other previously ravaged areas stand fully rebuilt, proof that effective crisis communication plays a critical role in national recovery.
He is also best remembered for leading the public information campaign for the EDSA Para sa Masa MRT 3 project, a bold infrastructure initiative that initially faced heavy public resistance.
His communication strategy turned skepticism into support. Decades later, it’s hard to imagine Metro Manila without it.
That campaign remains a textbook example of how public trust is earned not through force, but through clarity, patience, and consistent messaging.
Both public institutions and private companies today would benefit greatly from that kind of maturity.
Government agencies, independent commissions, and even corporate boards need voices of reason who can temper rhetoric with credibility and passion with professionalism.
In a time when public trust is fragile and every word from government is met with skepticism, the role of seasoned, principled communicators has never been more critical.
Archie Inlong has proven time and again that the best voices in public service are not always the loudest. They are the most consistent, credible, and composed.
If today’s institutions want to rebuild trust, they won’t find the answer in louder voices or trendier phrases.
They’ll find it in communicators like Archie Inlong who still believe that the message matters more than the messenger.
Jul 2, 2025
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