UP CommFluence: Communication Students’ Summit 2026

The Communication Students’ Summit (CSS) 2026, the Philippines’ biggest student-led communication event, was held on March 7 by the University of the Philippines (UP) Alliance of Development Communication Students Inc. and brought together communication students, guest speakers, and industry practitioners.

With the theme, “COMMFLUENCE: Communicating Influence,” the summit emphasized the essence of communication through plenary talks and panel discussions where guest speakers focused on specific insightful topics.

The summit included plenary talks, such as Albert Lirio on Digital Reportage, Ghillean Pranz Fregidero on Advocacy Communication, Bam Alegre on Public Affairs, and Dr. Maria Celeste Habito-Cadiz on Developmental Communication (DevCom) and the Youth.  

Lirio discussed the differences in the experiences and roles between a broadcast newsroom and a social media newsroom, emphasizing the importance of sharing credible information as journalists.

Advocating for climate action and justice, Fregidero talked about advocacy communication and how the process works in knowing your audience, communication goals, and delivering advocacy through communication-based initiatives.

Alegre focused on the role of communication in public affairs, such as the service of journalists in informing the public and the importance of having clear goals towards social, broader changes.

Involving the youth in developmental communication strategies, Dr. Habito-Cadiz highlighted DevCom’s approach on interacting with communities and youth for pursuing sociocultural changes and unraveling people’s potentials.

The summit also featured a panel discussion on the “Role of the Youth in Communicating Social Change” with content creators Raymor Cuevas, Yani Villarosa, and Gabe Pineda and moderated by VJ Kring of MYX Global.