Caunca, John Claude

Macaraig, Ma. Rina Asuncion

Pablo, Martin Alessandra

Quimbo, Paolo Miguel

Torrecampo, Ella Mae

Ventura, Johannah

4CA5

Public Relations Plan: San Lorenzo’s 25th Anniversary of his canonization

SITUATION:

San Lorenzo Ruiz, is celebrating the 25th year of his canonization. San Lorenzo is known

for refusing to renounce his faith while he was being tortured in Japan for being a

Christian and for being the first ever Filipino saint. Pope John Paul II beatified him on

February 18, 1981 and called him the “Patron Saint of Immigrants. In a survey we’ve

conducted with 100 Filipino Catholic students respondents, we have proven that majority

of them do not know that San Lorenzo Ruiz is the Patron Saint of Immigrants.

He was canonized on October 18, 1987 and his feast day is on September 28 th. Although,

according to the survey we have conducted, not everyone is aware of his feast day.

Being a Christian nation, it is sad that there are no well-known events here in the

Philippines that honor him every year and his canonization, considering what he has done

to fight for his faith.

GOALS:

- The plan aims to highlight San Lorenzo Ruiz’s 25th anniversary celebration and attract

attention from the masses, reaching out to Catholic Filipinos in Metro Manila, which is

80% of the 11,855,975 people in the area.

- It is also a goal to make San Lorenzo’s anniversary a yearly celebration in the

Philippines.

OBJECTIVES:

- To create a buzz through Press Releases, ads, and events that would give emphasis on

San Lorenzo Ruiz’s contribution to Philippine History and Catholicism.

- We would like to increase the awareness of the Filipino Catholic Students of his feast day

by 20% in order to start and continue a tradition that would celebrate his anniversary.

AUDIENCE:

- Filipino Catholics specifically targeted towards Catholic School students in Metro Manila

- Filipino immigrants

STRATEGY:

- We would like to use the Pro-active Approach through the usage of Above The Line

advertisements. In this kind of approach, we would be feeding the target market the

information we want them to know. Because there are still no existing events that honor

San Lorenzo Ruiz, this strategy would be very effective since it would create a new buzz

that would catch the attention of the target market.

TACTICS:

Phase I:

- Before everything else, we plan to conduct a survey to Catholic families to find out how

much they know about the Patron Saint. Results will be compared to the survey we will

conduct for evalutaion.

- The group decided to publish several newsletters in Catholic magazines like Fish and

Kerygma. The newsletters would contain a brief background of San Lorenzo Ruiz and

would highlight the story of his rise to sainthood. There would also be trivias and fun

facts about him in the paper.

- The group also decided to put numerous banners of San Lorenzo Ruiz in highways

around Manila, Catholic churches, schools, and institutions. During the 150th year of Jose

Rizal, there were a lot of banners posted around the highways along Roxas Boulevard

and even reaching Espana, Manila. This made the people aware of the 150 th birthday of

our patriotic hero. We would like to create the same buzz regarding the events and the

celebration of the 25th year of San Lorenzo’s canonization.

Phase II:

- Marking the days before San Lorenzo’s 25th Anniversary, we would like to partner

ourselves and coordinate with different Catholic schools so that we could launch a

“moving museum” that would tackle his life and rise to sainthood. This museum would

include artifacts and other paraphernalia relating to San Lorenzo Ruiz. Short films based

on the lives of Filipino Immigrants and presentations about his life would also be present.

Students from the specific Catholic School where the museum is currently staying can

enter it free of charge while outsiders would be required to pay a 30-peso entrance fee.

This event would be advertised through social media like Twitter and Facebook. Press

releases through local newspapers like Manila Bulletin and The Philippine Inquirer will

also be done. A percentage of the money that will be gathered from the entrance of fees

will be used to help Filipino OFWs who have been wanting go back to the Philippines but

have no means to do it. The “moving museum” will be transferred from school to school

by trucks.

- Promotions through social media will be done by making a Facebok page for the event

and publicizing it through the different social media accounts of the participating

Catholic Schools. The said Catholic Schools will post a status or “tweet” about the

upcoming event and/or quotes about the Filipino Saint.

- The Catholic schools could also publicly show their support of the anniversary

celebration of the First Filipino Saint by putting posters outside their school containing

their school logo with the words “(insert catholic school name here) celebrates San

Lorenzo Ruiz’s 25th Anniversary.”

- On the day itself, we would like to organize an annual festival that would be a tribute to

San Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo, Manila, where he originally came from. The event would

include the re-enactment of his life story and rise to sainthood. A prayer rally would also

be included in the festival in honor of the first Filipino saint. To advertise this event,

press releases would be needed before hand and also social media.

PHASE III:

- A video of the OFWs that were sent home because of the funds that were obtained will be

released and will be made viral on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. The

video will show the respective families of the overseas Filipino workers who have been

longing to see their loved ones sent abroad. Also, the video will show how the story and

the sainthood of St. Lorenzo Ruiz have inspired the overseas workers in their life abroad

and how St. Lorenzo Ruiz remains as an inspiration and source of strength for them. This

video will further cement San Lorenzo Ruiz as the patron saint of the immigrants.

CALENDAR:

Phase 1: Press Release (August 1- September 20)

- We would show a brief background of the Saint and his significance to Fiipino

Catholicism.

- We would make known facts about San Lorenzo Ruiz and why he is the Patron Saint of

Filipino Immigrants.

- News article about the upcoming festival in Binondo Manila to celebrate his 25 th

Anniversary

Phase 1: Promotion through banners on highways and etc. (August 1 – September 30)

- Most of the banners would be positioned near large Catholic schools like the University

of Sto. Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University.

- Other banners would be put along busy highways like that of Roxas boulevard, EDSA,

Ortigas, Makati, and along Quezon Avenue.

Phase 2: Public show of support for St. Lorenzo Ruiz’ anniversary from different Catholic

schools and the launch of the moving museum (September 1-30)

- We would put posters and tarpaulins outside the school to make the students conscious of

the celebration and the event of San Lorenzo’s 25th year canonization.

- Moving museum would start visiting catholic schools

- Press releases about the moving museum would be released

Phase 2: Video release (September 15-30)

- Release of the video about the OFWs will be made viral on social networking sites

Phase 3: Festival in Binondo (September 28)

- Actual implementation of the said event in Binondo, Manila

BUDGET:

Moving Museum

Maintenance of Displays: 500,000 php / week

Truck Rental (1): 3,500 php / truck

Drivers (2): 35,000 php / week

Museum Guide (1): 21,000 php / week

Movers (10): 70,000 php/ week

Gas: 8,000 php / week

Total: 637, 500 php/ week

Banners of St.Lorenzo Ruiz ( Catholic Schools)

Cost of Printing (per square foot): 12 php

Size of standing tarpaulin: 8 x 4 feet

Pieces: 250

Total Costs: 99, 020.83 php

Banners of St. Lorenzo Ruiz (Highways)

Luzon

Cost of Printing (per square foot): 10 php

Size of hanging tarpaulin: 8 x 4 feet

Pieces: 2000

Total Costs: 66, 138.90 php

Visayas

Cost of Printing (per square foot): 10 php

Size of hanging tarpaulin: 8 x 4 feet

Pieces: 1000

Total Costs: 33, 069. 44 php

Mindanao

Cost of Printing (per square foot): 11 php

Size of hanging tarpaulin: 8 x 4 feet

Pieces: 500

Total Costs: 18,538.19 php

Binondo, Manila Fiesta

Decorations: 9,000 php

Courier (For permit): 80 php

Entertainment: 30,000 php

Security (20): 70,000

Lights: 4,000 php

Tent with air-conditioning (For talents): 50,000 php

Production Staff (5): 25,000 php

Sound System: 4,000 php

Total: 903, 000 php

Press Release:

Article writer: 5,000 php /article

Courier Service: 80 php / package

Cost of Publication:

Magazine Size Color Cost:

Kerygma Full Page Full Color 421, 782. 71 php

Fish Full Page Full Color PHP 259, 198. 58

Total: 426,862.71 php (Kerygma Magazine)

264,278.48 php (Fish

Magazine)

EVALUATION:

We would conduct surveys that would be propagated in different Catholic schools,

checking the reactions of the target audience if they found the activities and events effective and

successful and if the strategies helped Filipino Catholics to know more about San Lorenzo Ruiz.

In addition to this, we would also judge how successful the campaign was by judging

from how many people visited the moving museum, and how many people attended at the event

itself at Binondo, Manila.