While Filipinos know how to deal with typhoons, floods and earthquakes, among other calamities, that last only a few weeks or months, nobody has ever been prepared for this pandemic, said Nina Andrea Liwanag-Rigor, assistant vice president for public relations (PR) of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC).
Rigor told Malaya Business Insight that this pandemic is “a totally different animal altogether” and has brought out people’s resilience and creativity. Still, everyone has a lot to be thankful for, she said, as the best attitude should be gratitude.
“We’ve had our share of sacrifices,” she said. “But we do not choose to focus on those things; instead, we put emphasis on the blessings and not on the things that are lacking.”
Such attitude helped her ride out the health crisis which she described as a roller coaster ride. “Just when you thought that the cases went down, they will go up again,” she said.
During the pandemic, SMHCC did some repurposing of the employees’ roles, allowing Rigor to take on other tasks beyond PR. “Now is the best time to be multi-skilled, as it is not just enough that you possess only one,” she said, as she juggles things without sacrificing quality and maximizes the potential of each employee who is still working.
Rigor stays up to date, thinks of different angles when it comes to PR and comes up with a roadmap for the entire year. “I serve all our business units and when there is something good or stories worth sharing, I do it,” she said.
Nowadays, it is not just about PR anymore but about powerful relationships with stakeholders, she added. “For both personal and professional relationships, I believe that the core or foundation should be trust.”
She also said because of the pandemic, people got to know who their genuine friends are and who are there for them in tough times. “If it is all about business, I do not think it will be enough,” Rigor said.
She added that as challenges come, she gets to be more creative and innovative. She advises being well-versed with what is happening in the industry. “Know your game, be in the know, and be creative on what you will do with the information that you have,” she said.
This goes hand in hand with maintaining good relationships. “You have the news, but you do not know anyone or have connections,” she said, as she also reaches out to other departments which are her sources of information.
SMHCC managed to thrive while others struggled to survive during the pandemic. “We are blessed to be led by passionate and forward-thinking leaders,” Rigor related.
“It is not just our properties and spaces that have been repurposed but also our employees themselves in terms of roles,” she added.
She said when the attitude of gratefulness plus the passion in what one does is combined, “I believe you will never go wrong.”
“If the passion for what you do is no longer there, everything else will fall. But if you are grateful, it means that you are resilient. When you remain resilient that stems from being grateful, you will be able to face anything,” she explained.
“We should focus on the things in life that matter the most, learn something the hard way, and not to wait for another pandemic for us to appreciate things and those that we have taken for granted,” Rigor also said.
“We must look around and we will see there is always a miracle that happens,” she added. “We just need to recognize it.”
