THIS column’s name—“Primetime”—brings to mind a person like Cathy Yap-Yang, First Vice President and Group Communications Officer of the PLDT-Smart Group. Why? In the TV or radio industry, “primetime” is that block of time when the audience is expected to be the biggest.
In terms of her career, I see Yap-Yang just approaching prime time.
In December 2019, while still an anchor for ANC, Yap-Yang was named Best TV News Anchor 2019 at the Asian Academy Awards in Singapore. In January 2020, she won Best TV News Presenter at the Asian TV Awards in Manila.
These weren’t Yap-Yang’s first international awards but her first two at ANC, representing a Filipino news organization.
It was for Yap-Yang, the pinnacle of her broadcasting career, to be recognized as a Filipino broadcaster for a Filipino network.
We all know what happened after January 2020 but Yap-Yang continued to go to work everyday at ANC even during the pandemic until ABS-CBN was shut down in May.
It is this dedication and determination that she now brings with her to the PLDT-Smart Group as the head of its communications team.
It hasn’t been easy.
“I celebrated my birthday recently and sina Sarah [staff member], a few of them came here to surprise me with a cake. ’Yung talagang nag-abala pa sila,” said Yap-Yang. It was the first time she was meeting some of her team members since joining PLDT-Smart in August 2020.
One of the first things Yap-Yang did when she took office was to make sure that everyone on her team was set in terms of connectivity. There were others, for instance, who would say they had to go to the sari-sari store to buy prepaid load and for her that was an indication that what they were getting was not enough in our current circumstances where everything is being done online.
“Some of them needed laptops. Some of them needed to get their laptops from the office and some were scared to go there. These were some of their concerns. Our people group really helped us with these concerns,” said Yap-Yang.
In her new post, she heads the communications group of a 90-year-old company (PLDT) and a 30-year-old company (Smart), and she knew there would be challenges.
“It was beneficial that I came from the outside so I could look at their dynamics. They’re a great bunch. I realized that as long as they’re working together, it doesn’t matter if they’re PLDT or they’re Smart.”
This philosophy extended to the team’s external relations efforts. The key takeaway is that PLDT and Smart belong to one group.
Connectivity is also a big issue.
Transparency, to Yap-Yang, is very important. Announcing any network repairs or maintenance that could result in slowdowns and/or shutdowns.
Another thing that Yap-Yang keeps in mind is that as a PLDT-Smart employee, she is a “customer ambassador.”
“I learned that members of my team have been addressing connectivity concerns from relatives and friends. I am not saying this is a solution but it’s a good start. We are reminded that it is our duty to serve others,” she said.
At home, Yap-Yang is a wife to her dermatologist husband and a mother to two girls, one 25 and the other 15. For 15 years, Yap-Yang worked abroad (four in Japan and 11 in Hong Kong). For all those years, she was a commuter mom who took a Friday flight to Manila and came back on Sunday.
“This gave me an opportunity to see my children grow up even if my husband was a very good ‘natay.’”
Although she is a very private and reserved person, we asked Yap-Yang what other interests she had. “I have a WSET’s Level 2 Award in Wines so, yes, I can make a mean cocktail.”
This level, according to www.wsetglobal.com, is “intended for beginners wishing to learn about a wide range of wines or those seeking to build on the introductory knowledge gained with the WSET Level 1 Award in Wines.”
Professionally, Yap-Yang intends to help sustain the partnerships that PLDT-Smart has built over the years through programs like School in a Bag and Digital Learning Program.
“We will be there where we are needed, and continue to improve our service to the public.”
Read full article on BusinessMirror