The Journalixm team sat down with Smile Indias, current Chair of Ateneo de Manila University’s Fine Arts Department.

In 2017, Ms. Indias finished her MA in Social Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she focused on the Human-Centered Design Process in understanding police-community relations in Baltimore City. Prior to that, she was the Creative Director in the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) of former President Benigno S. Aquino III. 

It was a fruitful, hour-long conversation via Zoom. Here we excerpt part of that conversation for our Signal from the Noise series, sharing insights from Ms. Indias, who aside from being an educator has also engaged deeply in political and policy communications. She is a veteran campaign creative, having volunteered or worked with the Team PNoy senatorial slate in 2013, the Roxas presidential campaign in 2016, the Otso Diretso senatorial campaign in 2019, and the Robredo presidential campaign in 2022. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: 2025 is an election year. As our way of helping elevate political discourse and foster meaningful discussion, we’ve launched the #SignalfromtheNoise series: Reflections, opinions, and analysis on electoral communications and its related fields. While articles adhere to our standards of fairness, thoughtfulness, and truthfulness, the views and opinions expressed by our subjects and contributors do not necessarily reflect those of JournalIXM, IXM Hakuhodo, or any of its business units or affiliates.

How has campaigning changed since you first got into it?

Nag-evolve din ‘yung involvement ko siyempre kasi noong 2013, I was a graphic designer working for PCDSPO (Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, which was PNoy’s strategic comms and messaging think tank – Ed.) so volunteer-consultant ako noon. 

Back then, 2013, a big chunk ng work, ‘yung branding– ‘yung launch ng Team PNoy senatorial slate, ‘yung mga dress up ng Club Filipino where the candidates will be introduced to the public. So I was mostly in front of the computer and just seeing my designs produced and hung on walls, printed out as flyers.

Pagdating ng 2016, doon na parang umintense at naging complex ‘yung tasks, kasi may kailangan kang gawin for non-conventional organizing, ‘yung mga bababa talaga sa sorties. One learning is, parang ang linis, ang rigid ng designs namin, in contrast du’n sa nafi-feel mo that the public was looking for more involvement sa design process. This involvement converted to a sort of scalability sa kampanya. Lamang ‘yung energy na ‘yun; kita ‘yan sa kabilang kampanya, kung saan iba-iba ang designs, hindi mo na alam kung saan nanggagaling.

Noong 2019, ganon yung tinry naming gawin, ‘yung maging mas user-generated ‘yung mga elements kasi nga nakita namin kung paano hindi nag-work ‘yung sobrang centralized na approach noong 2016, ‘yung very templated, very clean, very one look for all. ‘Yung ganitong grassroots type ng campaign yung talagang ginusto nating itulak nung 2019. But of course, maraming ibang factors sa campaign aside from the communications and creative aspect of it, so ayun…

Pero ‘yun naman, I think ang fun nu’ng 2022, there was really little need to set the standard nu’ng visual library ni Ma’am. Kasi kahit naman ano ang gawin, everyone had their own approach, and ang imperative was really to tap into that energy to achieve scale. Talagang malaya ang lahat to do their own design. It really had that fun, inclusive, young energy. 

So what we’re seeing is that political campaigns are becoming more and more personal. In just the last few cycles, everything has changed. But that comes with territory.

Best memory on the job?

I remember, paborito ko talaga taon-taon ‘yung paggawa ng SONA (State of the Nation Address – Eds.) slides. Hindi ko malilimutan ever ‘yung mga deck na pinagpaguran, trabaho ng napakaraming tao.

I think those slides also prepared me for the worst things that could happen sa isang trabaho. Mabigat ‘yung responsibility kasi ‘yung Presidente mismo ang tumitingin at nagko-comment sa bawat draft. Kailangan mong sumabay. Nakikita mo na siya mismo ang naiinis kapag hindi up-to-par ang layout mo. Masabihan ka ba naman ng “bakit parang gawa ‘to ng amateur?,” aray.

One of the SONA decks, ‘yun na yata ang pinaka-intense na powerpoint na ginawa ko sa buong buhay ko: Two hundred slides na gumagalaw ‘yung iba, may embedded video, bawal mag-crash ‘yung laptop mo. Bawal hindi makinig, kasi kami rin ‘yung nagki-click sa likod habang dine-deliver ng Pangulo ‘yung speech. Kung may revisions pa si Sir pag nasa House (of Representatives) na, minsan literal na kailangan mong itakbo ‘yung computer mo from the holding room du’n sa room na may access sa projector. Habang ongoing na ‘yung Lupang Hinirang, pabilisan pang mag-photoshop o mag-revise ng slide kasi may updated na data from the line agencies, ganoon siya ka-high stress.

The entire production of it, gustong-gusto ko siya kasi ang haba nu’ng process of creation tapos ‘yung final product, where so many people were involved– mga speechwriters, mga researchers ng PMS (Presidential Management Staff), mga Cabinet Secretaries mismo, makikita mo siyang mag-unfold into a single output, tapos buong bansa nakatutok. Being part of that, grabe.

What was it really like on the trail? 

Not glamorous at all, lots of backstage work. I also work in the theater arts, so comparable siya du’n, pero to an exponential level. 

I remember this one time in Bohol. Never ko rin ‘to malilimutan, e. Umulan nang malakas, so bumabaha sa loob ng tent nu’ng mga artista. ‘Yung isang artista, kailangan niyang magsuot ng garbage bag sa paa para makalabas siya nu’ng tent. Pero after niya makalabas, dahil nga ang lakas-lakas na ng ulan, hindi namin alam kung saan siya ilalagay.

Habang nangyayari ‘yung mga ganitong small problems na kailangang respondehan, ang dami pang ibang kailangang i-manage. Nasaan yung mga IDs nu’ng SDE team. Paano sila makakapasok du’n sa venue. Sino ang may hawak nu’ng permit para makapagpalipad ng drone, binabawal na kasi sila ng pulis. All the while, ikinakasa mo ‘yung biyahe ng mga photographer sa susunod na lakad sa susunod na linggo.

Maraming iba-ibang nagha-handle ng iba-ibang aspects, may sarili akong toka, and to a large extent, everyone did their best naman to plan things out. Pero sa ganitong level ng production, talagang ang daming lilitaw na kailangang ma-address on-the-spot, even while looking ahead ka. 

What’s one thing to work on if one aspires to be a political campaigner?

If you do want to get into government communications or political communications, ang payo ko, know where your lines are. Draw your lines carefully. They will inevitably move, and madaling maipit sa daily grind, so you need to always remember where they are, para maaalala mo pa rin everyday kung bakit ka nagsimula. If you go in there not knowing where your lines are then you’ll be shaken very, very quickly.

So yes, character, belief building, knowing what your values are, what you value most will really help you navigate the space because it’s not necessarily the friendliest space to join, especially if you are still very hopeful, or if you think everybody will be kind, or if you’re under the illusion that people owe you something dahil lang idealistic ka. May kanya-kanyang agenda talaga bawat tao. So kailangan alam mo rin kung ano ‘yung pinaniniwalaan mo, ano ‘yung agenda mo, bakit ka ba nandon?

And then find people closer to your belief system. Kailangan mo ng kakampi. Hindi siya ‘yung kind ng job na puwede mong pasukin mag-isa, na magsu-survive ka nang mag-isa. Kailangan mo ng someone who will hold you to account, someone who will call you out when you’re moving too far from the lines that you’ve drawn. And of course tutulong at sasalo sa iyo once the intensity of the work sets in.

Find who they are, keep them close, never forget why you’re here. If you know why you’re doing what you’re doing, you’ll find this work is the best work you do.