About Us

Our Story

Our Agency was organized in early 1989, when putting up a service company was not deemed to be the wisest thing to do. The new Cory Aquino administration had begun to face a lot of organized military opposition and the economy faced an uncertain future. We were not to be deterred, however: with very little capital and no clients, we set out and rather quickly attracted a set of clients, including Dunkin Donuts, Vitarich Corporation, Basic FCB, Pocketbell, PT&T, Planters Development Bank, the Cravings Group and others.

VPRI was a generalist, offering the full range of services, from corporate to consumer, and in later years evolved to integrated marketing and specialist areas such as IT, health care, technology, and crisis management. Over the years, VPRI has serviced leading corporations and brands, including Citibanks, McDonald and 3M.

One area that VPRI has consistently made progress in is international public relations, servicing foreign brands in the Philippines and on assignment from other countries. It has also been active in international PR organizations, believing that PR has long ceased to be a domestic service. PR practice in the country has now to expand to foreign markets both for sustainability and to extend its influence.

VPRI looks to the future with a stronger confidence in the local market for PR but with its eye on the regional and international market as a source of meaningful growth.

Our Team

  • Romeo P. Virtusio
    Chairman and CEO

    Romeo Virtusio has had 35 years' experience in public relations and advertising at Nation Ad-Philippines, Ace-Compton Advertising, Inc., J. Walter Thompson, and Lexington International Public Relations, Inc.

    Romeo has chalked up particular experience in PR corporate counseling, PR agency management, marketing PR, writing and publishing, media relations, crisis management, counsel on corporate social responsibility, and international PR.

    Before forming Virtusio Public Relations, Mr. Virtusio was Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Lexington International Public Relations, Inc. (Associate Company of JWT and Hill and Knowlton).

    Romeo has handled a number of Anvil Award-winning projects. He was for two terms a member of the Philippine Council, International Public Relations Association (IPRA) VPRI is Sole Member-Firm from the Philippines, Pinnacle Worldwide. Mr. Virtusio was a member of a 15-person special committee that charted the Vision and Mission of IPRA for the 21st Century. He is also the first ever Filipino judge in the IPRA Golden World Awards (2001). He is the founder of the Philippine Public Relations Summit Series, and is a member, Counselors Academy, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

  • Lulu Malabanan-Virtusio
    President

    Lulu has had more than 30 years' experience in communications and business management. She specializes in travel and entertainment and leisure industry PR, IT PR, media relations, youth affairs, marketing communications PR.

    Lulu's previous experience includes positions as General Manager of the Social Communications Center, Inc. (SCC). She set up SCC's Radio-TV Department, and managed its radio/TV and film production operation.

    In addition, she was Director and member of the Board of Trustees of the Communication Foundation for Asia (CFA); and has also done research and social communications work, publishing, printing, over-all management of the communications complex. She still sits on the Board of CFA.

  • Victor Arel M. Virtusio
    Vice President

    Arel has had more than ten years' experience in PR, having handled accounts in IT, financial services, food and entertainment. Arel holds an AB, Mass Communications, De La Salle University (DLSU).

  • Ma. Dessa Joyce M. Virtusio
    Vice President for Account Management

    Dessa has serviced 3M, ING-Barings, Edsamail (ISP), Zest-o and HBO-Cinemax and Unilab cough and cold products. She specializes in corporate and marketing communications.

    Dessa holds a degree in political science from the University of the Philippines.

  • Therese Angeline Panganiban
    Account Supervisor

  • Maria Jocelyn C. Bordador
    Media Relations Officer

  • Avvy Orthia C. Hernandez
    Account Manager

  • Anna Patricia C. Isaac
    Senior Graphic Artist

  • Emma M. CIabal
    Head, Administration and Finance

  • Terry G. Ciabal
    Marketing Manager

    Context Innovators and Resources International, Inc.

  • Edgar M. Reyes
    Senior Dispatch Officer