Philippine Congress on Media and Communication (PCMC) 2027

Growing Up and Living Digital: Social Media, Artificial Intelligence and the Filipino

February 15 - 16, 2027

About the congress

Digital platforms have transformed the experiences of Filipino children and adolescents. Social media, online games, streaming platforms, and AI-enabled technologies provide opportunities for learning, creativity, social participation, and economic engagement. At the same time, they raise concerns related to cyberbullying, online exploitation, privacy, excessive screen time, misinformation, manipulative platform design, and exposure to harmful content.

Recent legislative hearings and public debates in the Philippines underscore the need for evidence-based, child rights-oriented policies. Consistent with the priorities of the Philippine Children Research Network, this forum will bring together researchers, educators, government agencies, technology companies, media organizations, parents, and young people to examine how communication policies and practices can better protect children while respecting their rights to participation, information, privacy, and development.

Objectives:

The forum shall:

present current Philippine and international research on children's digital experiences;
examine the impacts of social media, online games, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms on children's well-being;
discuss ethical responsibilities of technology companies, media organizations, educators, and government agencies;
promote child-sensitive communication policies and media practices;
identify evidence-based recommendations for legislation, regulation, education, and industry self-governance; and
strengthen interdisciplinary research on children, communication, and digital citizenship.

Congress Pillars

Communication Research and Scholarship

Professional Practice

Presentation of cutting-edge communication research from universities and research institutions.

Knowledge-generation and knowledge-sharing among journalists, broadcasters, communication managers, public relations practitioners, advertisers, government communicators, and digital media professionals.

Communication Policy

National conversations on media governance, artificial intelligence, platform accountability, freedom of expression, media literacy, communication ethics, and public information.

Innovation and Technology

Emerging communication technologies, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, immersive media, data journalism, content creation, and platform innovation.

Communication for Social Impact

Communication as a driver of democratic governance, child protection, disaster resilience, public health, peacebuilding, and sustainable development.

CALL FOR PAPERS

GROWING UP AND LIVING DIGITAL: SOCIAL MEDIA, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND THE FILIPINO

Call for Papers Opens

29 September 2026

Abstract Submission Deadline
31 October 2026

Notification of Acceptance
30 November 2026

Full Paper Submission

30 January 2027

Early-Bird Registration Deadline
15 December 2026

Final Registration

31 January 2027

Congress
15–16 February 2027

PCS Review Special Congress Issue

Target publication: 2027

The Philippines Communication and Media Congress (PCMC) 2027 invites communication and media scholars, researchers, educators, journalists, media practitioners, communication professionals, development workers, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers to submit original research papers for presentation at the Congress.

The Congress will be held on 15–16 February 2027 at Legazpi City, Albay, under the theme: Growing Up and Living Digital: Social Media, Artificial Intelligence, and the Filipino

Filipinos are growing up and living in an increasingly digital environment. Social media platforms, artificial intelligence, online games, streaming services, digital advertising, messaging applications, and algorithmically mediated information have become deeply embedded in everyday life.

These technologies have transformed how Filipinos communicate, learn, work, participate in public life, consume news and entertainment, construct identities, build relationships, and understand society.

At the same time, digital transformation has created new challenges. Disinformation, misinformation, declining trust, online harassment, privacy concerns, algorithmic influence, deepfakes, digital inequality, platform accountability, threats to children and vulnerable groups, and the disruption of established media and communication industries require sustained scholarly and professional attention.

Artificial intelligence presents another major transformation. Generative AI is changing journalism, advertising, public relations, education, broadcasting, government communication, research, and creative industries. It raises fundamental questions about authorship, credibility, intellectual property, employment, ethics, human agency, and the future of communication itself.

The PCMC 2027 therefore seeks research that examines how Filipinos are growing up and living digital—and how communication scholars and practitioners can help shape a digital environment that is innovative, ethical, inclusive, democratic, and responsive to the needs of Filipino society.

The Congress particularly welcomes interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary studies that connect communication and media with sociology, psychology, education, political science, economics, information technology, law, public policy, development studies, and other fields.

Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and feature five (5) keywords.

CONFERENCE TRACKS

Journalism, Democracy, and Media Integrity
Broadcasting, Streaming, and Emerging Media Technologies
Strategic Communication, Public Relations, and Corporate Affairs
Government, Development, and Risk Communication
Communication Education, Research, and Pedagogical Innovation
Media Literacy, Information Integrity, and Disinformation Response
Children, Digital Media, Online Games, and Child Protection

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Authors shall submit an abstract of 300 words containing:

Title of the paper
Author/s
Institutional affiliation
Email address of corresponding author
Conference track
Background/rationale
Research problem or objectives
Methodology
Major findings or expected findings
Significance/implications
Five keywords

The abstract should clearly identify the paper's contribution to communication and media scholarship or professional practice.

Authors of accepted abstracts shall subsequently submit the full research paper according to the Congress publication guidelines.

Submit your abstract to this form.