Advertising maven now saves turtles from extinction

Filipinescas dance troupe to assuming the post as founding chair of the Advertising Foundation and chair of the Philippine Board of Advertising for eight times, Luis “Louie” Morales has indeed come a long, long way.

After touring the world three times as a Filipinescas dancer, the former pre-med student decided it was time to finish his studies—not in medicine but in business administration—putting an end to his father’s dream that the son who showed a lot of promise would someday be a doctor.

The world of marketing fascinated Morales. Under the tutelage of former Environment Undersecretary J. Antonio Aguenza whom he considered his mentor, he saw the endless possibilities in that particular field. “Imagine, there were only 12 brave souls who enrolled in that course when it was offered. There were so many case studies we had to do,” he recalled.

With a degree in business administration tucked under his belt, the University of the Philippines graduate found work at Philippine Advertising Counselors (PAC), an advertising and public relations firm, his home for the next 27 years.

At PAC, he met another mentor—Jose A. Carpio—the company chair who taught him all about public relations. The bond between the two men was so strong that Louie considered him his second father.

“One thing I learned from Mr. Carpio was that PR must be used as a tool for social uplift. It is doing good and telling it well,” said Morales, whose various clients belonged to the country’s top 100 companies. He had also initiated many noteworthy projects like the Marlboro Tour summer spectacle, and created the memorable “Isang Platitong Mani” ad for San Miguel Beer.

Together with Carpio and Andres Soriano III, the trio helped launch in 1968 the Philippine Business for Social Progress, a social development foundation dedicated to poverty reduction.

Advertising oldtimers like to credit Morales with putting up the Philippine Board of Advertising, the first working organization of industry practitioners.

“We united the industry. Our mission was to stop the exploitation of people by coming up with misleading ads. Claims that were not sustainable were not acceptable. They had to be backed up with figures and data,” he said.

Payback time

In the late ’80s, Morales was voted founding chair of the Advertising Foundation which was created to help and educate practitioners, students and the public on values advocacy and developmental programs of the industry.

For Morales, this was payback time.

At the age of 45, the advertising maven thought it was time to slow down and retire from the grueling schedule of the 9-to-5 world.

The next five years were spent as a consultant to various companies. He also went through a stage of spiritual growth, an epiphany of sorts that came about when his 9-year-old son told him that he was never a father to him because he was never there.

“All the material wealth was for naught if the spiritual side is not nurtured. Look for that spiritual and personal connection to God,” said Morales.

Together with friends and associates, he formed the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals  which was initially open only to men. Today, it has has grown to 150 chapters all over the country and two in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and has now accepted women as members.  It has also sponsored livelihood projects in depressed communities.

These days, Morales enjoys a good relationship with his three sons and two daughters. “I am  more of a friend to my children rather than a father,” he admits. Add to that the time spent with his four grandchildren which he relishes. For him, it’s the family that matters most.

But for one as dynamic and as driven, there was still a lot to be done.

“My philosophy now is encapsulated in the acronym  DWD (Do What You Want To Do). It simply means, I do whatever I want to do,” Morales said, with a calm borne out of knowing his priorities. “No more pressure, no more money-making deals. The competitive spirit is still there but for a higher purpose.”

Far from being idle, this senior citizen has embarked on another mission—saving the green turtles and leatherbacks in Palawan province through his advocacy program “Pugad Pawikan.”

Together with friend and BCBP recruit Fuji Rodriguez, what started as a hobby protecting the eggs of giant turtles in their private resort, Arena Island in Narra, Palawan, has turned into a full-time preoccupation.

Island workers are taught how to protect the eggs which number from 100 to 130 per turtle. There are 6 to 12 nests at any given time, and baby turtles can number anywhere from 300 to 1000. Resort visitors are also encouraged to adopt a turtle by paying for its upkeep.

“Turtles always go back to the place where they were born. After tagging the babies, we register them  internationally to be able to trace their return to Arena Island where they can lay more eggs. If we can keep out the poachers and predators, we have a very good chance of increasing the dwindling number of turtles,” Morales said.

Advocacy

The environment advocate said the host community’s response to the project has been short of enthusiastic. “Our educational campaign has paid off. If we can get the help of the local government, that would be even better,” he added.

“I am what you may call an accidental conservationist. What I thought was just a simple contribution to protect the ecosystem has turned into a passion,” he said, adding that it took him and fellow conservationists five years to revive the  dying reefs in the area. From a grey hue, the  reefs are now multicolored and a sight to behold.

For 67-year-old Morales, retirement is not an option. For many who know him, that would seem like a waste of a valuable human resource.