4 PRA NEWS UPDATES PHILIPPINE RETAILING
Designing Leadership Pathways That Will Shape the Future of Philippine Retail
By: Ivan Ray T. Verzonilla, PRA
As the retail landscape continues to evolve rapidly, the Philippine Retailers Association( PRA) is helping chart the industry’ s future by designing leadership pathways that respond to today’ s shifting expectations. This direction takes center stage at the upcoming 4th Retail Leaders Summit on March 18, 2026, where the focus goes beyond developing skills to cultivating the mindset and character demanded of tomorrow’ s retail leaders.
The Summit’ s framework is anchored on four essential leadership pillars- PEOPLE, CULTURE, CHANGE & INNOVATION, and HUMAN CONNECTION- reflecting the industry’ s need for leaders who can balance business transformation with empathy and human-centered decision-making. These pillars shape the Summit’ s overall program and ensure that each discussion contributes to building leaders who can navigate change while strengthening the core of their organizations.
Attendees can expect conversations that turn leadership concepts into actionable practices. The Summit is intentionally structured to help leaders understand how to apply new insights, sustain high-performing cultures, and guide teams through shifting retail models. It highlights not just knowledge, but meaningful execution and measurable results.
Ever Bilena’ s journey in Redefining Inclusivity in Beauty – Let’ s Talk Retail Episode 47
By Aira Villanueva-Vinoya, PRA
“ Inclusivity” has become a buzzword in today’ s beauty landscape but for Ever Bilena( EB), it’ s more than a trend. It’ s a commitment to create meaningful connections through beauty.
According to Denice Sy, Ever Bilena’ s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, inclusivity for the brand goes beyond simply offering a diverse range of products.
“ Makeup isn’ t just about products, it’ s about connections. It’ s a lifestyle,” Denice shared. Recognizing the strong cultural bond people form through entertainment particularly K-pop and Thai pop culture, Ever Bilena took a bold step: introducing male endorsers to represent the brand.
“ There’ s absolute joy and connection in pop culture, from singing at concerts, trading merch, or dressing up for fan meets. We wanted everyone to feel part of that same world of lifestyle, fun, and community,” she said.
For Denice, featuring male endorsers is not about breaking stereotypes for attention, but about normalizing beauty for everyone.
Gathering a diverse mix of retail executives, entrepreneurs, technology innovators, and cross-industry leaders, the Summit provides a rare opportunity to reflect, connect, and strengthen leadership capabilities across sectors. By designing relevant pathways for growth, the PRA continues to advance a vision of a retail industry led by capable, inspired, and future-ready leaders.
Backed by key industry players, the summit is supported by Premium Brand Partner Globe Business, Knowledge Partner People Ignite Organizational Training and Development, Inc. and Official Digital Marketing Partner InnovationOne, Inc.
Retail leaders, industry practitioners, and innovators are invited to join and gain insights that can shape the future of Philippine retail. Early bird registration is open until February 18, 2026. Register here: https:// forms. gle / NtUNoPcnWMKoLscAA.
For sponsorship or table space inquiries, contact the PRA Executive Secretariat at 8687-4180 to 81 or email marketing @ philretailers. com; specialprojects @ philretailers. com & info @ philretailers. com.
“ Beauty is for everyone. When you see male endorsers confidently using products like lip balm and they’ re not even part of the LGBTQ + community, they’ re straight men, it sends a powerful message. We want to show that enjoying beauty isn’ t limited by gender. Whether you’ re a cis male or anyone else, beauty and self-care are for you,” she explained.
Ever Bilena’ s decision to feature male endorsers was a deliberate move, one that challenges conventions and sparks conversations about what beauty and inclusivity really mean today. Looking ahead, Denice also shared her vision for the brand’ s next chapter: highlighting Filipina beauty on the global stage.
Denice emphasized that while Korean, Japanese and Thai beauty have gained worldwide recognition, Philippine beauty still deserves its moment on the global stage. She envisions Ever Bilena playing a key role in showcasing the distinct charm, confidence, and diversity of the Filipina. At the same time, she ensures that every product the brand releases is created with purpose, authenticity, and genuine relevance to its customers, not just for the sake of launching something new.
Discover more of Denice Sy’ s inspiring insights on beauty, inclusivity, and Filipino pride in her exclusive interview on PRA’ s YouTube channel and Spotify.