Rolly Inciong: A civic communicator for our time

Before there was Facebook, before algorithms and engagement metrics began shaping our every conversation, there was community. And in San Pablo City, one of the steady voices behind that community spirit was and remains Rolly Inciong.

I owe him more than just a column.

We were friends, fellow believers in storytelling, civic duty, and the power of local media to spark national awareness. I didn’t start as a writer. I was a cartoonist. And it was Rolly who encouraged me to launch my political cartoon, Titay—a humorous but biting take on local issues that helped sharpen my eye for truth and satire. He published the cartoons in News World, his local newspaper, giving my work a platform when few others would. Through sketches and captions, I tried to make sense of the chaos. Rolly believed I had something important to say, and he made sure I dared to say it. That invitation, simple as it seemed, sparked a journey that would lead me to investigative journalism and the Philippine Press Institute. He didn’t just open a door; he helped build the hallway.

But this story isn’t about me. It’s about a man who, throughout decades of local and regional service, has defined what it means to be a communicator with conscience.

Beyond the Press

When I faced a ₱18-million libel suit in my late twenties over a story involving a basketball court that existed only on paper, Rolly and his wife Sylvia, known to most of us as Bebot, stood by me. Through hearings, through fear, through all the noise, they never wavered. They believed in truth, and they believed in me. That kind of loyalty isn’t just rare in journalism, it’s rare in life.

Yet the public record of Rolly’s contributions goes far beyond the newsroom. As San Pablo’s first-ever City Information Officer in the 1990s, he set the bar for local government communications, one rooted not in spin but in service. Now that he’s back in that post, under Mayor Najie Gapangada’s administration, his return feels less like a comeback and more like a homecoming. The city’s renewed push for transparency and civic engagement bears his thoughtful imprint.

A Civic Communicator

He didn’t stop with press releases and media liaison work. Rolly helped shape one of San Pablo’s proudest traditions: the Coconut Festival. In 1995–1996, along with Sylvia and a team of civic-minded collaborators, he was part of the think tank that branded and conceptualized Cocofest, transforming it into an annual magnet for tourism, culture, and local pride.

Later, he took his skills to the regional stage. At the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), Rolly led the Communication and Public Affairs unit, championing biodiversity not just in reports, but in people’s hearts. He facilitated workshops, authored materials, and made the complex language of conservation accessible and inspiring. It was, once again, public communication in its purest form: serving not power, but people.

Business and Beyond

As president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry – San Pablo City (PCCI-SPC), Rolly infused business advocacy with vision and strategy. Under his leadership, the local chamber gained national recognition as the Most Outstanding Chamber, proof that communication can catalyze economic growth, too.

His Rotary and Apex Club affiliations further round out a life lived in service of others, volunteerism, public health, youth empowerment, and cultural preservation. For him, these were not side pursuits but the very pillars of a functioning and compassionate society.

Why This Matters Now

In an era of misinformation, of shallow virality, of rapid-fire content with little context, San Pablo is fortunate to have a City Information Officer who understands both the tempo of the internet and the soul of the barangay. Rolly Inciong brings institutional memory, regional credibility, and the kind of narrative sensitivity that AI will never replicate.

To set the record straight: Rolly earned his degree in Development Communication from the University of the Philippines, Los Baños. Before he was appointed as Chief Information Officer, he served as Regional Director of the then National Nutrition and Population Commission (NNPC), now known as the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), for the Southern Tagalog Region. In the broader field of public service, however, his most enduring credentials are not found on paper but in the decades of meaningful work he carried out with integrity and impact.

From One Publisher to Another

What makes Rolly rare is not just his resume. It’s the way he works quietly, collaboratively, persistently. With Sylvia by his side, he has woven together the threads of culture, ecology, business, and governance. And he does it with humility.

As the publisher of Tutubi News Magazine, I count myself lucky to have had Rolly Inciong as a mentor. But more importantly, San Pablo is lucky to have him now, anchoring truth in a sea of noise, one clear, steady message at a time.

Venus Peñaflor
Publisher, Tutubi News Magazine
Personal reflections drawn from experience; all other facts cited from public records and documentation as available.