IV. CODE OF ETHICS: Rules of Conduct & Practices
A. Between members
Guiding Principle: The principles of fair competition, promotion of common interests, and a spirit of mutual respect and harmony shall guide the relationship among member suppliers and sectors in the conduct of their craft and business.
- ASAP members shall compete based on merit. It shall be unethical for an ASAP member to compete by directly or indirectly disparaging its competitors.
- ASAP members shall conform to the standard bidding procedures established by norm or convention by the agency and client. Members shall not court, tolerate, nor exploit undue advantage from gaining knowledge of a competitor’s bid.
- Members must maintain the highest degree of financial integrity, and shall not offer remuneration and/or rebate in exchange for patronage or to gain preferential advantage.
- Members shall undertake to promote the common interest by adhering to and supporting all pertinent agreements and resolutions by the Association. No member shall undermine the interest of the Association or the advertising industry in general.
- Members shall treat each other with utmost respect and endeavor to promote unity and harmony in the Association, avoiding all actions that are divisive and detrimental to the group in any way. Issues that may arise between members shall seek resolution within the Association before they are elevated to outside entities.
- Members shall stand united and shall respect, uphold and abide by the sanctions imposed against any party that has violated the contractual, ethical or moral rights of a member.
- Member Suppliers must respect each other’s talent resources and shall not engage in employee “raiding” on a competitor in order to secure an important client business or that would result to business paralysis, hardship or financial loss of competition.
- Members shall support ASAP’s projects and efforts to help develop and uplift the advertising services industry.
- Member entities and individuals professionals shall strictly and fully conform to government statutory requirements, taxation regulations, licenses and permits.
B. With other sectors of the industry
- Advertising Services Suppliers must not present misleading, deceptive or incomplete information regarding their capability or capacity to undertake an assignment.
- ASAP Members shall not directly accept requirements from advertisers who maintain an agency of record, unless such services are not covered in an Advertiser and Advertising Agency agreement, or when the agency expressly allows client’s direct engagement of an advertising service. In all cases, the advertising agencies’ right to commission must be protected, except when waived by the agency. The advertiser-client shall be primarily responsible for advising their respective agency of its direct supplier transactions.
- Advertising services suppliers shall conform to the minimum business practices that are consistent with fair and harmonious relationship with the advertisers and agencies, to wit:
- Standard bidding procedures to ensure fair evaluation of the bids;
- To require mutually signed contracts, letters of agreement, job orders or similar documentation that formalizes the transaction between the parties. This shall be duly signed by an authorized representative of the agency or client and must issued before initiating any work. The document shall clearly indicate the scope of the work to be performed, costs and the standard terms of payment;
- To require a down payment and apply standard credit terms as provided by the ADBOARD Standards of Trade Practices and Conduct and the PANA-4As-ASAP MOA;
- The timely submission of official invoices and VAT registered official receipts, job completion reports and other similar documentation requirements.
- No advertising services supplier shall offer nor agree to give any gratuity to obtain a contract. For breach or violations of this, ASAP shall have the right to subject a member to disciplinary action.
- Advertising Services Suppliers shall maintain strict confidentiality with regards to projects and the clients they serve, and all other information they are privy to in the course of performing their services.
- ASAP members shall abide by the Association’s commitment to support the ADBOARD in the practice of self-regulation in the advertising industry. Members shall fully subscribe to and hold themselves bound by the Code of Ethics, Rules and Regulations and the Standards of Trade Practice and Conduct of the Advertising Board of the Philippines (ADBOARD)