Assistant Professor Aletheia C. Araneta is the new chair of the Department of Development Journalism (DDJ), effective 1 April 2021. She succeeded Assistant Professor Kabzeel Sheba G. Catapang, who served as DDJ Chair from 1 August 2016 to 31 March 31, 2021.
Years of service at CDC
Prof. Araneta has been part of the College of Development Communication since 2008. She was first a substitute instructor between 2008 and 2009 at the Department of Science Communication (DSC) and Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunication (DDBT), then became a full-time faculty in 2010 at DDJ. She served on various CDC committees that aimed to strengthen the development journalism instruction and curriculum design of the BSDC generalist curriculum. In 2018, she served as communication specialist of the Communication and Information Technology (COMMIT) program of the then Office of Student Affairs (OSA) and as PDA (Project Development Associate) for the Student Organizations and Activities Division (SOAD) under OSA from 2013-2014. On research and public service involvements, Prof. Araneta actively takes part in enhancing the extension and public service programs of DDJ that included the Los Baños Times. She was also part of CDC research project “Impact Assessment of selected PCAARRD Publications” and School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM) project “SARAI Mainstreaming and Knowledge Management Project 3.2: Knowledge and Capacity Building” both funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCAARRD-DOST). Currently, she is the project leader of DOST National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP)-funded project “Participatory Assessment of At-Risk Community’s Communication Needs, Resources, and Behaviors on Disaster Risk Management”. Assistant Professor Araneta earned her degrees in BS (cum laude) and MS Development Communication from UPLB.
Prof. Catapang pursues PhD
Prof. Catapang is now on study leave as she commenced (offshore) her PhD at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. As she starts her new journey, CDC thanks her for her leadership and contributions. Among her accomplishments as DDJ chair were: leading the research “Engaging Barangays, Local Institutions, and Organizations as Los Baños Times and Dito sa Laguna Stakeholders: An Action Research Program Towards the Development of a Community Communication Framework”, a project under the UPLB Global Competitive Fund; leading the streamlining of the DDJ Seminar and Workshop Series, wherein esteemed resource speakers are invited to discuss and facilitate trainings on relevant issues in journalism and media; supervised the operations of the LB Times and its evolution from a print platform to a multimedia platform; initiated the planning of magazine issues of the LB Times, usually released in broadsheet or newsletter formats; served as editorial adviser of DevcomM@ail, the monthly newsletter of CDC, as well as the news section of the Devcom website, ensuring the College’s institutional visibility. Prof. Catapang earned her BA in Communication Research (cum laude) from UP Diliman and her Master of Development Communication from UP Open University. (Miguel Victor T. Durian and Elaine DC. Llarena)
