Category: Feature

Cedric Allen U. Katigbak, with a General Weighted Average (GWA) of 1.16071, leads the College of Development Communication’s (CDC) Silver Class of 2023 as valedictorian and summa cum laude.

On behalf of his class, Katigbak addressed CDC’s 25th Testimonial and Recognition Program for Graduating and Honor Students held on August 3 at the UPLB CAS Auditorium.

Facing the challenges of the pandemic

Katigbak experienced his fair share of obstacles during his educational journey. He had grown into a shining instance of dedication and drive after navigating the difficulties of studying while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and honing the skills he had acquired in the field of Devcom.

One of the biggest obstacles he faced while pursuing his education was the pandemic pandemic. It interfered with how he managed to learn, particularly in the higher-level Devcom courses that called for not just precedent knowledge from earlier semesters. He was a social learner who found it hard to adjust to taking classes online because he preferred in-person conversations and hands-on activities, which afterall is the nature of Devcom praxis.

He used a three-pronged strategy to get through these challenges. First, he surrounded himself with a solid circle of friends and org mates facing similar struggles. They supported one another and were held responsible for their progress. While studying, he practiced self-control and averted distractions like social media. Finally, he prioritized his mental health by watching motivational videos and having meaningful conversations with friends. He also maintained a healthy lifestyle involving regular exercise.

Academics and other interests

He managed his time well despite having an active schedule as a student leader and participant in several organizations. He became chairperson of the CDC Freshman Council.

He encouraged focusing on the current task to produce high-quality outputs. His experiences inspired him to be even more active in addressing social issues and advocating for positive change. Furthermore, he pointed out the significance of learning outside the classroom by immersing oneself in various communities. Attending educational discussions with different sectors allowed him to interact with professionals and gain insights into the hardships faced by farmers, women, and other marginalized groups.

Aside from family, friends, and children who have worked in sectors before for every subject, Cedric’s own dream also became his motivation.

“Kasi gusto kong maging television news presenter or anchor. May idol ako si David Moore, isang American. Tapos sa Philippines naman ang idol ko ay si Karmina Constantino. So I followed them on social media. Tapos everytime na nakikita kong nag po post sila ng stories they produce, bigla kong maaalala ‘Ay may gagawin pa pala ako’. Sila yung motivation ko from time to time na okay I really have to work it because I want to be like them,” he said.

Katigbak managed his expectations based on what he knew he could do. He found advocacies, immersed himself in different communities, and developed an awareness on what was happening around him. 

His advice to others is to learn inside the classroom and seek for learning opportunities outside. Through this, they would be able to bring their best foot forward whenever they face another community or another person that they can work with in the future. 

As a summa cum laude

Katigbak did not expect to be lead CDC’s Silver Class. He shared that during the semester before his last one, he received his lowest GWA, which potentially compromised his chances of graduating summa cum laude. Fortunately, he received a flat one GWA during his last semester.

He thought back on the difficulties he went through and the sacrifices he had made, feeling that all of his efforts had been fruitful. 

“Parang nabalik lahat nung memories na nahihirapan ako. I was alone, studying at our house. I am so grateful to all my professors, family and friends who helped me to be here,” he added.

Cedric is the second summa cum laude CDC has produced in its 25-year history. (Leanshey Castillo and Maurice Paner)

As part of its commitment to making its spaces more inclusive for Persons with Disabilities (PWD), the College of Development Communication (CDC) had installed a platform stairlift — the first of its kind not only among the colleges at the university, but in the whole UP System.

Implementation long overdue

According to CDC Dean Maria Stella Tirol, the proposal of the platform stairlift has been in the works ever since the term of the previous college administration in 2016.

“This was proposed during the term of former (CDC) Dean Maria Theresa Velasco and because of the long process for bidding and procurement, it was only this year, 2023, when finally the electronic chairlift [platform stairlift] was installed,” Dean Tirol said.

Guided by the provisions of the Republic Act 7277, also known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, CDC recognizes the needs of the PWD sector.

As stated in Section 25, Chapter VI of the act, the State must take steps to establish barrier-free spaces. Both public and private areas listed in Batas Pambansa Bilang 344, or the Accessibility Law, should be accessible to PWDs.

“This provided the rationale why CDC decided to install, hindi lang ‘yung [platform stairlift] mayroon din tayong ramp doon sa harapan,” Dean Tirol said.

The recently stationed equipment at the Department of Science Communication (DSC) wing of the CDC building is the Stratos Platform Stairlift manufactured and imported from Austria.

In a document provided by the University Planning and Management Office (UPMO) Architect William Jeffrey Rañola, the platform stairlift is deemed the most suitable among others as it was designed specifically to operate on curved stairs such as those inside the CDC building.

The Stratos has a maximum load capacity of about 300 kilograms, which can carry mobility devices such as wheelchairs, and is powered by batteries that allow it to recharge automatically on each landing area. With this, the equipment can still operate even without electricity.

Additionally, the platform stairlift comes with a remote that controls its movement as well as an emergency stop and alarm button. Two wireless controls are also mounted on the walls of each landing station to send the lift either at the ground level or above.

This recent development has not only been PWD-friendly, but has also catered to the increasing number of senior citizens among the staff in the College. However, there is no baseline data on the profile of the PWD community in the CDC that prompted the administration to install the equipment.

Experienced accessibility

Despite the lack of baseline data, efforts to install the platform stairlift was not just a mere compliance with RA 7277 but has also become an effective mobility instrument to its end users at the College.

Juvy Gopela, a PWD employee who works as a University Researcher for the CDC’s Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunication (DDBT), was the first to use the platform stairlift and has continued to do so ever since.

“Noong una, syempre, ay parang bago diba? Noong una nakakatakot ‘no, tapos makita mo naman dahan-dahan lang. Okay naman ‘yung experience ko,” Gopela said, recalling her initial impressions following the installation of the lift.

Due to Gopela’s poliomyelitis and mild stroke, which affected her mobility, her familiarity with how the platform works provided her the chance to move easily. It was as if her feet transports her to the second floor of the building where the DDBT offices are located.

She said that the only challenge she has encountered is riding the lift, “Yung pagsakay, siyempre dahan-dahan. Minsan kasi kailangan ibaba mo talaga ‘yung sakayan kasi minsan pagmamadali ko, hindi pa pala siya totally nakalapat.”

She believed that CDC made significant steps in promoting inclusivity through this development and saw the platform stairlift as a blessing in disguise.

Architect Rañola also shared the same sentiments when asked how he perceived the overall project. “Kahit saan ka pumunta, pwede mong ipagyabang na ang pinaka-unang platform [stair]lift ay nasa CDC,” he said.

With CDC starting to promote accessibility on the campus, he said that it influences the construction of  a conducive learning environment. PWDs will be given equal chances to pursue their academics through facilities that do not restrict them from reaching their full potential.

Development in hindsight

Building inclusive learning spaces means meeting the needs of every person involved in the learning process: the students, staff, and administration. In the absence of their collaboration, providing equal educational access to marginalized groups such as PWDs is impeded and eventually grows to a larger area of concern on inclusivity.

The UPMO has roughly estimated more than 10 buildings within the university that lack PWD ramps. Most of these include older buildings and those with rooms used for General Education courses.

Architect Rañola voluntarily designed and planned for the development of these ramps, including the budgetary cost estimate for handling. This endeavor was raised to the end-users and the administration and awaits approval for financing.

Other two-storey buildings like the CDC have also been recommended to set up platform stairlifts. Additionally, the office is currently working to install elevators in buildings that qualify to have one.

Rañola said that PWD inclusivity should be given the attention that it demands. He said that the UPMO has been taking the necessary measures to address this concern, but still depends on whether the administration will permit these plans.

“Hindi naman pwedeng balewalain mo sila. Bilang part of the community, hindi natin sila pwedeng pabayaan kasi tao rin sila. Dapat mayroon din silang proper attention na ibinibigay sa kanila,” Architect Rañola said.

The CDC recognized the necessity to provide additional programs other than infrastructural improvements in assisting the PWD community. However, there is still indeed a long road ahead for educational institutions to be fully inclusive.

Going beyond barriers

Materializing PWD inclusive learning spaces requires effective planning, design, and implementation. Funding continues to be a major demand, especially in carrying out plans such as installation of lifts and elevators among establishments across the campus.

“It’s a matter of implementation, it’s a matter of money. It really depends on the priorities,” Rañola said.

In August 2022, the National Expenditure Program (NEP) of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) proposed the 2023 budget which allotted a total forecast of P21 Billion, less than half of the P44 Billion budget that the UP administration proposed. The cuts in the budget were deemed to greatly impact the UP system’s infrastructure projects for 2023.

Furthermore, there is still a lack of baseline data on the PWD community on campus to ground the implementation of programs that heed their demands. Accordingly, there is pressure on the administration to evaluate the overall learning needs of UPLB students.

The CDC administration begins to conform to this need: “We have to start from the baseline. Specifically for the college, we need to do a survey not only for the PWDs, but for the overall criteria for inclusivity in terms of learning for the students. Siguro ayun ang ipa-priotitize namin,” Dean Tirol said.

Development cannot be spoken of if there are sectors still marginalized. There is certainly no community too small for their struggles to be left at the seams. (Mary Antonie Joan Alberto and Raven Victoria Lucero)

Since its conception in 1998, the College of Development Communication (CDC) graduates its first summa cum laude in the person of John Warren Gado Tamor, who attained a general weighted average of 1.1250.

On behalf of the CDC Class of 2022, Tamor addressed the 24th Testimonial and Recognition Program of the college on August 3 at the EB Copeland Gymnasium.

In his speech, he shared about how UP has opened his critical eyes to the bitter truths facing society.

For the Urban Poor

Having grown up in a squatter’s area in Binondo, Manila and under a bridge in Taytay, Rizal, Tamor had already been exposed as a child to the harsh realities of urban living.

Being his inspiration, his father worked several jobs throughout his life: a staff member in the Philippine Navy, member of the Philippine Dragon Boat team, a tricycle driver, cooking assistant, and now the owner of their backyard farming business in Mindoro, where they are currently based. Tamor is also the eldest of two siblings and the first to earn a college degree.

To be able to afford basic necessities while studying at UPLB, such as food, shelter, and even school supplies, he had to work as a student assistant and apply for scholarships, such as the UP Presidential Undergraduate Scholarship Grant.

He recalled one time having to choose whether to buy food or pay for the photocopying fee for his readings for one of his courses, while considering his P54 budget for the day.

“…anong uunahin ko? Readings o pagkain? Noong araw na iyon, pinili ko ang pagkain. Nabusog ako pansamantala at lumipas ang isang maghapon. Ngunit saglit lang bago tuluyang naubos ang fifty four pesos ko, at sa huli, gutom at panibagong perspektibo lamang ang inabot ko,” he said.

(…what should I prioritize? Readings or food? That day, I chose food. I was full for a while and a day passed. But it was only a matter of time before my fifty four pesos was gone, and in the end, hunger and a new perspective were the only ones I had).

He wondered how his mother was able to budget his father’s measly monthly income of P1,500 for his family of five.

“Kaya naman base sa aking natutunan, nag-kwenta ako—para sa limang miyembro ng aming pamilya, seventy pesos lang pala ang nakalaan araw-araw. Kung babalewalain ang inflation, labing-anim na piso lamang ang diperensya’t masasabi ko na na nasa poverty line na kami,” he added.

When asked about his advocacy, Tamor cited Dr. Nora Quebral’s 1988 book Development Communication Primer, where she tackled how “migration is a coping mechanism for the poor in developing countries” and how it became a way to find better job opportunities. She also mentioned that “rural migrants often settle for poorly paid jobs in the cities and end up in slums or in shantytowns.”

He said that the notion that the grass is greener in cities like Manila is a misconception because, in reality, not all opportunities are available in such places.

“Nangarap lang din naman sila. Gusto lang naman nilang maging mabuti yung buhay nila pero hindi na sila nakaalis ng Maynila kasi hindi sila nabigyan ng magandang opportunity when in fact pumunta nga sila doon for better opportunities,” he said of the urban poor.

(They also just dreamed. They just want to improve their living conditions, but they never got to leave Manila, because they were not given a good opportunity, when in fact, they went there in the first place for better opportunities.)

It then became clear to Tamor that his advocacy was to promote better urban planning and development by shaping sustainable cities and communities. 

Tamor said that he will apply his learnings and experiences as a Devcom graduate, specifically on participatory development and project management, in fulfilling his advocacy. He has made it his life’s mission to bridge the gap between legislators and the civil society by championing community participation in the design and planning of urban and rural areas.

He also aspires for the youth to do their part in raising awareness about the issues revolving around urban communities through information campaigns.

“Lahat ng ginagawa natin ay para sa bayan, higit sa sarili, para lahat ito sa bayan,” he said.

(Everything we do is for the people, more than ourselves, it’s all for the people.)

Catalyst of Change

But CDC’s first summa had actually planned to shift to the BS Applied Physics program of UPLB after his first year at the college. Having chosen the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand in senior high school, Tamor’s initial interest was in the field of the natural sciences. In fact, he graduated with highest honors and was given an Excellence Award in Science for his outstanding performance in subjects such as physics, chemistry, and biology.

But he realized that Devcom, through his field work and production courses, was something he could be passionate about, particularly in aspects involving immersing and being one with marginalized communities and leading efforts that would uplift their lives.

Throughout his undergraduate years, he lived up to the Devcom spirit of empathy and compassion for grassroots communities. He was not the type of student who just attends his classes and ace his exams.

He became an exchange student in urban and international studies at the University of Malaya. Immersing in a more developed country, he could not help comparing Malaysia’s living condition with the Philippines’, which further enriched his understanding of society.

He also became head of the UPLB Development Communicators’ Society. He fondly recalled leading one of their readership literacy campaigns for indigent children and he was amazed at how his organization’s small effort had a big impact on the children’s reading skills.

He also became a first class officer of the corps of cadets of the UPLB Reserved Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program under the Department of Military Sciences and Tactics (DMST), which honed his grit and leadership skills.

And as if these extracurricular activities weren’t enough, he even interned in three  non-governmental agencies to hone his communication and production skills and professionalism.

All of these efforts bore fruit through several awards that he received on top of being recognized as CDC’s first summa cum laude. These included the CDC Faculty Medal for Academic Excellence, CDC Student Leadership Award, Nora C. Quebral Medal for Scholarship in Development Communication, and the UPLB ROTC Award of Loyalty and Duty Medal Award.

Students of the country’s premier university can only do so much. His friends even wonder where he gets all his energy.

But one thing is for sure that with his awards and achievements comes the responsibility of becoming a catalyst of social change, as is the mission of the field of development communication.

Calling on his fellow graduates, he said, “Ngayon, pasan na natin ang responsibilidad na tumindig at kumilos. Mangahas tayo na maging mga aktibong iskolar na walang pasubaling magsisilbi para sa kapwa. Labanan natin ang pagiging manhid sa nararanasang karamdaman ng ating lipunan sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng ating boses at kalayaan upang manindigan.”

(Now, it is our responsibility to stand up and take action. Let’s dare to be active scholars who will unconditionally serve others. Let’s not be apathetic about the condition of our society by using our voice and freedom to stand our ground.) (Rudy P. Parel Jr.)