Category: News

The College of Development Communication (CDC) inducted into office the new set of CDC Student Council (CDCSC) members for AY 2023-2024 on 1 June 2023 in the CDC Conference Room.

On behalf of Dean Maria Stella C. Tirol, Dr. Elaine DC. Llarena (CDC Officer-In-Charge and Chair, Department of Science Communication) administered the oaths of the new members, led by Chairperson Jelaine Kate Pagayon.

Serving as witnesses were Asst. Prof. Rosa Pilipinas F. Francisco, Dr. Liza A. Cabrera (College Secretary), Shey Levita (Immediate Past Chairperson), Allysa Kathleen Balbin (Immediate Past CDC Representative to the USC), and members of Tanglaw.

Dean Tirol also congratulated the new members through a video message and hoped for harmonious working relations between the CDC administration and the CDCSC in serving the college’s constituents in the next school year.

The other members of the CSC who were elected during the UPLB University Student Council-College Student Council (USC-CSC) Elections (#UPLBElex2023) held on 15-19 May 2023 are as follows:

Vice Chairperson: Leo Verdad
College Representative to the USC: Juthea Gonzales
Councilors:
Carlo Alvarez
Charlie Centeno
Eulene Egamin
Marlia Allih Fulgencio

(Miguel Victor Durian)

Application for the Associate of Science in Development Communication (ASDC) program is extended until 15 June 2023. See this link to apply: bit.ly/asdc2023

For inquiries, kindly send an email to asdc@devcom.edu.ph.

The College of Development Communication (CDC) congratulates Prof. Benjamina Paula G. Flor of the Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunication (DDBT) for being conferred a UP Scientist I rank under the UP Scientific Productivity System (SPS) for CY 2022-2024. Your CDC family is proud of you!

She was previously conferred a UP Scientist II rank in 2020. (Miguel Victor Durian)

The College of Development Communication (CDC) congratulates the new set of members of the CDC Student Council, who were elected into office during the 2023 University Student Council-College Student Council (USC-CSC) Elections this May. CDC was also the college with the highest overall voter turnout at 56.69%.

The new CDC Student Council members are as follows:

Chairperson: Jelaine Kate Pagayon
Vice Chairperson: Leo Verdad
College Representative to the USC: Juthea Gonzales
Councilors:
Carlo Alvarez
Charlie Centeno
Eulene Egamin
Marlia Allih Fulgencio

(Miguel Victor Durian with reports from Tanglaw)

The College of Development Communication (CDC), through a team of academic staff led by Dean Maria Stella C. Tirol, was invited by the Department of Education (DepEd) to train its Region V (Bicol Region) and VI (Western Visayas) offices on strategic communication planning.

One team composed of Dean Tirol, Dr. Mildred O. Moscoso, and Asst. Prof. Olga C. Lomboy trained the Iloilo and Bacolod offices of Region VI on May 9-11 and May 16-18, respectively. Another team, composed of Dr. Trina Leah T. Mendoza, Asst. Prof. Ma. Terresita B. Osalla, and Mr. Miguel Victor T. Durian, trained the Region V offices on May 9-11.

The training was part of the Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines (ABC+) project implemented by Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The design of the training was also based on the Communication for Rural Development Framework of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN).

It aimed to capacitate the offices in crafting communication strategies to engage the private sector to support DepEd’s Early Grade Learning (EGL) in the country, which has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. EGL includes students from Kindergarten to Grade 3.

The participants included School Governance Division (SGOD) chiefs, School Division Office (SDO) and Curriculum Implementation Division (CID) supervisors, and Senior Education Program Specialists (SEPS) (handling social mobilization and monitoring and evaluation projects) of the DepEd offices.

Strategic Communication Planning is one of the most highly requested training topics from CDC by various agencies. (Miguel Victor Durian)

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Photos courtesy of ABC+.

Media agencies advocating workers’ rights were celebrated during the 17th Gandingan Awards held at the DL Umali Hall, UPLB, last May 13.

The Gandingan Awards 2023 embraced the theme Kabuhayan, Buhay ng Bayan, underscoring the crucial role of the media as storytellers to amplify the plight and rights of Filipino workers amid the pandemic.

It spotlighted compelling stories from jeepney drivers threatened by the jeepney phaseout, narratives of front liners suffering from insufficient wages, and the persistent attacks to silence journalists and progressive groups tackling these issues.

The Gandingan Awards is a creation of the UP Community Broadcasters’ Society (ComBroadSoc).

Winners of the Gandingan Awards 2023

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) bagged the two major awards.

DOSTv: Science for the People clinched the Gandingan ng Kaunlaran: Most Development-Oriented Radio/TV Station/Online Platform. Dr. Richard Burgos and his team from the DOST Science and Technology Information Institute (STII) accepted the award. DOST also bagged the top prize during the Gandingan Awards 2020.

Meanwhile, the UP ComBroadSoc’s Choice for Gandingan ng Kabuhayan was the DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) for its Lakbay GALING Series. Dr. Reynaldo Ebora, PCAARRD executive director, with the Applied Communication Division (ACD) team, led by its director Marita Carlos, accepted the award. 

The Ka Louie Tabing Memorial Achievement Award in Community Broadcasting was given to Dr. Rogelio Matalang for his instrumental contributions to establishing community radio stations in the Cordilleras and Cagayan Valley. Matalang was a faculty member at the Cagayan State University. 

The award was first given in 2022 at the 16th Gandingan Awards in honor of the late Ka Louie Tabing, a broadcasting luminary who pioneered the Tambuli Radio Project and hosted DZMM TeleRadyo’s “Sa Kabukiran” for two decades. 

Thirty media organizations, programs, and journalists were recognized in six other categories: the General Awards for Radio, Television, Online, and Personalities and the Core Awards for Programs and Personalities. 

Upholding workers’ rights

In his reflection message, Mark Lester M. Chico, Gandingan Awards founder and Office of Public Relations director, stressed the timely relevance of the theme of this year’s awards, which centered on the watchdog role that the media play in telling the stories of Filipino workers whose livelihoods continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Gamitin ninyo ang Gandingan bilang gabay sa mga kuwentong ilalahad ninyo gamit ang inyong kapangyarihang mamahayag. Maging pampatibay-loob din sana ito para sa ating laban kontra sa mga puwersang nais patahimikin ang boses na nagsasabi ng katotohanan at palitan ito ng naratibong may pakinabang lamang sa mga makapangyarihan at naghaharing-uri,” Chico said.

In a welcome message delivered on behalf of Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr., Dr. Nathaniel C. Bantayan, vice chancellor for research and extension, emphasized drawing inspiration from the winners and using the power of the media to promote inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Maria Stella C. Tirol, dean of the College of Development Communication, the home unit of UP ComBroadSoc, highlighted media’s role in covering stories of struggle and resilience amid economic challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.

UP ComBroadSoc’s head, Chief Anchor Dara Miracle Montalbo, gave a sneak peek into the Gandingan Awards 2024. 

According to her, the farmers, as the backbone of the country’s economy, will take center stage with agriculture and food as next year’s theme.

Gandingan’s return to the stage

The Gandingan Awards 2023 marked the event’s return to the stage after three years of being held virtually due to the pandemic. 

The event featured live performances from local artists, such as the Talahib People’s Music, Umalohokan Inc., Wyre Underground, Harmonya: The String Ensemble of UPLB, UPLB Choral Ensemble, as well as the P-Pop boy group, BGYO.  

Since its founding in 2007, Gandingan Awards has established itself as a premier award-giving program to honor media organizations and practitioners who use radio, television, and online media for development. 

Alongside the Gandingan Awards, the Gandingan 2023 Trade Fair  was held in partnership with the UPLB Business Affairs Office at the Student Union Amphitheatre on May 9-12. 

It was participated in by various local small and medium-sized enterprises. 

The 17^th Gandingan Awards was live-streamed on Facebook. (Klyra V. Orbien)

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This article was originally published on the UPLB website.

The Department of Development Journalism (DDJ) celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Los Baños Times by coming together with partners through a two-part training held on 17 and 24 April 2023 via Zoom. This is part of the participatory brand of journalism being espoused by DDJ, engaging community members to become collaborators of its news platform.

Two of the College of Development Communication’s (CDC) alumni, namely Mr. John Samuel J. Yap and Ms. Allysa Marie C. Federio, served as resource persons of the training, which was titled the Los Baños Times Community Partners’ Training on Visual Design and Social Media Management. Its training design was based on needs assessments conducted by DDJ during previous LB Times training sessions.

The first part of the training on visual design was held on April 17 and was facilitated by Mr. Yap, Designer for Digital Content Distribution at INQUIRER.net. In the first part of his presentation, he discussed the history of graphic design, as well as its role in distributing healthcare messages to highlight its importance in society. 

He then described the Gestalt Principles of Design, a set of theories in psychology, which include the laws of figure-ground, proximity, similarity, closure, continuity, and symmetry. He also discussed the principles of design such as balance, contrast, emphasis, unity, proportion, repetition, movement, and white space. In the last part of his presentation, he explained graphic design’s latest trends and challenges.

On the other hand, the second part of the training on social media management held on April 24 was facilitated by Ms. Federio, Communications Officer for Partnerships of Save the Children Philippines. She explained the best practices of SMM such as community management, engaging with followers, monitoring social media metrics, responding to negative feedback, utilizing paid advertising, and following ethical and legal guidelines. She also discussed the steps in conducting a strategic social media campaign that targets an institution’s intended audience.

On behalf of Dean Maria Stella C. Tirol, Asst. Prof. Aletheia C. Araneta, DDJ chair, highlighted in her opening remarks the LB Times’ 40 years of service in providing relevant information to the community. She then mentioned that the training was part of the efforts of the community news platform to rebuild its network with community organizations to further strengthen its role in responding to the information needs of the community. She also revealed to the participants a follow-up on-site event that DDJ is organizing to be held later in the year coinciding with CDC’s 25th anniversary celebration.

In her closing remarks, Asst. Prof. Jyasmin M. Calub Bautista, the LB Times editor-in-chief, expressed her appreciation to the resource speakers and all attendees for participating in the training. She hoped that the participants could use their learnings to better engage with their respective audiences and collaborate on community projects. She is also looking forward to working with the community partners in future activities.

Lastly, in his discussion on collaborating with LB Times, Mr. Miguel Victor T. Durian, the associate editor of LB Times, discussed the various activities LB Times has had with community members, which included trainings on media and information literacy, SMM, fact-checking, and journalism, as well as media coverage partnerships with different community organizations. He also thanked the agencies and groups who have contributed content to LB Times, such as public school teachers and youth groups. Mr. Durian leads the LB Times program’s project on the capacity building of community partners.

Almost 200 participants from various government, non-government, academic, and people’s organizations attended the event. (Rudy P. Parel, Jr.)

The College of Development Communication (CDC) hosted students and faculty members from the De La Salle University – Dasmariñas’ (DLSU-D) Communication and Journalism Department (CJD) during their educational visit to the UPLB campus on 10 May 2023. Leading the guests was Assoc. Prof. Marco M. Polo, who is a CDC alumnus and CJD faculty member.

On behalf of Dean Maria Stella C. Tirol, Asst. Prof. Rosa Pilipinas F. Francisco (Assistant to the Dean) led a forum for the guests held at the REDREC Auditorium to introduce CDC’s programs and projects, as well as internship, career, and graduate study opportunities. These were facilitated by representatives of key CDC offices and committees, namely Asst. Prof. Ryan Jay I. Galang (Member, CDC Internship Committee), Dr. Liza A. Cabrera (College Secretary) and Prof. Benjamina Paula G. Flor (Chair, Graduate Program Management Committee).

Afterwards, volunteers from student organizations facilitated a tour of the college to showcase facilities such as the Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunication’s (DDBT) television and radio studios. (Renz Frances D. Abagat-Manrique)

The 17th UP ComBroadSoc Gandingan Awards will be held on May 13, 2023 with the theme “Kabuhayan, Buhay ng Bayan,” highlighting the issues on livelihood and employment.

Since 2007, Gandingan Awards remains to be the sole student organization-led, university-based recognition program that focuses on development-oriented productions from both national and local or community-based media organizations.

The ceremony will be back on stage at the Dioscoro L. Umali Hall in UP Los Baños and will feature live performances from homegrown talents, as well as from Pinoy Pop Group, BGYO.

With over 180 entries from 13 media organizations across three classifications (General, Core, and Major Awards), this year’s Gandingan Awards aims to emphasize the importance of media in advancing the rights of Filipino workers under an extreme economic crisis brought about by the pandemic and the poor government response.

Among the issues we are facing that the media covered in the past year are the threat towards traditional jeepney phaseout that jeopardizes the livelihood of our jeepney drivers; unjust compensation for teachers, nurses, and other laborers and front liners alike; and the continuous attacks against media workers and other progressive groups that amplify the calls of the marginalized sectors, and many others.

Through Gandingan Awards, the UP ComBroadSoc or UP Community Broadcasters’ Society continues to challenge the media to be development-oriented and focus their lenses on the struggles and victories of the common Filipino people.

For more information and inquiries, kindly email gandinganawards@devcom.edu.ph or send a message through our official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GandinganAwards. (From the Gandingan Awards Facebook page)

The UPLB College of Development Communication (CDC), through the Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunication (DDBT), hosted on April 26 the University of Northern Philippines (UNP), which conducted a benchmarking of CDC’s community broadcasting facilities and practice.

Dr. Irene Abigail Guerrero (OIC of the Public Information Office) and Asst. Prof. Johnny Allagadan, Jr. (University Radio personnel) of UNP were taken on a tour of the Radyo DZLB Ang Tinig ng Kaunlaran drama studio and production booths by DDBT staff, led by Dr. Trina Leah T. Mendoza.

Other DDBT academic staff members who attended the benchmarking included Mr. Ryan Jay I. Galang (University Research Associate II), Ms. Christine Grace V. Mapacpac (University Research Associate II), Mr. Joseph Lydio R. Robles (University Extension Specialist I), Asst. Prof. Ma. Teresita B. Osalla, and Mr. Guien Eidrefson P. Garma. (Miguel Victor Durian)