Category: News

“Do no harm.” “Don’t add to the chaos.”

Two journalists said these as they appealed for prudence in practicing conflict journalism to future journalists from UPLB’s College of Development Communication (CDC).

JC Gotinga, Rappler senior producer, and Carmela Fonbuena, executive director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), made this appeal in their talk “From Marawi to Ukraine: What You Need to Know about Conflict Journalism” at the CDC’s Department of Development Journalism (DDJ) Seminar Series on April 15, 2024 at the ICOPED Auditorium.

Gotinga and Fonbuena shared with the students the realities and challenges they faced as conflict journalists while covering the wars in Marawi and Ukraine.

They emphasized the importance of prioritizing the welfare of ordinary citizens affected by war over publishing sensational news and meeting newsroom demands.

Gotinga called on reporters to carefully assess how they frame their stories, despite their factualness, before disseminating them to the public, as sensitive information can make or break people affected by war.

He also urged them to use politically appropriate terms to avoid misinterpretation.

Gotinga said, “It’s so hard to judge war when you’re not part of it… sana huwag na tayong makadagdag ng gulo (I hope we don’t add more trouble). When you cover war or conflict, I would say the first thing you tell yourself is, “Don’t add to the chaos.”

“Dapat ‘yung isusulat mo at ‘yung irereport mo ay makakatulong sa resolution o pagbawas sa pagdurusa ng mga nasa giyera (What you write and report should contribute to the resolution or reduction of the suffering of those in war),” he added.

Fonbuena seconded his insight, discussing the concept of slow news, in which the press postpones publishing a story so they can first conduct in-depth information processing.

“Do no harm,” Fonbuena cautioned the students. Referring to stories on torture, Fonbuena said, “As much as it’s a big story, it is also important to show that you have a documented case of torture, but do you put the life of [people] you interviewed in danger?” she said.

After the talks, an open forum took place, which mostly revolved around ethics, fact-checking, and conflict journalists’ physical and mental welfare when on the field.

In her welcoming remarks, Dean Maria Stella C. Tirol tackled how conflict or peace communication is also one of the dimensions of development communication and acknowledged DDJ for providing an avenue for students to explore this field through Rappler and PCIJ, which she also thanked for their continued partnership with CDC.

In her closing remarks, faculty member Aletheia C. Araneta lauded the speakers for their humanistic approach to reporting conflict, which reflects development communication’s value of ‘knowing your audience.’ She said that she hoped that the practical wisdom shared by the speakers had inspired the students to keep telling the stories of the people.

The forum was coordinated with Rappler, Open Society Foundations, Perhimpunan Pengembangan Media Nusantara (PPMN), and the DEVC 80 (Communication and Society) class of one of DDJ’s lecturers and Rappler multimedia business reporter Ralf Rivas, who also moderated the event.

The forum was attended by CDC students and staff, as well as those from other state universities, colleges, and agencies.

The seminar was streamed live on the CDC Facebook page. (Jayvee Viloria; Photos by Jai Delos Reyes)

Through a DEVC 136 class, the UPLB College of Development Communication partnered with Fyt, a community-oriented independent media outfit, to produce multimedia materials on disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM).

The DEVC 136 class on Multi-media Materials Production and Management under Mark Lester del Mundo Chico produced a set of media materials that tackles various facets of DRRM. These materials include a documentary film, radio drama series, social media art cards, and short-form videos.

“Iyong mga ganitong partnership ang nagbibigay ng mas malawak na reach sa ating mga likhang Devcom. Through this, mas maaabot natin ‘yung mas maraming taong kailangang makapanood, makapagbasa, o makapakinig ng mga kuwento at impormasyon ukol sa mga sakuna at kung paano ito malalampasan,” Chico explained.

(These partnerships give us a wider reach for our class outputs. Through this, we could reach a bigger audience who needs to view, read, or listen to the stories and information on disasters and how to survive them.)

On April 8, the class had a workshop with Fyt Media co-founders Voltaire Tupaz and Atom Araullo, who discussed the details of the partnership, including the production and publication schedules.

The collaboration reflects Fyt’s mission to support student works from campus journalism to university projects, emphasizing the value of their contributions to the communities they write stories about.

“Bilang mga estudyante ng Devcom, malaking bagay para sa atin na mabigyan ng access sa mga platform na makatutulong para mas maiparating ang mga kuwento at mensaheng pangkaunlaran. Patunay rin ito na hindi lang tayo nakukulong sa loob ng silid-aralan, tayo mismo, bilang mga mag-aaral ay may kakayahang mag-ambag sa makubuluhang usapan ng mga isyu sa mas malawak na lipunan, gaya ng DRRM,” Katrina Panaligan, DEVC 136 class coordinator, said.

(As Devcom students, it is important that we have access to platforms that are significant in delivering development stories and messages. It also proves that we are not contained in our classrooms because we can contribute to social discourse like DRRM.)

The materials are published on Fyt’s social media pages.

The class is also producing a special issue of UPLB Horizon Magazine, which aims to popularize UPLB’s scientific research on climate change adaptation and DRRM. (Mar Jhun F. Daniel)

Radyo Sagada 104.7 FM, the first and sole Indigenous People’s (IP) community radio station in the country, received the Ka Louie Tabing Memorial Achievement Award in Community Broadcasting at the 18th Gandingan Awards 2024 of the UP Community Broadcasters’ Society (ComBroadSoc).

The Gandingan Awards is an annual award-giving ceremony of the UP ComBroadSoc, an organization based at the College of Development Communication (CDC). It was held at the Charles Fuller Baker Memorial Hall on May 4, 2024. It was themed “Agrikultura: Kwento ng Hamon at Pag-asa.”

Established in 2010, Radyo Sagada 104.7 FM is the first IP community radio station established in the Mountain Province and the only surviving one in the Philippines. A member of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters – Asia Pacific (AMARC-AP), the radio station utilizes participatory approaches to affect positive social change and amplify the voices of the IP communities in Sagada through its public affairs, school-on-the-air and entertainment programs, tackling agriculture and other development issues.

In a speech, Ms. Gwen Gaongen, radio station manager, discussed the various political and administrative challenges faced by community radio stations. She said that she hoped that the award would ignite the spirit of free and independent community broadcasting in the country.

Dr. Trina Leah T. Mendoza, chair of the Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunication (DDBT) of CDC, presented the award with UPLB and CDC officials and faculty members, namely: Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Roberto P. Cereno, Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Administration Eugene Raymond P. Crudo, Office of Public Relations Director and Gandingan Awards Founder Mark Lester del Mundo Chico, College of Agriculture and Food Science Dean Elpidio M. Agbisit, Jr., CDC Dean Maria Stella C. Tirol, CDC College Secretary Liza A. Cabrera, and UP ComBroadSoc Adviser Guien Eidrefson P. Garma.

Meanwhile, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) dominated the Gandingan Awards, where its “DOSTv: Science for the People” bagged the two major awards, the UP ComBroadSoc’s Choice for Gandingan ng Agrikultura and the Gandingan ng Kaunlaran: Most Development-Oriented Radio/TV Station/Online Platform this year.

On behalf of Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Dr. Richard P. Burgos, director of the DOST-Science and Technology Information Institute (STII), received the awards with his team. In his speech, he assured that the recognition would inspire them to further advance DOST’s championship of science communication, bringing the Philippines’ scientific innovations in agriculture and other fields closer to the Filipino people.

He also acknowledged DOST’s partnership with UPLB through the Harmonized Science Communication Framework for Filipinos developed by CDC, which all DOST offices nationwide will soon use.

Various mainstream and community media organizations, programs, and journalists also clinched awards in six other categories, namely the General Awards for Radio, Television, Online, and Personalities and the Core Awards for Programs and Personalities. 

The Gandingan Awards also worked with a partner community, the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA), a confederation of family farmers in the Philippines established in 1986 after the EDSA Revolution.

The organization is made up of farmers, fisherfolk, women, indigenous people, and youth. Part of the event’s proceeds will be used for a public service initiative with the organization.

Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. graced the event with his presence. In his welcome remarks, he praised the Gandingan Awards for continually encouraging media practitioners to use their platforms to highlight development issues in the country, particularly in amplifying the voices of farmers and fisherfolk, who have a crucial role in attaining food security amid the climate crisis.

On the other hand, in her message, Dean Tirol emphasized the crucial role of communication and media practitioners in telling the stories of key stakeholders in the agriculture sector, promoting and mobilizing support for agricultural innovations, and effecting positive social change in society.

Meanwhile, in his reflection message, Director Chico hoped that the Gandingan Awards this year would unfold and honor the stories of change of the various actors in the agriculture sector who tirelessly toil to bring food to the tables of every Filipino.

Since its inception in 2007, the Gandingan Awards have continually served as a platform to encourage media practitioners to orient their reportage toward development and improving the lives of the Filipino people.

The Gandingan Awards 2024 Trade Fair was also held from April 29 to May 4 at the Basketball Court beside Baker Hall. Various local small and medium-sized enterprises participated in it. (Miguel Victor Durian)

This article was originally published on the UPLB website.

A student and a faculty member at the College of Development Communication took part in a 2-day training to equip journalists with knowledge and skills in documenting and reporting infrastructure investments and projects, held in Indang, Cavite, this April.

Entitled “Strengthening Transparency in Infrastructure Development through Environmental Reporting in Southeast Asia (STRIDES),” this initiative of Lyf Solutions Inc. and the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists, with support from Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN), put journalists around the Philippines together for an upskilling workshop covering in-depth story writing and investigative journalism techniques.

This initiative highlights the importance of reporting on infrastructure development, exposing its impacts on the environment and human rights, raising public awareness, and holding power accountable.

In this event, Carl Daniel Patambang, a first-year student, and Mark Lester del Mundo Chico, a faculty member at the College of Development Communication and director of public relations at UPLB, proposed their story idea of focusing on small projects closer to communities over the big-ticket projects under the Build Better More of the current administration.

They aim to pay attention to the infrastructure concerns around the province of Laguna, which includes looking into the cases of road repairs, blocked access roads, canals, short bridges, and pathways, as well as the experiences of the people adjacent to these.

Among the speakers in this fellowship was TJ Burgonio, editor-at-large of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, who discussed the tips and techniques to effectively report critical stories while delving into the current infrastructure in the country essential for writing such.

Additionally, Gerg Cahiles, former CNN news correspondent and now editor-at-large of Fyt Media, talked about broadcast reporting, and Isagani Caspe, multimedia producer of Fyt Media, imparted knowledge on the basics of producing shorts for social media amid the changes in information delivery today.

According to the organizers, the participants will have the opportunity to receive a €597.74 story grant for their pitches as part of the project of the Earth Journalism Network. (Carl Daniel Patambang)

This article was originally published on the UPLB website.

After five years, the CDCiklaban Sports Festival made a comeback on 27 April 2024 at the Copeland Gymnasium. With the theme “Muling Pag-alab ng Diwang Atleta at Samahan ng Devcom,” CDCiklaban featured various sports, including basketball, volleyball, badminton, and chess.

Dean Maria Stella C. Tirol opened the program and expressed her enthusiasm in seeing the students and staff come together to showcase their sportsmanship and camaraderie.

Members of the CDC Student Council (CDCSC) also expressed their hopes of bringing back the athletic spirit of CDC students through the sports festival.

“It is very humbling that we get to experience it [CDCIklaban] right now after the challenges that the pandemic has given to us,” said CDC Student Council Councilor, Angelo Andrei Antipuesto, one of the organizers of the event, in his welcome remarks.

“It’s actually a very challenging event for us since lahat kami sa council wala kaming experience kung ano bang nangyari noong CDCiklaban noong pre pandemic. So basically, we started from scratch pero for this year na CDCiklaban, we hope na mabalik yung diwang atleta ng Devcom, yung camaraderie, yung pagtutulungan,” CDC Chairperson, Jelaine Kate Pagayon said.

(“It’s actually a very challenging event for us since all of us in the council have no experience with what happened during the pre-pandemic. So basically, we started from scratch but for this year’s CDCiklaban, we hope to bring back DevCom’s athletic spirit, camaraderie, and cooperation”)

The champions of the event will compete at the Palarong UPLB on May 6. They are as follows:

• Basketball – Basta Team Kami (Villaseñor, Marx Karlo [Captain]; Belano, Zoilo Arthym Iii. C.; Constantino, Aarish Paulo E.; Dacmay, Cristian Angelo;  Manalad, Prince Jade D.C.; Mepua, Willy; Pasco, Jan Paolo; Querijero, Samuel; Villaseñor, Johannes Paulus; and Zapanta, Keanne Miguel I.)
• Volleyball – Batumfookeh Spikers (Perales, Aron [Captain]; Anday, Joshua; Atayan, Givson; Beltran, Axcel; Bonifacio, Maverick; Dobles, Mark Angelo; Dolot, Gabriel; Hermoso, Carlos Enrico; and Susi, Aldrich)
• Badminton Individual – Esguerra, Christian Gail Esguerra
• Badminton Team – Banatin, Miguel Banatin and Villaseñor, Jhoanes 
• Chess – Refuerzo, Botvinnik Alkehine 

Aside from the sports competitions, CDCiklaban also included a Palarong Lahi segment, which included Filipino games such as calamansi relay, sack race, and putukan ng lobo. 

Together with the CDCSC and the CDC Freshman Council, the CDC Steering Committee for Palarong UPLB, chaired by Mr. Antoni Kristofer R. Lim and co-chaired by Asst. Prof. Olga C. Lomboy spearheaded the coordination of CDCiklaban.

All three student organizations of CDC, namely the UPLB Development Communicators’ Society, the UP Alliance of Development Communication Students, and the UP Community Broadcasters’ Society,  also showed their support to the event (Czarina Dhania M. Merluza).

Seven academic staff members from the Department of Educational Communication (DEC) participated in the 2024 DLSU Seminar on Research Publication in Education held at The Verdure, De La Salle University Manila, 15 April 2024.

These included Mr. Elijah Jesse M. Pine, Assoc. Prof. Mildred O. Moscoso, Asst. Prof. John Mervin L. Embate, Asst. Prof. Romel A. Daya, Asst Prof. Rovil A. Espiritu, Asst. Prof. Clarisse M. Gonzalvo and Ms. Renz Frances D. Abagat-Manrique.

The seminar featured research presentations from Dr. Joyce Koh, Associate Professor in Higher Education at the University of Otago, New Zealand; Dr. Andy Gao, Professor at the School of Education at the University of New South Wales, Australia; and Dr. Youyan Nie, Associate Professor at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University. All three resource persons are key editors of The Asia-Pacific Education Research (TAPER), a Scopus Q1 internationally refereed journal published by the DLSU Publishing House.

Dr. Koh shared the results of their research at Otago titled Online Dexterity: Implications for Post-COVID Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. On the other hand, Dr. Gao presented his research results titled Agency in Language Education. Lastly, Dr. Nie presented her research titled Motivation to Learn Science: Discover the Profiles of Students from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. 

The last part of the program was a Forum on Publishing in Top Publications moderated by Dr. Timothy Teo, Professor of Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the editor-in-chief of TAPER. During the forum, the speakers shared their experiences and imparted tips in writing research papers, refining manuscripts after receiving reviewers’ feedback, dealing with writer’s block and academic burnout, and submitting papers in leading academic journals about education. 

Other educators and education researchers from institutions from Manila, Bicol, and Leyte, among others also participated in the seminar. (Renz Frances D. Abagat-Manrique & Elijah Jesse M. Pine)

The UPLB College of Development Communication (CDC) together with the University of Reading (UoR) conducted a workshop to craft the curriculum for a proposed Dual Master of Science in Development Communication program held on 2-3 April 2024 in the CDC Conference Room. This took off from an initial workshop that laid the foundations of the proposal held in March 2023.

The event commenced with a warm welcome from Dean Maria Stella C. Tirol, who expressed enthusiasm in seeing the MS program come to fruition soon. She also thanked CDC’s visiting professor, Dr. Sarah Cardey of UoR’s School of Agriculture, Policy, and Development, for her university’s sustained collaboration with UPLB CDC.

On the other hand, Dr. Benjamina Paula G. Flor, CDC Curriculum Committee and Graduate Program Management Committee Chair, highlighted the significance of the endeavor in advancing the globalization of Devcom as an academic and scholarly field.

During the workshop proper, discussions on various areas were done, particularly the program requirements and program goals, as well as the program rationale, program learning objectives, and course structure and crediting. 

These were facilitated by Dr. Pamela A. Custodio (UPLB Graduate School Secretary), Dr. Winifredo B. Dagli (Chair, Department of Science Communication), and Dr. Edmund G. Centeno (Chair, CDC Quality Assurance Committee), respectively. The resources and administration of the MS program was also tackled. Director Anna Floresca F. Firmalino of the Office of International Linkages (OIL) was also present to give additional insights and feedback.

Also in attendance to provide insights were CDC’s Executive Committee members, namely Asst. Prof. Aletheia C. Araneta (Chair, Department of Development Journalism), Dr. Trina Leah T. Mendoza (Chair, Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunication), Mr. Elijah Jesse M. Pine (OIC, Department of Educational Communication), and Dr. Liza A. Cabrera (College Secretary), and Dr. Elaine DC. Llarena (International Relations Officer).

Serving as documenter and facilitator were Ms. Juvy Leonarda N. Gopela (University Researcher I) and Asst. Prof. Miguel Victor T. Durian (Chair, CDC Committee on Public Affairs), respectively.

Through the UPLB Graduate School, CDC currently offers five graduate programs in Devcom. One of which is a Dual PhD by Research Program jointly offered with UoR. (Miguel Victor Durian)

The Department of Educational Communication of the UPLB College of Development Communication (DEC-CDC) and  UP-CIFAL Philippines inked a collaboration on developing a storybook to raise children’s awareness about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on 19 March 2024 in the CDC Conference Room.

The initiative, titled “Stories for Sustainability: Promoting Children’s SDG Awareness through Storytelling,” aims to develop a media-based learning project to educate children about the importance of sustainable development. 

UP-CIFAL Philippines partnered with DEC through a DEVC 144 (Media-based Learning Systems) laboratory class under the mentorship of Dr. Liza A. Cabrera, CDC College Secretary and DEC faculty member. DEVC 144 is an undergraduate course which trains students to develop media-based instructional materials such as educational storybooks, board games, and electronic learning modules for partner learning organizations in the formal and nonformal education sector. 

Representatives from DEC-CDC and UP-CIFAL Philippines held an exploratory meeting to discuss the core thrusts of their respective units, future collaborative opportunities, and the nature of said storybook project.

The representatives from DEC-CDC were Dean Maria Stella C. Tirol, Mr. Elijah Jesse M. Pine (DEC Officer-in-Charge), Dr. Mildred O. Moscoso (CDC Extension and Public Service Committee Chair), Ms. Renz Frances D. Abagat-Manrique (University Extension Associate), and Dr. Cabrera. The UP-CIFAL Philippines representatives were Dr. Michelle R. Palumbarit (UP-CIFAL Philippines Director), Ms. Toni Serrano-Soriano (Junior Project Manager), and project staff. DEVC 144 students were also present during the meeting. 

Both parties signed a letter of agreement (LOA) that signified the beginning of the collaboration. UP CIFAL Philippines also expressed their interest in partnering with DEC in the future through EdComics, an arm of DEC dedicated to utilizing online comics as an informational and educational medium. 

During their visit, Dr. Cabrera’s DEVC 144 laboratory class also presented to UP-CIFAL Philippines the initial results of the learning needs assessment (LNA) they conducted, which provided insights on the visual design, storytelling method, and SDG of focus of the storybook project. 

UP-CIFAL Philippines is a center established in 2016 through an agreement between the University of the Philippines and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). It is a hub that focuses on advocacy, capacity building, and research on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with focus on themes such as gender equality and migration. 
DEC is an academic unit under CDC that focuses on the potentials of communication in facilitating the learning process towards achieving development outcomes. It regularly conducts research and extension and public service initiatives related to education and development. (Desiree Mindanao & Elijah Jesse Pine)

Radyo DZLB Ang Tinig ng Kaunlaran, the extension and public service program managed by the Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunication (DDBT), trained members of the Los Baños Grand 103 Lions Club in community broadcast planning, production, and ethics in a Partners’ Training Workshop held on 26 January 2024 in the College of Development Communication (CDC) Graduate Room.

Facilitated by a team of DDBT faculty-broadcasters, the workshop aimed to capacitate the participants in broadcast program planning, production, and ethics as the newest community partner-cooperator of the station.

Asst. Prof. Marifi T. Magsino introduced the participants to the concepts and principles of community broadcasting in the context of development communication. Dr. Julianne Elca discussed the various types of broadcast programs that the participants can develop, along with various program segments and formats. 

Dr. Maria Teresita B. Osalla discussed the basics of writing, presenting, and packaging a broadcast program proposal. Asst. Prof. Lester P. Ordan discussed broadcast ethics and standards, focusing on the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) Broadcast Code.

Breakout sessions were formed, where the participants developed their own capsule program proposals. The groups were assisted by Dr. Elca, Asst. Prof. Magsino, and Mr. Guien Eidrefson P. Garma. The participants presented their capsule proposals, with the breakout session facilitators and Dr. Osalla commenting on their outputs.

Serving as workshop moderator was Asst. Prof. Ryan Jay I. Galang (Radyo DZLB Online! project leader). Ms. Christine Grace Mapacpac (University Extension Associate), Mr. Christopher N. Calamba University Research Associate) and Administrative Assistants Carol Joy C. Cañubas and Joey Q. Pelayo coordinated the logistics and documentation of the event.
Radyo DZLB expects the members of the Los Baños Grand 103 Lions Club to produce and air their teleradyonet programs soon. (Guien Eidrefson P. Garma)