Author: dxnielmapanoo

It has been more than a month for me already but I am still in a shock to be able to be called an Isko. Like any other parents, they also dream for me to be a part of UP, and to be known as one of the Iskolar ng Bayan. I always tell them that I don’t want to go there because I know for a fact that I am not smart enough or great enough to step foot in the university. I’ve wired my brain to think that there are a lot of people greater, smarter, better, and more deserving than me, so that if I fail, I wouldn’t think of it as much and I would just steadily move on.

Being in the University of the Philippines is a nothing but a silent dream for me. I thought of it as the impossible. But life has a funny way of stirring the pot and now I am here.

Experiencing UP in more than a month, thought me a lot of things already. It gave me lessons and realizations to swear and look by at all times. Here are some of it:

The University of the Philippines is deemed as one of the best universities in the country for a reason. You are extremely lucky to become an Isko/Iska and have a chance to have the UP education. With that opportunity, there are certain responsibilities that you need to undertake. Giving your 100% best is one of it.

Although you should do your best for yourself and not to compete with your fellow peers. This opportunity is not a competition, but a journey. Also keep in mind that you are going through this journey and doing your best, not just for yourself or for your family but for all the Filipinos that you are going to serve.

It is good to have a goal or multiple goals throughout the college journey. It is scary to live through uncertainty, just going with the flow on where life will take you. It is also troubling to not have any aspirations or goals in life.

A goal is what motivates us into doing anything that is needed to be done. It is also what keeps us going, defining our purpose of why we are here. It also good to have a goal because it signifies that you have a path of certainty to where we want to go or what future we want to have.

This is a personal problem of mine and I am still walking through the path towards progress. Managing your time wisely is highly important because as an isko/iska there will be a lot to do. You need to have a proper schedule of what you’ll be needing to do, to pass, or to study and you need to follow that schedule in order to not be behind.

You also need to find balance between your academic responsibilities and your time for leisure, because a rise of either one may result to burnout or procrastination.

This is also one of a personal struggle, that I need to work on. I know that many people also experience the same thought of whether they are worthy to be in UP and if they can handle and survive it. It is scary to be here, surrounded with a tremendous number of intelligent people, but keep in mind that you are also here and that must say something about you. Everyone of us is special in our own ways.

We should also not be bombarded with those other people hence, we should focus on ourselves. Comparing ourselves to other people will only bring us down. We should see the strengths and weaknesses of our own and work hard to improve.

We must not forget to have confidence in ourselves and also know that we can be at par with everybody else. We should always tell to ourselves that we can do it, that we are worthy to be here, and that we, like everyone else, is also great.

We all know that being in this university will be a hard journey that will be full of challenges, problems, and disappointments. I know that is some point, UP will savagely eat me alive. But, throughout this journey, it is still packed with a lot to enjoy and look forward to. In this adventure, we will meet numerous people who can be our friends, our motivators and inspirations, persons who will help us grow and progress, and families that will teach us many lessons in life.

In this journey we also get to have a lot of fun and memorable experience that we will surely cherish. It is really essential to enjoy the whole process and not beat yourself up in academics too seriously. Give yourself time to relax and see the beauties of the what the college journey can bestow you while you walk through the path towards the Sablay that we are all hoping to have.

As a development communicator-in-training, there are certain tools and devices that we need to have. These tools and devices are essential in our everyday routine may it be in school or outside.

Listed below, are my top five must-haves:

Laptop: This device plays an important part in a development communicator’s daily practice. In this device, you write your articles and essays, edit your videos & photos, lay-out your posters & visual guides, create your online blogs, and even have your online discussions.

Planner: A planner is an underrated yet highly significant item that a development communicator must have. A planner helps you organize your day, reminding you what you’ll be doing, or who you’ll be meeting, or maybe where you’ll be going. It also helps you keep in track with the dates of your deadlines and what specific work that you’ll be needing to pass.

Mobile Phone: In this present time, a mobile phone seems like another part of a human’s body, not going anywhere far from its host. This device is immensely important for it has everything that a development communicator needs in order to survive the course. If you don’t have a laptop, a mobile phone is an easy replacement. You can also capture pictures and videos as well do an audio recording in a mobile phone. This device also helps you communicate with other people in any parts of the world at any given time.

Pen and Paper: You will never go wrong in going back to the basics of using the classic pen and paper. There will be moments that our phones and laptops will have a dead battery. There will also be time that we might forget it or will might not have it with us, so having a pen and paper with us at all times is essential.

Umbrella: This tool is a random one in the list but holds a weighty purpose for any development communicator-in-training. Going outside the school and having immersions are some of the activities that we’ll be doing throughout our devcom adventures. An umbrella is important to those adventures because it protects us from the harsh rays of the sun and the heavy pours of the rain. It might sound unbelievable, but this tool really prevents us from having illnesses.

---

These tools and devices that worked for me, might not worked for you. But one thing is the same for the both of us and that is to survive the course (in four years hopefully) and become a competent development communicator.

Padayon to us, mga siz and bros!!

As a new development communication student, I am still in the process of gathering and learning the necessary knowledge about the field that I am in. There are a lot of things that I have yet to know and understand. One of those things is the characteristics of a development-oriented topic. With my luck, I got to talk to Ate Precious regarding the question. She gave me a deeper understanding of what the subject is, and her knowledge about its characteristics. These are the things that she mentioned:

---

---

A huge thanks to Ate Precious for having time to entertain my inquiries! ♡

On a windy day of August 30th, a group named “DZAI” navigated their way to the community of Baranggay Tadlac, a place unknown to them, to gather necessary information about its officials. Without any surprise, the group went off the wrong stop and got lost and confused for a second. They rode the jeep again and finally got to the right stop, next taking a tricycle heading the baranggay office. Upon entering the office, he employees gave a welcoming vibe to the group and soon prepared the information they are asking.

The whole experience of data gathering in the baranggay office turned out great and smooth and with that encounter, the group concluded helpful tips to anyone who will also be doing a data gathering activity:

Prepare the necessary things that are needed for the data gathering, such as a list of information required to be obtained, the address of the place to be visited and its availability, and its contact information. One must also be prepared to answer any questions that may be asked by the informant.

In gathering data, more often than not, one will not be familiar with the places it will be visiting. In most instances, you can get lost along the way. Do not be afraid to approach someone and ask for directions. In that way, you can also be immersed with the people of the community and you can acquire extra information about the place or person you are visiting.

As you communicate with your informant, never forget to be polite at all times. Start your encounter with a greeting of a good morning or good afternoon. The next thing to do is introduce yourself and state your intentions in a courteous manner. If the language you are using is Filipino and your informant is older than you, never forget your “po” and “opo”. A thankyou every time you ask for something is also encouraged. Lastly, be in your best behavior during the process. In those ways, you will not have a problem with your informant and the whole experience will be smooth.

As a Development Communications student, there will be numerous times of data gathering activities in different places. Keep in mind to not be always critical of the process and enjoy the whole experience. Enjoy the sceneries of the place you are visiting, immersed with the people, and think of it as another fun adventure that you are going to be experiencing.

We had an activity wherein we would rate ourselves based on the qualities and skills of a media writer, this is what came about:

I would say that I need to work on my industriousness because as a person, I always tend to procrastinate my way into doing my requirements, and in doing so, it hinders me into producing a much better and more well-written outputs.

What keeps me from getting that 1.00 rating is my tendency of not doing my ultimate best and my hundred percent. I tend not to exert my total effort in doing these things, giving me a feeling of dissatisfaction and an inner voice saying that I could’ve done better.

I developed the highest competency in being proficient in the operation of communication tool/devices simply because I am immersed with these various things, giving me enough knowledge to use and handle it.

Based on my self-rating, I would like to improve my data gathering habits and in validating and clarifying information, because I tend to be lazy about it, giving minimum efforts in doing those tasks even though it is important.

---

Over-all I am far from being an excellent and efficient media writer. there is a lot that I need to improve in terms of my qualities and skills. Nonetheless, I am looking forward into my journey of becoming better and doing my ultimate best in every things that I do.

A rebel wallflower named Daniel Marcelo Mapanoo, was born on June 21’ st in the year 2000. He lives in the small municipality of Carmona in Cavite, together with his father, his aunt, and his grandmother. He is 19 years of age and is currently studying BS Development Communication in the University of the Philippines – Los Baños, a path he never knew he would take.

As a writer, Daniel is not equipped with the knowledge of journalism. He is never part of the school’s newspaper, he never competed on writing competitions, and he never wished to be part of that world. He remembered a time just recently, wherein his teacher asked a raise of hand of who had an experienced with journalism. Almost everybody in the class held their hands high. It put immense pressure on him to see those people raising their hands.

But he viewed it as a challenge, needed to be overcome.

He is, however, cultivated in creative writing. It is his strength. It brings him joy to write a story fictional or not, which captures emotions. His mind is constantly thinking of stories of a possible person, a place, or an experience, that will bring interest, love, or mystery to a reader.

Daniel is a prisoner for great movies, television series, and books. it is his influence as a creative writer. He admires its power of communicating with its audiences in a unique manner. These things are also where he gains knowledge from, as well as have the eye to look beyond one’s self and perceive the true essence of what is happening to society. He also adores those unthinkable stories that make him awe with amazement on how brilliant and highly imaginable those writers and directors are, having a capability in making each of their own worlds.

In conclusion to a simple background of who Daniel Marcelo Mapanoo is, his life story is still wrapped with uncertainty. There are a lot of things that are yet for him to discover, for him to know, and for him to grasp fully. There are undoubtedly numerous things that he is unaware of like his ambition, to say the least. But what Daniel is truly sure of, is that life together with his choices, good or bad, will lead him the way to the path of endless possibilities.