Category: Week 04

As a Development Communicator in training these are the things you should bring during the field work:

Pen and Paper

Writing materials are your absolute bestfriend. Having a small notepad and even a cheap pen is very essential for a development communication student. You don’t know when and where you will need them so it is good to always have them in your bag. As a development communicator, practicing your note taking skills will surely benefit you in the long run.

Mobile Phone

Nowadays, you can almost do anything in your phone. Communicate with people, take photos, film videos, write notes, the list goes on. Having your phone in your pocket or bag is really convenient because it makes you capable of doing work anytime, anywhere. It is also a great to store your files and photos for easy viewing.

Umbrella

Weather is unpredictable, and you would want to be prepared no matter what the sky gives you. Having a small foldable umbrella will make you protected from either rain or too much sun.

Earphones

Can’t work because you’re easily distracted by noise? Wear earphones and listen to music. Bored and don’t know what to do while waiting? Wear your earphones and listen to podcasts. Having a pair of good quality earphones can aid you on your schoolworks especially while working on transcriptions.

Water tumbler

It’s important to always keep yourself hydrated because drinking water plays an important role in one’s daily functioning. Water helps regulate our body temperature and flushes toxins out of our body through urinating and perspiring. You will be more effective and productive if you’re properly hydrated and is in good health condition.

First Blood. Killing Spree. GODLIKE!

Most people are familiar with these words as they ring from the mouths of today’s youth. It can be heard from streets, internet cafes, schools, even in houses and wherever there is wifi or bandwidth network.  Defense of the Ancients more commonly known as DOTA is a popular computer game where players choose heroes and race to storm and defeat enemy base. Each hero possess different sets of skills and abilities that sets them apart from others. However, the key to winning the battle is building your hero. Equip them with the right gear and victory is guaranteed.  

The same concept applies to development communication. Development communicators, in training or not should be armed with the proper equipment to fully function and if not all, carry them most of the time should the need arises. Capturing events and media writing do not have the luxury of time that is why it’s better to be always prepared. Here are 5 must-be items to help you survive life, the DEVCOM way:

Mobile Phone
(Linking Sphere)

In no particular order, let us start with the most common and most versatile item in our arsenal, our MOBILE PHONES. Almost all of the Philippine populace possess phones of their own which is now a necessity more than a want. With phones we can capture moments and events in photos and live footages, record audios, and access social media easily and provides faster and broader communication. We can do a lot with our phones and we can do more as we apply it in the field of development communication because you never know when and where the next news will pop out.

Laptop
(Mirror of the World)

Gurl, we need to write but it doesn’t stop there. What we write, we need to encode which brings us to our second item, our LAPTOPS. We write our stories in soft documents to be reviewed and revised before we publish and open them for the public to see. Encoding them in laptops saves more time and is hassle-free as corrections can easily be made and easier to print. Yes, we have our PCs and desktops, however, they are too heavy to carry around or you might say, we can now write on our phones but it’s much better encoding in a physical keyboard allowing you to avoid more errors.

Storage Devices
(Trove of Secrets)

As a media writer, it pays to be organized. We have a huge workload and a heavy amount of paperwork. It is not advisable to just rely on your phone storage or laptop to hold all of your files. That is why the third item on our list are STORAGE DEVICES. We have physical storage devices like our flash drives and external hard drives where we can safely store important data, however it is not limited to these. Online platforms that provide storage are our google drives and dropboxes. These storage devices are protected by a password and verification codes set-up by you, so you can guarantee it’s pretty safe.

Water and Umbrella
(Healing Salve and Vanguard)

WATER is life. It can be your companion on a hot sunny day and help you rehydrate to keep you fresh and on the go. Given the wide scope of development communication, we are expected be on our feet always, so it’s handy to have a bottle with you. However, water can also be an enemy in the form of rain that is why we need to fortify our defenses against the ever changing weather and secure our health. Consider bringing an UMBRELLA as well.

PEN and PAPER
(Sword and the Divine Word)

And last but certainly not the least, it all boils down to the basics. The body and soul of writing, our PEN and PAPER. Like I mentioned many times before, we convey our thoughts and relay messages through writing and I cannot imagine a writer without these two. It is not only for the purpose of writing or making drafts but also to record and take note of important details in events or happenings necessary in creating a story.

Now, back to the DOTA reference. We are very much like these hero-characters of the game, each with our own strengths and skills. We fight for our principles and lead the ongoing charges against the various developmental issues that plague our society. And armed with these items/weapons, we are one step closer to our vision of development.

Much like any other college, there’s a learning curve that comes with being accepted into Devcom. In Elbi it was more a mountain than a curve, but let’s just say that that’s because the campus is right next to an actual mountain (dormant volcano if you want to get technical), and not because I was so totally clueless about Devcom. If you’ve found yourself in the same boat, worry no longer because I’ve compiled a short list of essentials that I think are absolute must-haves if you’re a development communication student.

As a Quezon City native, I thought that I had faced the worst the sun had to offer, I was wrong. The heat in Elbi is something else entirely, if I want to get dramatic, I’d say that it’s almost alive. Pressing against your skin so harshly that a truly hot day feels almost akin to being put on a chokehold. That’s why it’s absolutely important for any student to have an umbrella with them, even moreso when you’re in Devcom because much of our activities involve fieldwork. And it’s not just the heat you have to worry about either, the weather in Elbi can change at the snap of your fingers. One minute the sun will be beating down on you, and in the next it’ll be the rain. Your umbrella is your shield against majority of the elements that have decided they have a personal vendetta on us students.

So, it’s hot, you’ve got an umbrella now, but that’s not the only thing you’re gonna need, especially in a campus that has been so lovingly dubbed as Hellbi. Another Devcom essential is your water bottle. When it’s hot you sweat, you get dehydrated, and if left unattended your next class just might be at the UHS instead. I personally don’t like drinking water, but I’ve found myself suffering from a dehydration headache way too many times to ever forget my water bottle at home anymore. Not only does it keep untimely UHS visits at bay, but just being hydrated also helps your focus and overall energy for the day. Don’t forget to drink your water folks!

Remember how I mentioned fieldwork a while ago? As a Devcom student, it’s important for us to wade amongst the masses because that’s who we are writing for, and to interact with them is one of the best ways to get information on topics and events that are happening. Of course, most people when approached by a random stranger asking too many questions would be justly apprehensive and most like just wave you away, so always have your ID with you. The UPLB ID holds your name and your college, when you’re introducing yourself to the person you want to ask questions from, I’ve found that showing them your ID helps. I guess it assures them that you’re really not just gonna ask them to sign up for a credit card. And when they’re assured, they’ll feel better about answering your questions, and you’ll get better answers. It’s a win-win for everybody.

Sometimes though, an ID isn’t enough, especially when the person you’re about to interview is of high importance or they’re a professional. When that happens, you bring with you a signed letter from your college and noted by one of your professors. I’ve learned the hard way the consequences of being without one, and now hopefully you never have to run back and forth from your interview’s venue to the campus, ever.

Another lesson I had to learn the hard way: how important it is to always have loose change with you. Majority of the transportation you’ll be taking in a community setting —if you don’t decide to just take it on foot— would be jeeps or tricycles. Save the driver and yourself some time by carrying coins or smaller bills with you instead.

The final item I’m gonna suggest, isn’t even an item at all. When you’re going somewhere new for the first time to pursue a beat or even just meeting an intimidating interviewee it can help to have a buddy with you. In our first exercise for our DEVC 11 Lab, we were able to pair up with each other, and even for our data gathering for our Community Directory; we were in groups of three. It’s definitely daunting to meet such authoritative figures by yourself, so having a friend or groupmates with you helps soothe your nerves. It’s something familiar in such an unfamiliar environment, and when you want to take a nap in the jeep there’s someone to wake you up and make sure you don’t miss your stop.

So, there you have it, my Devcom essentials list. It’s not the be-all-end-all of necessities in Devcom, it could work for me, but other students might think there’s something missing. It definitely doesn’t encompass everything you’re gonna need because different situations are going to call for different things, this list is meant to serve as a foundation more than anything else.

I wish you luck in your Devcom journey Iskx! Serve the people!

You need to have these five things in order for you to survive the life of being a development communication student.

A phone is a handy all-in-one device. It has a lot of uses such as capturing photos and videos, recording audio, creating and sending files, and contacting people.

Every student must have this. Even though cellphone has a lot of usage, some things are easier to get done using laptop than using cellphone. If you are cramming and have to multitask, laptop is perfect for you.

If you have a problem with your phone’s battery that doesn’t last all day, power bank is your solution. Every devcom student’s nightmare is when at the middle of their data gathering, their device runs out of battery. Thus, power bank is perfect for keeping our devices alive.

Pen and paper can be our back up too because not everything we plan happens perfectly. In case of unexpected things, like having an empty phone and power bank’s battery, pen and paper will help us keep and record information.

A development communication student has a lot of documents or files. File storage helps you in organizing and securing them. It helps us back up our file for us to access it anytime and anywhere.

My DevCom Survival Kit

1) Phone

What has become a necessity nowadays will be your greatest ally or your worst enemy. Having almost all the essentials for data gathering and outsourcing, your smart phone will be more than just a mechanical and virtual counterpart of yourself. You’ll be using its features, the known and the unknown for documentation and communication.

2) Laptop

With the things on your desktop crunched into a single technological contraption, it packs a powerful capacity to do things ubiquitously. Writing an article, post-processing photos, editing audios and videos, gathering data among other things, you can do all of these in just a few click of swipe. Just make sure that your laptop has the capability to do all of these, especially when you are cramming your way to submit an assignment.

3) Ticklers/Notepads and Pen

Writing important details when gathering data ensures a tangible evidence unlike virtual files that may be corrupted or deleted. In my experience, writing notes makes an information remembered easily.

4) Internet Access

It is with no doubt that access to the Internet is another necessity nowadays, most especially to communicators, what more with development communicators. Access to tremendous amount of information requires clarified and verified data. Another factor to consider is maintaining a stable communication with the members of the community.

5) Storage Devices

Backing your data up is very crucial in maintaining the integrity of your productivity. No one wants to have their files corrupted or worse, lost. No one wants to undergo the hassle of going back to square one. Multiple head scratches and face palms can be avoided by duplicating your files and keeping it another storage device. Just make sure that you can organize them well.

6) Umbrella

Staying dry and protecting yourself from the sun during field works is a must. Not just that it gives you comfort. It also saves you form hassle and hazards.

7) Identification Card

Being recognized as a student of the university and establishing your identity with the people you work with is critical as a media writer. This could also give you discounts at fares and establishments.

Remember when we always say, “Just be yourself?”. Well you see, it does not apply to every aspect of your life. We, as development communicators, are required to present something more. We confine ourselves to limitless possibilities, to the extent of our productivity. Thus, limiting our survival kit to 5 tools is a much more work than we expected. But I guess, this is as compacted as what we needed it to be.

I hope for this lifehack to be effective along our devcom journey. May we all survive and prosper as we go through the the hills of ups and downs. To discovering more of what we need, of embracing the new truths, and to learning substantially from each other.