Tag: UV-4L

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No one can really say that they were the best, no one can ever say that they were perfect.

Have you ever ask yourselves, “Pangit ba ako? Kapalit-palit ba ako? Then why?”. Kidding aside.

Have you ever wonder of asking this in-front of the mirror? “Am I good enough?”,”Is this really what I am? What I want?” , or ever blamed yourself for not being able to do something? If so, some people tend to question themselves, their capabilities, their skills, even their personalities. Was it wrong? If you over do it, maybe. On the other hand, No, it wasn’t. It is some sort of reflecting on ourselves. A good way of being a critique on our own works and abilities which will later gives us the realization that we need to work on something, that we needed to change something, or even further continue doing something.

“I know that I know nothing”, as my favorite philosopher, Socrates would utter. I have graded my self somewhere in between 1-5 which is 3. If you would ask me why? Is it because using the quotation as my reference, true wisdom is accepting the fact that we cannot attain the head of perfection rather working on ourselves to atleast reach its shoulder. Everyone has something to improve.

As a writer, I think I have to learn a lot of things. I could not give myself a perfect rating, I could only give half of it. Because if I do so, then what is the point of life? What is the essence of education? I just wanted everyone who will read this that If you think you filled your own cup of water then the problem was with your cup, maybe it is too small. Why get used to dreaming small? Throw the small cup get a big one thus it will lead us to bigger dreams, a better version of ourselves.

Stutters, pauses and lightning-fast speech. This is Dane Christian Pido Morena in three lines.

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A fast-speaking and tongue-tied kid with a heart for journalism, it would seem inconceivable that he could pull off hosting stints like in proms, fiestas, pageants and, even parties. He is also a science enthusiast, a balladeer, and most importantly, a journalist.

The journalism journey of this lad hailing from Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro started when he was in the sixth grade. He joined the new journalism team of his elementary school, specializing in editorial writing and copy reading.

Unbeknownst to him, it will be one of the best decision he will ever make.

Christian continued with editorial writing in junior high. He also competed in the Science and Health Writing category in his ninth and tenth grade. In his senior year, he was appointed as the editor-in-chief of his school’s publication, The Mangroves.

Despite winning a best reader award in grade school, he started to stutter in fear of making mistakes. But instead of letting his fear come in his way, he still engaged in radio broadcasting in junior high. He then overcame his weakness with the help of his committed coaches and he even discovered his potential in hosting.

Gaining momentum, young Christian strives for greater heights. Senior high school led him to his further breakthroughs in journalism. He was appointed as the associate editor of their school newspaper, Ang Divine Lens. He won in Division Schools Press Conference for two consecutive years in editorial writing and qualified for the Regional level, awarded best presenter in television broadcasting in town, and owned best anchor, best scriptwriter, and best infomercial in radio broadcasting school competitions. He also founded the first ever broadcasting organization of their school, Hayag Broadcasting Club.

Now, 18-year-old Christian embarks on a new journey as a BS Development Communication student in University of the Philippines Los Banos. Dream’s high, he aspires to be a TV news anchor or a host in environment and wildlife programs in channels like NatGeo and Born To Be Wild.  From being a stuttering high schooler, Christian is now ready to take another step in his journey to be the best journalist he can be.

Going to different places and gathering information is never new to me. Being a Humanities and Social Sciences student in Senior High School made me work the extra mile for information and documentation. During these kinds of activities, you can encounter different kinds of people – with different character and different culture. However, it all boils down on how do we execute these kinds of tasks.

Being able to work with your groupmates is a must. No proper communication with your groupmates leads to a conflict with your execution. Adjust yourself in the right manner and learn to deal with as many people as you can. Afterall, as development communicators in the making, we must uphold that communication will be our lifelong tool to pursue our aspirations for the society.

Not all of us are blessed with easy going respondents. Some of them are strict – requires letter, a lot of explanation and a lot of patience. But some of them are super nice – very accommodating, attends to guests very well and leaves a good impression. Although they are very different, as interviewers we must always learn to be grateful for, we are the one who needs something from them and not the other way around.

During the task, the method of data gathering our group used the most is the interview method because we want to immerse ourselves and know the place better by asking the right persons/authorities. Most of our data were gathered through asking for information and we could not have done it without proper interview etiquette and skills.

If we were given a chance to give three (3) tips that we can share with the next batch of BSDC Freshmen it would be these things:

• Just Relax – Panicking and stressing yourself out would not do you any good. Being relaxed is equivalent to showing others that you know what you are doing. Just breathe and remember the reason why you chose Development Communication and how can we be an influence for others.

• Be Confident – Having a lot of confidence is a plus in DevCom. Being confident enough can help you in a lot of activities. We will be future development communicators and we should uphold our duties as early as we can.

• Stand for truth – Always remember to only share and inform facts/information that are true and correct. We should see to it that we aim for excellence and remember that all of our actions would fall back to what DevCom has taught us.

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My top five insights/learnings from my first four weeks of stay here in UPLB:

I am here because I deserve to be here. From the first four weeks of my stay here in UPLB, I was confused; not ecstatic, not nervous, not proud but confused. Confused in a way that I was questioning myself. I was surrounded by a lot of students who aren’t like me: top achievers of their batch, members of their school paper, volunteers of an organization, participants in competitions. Then, there was me, standing stiffly, anxious and nervous. Let’s say, I felt out of place. What am even I doing here? Should I be here? I’m just a nobody. But I was wrong. I’m not JUST a nobody. Yes, I may not have those kinds of achievements, but I do have skills, passion, effort and perseverance. I deserve to be here.  

Don’t be afraid to experience failure. Want to be great? Stop being afraid to fail. There are times that people tend to avoid mistakes or rejections. They see failure as negative, something to be avoided. But, little did they know, failure is just a steppingstone for success. Thomas Eddison? Experienced failure. Steve Jobs? Experienced failure.  JK Rowling? Experienced failure. Even our favorite celebrities have gone through hardships and failures. But look at where they are right now. Failure is simply the chance to start again. As I’ve entered college, I’ve realized that for you to survive here, you should be brave enough to face every challenge given to you. It’s not enough if you have the wit and talent. You should also have perseverance in your heart for you to overcome everything. Failure is just part of life. It is an opportunity to improve.  

Come to class prepared. When I was in senior high school, studying my lessons only happen when examination days are vastly approaching. I’d pull an all nighter just to review every details of the topic in one subject. But two years later, as I’ve entered college, I was not only welcomed with a culture shocking environment, but also with the fact that every day is an examination day. “Bring out ¼ sheet of paper.” Okay, hello darkness, my old friend. But seriously speaking, after that incident of not knowing what to answer, I’ve started to review all the lessons that was taught that same day to prepare myself for the next meeting. That way, I won’t be left behind and would also help me remember the lessons easily.  

It’s not a competition. College is not a marathon. Having that kind of mindset is very unhealthy and draining. You don’t have to be better than your classmates. It is more important to give focus on the things that you still need to improve and not on the things that you lack. Comparing yourself to others won’t lead you anywhere. It will only plant doubts and insecurity in your heart. Remember, you’ll get there when you get there.  

Lastly,  

Family is everything. Before, entering college is one thing that I’ve been looking forward to when I was in high school. I have this image of fun and freedom in my mind; a breath of fresh air. However, it occurred to me that college also means, being away from my family. Every night, homesickness hugs me until I fell asleep. I can’t fathom the feeling of not having my sister with me beside my bed, or my mother who likes to nag me about household chores, or even hearing my father playing the piano. College may be exciting and all but it’s at the same time, a sad phase for me. That is why, I always grab the opportunity go home, when given the chance. All the stress and anxiety brought by college vanishes when I’m home.  

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“Others write to inform, others to communicate but only few writes for development”

BLANCO, KENT D. – Grew up in the small town of Ibaan in the province of Batangas. The youngest boy born in the family of five children. At a young age of four his father died of a cardiac arrest ever since then his mother used to raise the family on her own. He has experienced a lot of things as kid, his family used to live in a diverse society, a society of set backs and challenges. Luckily enough, his family used to overcome all those challenges, a twist of event that serves as a leap to escape from nightmares of our society. Suddenly, everything has changed but the remnants of having experienced those things remains in his heart, subsequently shaping his character and igniting the fire of nationalism. He then started dreaming of being a University of the Philippines student in which he sees as a stepping stone to get nearer to his dream of changing the society.

As a writer, the main focus was to observe how our society works, the hindrances that separates us towards development thus creating an impact to widespread of audiences giving them the inspiration to set things in motion, to become agents of change as individuals of their own environment that will shape the society. Dwelling deeper what lies within our society longing for development. Beyond the horizon of prejudices and unbalanced society a dream that a light will emerge to fill the gap, where individuals live in harmonious environment and equity-based governance. Providing them the freedom to access the truth to initiate towards one goal of building the nation.

As a UP student, being quoted as an “Iskolar ng Bayan”, to prove Honor and Excellence to help and to serve the interest of fellow Filipinos thru effective communication. To oppress what is wrong and to abide in what is necessary to deliver factual information about the current position of our country, to expose anomalies, to connect with people towards solidarity.

As a whole, a development communicator should persevere and overcome trials that may come while tackling the long journey of development. A media writer that sees both angles to judge fairly, a media writer that involves oneself to current situations at different conditions, a media writer that adapts to the needs and necessity to perform the purpose and its duty. A media writer that he wants himself to be.

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What a student chooses to have in their bag can say a lot about their personality and their degree program. So, to prove this hypothesis, I decided to ask my friends as to what their must-haves are. I expected replies like a T-square for a Civil Eng. student, a highlighter and a notebook for a med student, computer for a ComSci student and a lab coat for a VetMed student. But I didn’t receive those kinds of answers. Instead, they just gave me playful answers such as “utak with large capacity”, “readings”, “bunganga”, “large attention span”, “sleep”, and “preparedness”. Oh, well. I guess I’ll just do the PROPER talking.

So, here is a peek inside the bag of a Development Communication Student.

My top 5 must-have items:

A pen and a paper. Others tend to have their smartphones as their top must-have, but not for me. Classically writing information is what I opt to do. There are times that ideas just flow out of my hand when I started holding a pen. Plus, there are no distractions from your phone, may it be a text, a call, or a simple notification. Jotting down notes also helps me remember all the information I’ve just gathered.

Smartphone. I’ll sound a hypocrite if I say that I don’t need smartphones. First of all, smartphones are called smartphones because they are one. You can use it in taking pictures and videos, record, contact someone, receive emails or maybe even knowing where to go. Want convenience during interviews? Smartphones are your go-to.

Earphones. Noises can’t be helped. Mostly, during interviews, noises tend to degrade the quality of your audio. With the use of earphones, it improves the sound quality without compromising anything from the interview that you are conducting. Earphones are also important when transcribing.

Laptop. This is a need when it comes to transferring your files from your phone. It is way easier to compile, transcribe, and edit information through a computer or a laptop because of its features and capacity containing various software such as Microsoft Word.

Camera. Yes, phones also have a built-in camera but, sometimes, the quality that it has isn’t enough. You won’t like a picture on Instagram if it isn’t in a high definition, right? Additionally, cameras tend to have larger sensors that ensure a good quality picture. You could also depend on them when shooting moving objects but still receive an amazing shot.

She loves to write, to scribble down notes in her notebook or just write letters out of everything. Give her some pen and she’ll do the magic. She has a deep relationship with words, I must say. But just like other relationships, she also experienced some spats, misunderstandings and changes all throughout however, giving up wasn’t in her vocabulary. So, did they live happily ever after? No, not yet.

Six years ago, Geraldine Lolong Brotonel, a young girl who lives in the province of Batangas, discovered that she could also be happy with other things. That’s when she learned how to appreciate the art of drawing. Geraldine did all she can do to get it. Following accounts that features buildings and designs also helped. She even took the STEM Strand in senior high school knowing that it would lead her closer to her dream. So, when it was time for her to submit her college application forms, Bachelor of Science in Architecture became her first choice. But, I guess things have to happen. You’re right. She didn’t make it through the cut in her desired university with that course. Still, Geraldine persisted. Hoping that destiny would be on her side, she tried with another university, the University of the Philippines. It was Monday back then when she heard the news that UPCAT results are now available. Buckets of tears flowed inside her room when she saw her name on the list of UPCAT passers. She passed. It’s good news, right? Unfortunately, she only got the DPWAS (Degree Program with Available Slot) status meaning she didn’t make it through the cut-offs, again.

As a young girl who only saw Architecture as her job in the future, Geraldine seemed to be lost. Confusion and doubt was all over her face. Just then, one call from the OUR of UPLB change her mind. She was offered a slot for the course of Development Communication. At first, she was hesitant to accept it. She forgot what it means to have a connection with words. Clueless of what outcome it could bring, Geraldine took Bachelor of Science in Development Communication and her heart had never been so happy.

She is home.

Being a student for almost all my life made me learn and develop a lot of skills. However, I do not consider myself as a professional on anything. I place myself in between the professionals and to those that need more work. I do believe that we are all lifelong learners and in everything that we do, in all of our experiences, we learn a lot of things. Indeed, life is like an everyday assignment – we work on it and we work on how we develop ourselves.

Developing our skills make us more confident to present ourselves. When we know that we are good at something, we make efforts for other people to realize that we would like to create or contribute – we want to be leaders. But when we feel like it is not our forte, we step back and let others take the lead. Being able to assess ourselves is like an eye-opening experience for me. No one would know ourselves better expect us. We know how we feel, how we suppress our feelings and how we express ourselves in different situations.

Out of all the qualities of a media writer, I gave myself a two (2) in these following qualities: industrious, persevering, and loves to read. I made this decision maybe because I know that I am a person that is willing to learn and is very diligent in all tasks given to me. I make sure to do all things in a fast but sure manner. I gave my self a lot of threes (3) but out of all the qualities, I am not convinced with my resourcefulness. I tend to get frustrated when I could not easily access the information that I need. However, I know that I can overcome this because I have my perseverance to push me ahead. I am hesitant to give myself a one (1) rating because I know that I can still improve a lot during my stay in the College of Development Communication.

It is really hard to rate yourself in terms of skills mainly because you do not want to go overboard or because you do not want other people to judge you. I gave myself a two (2) rating in all of the skills needed by a media writer expect for the proficiency in the operation of communication tools/devices. If I were to choose a skill that I am confident the most is on how I can write clearly and effectively. I have been writing since 4^th grade and I have learned a lot of techniques and I think that I am on my way to building my own writing style. On the other hand, I gave myself a three (3) in the proficiency of operating the communication tools/devices because deep down I know that I need to improve a lot especially with the complex soft wares and devices that I need to use.

It was a really quick assessment, but in all fairness, I discovered the things I need to work on and develop and the things that I need to maintain and improve. At the end of the day, you will not be successful as a media writer if you do not recognize your flaws and if you do not take the courage to step up and Work on It.

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be where you’ve always been.

T.D. Jakes

Becoming a diplomat hasn’t always been the apple of the eye for me.

Since the start of my formal education, I once dreamt of becoming an engineer. Why do you ask? Well my father during that time was a civil engineer working overseas. Every time he comes back home, he tells me his stories of how he performs his job and how it was his dream job when he was a child. From the accounts that he shared, it shed some insights to me on the track I wanted to go upon.

Once I’ve entered junior high school, the dream seemed to shift. Back then, I was active in joining extracurricular activities and different student organizations which gave me even more insights on the dream job that I wanted take. Being a student journalist for our school publication gave me an understanding of how our society works – leaders making decisions, people working to improve their status of life, and sponsors helping people to achieve their goals. That outlook in like was somehow the foundation of my true passion in life.

In senior high, I wasn’t still convinced on what dream job I was going to take. I chose to take the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand believing that it would help me define my true passion and know what are the practical applications needed for society to grow and develop. Even though this strand helped me understand some different concepts for applying development in society, I wasn’t still sure if I was achieving my true potential.

That was when I became the president for our school’s student government when I found my passion; it was an eye-opener for me. Being able to serve my fellow students was a heavy task considering this was the first time our school created a central student government – serving students from elementary up to senior high school. With the overwhelming duty I was given, I took it as a challenge and my goal to shape the system of our student government and other student organizations. In a span of a year, me and my fellow officers were able to create a Constitution and By-laws becoming the backbone of the organization, providing flagship projects empowering and educating students to become future professionals serving the country, and manage community outreaches serving those deprived of needs in life. It was in the belief of serving the students, the school, and the community that prompted me to re-evaluate my dream.

Besides working for our organization, I often was given the chance to join such trainings, seminars and conferences – most notably Model United Nations (MUN) Conferences.

MUNs and other related conferences gave me the reason to start dreaming of becoming a diplomat. The act of working with delegates representing different Member States who promoted their country’s interest in create feasible solutions for the international community was a challenging yet fulfilling task for me. It also gave me a deeper understanding upon the different problems every country experienced which hindered their chance for development and what solution they proposed on.

Now that I’m entering the college life, I am fully convinced that I’m taking the right course for my true goal in life. Taking up BS Development Communication in the University of the Philippines – Los Banos, I believe that I am now on the right track. With diplomacy as my main virtue, I hope to use the knowledge gained from this degree to help transform the country by providing viable space for leaders, innovators, and investors to collaborate and engage in achieving the country’s goal for sustainable development.

From the thought of becoming an engineer, now, I found my passion to become a diplomat – serving the country through promoting its interest and promoting partnership and cooperation.

At a very young age of 10, with a pure heart and excited mind, Roella Marcelle M. Bautista started to join the field of writing. Through the years, she had a mix of up and down experiences but kept holding on because she found comfort in the arms of writing. Born and raised in a peaceful community in the province of Isabela, she strives to bring honor to her hometown and to her family as well. This young writer never forgets to push herself to her limits and believes that there is no other way to start another chapter of her writing journey but in UP. As she enters the University of the Philippines Los Baños under BS Development Communication, along with her hopes and dreams, she firmly holds on that someday all of her efforts and learning would be of great help and will be used as tools for development. In addition, she understands that through writing, everybody is provided with the chance to develop and realize their full potential.

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A lot of people, events and experiences made this young writer to be who she is today. Being a part of her elementary and junior high school newspaper had its share in building the foundation that she has for writing. She had experienced writing in different forms such as news, feature, and editorial which made her gain the nickname ELLAborative. However, out of all events that she had explored, copy editing and headline writing was the closest to her heart. On the other hand, she enjoys reading about current issues and making her own stand which she believes is important because it makes our minds critical and for us to not just accept everything that is coming before us.

In the future, the serious but child-like Ella is hopeful to be a media producer especially in the field of broadcast communication. One of her reasons is that she would like to reach a greater audience to communicate and educate with. Her vision is to let everyone know that problems can be traced to its root causes and can be solved through information and communication. She had seen the situation of some marginalized sectors of the society and she stands that when you have seen and known the truth, it is already a sin to close your eyes. Also, she aims to use her expertise to be of service and to reach the people whose voices are not heard. Although she is still just on the beginning of a harder but greater journey, she still chooses to believe and manifest that to further strengthen her foundation in writing to be used for development, there is No way but UP.