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Through the years, I am continuously becoming more aware of my capabilities likewise, my weaknesses. Nevertheless, I am a firm believer that there’s always a room for improvements. Learning is a process and certainly, these can’ts that I have right now will turn into cans sooner or later.

Here’s how I rate myself regarding the qualities a media writer should possess:

Curious or inquisitive – 2
Intelligent – 2
Industrious – 1
Resourceful – 1
Persevering – 1
Imaginative – 2
Puts a premium on accuracy and truth – 1
Loves to read – 2
Interested in and loves people – 3
Service-oriented – 2

Among the qualities listed, I need to work on the most with the quality of being interested in and loves people; it is the one which I gave the lowest rating. Knowing myself as an introverted person, I tend to feel uncomfortable whenever I’m around new people. I find myself quiet and reserved during such times which also makes socializing somehow a struggle for me. Hence, I really need to focus on this quality; to not let it be a hindrance in my formation as a development communicator.

Moreover, there were also 6 qualities that I haven’t given a 1.00: curious, intelligent, imaginative, loves to read, interested in and loves people, and service-oriented. I think what hinders me from getting such rating is that I felt that I am still lacking in terms of these qualities. I may embody it but I know, deep down, that I can still improve it. Furthermore, I don’t express or practice these qualities in the best ways that I can. What challenges me indeed is to always live out these qualities in every circumstance, not just when I feel like.

On the other hand, here’s how I rate myself in terms of skills the a media writer must have:

Gathering data – 2
Validating and clarifying information – 2
Organizing information – 1
Writing clearly and effectively – 2
Proficiency in the operation of communication tools/devices -3

On the other hand, the skills that I have developed the highest competency is in organizing information. I think what contributed in this is firstly, my experience in being the leader most of the time in group works; being the one compiling and organizing our presentation. Secondly, my habit of re-reading for multiple times my work; to see whether the flow of information is clear and understandable, and lastly, my personality of being organized not only in terms of belongings, but in the way I like to understand and see different information all at once.

Among these skills, I need to work on my proficiency in the operation of communication tools / devices. I may be able to come up with a good content but I find it hard to execute it in different ways, especially of those that requires the use of applications, as well as devices. I am not well-equipped with the technicalities of presenting information, hence the need for me to focus on this skill.

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“She is a lady from the province set to make great difference”

When you were young, you didn’t know much of the things around you but as children you are so inquisitive in order for you to know how the world works. Until one day, you just woke up and found yourselves studying in a classroom wherein you were taught of the fundamental skills such as reading books, writing sentences and counting numbers. At that particular point where she was able to read, write and count numbers, She thought of it as the key towards unlocking the world where she inhabit – understanding more thy world.

Many years has she been studying until to such time that she finds writing as something that sets her soul on fire. Something that makes her passion to connect or establish a relationship with the others burning. She finds writing as her escape to the thoughts that has been haunting her; thoughts of social injustice, worldly division and the like. From there on, She has understood that she is living in an ever-changing society.

She is I. I am just a simple and ordinary probinsyana from Camarines Sur who has that big dream of becoming a journalist and a lawyer and so I need to cope up very well in the environment I myself have chosen. That is the reason why I am here. I am taking risks and sacrificing things in order to fuel that dream. It’s not only a dream for myself rather it is a dream for our nation. I wanted to use the talent that God himself has endowed to me and I firmly believe that writing is that talent. I want to open the eyes of the people that are still blind to the injustices that are happening in our country. I want to be the voice of the unheard and the underprivileged which is the ultimate goal of the degree program in which I am enrolled in – Development Communication.

Through the years, I have interacted with different people through exposure programs. They are from different walks of life and this experience gives me the urge to give them what they deserve through writing – justice. I witnessed how their tears well up while telling me their stories of hardships in this cruel world. I met people convicted to the crime that the society has labelled them but refused to hear their side.

With these, I am really empowered to fulfill the dream I have set not only for myself but more so for the people who needs me. I want to radiate that fire within me to the people that has the darkest days. I want to give them hope that they will be heard by this society and that they will see the brighter side of our nation. Again, I am just a simple and ordinary probinsyana from Camarines Sur. I am Ysobelle Denise Y. Lopez.

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Slow progress is better than no progress at all.

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Never in my life I have imagined that I’ll be lying here in my bed, fingers rapidly hitting the keys to accomplish a blog about me being a media writer. When I first sat on the chair in LR1 listening to my professor talk about media writing I literally told myself, “What am I doing here?” I don’t know anything about Development Communication stuff! I am not as good as other people sitting in this lecture hall. I am totally, definitely doomed. I was motivated when someone told me that I don’t have to worry about having no knowledge about media writing at all, because the reason I attend classes in the first place is to learn. The following day, I was energized and ready to learn a lot to become an effective Media Writer.

There’s always room for improvement. My family and I bond over movies and documentaries. I can say that I learned a lot by watching movies and documentaries, and at the same time my language proficiency improved. I don’t like reading as much as I like watching movies or documentaries. It’s either I get bored easily or I don’t have that much of attention span while reading. I know that I have to persuade myself to read more because this can help me widen my vocabulary as well as improve my writing style. By reading other people’s compositions, I might adopt their effective writing style. I’m actually getting a little progress I try to read a lot of books lately.

I guess I am lucky that I am born as a ‘millenial’. They say that millenials are known to learn a lot about technological stuff easily. This is actually a strength as a media writer because one can easily operate different communication devices. Also, one can improve the quality of your work using advanced applications. That’s why it’s important to be proficient in operating communication tools/devices.

‘Fake news’ are everywhere. As a media writer, ‘Fake news’ are supposed to be treated as trash. One must be very careful in choosing a source because you should provide pure facts to your readers. It is important to inspect every source if it’s credible or not. To be an effective media writer, one must state facts and facts alone.

Nobody is perfect. I know that I don’t have all the skills and qualities of a media writer, but I am more than willing to acquire it all. I think the first step to improvement is accepting criticisms. Then, you practice and be curious at all time to become the ideal Media Writer.

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It was one hot afternoon that we decided to ride a jeepney to Barangay Bayog. As expected, the jeepney we are riding was barely moving because of heavy traffic. We were nervous at that time because we still have one last class for the day. We decided that maybe if we walk it will be faster for us to reach our destination. After a bucket-load of sweat and a few questions about directions, we reached the barangay hall of Bayog.

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We were in awe when we saw the lake. We realized that we are at the edge of Los Banos. We snapped some pictures, then we realized that we are not there for pictures. When we entered the office no one was around. When someone came in, she was talking to somebody else that she forgot we asked her a question. Luckily, Ms. Laica (secretary of the barangay) accommodated us without asking for a letter of request. Although, she asked us to bring a letter next time we visit the barangay she let us slide that time.

For media writers in training out there, always remember the 3Ps:

1. Polite
2. Remember to be polite because you are the one who need something from them. Even though they are not that accommodating, be polite anyways. Also, they may give you what you want easily if you polite.
3. Patience
4. Gathering information can be very hard especially when your source is not that accommodating. But, a lot of patience is required in order to be polite. Be patient in every process and struggle you have to go through.
5. Perseverance
6. Remember, “Kapag may tiyaga, may nilaga!” Work hard for every task given to you because it’s going to be worth it. The satisfaction of finishing a hard task is always the best.

Other tips:

1. Bring a letter of request
2. Some offices do not accept visitors unless they have a letter of request. Make sure that you have you letter of request before you go to your destination so that your energy and money won’t go to waste. Do not be impulsive.
3. Look for other sources
4. Bear in mind that not all information can be provided by only one source. There’s no good information that can be gathered easily.
5. Bring umbrella
6. When in LB, weather is unpredictable. So, bring your umbrellas!

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Life is like a roller coaster, and some of the biggest loops most definitely happen during the time spent at college. Nobody said college would be easy, but knowing what to expect during your first semester of classes will give you an edge over the students going in without a clue.

The first four weeks of my stay in UPLB was like the craziest but the most entertaining ride in a park. It was thrilling and interesting at the same time. I have no idea what is happening most of the time and I don’t know exactly where I am headed. But everything turned out great. And here are the…

Five Greatest Lessons I’ve Learned after Going to College

I realized that I am an adult now; just because I don’t have to go to work for plenty of hours a day doesn’t mean I shouldn’t act like it. This is the time to take responsibility for my actions. I should be professional from now on. I should think about my future much sooner because for years, future seemed so far off that it was something I could always “get around to.” I didn’t realize that it was something I was currently living, or working towards.

This doesn’t mean that I need to make a hasty decision about a career or a major, I just learned that college is the time for me to discover who I really am, what I enjoy doing, what I’m good at, and who I want to be.

I learned that in college, no one is going to make me go to class anymore. This was the time when I realized that my parents did more for me than I thought. Waking me up every morning, doing my laundry, paying bills, buying groceries, yes, my parents did more than I think, and now that they’re no longer there, it all falls on me. So, again I should be responsible. I need to do my duties and responsibilities. I must learn to cope with homesickness. It’s only natural that there will be times when I miss my family, we are a clingy type of family so being 10 hours away from home is really hard. But I must find a way to deal with those feelings, such as making a phone call or sending some email home. I need to tell my parents how grateful I am for them and I need to be strong for them.

Being an adult means taking responsibility for everything that happens to me. I must avoid procrastination and work on prioritizing my life. It may have been easy in high school to wait until the last minute to complete an assignment or finish a task and still get a good grade, but that kind of stuff will not work for me in college. I must give myself deadlines — and stick to them.

I realize that I should stop being at my dorm room for the whole weekend. I should get out and explore the campus. I need to work on my confidence, get out of my comfort zone, and try new things. That college is the greatest opportunity I’ll ever have for personal development. Combination of homesickness and a feeling of not quite belonging was my problem. So, I considered joining a student organization and sports teams. Because of this, I made new friends, acquired new skills, and feel more connected to my school. But I seek a balance.

College life is a mixture of social and academic happenings. Don’t tip the balance too far in either direction.

In college, I knew I will meet almost all kinds of people. So, I learned that I should build myself a supportive environment. I need to organize my environment in a way that supports my aspirations, and I need to surround myself with people who believe in me and know how to motivate me when thoughts of giving up pops up in my head. I need to make sure I’m surrounded by people who want to achieve the same thing or who have already achieved it.

I realized that I what I need in college is a supportive system that pushes me back on the right track.

By studying at a school that’s 10 hours away from home, I realized that I should avoid any illness. Getting sick can keep me away from classes for an extended period of time and there is no one to take care of me. In college, I learned that I need prioritize my health, that academics and extra-curriculars should only follow. I learned that I need to get enough sleep, take my vitamins, and eat right.

Without parents here to serve me a balanced meal, I may be tempted to go for those cup noodles and canned goods but I must myself that I should stay healthy and stick to a balanced diet.

Overall, I realized that in college, I will surely face a lot of challenges — but that’s all part of the process.

Soon enough, I will be sharing a lot more experiences and lessons with soon-to-be college students.

Everything a development communicator needs, all in one post!
Let’s start!

ITEM #1:

Whatever you do, don’t forget a pen and notepad.

Anywhere you go, different stories require different sorts of coverage. Different destinations. The hard bit is it’s not always clear how a story will turn out. We have to be prepared for it all. You can also use index cards. It takes more time than copying and pasting into an electronic document, which encourages you to be selective in choosing which ideas to record. Some writers color-code their cards to make them still more organized.

ITEM #2:

Mobile Phone

You’ve probably got one of these in your pocket right now. In our generation, I think we all do. We mustn’t forget that a good reporter works in two ways. Not only are you reporting, but also you must be aware of what’s going on elsewhere. Use your phone to follow all the best news sources so you know what’s happening at all times, you can also use it for faster communication and faster publishing of news and articles.

ITEM #3:

Digital Camera

I thought hard about including a digital camera. Yes, many mobile phone cameras can produce photos as good as a compact camera. But if you want really good press-quality photography, you need to invest in a good camera. I agree that this would be a big, expensive addition to the Development Communicator’s Survival Kit. But I think it’s definitely worth it.

ITEM #4:

Laptop

Laptop can be used as a storage device and a charging port for your cellphone and other gadgets because of the long-life battery feature used to power up the entire system. It is able to make the students feel convenience since they do not have to charge it repeatedly. You can also take notes with laptop. Aside from able to take notes faster, students can also record the lecture by using microphone, edit any file, and publish anything easily online. Laptops make communicators self-sufficient and they learn to type, manage their schedules, and learn to budget by using online planners.

Again, laptop is a great investment, it can be your source of basic references, it can be your audio recorder, it can be your file storage device, and it can be your charging port. It’s the ultimate all-in-one gadget!

ITEM #5:

Last item needed is… Money in your pocket.

Complete your kit and equip yourself for the journey of being development communicator by including some money in it. I’m not saying that it should be a large amount of money, the important thing is you have money, you never know when you’ll need them.

With this list of items in hand, you’ll be sure to get everything you need for your Development Communication journey!

Unfamiliar place and new people to please.

Absolutely YES, gathering information to places you will be visiting for the first time requires pleasing attitude.

Enrolling to DevCom, does not confine you to the corners of the college building— listening to lectures and having set of writing exercises, because in this degree program you will also be taught to face different faces with different personalities. If you’re verbal-linguistic it is an edge but if you have interpersonal ability as well then you are in the right track. Gathering information from sources unknown to us was our first task, to test our skills as media writers. The method mostly used was to conduct several interviews. We did an informal interview through asking directions from the people in the vicinity on how to get to our destination. After reaching our site, we interviewed likewise the secretary in order for us to gather the necessary information

And to make the story short, it went well as we wished it to be and here are some useful tips from The Catalyst after we visited Brgy. Bayog, Los Baños, that you must bear in mind to collect information smoothly and effectively as Development Communicators:

• ASK FOR DIRECTIONS. If you are not sure to where your site is situated; ask for directions from the people in the vicinity.
• PRACTICE PROFESSIONALISM. Always come prepared with a letter of intent that will be given to the specific office. Moreover, if you are going to inquire for information; it is appropriate to personally visit the site rather than asking it online through messenger or other social networking sites. Introducing yourself and wearing your school ID is likewise encouraged.
• RESPECT THEIR TIME. Wait until the specific person you intend to visit is ready to entertain your inquiries, most particularly if you did not set an appointment with him [her] beforehand.
• RESPOND ACCORDINGLY. There are instances that people from the site will ask you questions with regard to your intention of visiting them. Answer them accordingly with respect in order for you to build rapport. Consider the chance already of going back to that site to gather more in-depth details. Hence, establishing a rapport with them will be of great help.
• BE POLITE. Greet the persons that you will meet in the course of your data gathering specifically those persons you’ve asked for directions and the people from the site itself. Always remember to say “thank you” after your visit and/or inquiry. Do not be too demanding. Ask them politely of the necessary data you need and if ever they refused to give a particular information; respect their response and try to just ask for suggestions to where it could be found.

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Simply take our advices and you’ll end up smiling like Alvin, Ysobelle and I, with contentment and more enthusiasm to develop our own kind of Media Writer.

Seen is defined as something has been looked at or noticed. But what if everything we see is more than that? Our group wanted to create an opportunity for people to be seen beyond first impressions to the unique talents within.

We want to look at things from a point of view other than our own.

As a group of student writers, we are tasked to put into practice our observation, document search, and interview skills to gather essential information from Municipal Hall, Mayor’s Office, Sangguniang Bayan. After getting all the information needed, we realized that the data gathering method that we have used is convenient, we approached the personnel face-to-face and the questions and data were given through oral conversation.It is effective because additional questions for follow-up can be asked whenever confusion and discrepancies occur in the data gathering process.

It was fun but definitely not easy. We learned a lot so if by any chance you are tasked to gather data like what we did, we can give you three great tips!

TIP # 1:

Bring a letter with your intent and the professor’s signature because some agencies require them for data privacy matters.

There will come a time when you might need to request something, be it from the company you are working for or a personal need that you have. Taking the time to construct a well-written letter outlining what it is you need could be the thing that guarantees you getting what it is that you want. Be sure to proofread your letter. Typos and bad formatting come off as being sloppy and like you did not pay attention to what you were doing.

They might turn you down. But that’s fine! Do not be discouraged. You can always make the request at a better time or find another route to go.

TIP # 2:

Don’t go to the agencies during peak hours because you may not be entertained immediately.

Put Yourself in their shoes, you must understand that busy people get hundreds of requests for help or jobs to finish. Even if you have the best of intentions, at peak hours, people are busy and can’t possibly respond to every inquiry. They’re not being rude — they’re just prioritizing. When you reach out to a busy person, do so with very specific questions in mind. You may only get one shot at that.

TIP # 3:

Respect the time of the personnel and do not let him/her be delayed from doing his/her responsibilities while gathering your needed information.

Busy people aren’t selfish and inconsiderate, they just want to be efficient with their time. Remember that the time they give to you is time they sacrifice from finishing their jobs. So, contact them in a way that respects this reality and considering that their schedule is as lightly as possible. It is important that you are mindful of another people’s time not just yours.

We hope you learned something from us. Let’s get a variety of perspectives and look at things from a point of view other than our own because sometimes, what we’re seeing is not all that there is.

And we are Behind-the-Seen.

Self-assessment is a valuable learning tool because through this, we can identify our own skill gaps, where our knowledge is weak, and track our own progress. As media writers, there are qualities we need to have, qualities that we need to work on.

After learning the ten qualities that a media writer should possess, I rate myself as follows:

Curious or Inquisitive-1
Intelligent-2
Industrious-3
Resourceful-1
Persevering-1
Imaginative-1
Puts a premium on accuracy and truth-2
Loves to read-2
Interested in and loves people-2
Service-oriented-1

Among the qualities listed, being industrious is the quality that I need to work on the most.  Now that I’m in college, I knew how important it is to choose my spare time activities in a manner that enhances my brain function, instead of reducing it. In a generation where entertainment means playing on our phones or browsing on Facebook, it’s really a challenge to have and maintain this quality all the time. Almost everything is given to us, almost everything is provided. That’s a good thing but the best thing I can do is to use this as a reason and inspiration to manage my activities wisely and to allot my time in productive activities and hobbies.        

Given my ratings, are you wondering what keeps me from getting that 1.00 self-rating?

There are two obstacles that keeps me from developing these qualities. One is the influx of entertainment like Netflix and Hulu, applications that made entertainment easily accessible that I don’t need to leave my dorm room to find enjoyment and allot hundreds of hours to watch different genres of movies.  Second is the social media, texting and chatting, or social media lurking have become the most common types of communication for my generation and it’s really a challenge to stop scrolling your newsfeed or story because it never ends.

Aside from qualities, as media writers, there are also skills needed. There are five skills a Media Writer should possess. And I rate myself as follows:

Gathering data-2
Validating and clarifying information-3
Organizing information-1
Writing clearly and effectively-2
Proficiency in the operation of communication tools/devices-2

Among the skills listed, the organization of information is the skill which I developed the highest competency. I come from an organized family, so I was raised to be an organized person as well. I keep my desk clean, our house is neat, and I keep track of what I need to accomplish and when. This involves ranking the tasks and activities in terms of importance and I’m doing this to avoid experiencing the frustration associated with not being able to locate a specific thing. Every day, I organize information. Overtime, this quality became natural for me. And I think it is great because it’s important to know the place and location of information when it is needed to in order to provide a smooth transition.

And the skill I need to work on the most to develop is validating and clarifying information. It’s very easy nowadays to share information on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, almost anyone can publish their thoughts and share their stories to the world. Most of the people don’t check the source of the material that they view online before they share it, which can lead to fake news spreading quickly. It becomes harder for me to identify the source of news stories, particularly on the internet because of the growing number of people who spread fake news and alternative facts.

Self-assessment is the capacity to examine ourselves, to see how much progress we have made. After doing this I realize that the aim of self-assessment is to assist the person to understand the extent of his or her skills and enhance them without the need for a perfect one.

I always keep in my mind that if it’s knowledge, it can be acquired. If it’s a skill, it can be learned or improved. 

Even if I don’t have the talent or IQ of a genius, I can get really better at almost anything I want in life. It might take a lot of willpower, persistence and deliberate practice, but I can do it. There’s nothing that can stop me, if I am determined enough.

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Sometimes life forces us into a situation where we must acquire new skills. When it happens, let’s accept that and improve ourselves.

Born in the Philippines to a family from San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, is a dream seeker named Raizza Mae F. Acuzar. She was raised with help from her grandparents, whose spirits reflected her Mindoreño roots. Heading out into college (University of the Philippines Los Baños) 10 hours away from home without having a fixed mindset on what she wants to do in the future was not easy. She was a DOST Scholarship exam qualifier so she ended up choosing one of the degree programs in DOST’s List of Priority Courses. After taking a few of the required courses of her chosen degree program, she started to lose interest in the topics for they are not something that she is inherently excited to learn more about. She gave herself some space to think and all led to a realization that the only way to do great work is to love what she does. She reminisced her childhood dream, to be a hero and voice of the people. At that moment, she felt something inside her lit up. It made her realize that she can’t be the voice of the unheard if she can’t even speak for her own. After a year, she shifted to BS Development Communication. A lot of times, Raizza doesn’t know what way she wants to go. She didn’t know what she wanted to do or be in life yet. But for the first time, she felt like she’s living an authentic life, and it’s making her dazzlingly happy.

In committing to an academic and training path, she knew she should first assess her skills and interests. Being a broadcaster is one of the most prolific jobs a communications major can hold and she is determined that she will be one. She aspires to be at the forefront of delivering the latest news to the world. And this time, she wants to make sure that she’s choosing her course for the right reasons. When she was still in high school, she never took anything seriously except for one, sports.

If she is not training in the pool, she is in the softball field improving her ball throwing speed. Why would she choose this path when she could pursue her passion and be a professional swimmer or softball player instead? At that point, she got her answer. She is confident that if she ever chose anything in her life, it would be to drop her gloves, set aside her goggles, and hold the microphone. Playing sports is her passion but serving people is her purpose.

Raizza once desired to be the voice of the people, to be a hero. But later, she learned that people cannot speak for themselves until other people allow them to. She knew that it was silly for her to think that she has the power to give people a voice as if the inability of the people to listen defines their ability to speak. That’s why she now aims to put people first in every initiative. She aspires to be someone that amplifies the voice of communities where real people with real problems are just waiting to be heard. She knew that as long as there’s a need for development, her chosen degree will always be relevant. And staying an extra semester and graduating with the purpose she desires is better than second-guessing her career path. The notable author, Paulo Coelho once said: “Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”. Raizza’s heart has always been in serving the people, but she never expected BS Development Communication to be the treasure. ❤