The UPCAT took place in various venues in the UPLB campus last October 5-6, 2019.
For our ninth weekly writes entry, We went around interviewing future Scholars ng Bayan and parents. In this video are some of their stories regarding their dreams, reasons, and expectations for the exam.
Teacher Veronica ‘Vicki’ Quintana- Arioder, a Development Communication graduate of UP Los Baños and a Masters of Education graduate of UP Diliman, is known for developing the Instant Reader Program which aims to teach children to read in 20 days. The system is also successful in teaching children with varying learning needs and difficulties (i.e. Dyslexic). Thus, she is known as a reading and dyslexia specialist.
With this interview, we can learn more about Teacher Vicki, a distinguished alumna awardee of the College of Development Communication.
It’s that time of the year again where thousands upon thousands of UP hopefuls vie for the chance of getting into one of the top universities in the country.
The University of the Philippines College Admission Test is one of the country’s most sought after exams since not only is UP one of the countries top universities, it is also the recipient of the free tertiary education law which means that as a state university, 100% of the tuition fees will be shouldered by the government. This became a huge factor in increasing the number of UPCAT takers. According to the UP Media and Public Relations Office 140, 593 applied for UPCAT 2019 and only 101,134 were eligible. And out of the eligible applicants 90,408 took the exam yet only 13 percent or 11,821 actually qualified.
It’s not easy to get in to the university especially when you have thousands of students to compete with for a slot but the sheer number of test takers is just a small hill compared to the mountain one has to face to prepare for the actual exam.
Students such as Patricia Dela Pena for Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba have experienced this; ” Ang dami pong kasabay na deadlines, home works, PTs, exams, kahit po exams kasabay kaya po medyo na-limit yung time for review para po sa UPCAT na ‘to.”
Another student from Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Rae Ocampo said, “Yung iba kasi hindi nakapag-Brain Train (review center) kaya wala po masyadong narereview.”
The amount of items to review for this exam is probably one of the major hurdles in preparing for this exam according to James Nicholas Valdez also for Letran, “‘Di ko alam kung saan ako mag-uumpisa mag-review kasi ‘di ‘ba sa dami ng sakop ng exam ‘di mo alam kung ano yung lalabas.”
Aside from the free tuition and “top school” status of UP, one of the reasons why they want to get into UP is the quality of education namely; honor and excellence. According to Patricia Dela Pena, ” I believe kasi honor and excellence does not only stand for academics dito din papasok yung capacity natin and openness or willingness to serve the country hindi lang bilang iskolar ng bayan as a title dahil nga mataas yung scores mo sa academics pero part of that is being able to be a responsible citizen tapos ma-embody yung pinaka-embodiment ng pagiging Filipino youth.”
PHOTOS:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11xpKGPZByBLkTjs3wWbbBMIKdfygU49T/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vVydCZZ-5lM0PGP6NzPMmMirv9pVc8hG/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19s92mQb-zSgtx-7PX5VuWjj97La2obxw/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YlTVMRYAxY-aY4cbWKPFdhz2ck4xUR2n/view?usp=sharing
by Gabriel Dolot, Geraldine Brotonel, Jonn Marwin Bayaborda
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xwc9OZ-7xpYKtDeeoX2SetDkZIADLdgI?usp=sharing
The day dawned gloomy in Los Baños, Laguna as festivities for the Bañamos Parade continue. The Civic Parade along Brgy. Anos, infamous for traffic, is filled with people carrying banners and balloons as they march to the beat of the marching band.
From the Makiling Subdivision, the parade trailed up to the New Multipurpose Hall in Brgy. Baybayin where delegates and spectators were greeted by the Rio Brothers Band who immediately captured the hearts of the senior citizens with their rendition of famous 70’s and 80’s hits keeping the ambiance fun and lively.
Bañamos, one of the biggest festivals here in Laguna not only has become a gathering of residents but also of local & foreign tourists. Ms. Naomi, a British citizen who works at IRRI said, “It’s amazing. Everyone is so friendly and getting together. It’s really nice that people want to celebrate.This is much more impressive than what we do to celebrate.”
Over the years, it seems like the Bañamos Festival has only gotten bigger and better from the large turnout of people and the venue itself. Hon. Josephine “Baby” Sumangil-Evangelista said in a short interview, “Nakita namin na mas madaming taong kasali ngayon. Tapos kung makikita niyo, contained na tayo dito because of this multipurpose hall, Talagang this was… hindi naman rushed, inayos talaga ‘to in time for the Bañamos Festival so every office is here right now celebrating our 404th foundation anniversary.”
The Civic Parade is only one of the most awaited activities of the Bañamos festival and it’s guaranteed that the rest won’t disappoint either.
In the past weeks, I built a set of learnings that I think is worth sharing with other people. It shaped me to who I need to be, to cope within the culture of UPLB.
Knowing DevCom, there will be a lot of work to do in activities, assignments and paperworks. You will be sometimes assigned to a task where you need to work like those people behind the camera of tv news programs that will require the top five items to bring with you to perform your best at work.
The first item is a smartphone. With its different features and capabilities, You will have access to what other devices does. For example, you can use the camera (if your phone has good qualities) to take photos in an event like what cameras do, the voice recorder to have a copy of your conversation with an interviewee (like the function of the voice recorder), or the memo for listing datas and information. A smartphone truly is an all-around item, having the functions of other devices.
Moving on to the second item, it is necessary to bring a laptop just in case you need to work with documents and files immediately. Most of its advanced functions are not present in smartphones, which means that a laptop is one of the must haves.
On the third item, you need to bring cash. Yes, it is a basic need because almost everything that we need (food, water, clothes and other necessities) are bought at stores. You may say that you can bring food and water to avoid bringing cash so that you will not spend it, but you will never know if for example there comes an emergency that requires cash for it to be solved.
For the fourth item, the items come in pair, which is the pen and paper. Yes, these two are considered one, and even though you can use your phone in documenting something, the traditional way of writing never gets old. You may discover the advantages of having a pen and paper with you.
The last item is a tumbler with water, the simplest one yet it may help you in a big way. In this time of the year, the extreme hot temperature emitted by the sun can cause dehydration, headache, dizziness and other harmful effects on the body. Drinkable water is beneficial to help our body in maintaining its healthy state.
As a writer, it is imperative that we are familiar with our community. And as development communicators it is our way of understanding the situation in the community in order for us to truly serve their needs.
In a group of three, only one hails from Laguna but honestly, even he was not familiar with the barangay assigned to them. It was a totally new experience for them to travel to a small barangay near the the beautiful lake of Laguna. Barangay Tadlac is a small barangay along the border of Calamba and Los Banos along with other small barangays.
In order to provide the following data, the group decided to use the method of a face-to-face interview. It was way easier to get the information in that exact manner. The assigned person of Brgy. Tadlac was also accommodating and welcoming. She even gave us a printed output of all the information that we need. Additionally, unlike the other groups, we were not required to provide a letter. That is why we didn’t have much difficulty gathering the data. Aside from the data required, we also found out about upcoming activities of the barangay for the community in which will be helpful for us to identify the needs of the community through those programs. This activity also served as an opportunity for us to observe the community and determine where it’s at in development.
Here are some tips to effectively and appropriately gather data from your local barangay:
Qualities of a media writer
2. Intelligent – 3
3. Industrious – 3
4. Resourceful – 2
5. Persevering – 2
6. Imaginative – 3
7. Puts premium on accuracy and truth – 2
8. Loves to read – 3
9. Interested in and loves people – 3
10. Service Oriented – 2
Among the qualities listed, which quality would be the one that you need to work on the most? Why?
The quality that I need to work on the most is the quality of being industrious. With this quality, all the other qualities are at stake. If I will manage to improve this quality, everything else will follow.
Given your ratings, what keeps you from getting that 1.00 self-rating?
I know to myself that I lack the ability to achieve the 1.00 self-rating because of what I’m practicing right now. In connection with my answer to the previous question, my absence of the quality of being industrious affects my performance on everything. To be able to get the highest rating for myself, it would mean that I will be able to perform a certain task perfectly and correctly.
Skills of a Media Writer
2. Validating and classifying information – 2
3. Organizing information – 2
4. Writing Clearly and effectively – 3
5. Proficiency in the communication tools/devices – 2
Among the skills listed, which skill have you developed the highest competency? What contributed to the development of that skill?
I developed the highest competency with the skill in proficiency in the communication tools/devices. I think that it developed because at a young age, I was able to own a cellphone with camera and voice recording capabilities. Because of that, I started to learn about technology more as time pass by.
Among the skills listed, which skill would be the one that you need to work on the most to develop? Why?
I need to improve my skills in writing clearly and effectively because I know that when I write an article or an essay, most of the time I lose track of the objectives that I need to follow. I also lack the knowledge in using complicated words that I have to search it in the internet just to make sure that I used it right. Left with a little variety of common English words to use, it sometimes causes me repeat in using them again that makes my writing bad. I really need to work with this skill.
Every time I meet my relatives and friends, they ask me the degree program that I will take here in UPLB. Then there goes my reply, “I am not sure about it but I passed Development Communication.” Even before when I was a child, I can’t think of things that I’m good at and what I want to pursue. In my mind, there’s a lot of questions that I kept hidden to myself, for I thought that although it may be answered, more questions will arise after, and they will be left unanswered like before. Now I realized that the path I’m taking is not what I have seen before and it’s up to me discover the answers I am looking for. I may be new to the world of writing, but now to consider myself as a media writer, I can touch the lives of other people.
From what I heard about a media writer, they are those that are writing for the people, those who give information that answers the questions of the people. They can move the hearts of the people, and they can also be the voice of the people who are not heard by the government. They connect the people, spreading the news throughout the country. They are writing not because they want to be famous and earn money, but they are full of dedication to serve their fellow countrymen.
“We determine our destiny by the actions we take today,” a quote from Catherine Pulsifer. I might not have the skills right now to be as good as those who had already discovered their passion as media writer years ago, but I will try to improve and change myself to be a skilled media writer. Who knows if I will be a media writer someday even if I’m not likely to be one today. I will try to do my best in this path to help other people and to contribute to the common good that everyone deserves.
NAME: Mrs. Rhea Villanueva Masalunga
COURSE: BS Forestry
BATCH/CLASS: 2004
She can still vividly describe her years as an Iska at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). Both the good and the bad, the joyous moments and the most difficult ones. Mrs. Masalunga was one of my school paper adviser and Science teacher in my hometown, San Juan. I always adore her for her great personality, immense wit, and talents, charisma, confidence, life values, and advice. Never did I realize that she had been through a lot and had experience so much in the same university I am currently studying.
Even at first, she had this thought in her mind during the freshman orientation when they are told that some students might get grades of Tres (three) up to Cinco (five) in their classes. She thought, how come students that are meticulously filtered and chosen in the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) be wary of this dilemma when they are too genius compared to others. Only after the first semester that she understood how hard it was in UP.
Yet, these challenges didn’t hinder her from achieving her ‘sablay’ after four years of burning midnight oil and unstoppable perseverance to the pursuit of knowledge honor and excellence. Here are some of the good and bad memories she will never forget in UPLB that she is very much willing to share.
She was alone in her room since it is a Friday and going back home will be too costly, so she chose to stay during the weekends. It was when suddenly, the whole dorm experienced electricity shut down at midnight and knowing the horror stories lurking within halls and rooms of the dormitory she stayed in her bed, covered her whole body with a thick blanket. She doesn’t mind getting all sweaty until sleep took over her body.
She was with her friends sitting at the grass at freedom park when an earthquake occurred. She was able to feel it when it passes through the exact place, they are sitting lifting her and the soil in her butt.
She had this one professor before that is too old for her liking which name starts with A. It was her first class, in the first hour of the first day in the week and she describes her to be a terror one. The professor requires them to read a lot in the course subject which Mrs. Masalunga is not very fond of doing. Nevertheless, she will never forget her favorite line of the teacher whenever she is tasked to read aloud in class, and she wasn’t able to. She says the prof will always say “Louder ija, hindi ka nakikipag-sex sa akin.” The Prof has a passing grade in her class of 30 out of a hundred. Ironic how she was described to be a terror one after giving such low passing grade for her students. But in fact, most of her students, Mrs. Rhea herself is a proof only got low scores yet was able to pass the class with her very first tres.
They had their class in the College of Forestry when suddenly, a group of male students barge in the classroom and hit one of her classmates with bamboo for no exact reasons. Just frat war.
She used her knowledge as a Forestry student and work as a tour guide in the Botanical Garden where he was able to earn at most 400 pesos per tour. She says it was amazing interacting with various people who got to be so amazed by the wonders of nature Elbi was very gifted. Also, she tried to sell food as well in the dormitory while having two student assistantships.
To sum it up, she said that beyond these experiences she learned that:
“For one I learned how to be an independent woman/person and how to give back. Kasi ‘yun yung essence UP e’. Magbalik sa bayan, sa pamilya, sa bayan, sa ibang tao. You have to work for others, for the community.”
Mrs. Masalunga
Being away from home, she thinks that being in UPLB demands you to fight for your life and your dreams. Being away from the comfort of the embrace of her parents taught her that it is very important to teach herself of ways on how she will be able to survive the university. This is a battle not just of one person to oneself but to your professors and requirements as well.
When asked about her opinions to the slogan of this years’ 101st Loyalty Day which is “UPLB: Patuloy na Tumutugon sa Hamon ng Bayan”. She expressed that she thinks that it was very different from before that when one says UP, they are fighters or warriors of the community, one who seeks justice. She explained that student activism is not bad but is dangerous without analyzation and evaluation of the purpose of why or what they are fighting for.
“You can fight for your country without saying a word. You can fight in silence. You can fight in actions but never in harsh words, ng walang nasasaktan.”
Mrs. Masalunga
Also, she says that maybe the theme was still relevant in a way that after students graduate from the university they must give back to the community and serve.
In her last quote, she elaborated and challenged the students to continue, to persevere and be courageous in reaching their dreams. That it will be a very long road, but it will be worth it and the journey was worth their while.
“Fight for your dreams, mahirap ang UP… but no matter how long it will take you before you graduate it doesn’t matter as long as you finish what you started, and you fight for your dreams. Pwedeng magpahinga pero hindi pwedeng sumuko.”
Mrs. Masalunga
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