Author: Ten

uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco… ay nagloko?

“[REDACTED] ‘yang UP na ‘yan! Ang hirap na nga pasukan, ang hirap na nga pumasa, ang hirap pa kumuha ng units! Ibabasura niyo ‘yang SAIS o kayo [REDACTED] ko?”

When I came across this Facebook post of my friend, I kind of found it funny because I really felt her anger through my screen. Tagos-tagusan talaga. I thought to myself, “Ano ba ‘yang SAIS na ‘yan at galit na galit ‘to?” because she’s usually just a very chill person. But before I share my SAIS experience, let me define SAIS first. And no, it is not something related to numbers.

Student Academic Information System (SAIS) is the official online registration system of UPLB, succeeding SystemOne. Basically, SAIS is where UPLB students view their demographic profile, add their classes, view their schedules and grades, read important announcements, et cetera. All-in-one kumbaga. But it’s really primarily used for enlistment and online viewing of grades and class schedules. 

SAIS

A few days after making up my mind to pursue my college education at UPLB, I suddenly thought about SAIS. I remembered the Facebook post of my friend about it and decided to search “SAIS UP” on the same application—yeah not on Google because… I don’t know. I think I wanted to do some sort of “crowdsourcing.” And here are some (of the funniest) that I have found:

Seems like a lot of Elbi students dislike it (LOL obviously). While these posts, along with others, are not too serious and delivered in a satirical way, I still felt nervous after reading (and laughing at) them. Since I was about to become a SAIS user as well, it became my worry. “Paano kung magloko rin ‘yung akin at maging dahilan pa kung bakit ako ma-dedelay?” At ayun na nga ba. 

My SAIS went nuts the first time I accessed it. Talk about premonitions!

I was one of the fortunate students who received her UP Mail early. I received mine on September 12, 2021, a day before the official start of classes in UPLB. However, I was one of the many unfortunate ones whose SAIS accounts encountered some issues; the variant (pandemic ‘yan ‘te!?) or type of issue I ran into was the categories were just everywhere on the tab. Imagine the “My favorites” clickable text on the middle of the tab… done? Alright, now try doing that for the rest of the clickable texts—yeah, that’s what happened to my SAIS. I tried reloading it and going back to check every around 10 minutes several times but to no avail. I was about to ask for help until I saw in a CDC group chat that a lot of students were having different kinds of problems with their SAIS accounts. So, I figured I would just wait because the university probably already knows. Sandamakmak ba naman eh.

Good thing, professors were already sending live lecture details, so I was able to have an idea of what my class schedule for the first semester looked like. A day after, my SAIS finally worked. I felt relieved—only to be let down seconds after. I literally had zero clue on how to use it. It didn’t come with a tutorial whatsoever. And so, I read the chats in the CDC group chat, hoping to find something that might help me navigate and familiarize myself with the interface. Luckily, the upperclassmen were kind enough to help us. I followed what they said on the group chat and what they said on the group chat and yay! Class schedule obtained. What a ride!

But to make this entry a lifehack too, here are a few things I learned from upperclassmen that might help you! (And me because enlistment is just around the corner)

That’s all! 

Also, for the university: please fix SAIS! The information system was established years ago but many say it’s still faulty. 

simula

Wow. Parang sing-bilis lang ng ihip ng hangin ang first semester sa UP.

Firm believer talaga ako ng “Time flies when you’re having fun,” pero ngayong nasa final weeks na ako ng unang semestre napagtanto ko na masaya ka man o hindi, ang bilis-bilis pa rin ng oras. Parang kamakailan lang, kabadong-kabado pa ko kung kakayanin ko ba ang sistema sa unibersidad, pinoproblema ko kung paano ako makikipagkaibigan o kilala, isip na isip ako sa ilalagay ko sa self-introduction ko, litong-lito ako sa Econ 11—grabe, napakarami kong worries. Tapos ngayon, nag-aalala naman ako kung madadala ko ba nang tama ‘yung mga natutunan ko ngayong semestre sa hinaharap. WAAHH… ganito ba talaga katindi magparamdam ang pagtatapos ng semester? O sadyang dahil bagong salta palang ako?

Aminin ko, nagiging emotional na ko habang sinusulat ‘to pero slight lang naman! Hehe.

Ewan ko ba… hanggang ngayon kasi pina-process ko pa rin yung buong first semester eh. Sa entry ko para sa week 12, sinabi ko na hindi ko naman talaga binalak na mag-apply sa UPCA. Pero ngayon, kapit na kapit ako h’wag lang ako maligwak sa UP. Well, well, well how the turntables. Eme! Siguradong ganito rin naman ako kung sa ibang university o college ako natuloy mag-aral, pero iba ‘yung kapit ko ngayon dahil kila Mama’t Papa. Ang saya-saya kasi nila para sa akin. Naaalala ko tuloy noong naiyak si Mama pagkakita niya ng “CONGRATULATIONS!” sa portal.

Sa totoo lang, wala akong eksaktong pangarap sa buhay ko. Ayos lang sa’kin kung saan ako dalhin (please wag lang sa masama!). Pero not in a petiks o naliligaw kind of way ha, kung hindi sa kahit-saan-man-ako-mapunta-pag-iigihan ko type of way. Flexible yarn? Kaya kapag nangangarap para sa akin sila Mama, binabaon ko talaga ‘yung mga kuko ko sa kung ano man ‘yung pangarap na ‘yun. Dahil kasi doon, I feel valued and loved. Kasi bakit pa sila mangangarap para sa akin kung hindi nila ako mahal at gustong makitang stable in the future? Kaya naman ngayon, pag-iigihan ko ang pag-aaral sa UP. Kapag grumaduate ako, gusto kong magkaroon ng family picture na suot ‘yung sablay para naman may pampalit na ng Facebook cover photo si Mama. Ang chaka ko kasi sa cover photo niya ngayon. Haha!

Pero all jokes aside, masusuot ko rin ang sablay sa graduation at makakapagpa-picture kami ng pamilya ko. Claiming this energy!

Syempre, bago ako maging deserving doon, kinakailangan ko munang mag-improve; at sa awa ng diyos, I think I did! Hooray!

Before

Now

Napakadami kong natutunan sa DEVC 11. Nagkaroon ako ng foundation sa technical writing, nakadiskubre ako ng mga bagong diskarte para sa data gathering—na ang pinaka-epektibo ay ang skimming and scanning, dati kasi, sa sobrang takot kong may makaligtaan na information sobrang haba ng oras ang ginugugol ko kababasa—mas natuto ako kung paano bumuo ng rapport, mas humaba pasensya ko sa tuwing mapadpad ako sa dead end, at madami pang iba. Pero ang biggest lesson sa kanilang lahat ay pagmamahal sa kapwa. Sa paggawa ng mga requirements, mas lalo kong natutunan kung paano maging compassionate at tumulong sa pagkaray ng mga pasanin lalo na ng mga nasa laylayan.

Dahil sa DEVC 11, mas naging in touch ako sa aking komunidad. Kung dati sa aking week 3 entry, ‘perseverance’ ang pinaka-importanteng quality para sa akin, ngayon ay ‘interested in and loves people’ na. Katulad nga ng sabi ni Ms. Frio, isang 2020 CDCAA Distinguished alumna in International Development Communication Practice, “DevCom is always about the people.” Kung may pagmamahal ka para sa kanila, lagi kang may paghuhugutan para maging persevering; lalo na laging may mga taong nangangailangan ng tulong. At ‘yung opportunity na binibigay nila sa’yo para intindihin ang mundong ginagalawan nila ang nakakataba ng puso. Kaya naman sana rin ay maging in touch pa ko sa maraming komunidad bukod sa Las Piñas in the future.

Huli, alam kong hindi ganoon kalaki ang improvement ko, pero I’m still giving myself a pat on the back. Progress is progress! Sabi ko nga sa week 3 entry ko, “One step at a time, even if your steps are just as wide as a chicken’s.” Oh ‘di ba! At isa pa, first semester palang ‘to—unang limang buwan. Napakadami pa!

Ito palang ang simula.

always ready!

Writing, to tell you the truth is such a HUGE pain in the a**. Believe it or not, even professional writers find writing to be an excruciating and hard process. Writing is the most undiluted art form because it offers no medium to hide behind, no picture, music, or persona to cover ourselves; and because of this, it is mentally taxing. Frequently we fail to realize that an idea goes through so much just to be made clear on paper. And for DEVC 11, students are not only tasked to write, but also interview, research, and also pick up the mouse and keyboard because… well, the course is literally about media writing. HAH! Double the trouble, double the fun?

Except it’s not really always fun. 

But fret not! For this week’s entry, I have interviewed two DevCom upperclassmen, Kuya John Gherald Navera and Kuya Alby Sabiniano, to know what can help lessen this burden! I asked, “What tools/gadgets/equipment helped you the most in your writing classes?” And these are their top 5:

1. Laptop

This bad boy is a light, portable, and relatively cheaper alternative to a desktop PC. If you have the resources and don’t have a laptop yet, really consider buying one because it fits the lifestyle of a university student. I mean, do you think you can carry a PC everywhere you go, or would you prefer doing requirements on your phone? Also, now that we are in a remote learning setup, everything is done through technology; for instance, we pass our activities in either Google Classroom or Canvas, we attend live lectures through Zoom or Google Meet, et cetera. These things can be done with a laptop. And once we finally shift to face-to-face classes, we can easily bring them anywhere because as DevCom practitioners-in-training, we go out to help in communities a lot too.  

2. Smartphone 

Do you know the feeling when you go out and suddenly it hits you that you forgot to bring your phone with you? Yeah, me neither.

Man. I’m on my phone 24/7. I think almost every smartphone owner is, too. If I forgot my phone, I imagine that I would probably feel disconnected from the world but would go into denial stage first (LOL), convincing myself that it’s alright—it’s just for a few hours, Ten. But seriously, smartphones have become an inseparable part of our lives; we use them to talk with friends and family, send emails, track our diet, and guess what? Since the start of online classes, we have used it for academic pursuits too. It can run Google Meet, Zoom, Canva, and many more. And even better, you can watch the lectures you failed to attend while laying down in bed. Nice? Very nice.

3. Microphone

One of the first purchases of Kuya Alby was a good microphone for their DEVC30 radio program requirement. “It helped me have a better sound quality,” he said. 

Let our response be: Wise investment!

An external microphone beats the crappy sound quality we get from the internal microphones of our desktop PC, laptop, or smartphone. While non-sound experts won’t really notice the difference between an AT2020, NT1, SM7b, or even a U87 microphone, they will most certainly do with (poor) internal microphones versus external ones that produce better sound. Since many DevCom students are living in a not-so-quiet environment like me—clucking chickens (and the thing really annoying about them is when one of them clucks, the others follow!), people loudly talking, vehicle engines screaming as they pass the street, and whatnot—having a good microphone would be great. This way we can still get a good recording out of a place with a lot of background noises. 

4. Extra Screen

OMG. Literally one of my dreams is to have a dual-monitor setup!

It is so great for multitasking and even single-tasking, but with multiple documents opened. An extra monitor could have helped me greatly take down notes when I was notetaking for Exercise 1 Part B in DEVC 11 Lab. I could have Microsoft Word (where my notes are) opened on one and Google Chrome (where I gather data) on the other! Sighs. A child can only dream (just kidding, please I really want a second screen). For Kuya Ghe, having an extra screen helps him greatly when sharing his screen on video conferencing applications and video editing. May we all have the privilege of having an extra screen like Kuya Ghe!

5. Ring Light

DevCom students often shoot videos for production purposes and many more. According to Kuya Alby, when your video quality is poor, it’s probably because of poor lighting. Good lighting gets you better-quality footage even if the camera you use is not high-end and gives you grain-less videos, especially if you recorded during the night. Additionally, it makes color correction work better. To achieve good lighting, an even light must be cast onto the subject; and ring lights do a good job providing that.  

That’s it! 

For me, I will definitely be getting a ring light, extra screen, and microphone as soon as I can. What about you?

for the people

For this week’s entry, let me feature Ms. Maria Mutya Frio!

Photo from Twitter

Ms. Maria Mutya Frio, a DevCom alumna who graduated in the year 1993 and earned Master of Arts degree in Mass Communication in 1998, is a 2020 CDCAA Distinguished alumna in International Development Communication Practice. She is currently a writer and employed as a Writer and Media Specialist at the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Forestry Division in Rome. She assists in developing teaching modules on forestry education for Tanzanian students as part of the Forestry Division’s Education Project. Her responsibilities include coordinating and synthesizing feedback from technical reviewers, editors, and digital designers on the modules’ development. 

FAO Headquarters in Rome

In the practice of International Development Communication, she develops communication strategies and plans for various development projects. For example, she made a corporate communication strategy for United Nations Development Programme for Cambodia and the Philippines; another is a communication analysis of a Malaria Elimination Project in Cambodia for the World Health Organization, performing an analysis of their processes, approaches, methodologies, materials, et cetera then laid out a recommendation. Aside from these, Ms. Frio also produces news and feature stories, editorials, videos and photos for documentation, media relations including press reference, and guides the next generation of DevCom practitioners. She has done development work in numerous countries like India, Kenya, and South Sudan. 

Ms. Frio is an excellent writer who has contributed to a variety of published works, ranging from plays and yearly reports to news items and editorial pieces. Aid Worker Diary: The Young Girls and Boys of Mali was published on the Huffington Post, World Vision International, The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and Humanitarian News websites in 2013. She has also contributed to several international organizations’ annual or technical reports, including the World Wildlife Fund in 2017 and the United Nations Development Programme from 2010 to 2015.

Ms. Frio still carries the values and principles she learned during her stay in DevCom. First, “It’s really always about the people,” she said during Speaking of Devcom 2020. They are beyond everything—the office work, products, strategies, and annual reports. Practitioners are definitely not above or in control of the people, but they are partners. And second, communication is a process. Again, it is never about the product but the people, so practitioners should always start from them. “Know Thy Audience.” Before creating the whole plan or strategy, research on their demographic profile, their social norms, local and sub-culture, the “champions,” “adversaries,” and “influencers” in their community, lifestyle, and through which medium they commonly communicate and its barriers first. Only after these, a practitioner can evaluate for feedback. 

She calls these values and principles mentioned ‘The DevComm Effect’ as they became her solid foundation in her journey. She considers them to be the “deep roots” that the knowledge and skills of a practitioner must come from to aid them in their work. Also, they separate DevCom from other communications disciplines. 

One of Ms. Frio’s most impactful realizations was being a DevCom practitioner is a calling. All the things they do in their work are more than just an adventure and lifestyle—they get called to it. Additionally, she believes that serving other people has no boundaries. You can use your knowledge, skills, and presence to help anywhere, especially in places where there is significantly lesser development than in our country.

The most fulfilling part of her work, she shared, is the lack of routine; more specifically the lack of feeling restricted within a routine. Fieldwork takes you out of the work politics, and you become more involved with making people’s lives better; then you actually see the positive results through their expression of gratitude. 

“It reminds you of why do what you do and who you’re doing it for.”  

try

Truth be told, I was not actually planning to take the UPCA. 

It was my mother who told me to send an application. “Try mo lang anak, kung makapasa eh ‘di salamat, kung hindi eh ‘di salamat pa rin. At least triny mo ‘di ba? Saka hindi ka naman naming pine-pressure ng papa mo na makapasa.”

Of course I knew they weren’t. My parents never put a lot of pressure on me by telling me to get high grades in school. For them, as long as I am learning something and not getting failing grades on my subjects, then it’s fine. My mother always says, “Kung ano lang kaya mo ‘nak.” And honestly, I could not be more thankful that the universe gave me them as my parents. I have lesser stuff to share now with my future therapist (LOL just kidding!). But yeah, I love them so much.

Since I wasn’t pressured to get high grades, I did not aim for them too much either; but that doesn’t mean I didn’t work to get them, I just don’t dwell on my failures for too long. I consider myself “saks lang,” but I guess despite being “saks lang” I was still able to graduate feeling satisfied with what I achieved and even managed to get into UP—hold on though, I don’t mean “saks lang” as in mediocre but rather well-balanced. You know what you want to do, you exert effort to get where you want to be, but you do not compromise your sanity and your methods are within your capacity. So if you are thinking, “Ay hindi naman ako makakapasa ng UPCA kasi saks lang ako,” you might be speaking too soon.

However, yeah. You are to compete with many aspirants, and they are just as good as you. “Eh ‘di paano na ‘ko niyan?” you ask? Aside from posting “UP cutie,” here are other things that might help:

1. Try not to laze around too much during junior high school.

Many students commit this mistake. I know a lot of people who only started to get serious about their academic performance once they entered senior high school. One of them, a close friend of mine, revealed to me that she only started to really think about her future and where she wanted to go after we finished grade 10. If you want to get into UP, you might want to do the opposite and start taking things seriously early, even if you do not have a clear path you want to take yet. UPCA takes your final grades from grades 8 to grade 11 into consideration for the computation of your UPG. In a nutshell, the UPG determines if a student may be accepted to the university. Kung tatamarin ka, wag naman sana madalas!

2. Be mindful about your Form 2.

Form 2 contains your high school profile, and it can only be filled up by your school. Please try to keep track of yours! I have read so many posts from last year’s applicants about how they missed their chance to get into UP just because their school failed to fill up their Form 2. This almost happened to me too, good thing I can muster up the courage to follow up (LOL). At hindi pa doon nagtatapos ha! I also found multiple errors on mine—wrongly inputted grades, wrongly spelled name, and my school also inputted subjects that were not supposed to be there as per the instructions of the university. So please pay close attention to your Form 2!

3. Think about your campus choice and courses.

Please do proper research on these. Every campus has different UPG cutoffs, courses offered, and curricula. But if you didn’t pass, don’t lose hope just yet! You may still apply for reconsideration. A friend of mine successfully got into UPM after applying for reconsideration. Also, keep in mind that the term quota and “non-quota” courses are dated because all courses are quota courses, all having limited slots. High and low-demand courses are the more appropriate terms. There are certain courses (e.g., Computer Science) that have more applicants; but even if you apply for a course that has a lower demand that does not guarantee your admission to the university. And think about this too, carefully: dream course or dream university/campus? 

4. Make sure you have a fallback.

You have to wait for a loooooong time to get the UPCA results. So, I suggest you apply to other universities or colleges as well, just in case you don’t pass and reconsideration does not work—don’t worry though, you can still transfer! I know some people who took the UPCA and did not bother to apply to other universities or colleges. For me, that’s really dangerous. Kasabay ng pagtatapos ng pagpapasok ng ibang unibersidad at kolehiyo ang paglalabas ng resulta ng UP.

That’s it!

Best of luck! Magbatian tayo sa UP, hopefully. 😀

4 10

Siguro kung pu-pwede lang kita makita Tenten na nasa first day of classes palang, kakaltukan kita. Charez!

Half meant ‘yang ‘charez,’ nga pala.

Eh paano kase never ka na talaga natuto! Paulit-ulit nalang tayo sa “Next time alam ko na talaga gagawin ko sa sitwasyong ‘to!” pero kinulang ka naman sa ganap ‘te. Eh ‘di ayan, paulit-ulit din tayong nalalagay sa leche-lecheng sitwasyon, tulad ngayon, gabundok ‘yang backlogs ng future self mo (ako). Okay, siguro nag-e-exaggerate lang ako sa gabundok pero kung sana hindi ‘to naipon eh ‘di puyat ako kalalaro, hindi puyat kagagawa… hay. Ang hirap talaga sa college ‘te, kaya basahin mo ‘to nang maigi para sa ikabubuti natin parehas ha!

Una! Pilitin mong h’wag pumetiks.

Hindi sa tinatakot kita, pero mas nakakatakot ang magkaroon ng backlogs. ‘Yung tipong bawat subo mo sa Noche Buena at Buena Mano iniisip mo kung saan isisiksik sa oras mong puno ng lakad ang paggawa sa kanila. Nga pala ayan talaga nangyari sa akin. Syempre naman ayos lang na pumetiks, pero kilala kita. Ilagay mo ‘yan sa lugar. Naalala mo noong grade 12 tayo sabi mo “gagawa” ka sa Sabado, pero ang ginawa mo ay mag-Valorant kase ang rason mo may may Linggo ka pa naman at Lunes? Pero ‘yun pala, kailangan mo rin ‘yung Sabado na ‘yun para pulido ang gawa. Ano ka naman d’yan ‘te. Ngayong college student ka na, hindi na ‘yan uubra. Magkakagulatan nalang kayo ng mga requirements, tapos magugulat ka nalang din na ang dami na pala ng backlogs mo.

Naku, ito pa pala. H’wag kang pakasasaya sa mga malalayo pa ang deadlines tulad ng mga activities o exercises sa DEVC 11. Kung kaya mo na gawin, gawin na. Magpapaang-abot pa ‘yan ng mga ibang tasks hanggang sa ma-stress ka na. Delikado pa man din pag na-stress ka, gawa ng sa paglalaro ka nag-de-de-stress. Marupok ka kasi kapag inaya ka pa ng “last” game. Subukan mong i-todo pa ‘yung effort mong umabot sa soft deadline (pero h’wag ka rin naman mag-cram).

Pangalawa! Magbasa-basa ka.

Diba sabi mo ang boring ng summer vacation 2021 mo? Sana sinubukan mong magbasa-basa nu’n para mahasa ang reading—at writing din—skills mo kasi, hindi na talaga ako nag-e-exaggerate, halos lahat ng outputs ay written at required din na basahin ang reading materials. At hindi biro ‘yung mga reading materials. Grabe, akala mo nakalunok ng thesaurus ‘yung mga nagsulat sa lalim ng mga terms na ginamit. Kaya naman para at least maka-keep up ka at mabawasan ang struggle mong umintindi, subukan mong magbasa-basa! Kahit ano—mga fanfictions, period novels, almanacs, basta kahit ano na gusto mo para hindi ka tamaring tapusin. Sa ganoong paraan, mahahasa ang pagbabasa at pagsusulat mo. Babaunin mo ‘yan, kahit wala ka sa DevCom.

Pangatlo! Makipag-usap ka naman.

Professors. Kakaklase. Ka-bloc. Ka-batch. Organization member. Ibang estudyante na wala sa DevCom. Returning students. Teaching assistants. Deans. Librarians. Kahit sino, basta natural lang ‘yung way ng pag-approach syempre.

Bakit? Kasi itong mga tao na ito ang siguradong makakatulong sa’yo sa college journey mo, lalo na sobrang mangangapa ka dahil sa remote learning. Makakaranas ka rin, maraming beses, na hindi ka sigurado kung tama pa ba ‘yung ginagawa mo, mapa-requirement man o personal. Pwede kang makahingi ng tulong sa kanila or advice, at least. Oo, may support system ka pero hindi naman ‘yun sa loob ng UP, kaya h’wag ka na mahiya maghanap. Isa pa, live it up. Maraming nagsasabi na ang college ang the best four years of their lives at nakakaranas ng withdrawal. Kaya try mo naman makipag-socialize!

Pang-apat! H’wag paka-kumpyansa sa first draft mo.

Ang pangit ng quality n’yan, for sure.

Lagi mong subukang maglaan ng oras para sa pagbabasa ulit ng mga gawa mo. H’wag kang tamarin! Kung sa pangatlong reread mo, sa tingin mo wala ka pa ring nakikitang errors, basahin mo pa ulit nang tatlong beses. Malalaman mo na kung saan ka may mali pagdating sa grammar, kung aling idea pa ang kailangang i-elaborate, saan ka pa may kulang, mga pwede mo pang lagyan ng examples para mas malinaw—lahat. Gawin mo ‘yan para sa ikabubuti ng work quality mo. Nasa college ka na. Hangga’t maari, h’wag ‘yung kapag natapos sa output matik pasa nalang. Revise, revise, revise!

At pang-lima! Alalahanin mong ngumiti.

Kapag nakita mo siguro ako, ang future self mo, baka makaltukan mor in ako. Pakiramdam ko tumanda mukha ko nang ilang taon eh.

Have fun! Alam kong mahirap at nakaka-frustrate, pero try your best na h’wag magpakayamot kasi ganoon ang sitwasyon. Napaka-importante na you mahanap mo ‘yung fun sa ginagawa mo kahit every once in a while lang kase kung hindi mo i-try, tatanda talaga ‘yang mukha mo. Oops ‘di ko sasabihin kung joke lang o hindi. Pero alam mo kung ano ang hindi joke? Mas maloloka ka kung hindi mo gagawin ‘yan. Having fun keeps the balance sa iyong state of mind. Nakakatulong din ‘yan sa pag-imporve ng work quality mo, na alam kong gustong-gusto mo. At reminder din—kung nagkamali ka man, okay lang yan! Don’t dwell on it too much, at lagi mong subukang h’wag na ulitin ‘yun.

Aaaat ayun lang Tenten na nasa first day of classes palang! Hehe.

Reklamador ka lang, pero keri mo ‘yan ‘te! Luv u.

some things to remember

I graduated from high school on exactly May 29, 2021, and academic year 2021 – 2022 in UP Los Baños commenced on September 13, 2021. 

So… yeah. I had a lot of free time. Here is my daily routine during last year’s summer vacation:

Aaand I know. I know. Playing video games took soooo much of my time. I was having the time of life until I felt that my summer vacation routine was extremely monotonous, unlike my pre-pandemic one. Hence, I got bored. I mean—don’t get me wrong, I like playing video games but the routine it was part of was just too repetitive; no more going out of town, no more unplanned and abrupt hangouts with friends, no more collecting pieces of broken shells on a beach, no more get-togethers with my cousins, no more nothing. It was such a dull summertime for me. 

But lo and behold! I have good news! (And bad news, unfortunately) 

I am no longer bored! ButIWouldGiveUpAnythingJustToGoBackToThatDullBoringRepetitiveSummerRoutine. 

No, really. Now I just have a less boring life with a pile of backlogs—easily one of the worst situations to put yourself in. And I am going to teach you how to avoid doing so because it is important that you do not end up like me!

Here are my 5 Buhay DevCom Lifehacks:

1. Breathe.

Yes. Literally and figuratively. 

The mind and the breath are closely linked to each other. For instance, when we feel excited or extremely happy, the intervals between our breaths tend to be faster and shorter, and simultaneously, our thoughts run fast. When we feel relaxed, the intervals between our breaths tend to be slower and longer, and simultaneously, our thoughts do not race. Hence, when proper breathing is exercised it can help you concentrate which can be hard to do, especially now that it is so easy to get distracted as we are not in an environment that fosters learning properly. 

Also, to breathe is to rest. Reminder: you do not deserve rest because it is not a reward. You need rest. I need rest. Everyone does. Try your best to not burn yourself out and do not underestimate its importance. Lack of rest makes you susceptible to poor work quality, extreme mood swings, and as**ole tendencies. So, watch that movie you have been wanting to watch. Play that game with your siblings. Accept your friends’ invitation to hang out. Nap to your heart’s content. Or do whatever else but try not to think about your academic responsibilities. Go ahead and do not feel bad about it. 

Breathe, gworl!!

2. Set goals and stick to them.

Everything feels overwhelming when you first enter college. Getting lost is the new norm—just kidding. But seriously, college can really be overwhelming at first. So, it is important to never lose sight of what you want to achieve or, if you do not know that yet, at least have an idea of where your steps will lead you. It does not have to be anything major. Yes, having something to look forward to and work towards does not make everything easier, but it does make everything far more interesting and enjoyable. Of course, nothing is wrong with not having one, but know the difference between wandering and being adrift. I uhh… would not recommend the latter one. I swear you will have an easier time completing the exercises or activities in DevCom if you set goals and stick to them, and it will keep you from going insane once the workload gets heavier.

3. Always remember your 5Ws and 1H. 

What happened?

When did it happen?

Why did it happen?

Who is/are the person/s involved?

Where did the event take place?

How did it happen?

Do not forget these. The 5Ws and 1H are the backbones of every DevCom exercise even if it does not explicitly call for it. Why? Because they guide the media writer to make reading their content easier, more convenient, and understandable; once they are answered, the audience’s conviction is strengthened. This is extremely important for DevCom because our purpose for writing is for the output to be read. Also, when you get lost while writing your material—which all writers are prone to—you can count on your 5Ws and 1H to bring you back on track. Everything can be traced back to them. 

4. Your first draft probably sucks. 

The first time you write for an exercise or activity, something may not be quite right… but you just cannot put your finger on it? Yeah. I have been there. Perhaps way too many times. 

I tell you what, let your writing rest for a few hours (or a few days, your call) and once you reread it, errors will be revealed to you. You will come to know them. Maybe some ideas can be expressed more clearly, maybe some information you wrote is not too relevant, or maybe you provided too much detail on something which makes your material too tiring to read, and the list continues. Never be too complacent about your first draft and try to find the time to revise your work. Revision is tantamount to improvement. 

5. Establish a realistic and balanced schedule.

A realistic and balanced schedule will help you be productive and stay sane. This is a bit tricky because it is easy to go over-schedule or under-schedule and punish yourself without you knowing. My advice would be to build your schedule in your habits. For instance, since my mind tends to go blank at around 1 in the afternoon, I just do house chores or take a nap. This can help you follow the schedule without dreading doing so and give yourself the motivation to be consistent. It takes away the feeling that you are being “imposed.” 

And that’s it for Buhay DevCom Lifehacks. I hope I was helpful. 

Best of luck! 

not the bare minimum!

“Ganito lagi ‘yung maabutan mo ‘pag naulan nang ganito kalakas sa Las Piñas.”

Rosa Lakwatsera

Let our response be: True ka d’yan. 

Due to Las Piñas’ proximity to bodies of water and having many low-lying areas, it is extremely susceptible to flooding events. Every time it rains heavily or for long periods in the city, low-lying areas get flooded. Recently this year, because of TD Jolina the LPDRRMO was on high alert for the possibility of evacuation. The Tropical Depression brought heavy rains that indeed caused flooding in many low-lying areas in the city, such as Zapote Road which had to be temporarily closed for the safety of motorists. This was shown in the video above.

A flooded Alabang-Zapote Road due to TD Jolina. (Screencap from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE_OLusevvI)

In ‘To My Motherland’ (1886) Jose Rizal expressed his view of the colonial problems of the Philippines, saying, “In the annals of human adversity, there is etched a cancer, of a breed so malignant that the least contact exacerbates it, and stirs in it the sharpest of pains.” Las Piñas floods can be described just like this—rains, heavy or not, always cause baha. And as a Las Piñera myself, I have experienced the miseries of living in a flood-prone city, such as getting drenched, being stranded, and walking through floodwater because the circumstances required it.

So, when our laboratory instructor asked us to think about a development beat, I immediately knew what mine was going to be. Although we were asked to list down three, in my heart, I already have one. Kabog!

A flooding event hits us, the residents, hard. The moisture floods create is absorbed by smaller infrastructures such as settlements, especially if they are made of cheaper materials, making them weak and more prone to damage. This compromises our safety because when other unexpected disasters such as earthquakes happen, there is an increased likelihood that the structure will collapse on us. Residents who work on-site get stranded or are forced to not go, especially those who do not drive their own vehicle. Small-time businesses such as ‘sari-sari’ or retail stores also close or get fewer customers. After a flood, trash, fallen branches of trees, parts of houses made with light materials, et cetera, are scattered everywhere that disrupt the organization of the city. We also become more susceptible to water-borne and vector-borne diseases such as leptospirosis, dengue, and malaria, potentially giving rise to a public health emergency.

However, I have encountered many Las Piñeros who think that as long as resiliency is present, ‘eh ‘di walang titibag!’ Of course, being resilient is important when dealing with something out of one’s control. But we have become too content with the bare minimum—just having a resilient spirit and Pwede Na Yan Mentality—when we deserve more than what we are getting.

This, along with the issue of constant flooding, are the reasons why I chose pagbabaha as my development beat. I want to address it properly and help my community. In relationships, no partner demands just the bare minimum and we should not settle for any less when it comes to the wellbeing of our community too.

suspended

“Huuuyy. Check niyo nga ‘yung page ni Mayora baka sinuspend na.”

“Wala pa.”

“Hala mag-se-second subject na! Eh tignan mo Muntinlupa or P-que ‘pag nag-suspend ‘yan tayo na sunod.”

“’Te wait… P-que palang.”

“Oh, ayan feel ko malapit na i-suspend sa atin. Ayaw ko mag-basic cal!”

“Babahain na naman ‘yan sa shortcut. Baka naman libre niyo ‘ko trike. Haha!”

“Tanga buo kamo pera ko.”

“Suspended na guys!”

“Weh? Nag-post na si Mayora? Ay oo nga.”

“Yes! Walang basic cal!”

“Huy Tenten dalian mo para mauna na tayo sa trike!”

Back when classes were held face-to-face, every time it poured, this was how conversations inside our classroom would go. Everybody would be glued to their phones, waiting for a “#WALANGPASOK” post on the Facebook page of Las Piñas Mayor Mel Aguilar, asking each other “feel mo ma-su-suspend?” and complaining about how they do not want to attend the next subject.

St. Andrew Batch 2019-2020 Class Photo. (Photo taken by: DCCS Official Photographers)

After heavy rains, flood-prone areas in Las Piñas are flooded and the floodwater is usually at least ankle-deep. I remember during Bagyong Ulysses, I was at a groupmate’s house to finish our major project in oral communication. I had no choice but to go despite the threat of the typhoon because our other groupmates had unexpectedly ditched us. If I chose not to go, we would not be able to pass the project on time as it really was a project tailored for a 5-man group. Fortunately, my groupmate’s house was within walking distance of ours. Going and leaving were absolute hell, though. Getting soaked was something I expected but I stupidly forgot that I might walk through floodwater since her house was in a lower area. 

So, the first thing I did when I arrived at her place was to wash my feet and ask for a change of clothes—which by the way took all the courage I had that day. And the same thing happened to me when I was walking back home; I got soaked again and had to walk through floodwater. Good thing, we managed to wrap up with only a few polishings left so I was not too annoyed. I guess it was worth *chokes* it. This, along with my other ­baha-related experiences, was the reason why I chose Las Piñas floods as my topic. Also, they were not isolated. I have observed that other Las Piñeros experience them as well, and this is supported by news stories about flooding events in the city. 

Alabang-Zapote road flooded during Typhoon Ulysses. (Photo by: Secret Lee)

When my topic got approved, I started to gather data that would help me broaden my knowledge about floods. I thought it was going to be a piece of cake and boy was I wrong. I felt so overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that I did not just have to digest but also validate. My screen and I had a staring contest for approximately 15 minutes as I was at a loss and did not even know where to begin. Then, I remembered that aside from Google Scholar, I had just recently activated my OpenAthens account. These two cut down the time I spent on retrieval and let users filter the results, which was the most useful feature for me. However, this does not mean that it did not take me long to finish gathering data; if my memory serves me right, I spent a whole week to complete it, and even then, I still felt a bit discontented about my work. If someone solicited my advice when it comes to retrieval, my advice would be: Huwag mo masyadong i-todo sa pagbabasa. How I wish I did this instead of spending hours reading whole research papers! Sayang. I was overly anxious that I would miss any information… and it was really not too worth it. 

Anyway, life must go on, so I attended my expert interview. And once again, I found myself in a new hell loop—I guess my life is just a series of hell loops at this point LOL. But really, trying to contact the government was just a different beast. Hence, here is a list of my 13 reasons:

First, the website run by our LGU is outdated so I had to go to our local barangay to get the contact information of LPDRRMO. 

Second, the number given to me was either wrong or outdated. It did not work.

Third, due to the previous item, I had no choice but to find someone from LPDRRMO through Facebook.

Fourth, the people I messaged never responded. 

Fifth, I tried sending a message to the LPDRRMO Facebook page instead. 

Sixth, LPDRRMO never responded.

Seventh, I got inbox zoned when I was finally able to contact them, get their email address, and send them a request letter.

Eighth, I called LPDRRMO to follow up and ask if they received my email, to which they confirmed. Two days later—yup you guessed it—I was still stuck in the inbox zone.  

Ninth, I followed up again and they said to wait. 

Tenth, yay they finally replied! But they literally just said they have assigned a representative and sent my questions to them.

Eleventh, naturally, I asked for the name of the representative, their availability, and which conferencing platform works best for them. I got inbox zoned again.

Twelfth, I followed up but the person on the other end of the phone said they did not know and told me to call after an hour.

Thirteenth, so I did. They told me that the interview will happen at 3 pm on that same day and to send the Zoom link via email. 

Man… I totally did not expect that.

But it had to be done. Fortunately, my interview with the LPDRRMO representative was alright. It was a fun and interesting experience for me. At first, I was quite nervous because obviously, and also, I have not interviewed someone who works for the government. I have heard that many of them act indifferently. But Sir Richard was nothing of the sort. He immediately greeted me energetically, we chit-chatted during the actual interview, and was accommodating; hence, I loosened up quickly, but of course, I still retained my formality. However, I noticed that Sir Richard was not well-prepared even when their Admin Section Chief said that they sent my questions to him. Due to this, there were some questions he was slightly confused about. Nevertheless, the interview was still insightful. Because of it, I was able to understand the concepts in the data I have gathered and most importantly, my goals for the interview were fulfilled as well. If someone solicited my advice when it comes to an interview, my advice would be: Focus sa goal! Literally. Write your goals down and make sure to stick to them.

Overall, the exercise was honestly a challenging experience, but I am certain that it will help me on this new journey I chose to embark on. 

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