Kislap Ningning

Si Ms. Marianne Yzabelle P. Laron ay isa sa mga mahuhusay na estudyante ng UPLB BS DevCom at Cum Laude ng Batch 2014, Class 2018. Siya rin ay naging bahagi ng CDCSC bilang isang councilor at committee head ng CDC Volunteer Corps mula taong 2017 hanggang 2018.

Sa kanyang journey bilang isang undergraduate student ng devcom, marami siyang karanasan at mga aral na naging baon hanggang sa kanyang kasalukuyang trabaho.

Ayon sa kanya, bukod sa teknikal na kaalaman at kasanayan na natutunan niya mula sa napakahusay na training at edukasyon sa ilalim ng kursong BS Development Communication at sa tulong ng mga CDC professor, siya rin ay natuto ng mga napakahalagang kasanayan sa buhay. Ang mga kasanayang ito ay ang critical thinking, collaboration, problem sloving, empathy, work ethics, intrapersonal, at interpersonal na komunikasyon sa ibang tao na nakatulong upang siya’y maihanda sa kanyang trabaho ngayon bilang isang Technical at Research Specialist sa Executive Office ng Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. na isang non-profit foundation na tumutulong upang maiangat at mapabuti ang kalidad ng edukasyon sa Pilipinas.

Ibinahagi niya rin ang ilan sa pinakana-mimiss niyang karanasan bilang devcom undergraduate student, ito ay ang production classes at fieldworks na kung saan ay bumibisita sila sa mga komunidad, nakikipag-usap at nakikipagkwentuhan sa mga tao, nakikibahagi at nakikipagtulungan sa mga grupo at organisasyon. Sa pamamagitan ng mga karanasang ito at proseso, siya’y nahubog at nahasa bilang isang mag-aaral, bilang Pilipino, at development communicator.

I realized that the world does not revolve around me and my personal dreams, nor was I a lone Messiah “bringing” development and social change.

Marianne Yzabelle P. Laron

Keep learning and unlearning.

Marianne Yzabelle P. Laron

Ang dating kumikislap na tala’y ngayo’y nagniningning na at patuloy na nagsisilbing liwanag sa iba sa pamamagitan ng mga karansan, kasanayan, at mga aral hindi lamang sa loob ng unibersidad kundi sa araw-araw na pakikipag-komunikasyon sa komunidad, sa mga tao.

The DevCom Experience: 9 Years After

The site did not allow me to upload the picture because the site itself has exceeded the capacity for photos. Please visit this link to view the photo of Ms. Chelsea Alejandro:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RIUd6D95jbgx29ZAJV4K78jJG7e5BrAh?usp=sharing

The College of Development Communication has produced many outstanding alumni. Given this, I have been given the honor to interview one of the many outstanding alumni of the College of Development Communication, Chelsea Alejandro. Chelsea obtained her BS Development Communication degree from the University of the Philippines Los Banos last 2013. Chelsea’s background as a former development communicator-in-training and a former member of the UP Alliance of Development Communication Students has been an essential factor in the success of her professional life so far. 

For instance, learning about empathizing and getting to know one’s audience aided her in creating accessible learning materials for her students in her first job as an instructional designer in an eLearning start-up. In her current job as a university instructor teaching communication and journalism, her Development Communication background comes into play by enabling her to set concrete objectives that clearly define the scope of her lessons.

Through taking up Development Communication, she learned that one can make news out of anything, which taught her to talk to more people than she was used to. Importantly, the course also taught her how to write clearly and effectively, a skill that she uses to excel in her profession. All in all, taking up Development Communication helped Chelsea grow out of her comfort zone, imparting invaluable skills that can aid her in all aspects of life. 

Throughout my freshman year, I admittedly have felt lost regarding what to pursue after college. I felt unequipped and even inadequate, not because of the curriculum, but because of my self-doubt. However, my interview with Ms. Alejandro made me realize the fact that a lot of lessons are learned along the way both in DevCom and in life. This could be in the form of a group project which leaves a greater mark on you than you expected it to or even a motto that etches itself into your heart as you go through your student life and career. 

Regardless of what I wish to pursue in the future, I wish to be as excellent and as compassionate as Ms. Chelsea Alejandro. I, one day, hope to be the wonderful alumni that she has become in order to serve others and to make both my college and my peers proud.

Touching the grass: Outside the DevCom Building

Life as a college student isn’t easy, especially when you are at the sake of having your current goals in life. As a development communication student, we are foreseeing the success and the current paths of the DevCom alumni which we met and were introduced to us. Mrs. Trina Leah Mendoza, a 42-year old assistant professor and Chair of the Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunication (DDBT) of the College of Development Communication (CDC) in University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) shares her life experience and reflections as she drove her way from being a DevCom scholar to being where she is today. 

Good writing skills will take you places. Hone your skills at devcom

Trina Leah Mendoza

This is one of the lessons she mostly focuses on as a devcom student. As she take the plight of another page of her lifetime, Mrs. Mendoza says that we have more advantages than any other communication degree. The technical and social sciences electives are preparing us in the field of work we want to pursue and is an edge for us since we are a development-centric degree program which is relevant to many professions. 

Being an educator, she said that devcom is beneficial for where she is right now because it is also the specialization she is educating. Sharing the knowledge and skills she obtained before being a teacher but a devcom practitioner, it helped her to fully provide the much needed knowledge a student should grab from a professor to fully understand and equipped them to the field they want to walk through after tertiary education. 

As she added, being a devcom practitioner for 14 years really is one effective way to boost and enrich the students she is handling to further hone their talents. She is on the side of mentoring the students, aside from being their professor, that also breaks the limitations of what a student can do which she is happy to share. She told me that there was a time where one of her mentees became a finalist at a conference for thesis participatory videos which is also her field of specialization. 

She felt honored to be the adviser of the said mentee because she was able to meet people that are somehow identical to her interest and can share the lessons she has as a practitioner of development communication before being a college professor. 

As we come to an end, fighting for mental health problems is one of her advocacies in life. Though she might not be too active in uplifting her life-long campaign, she said that she is translating it by being kind to her students. That is why as a teacher, she keeps on being understandable and considerate to every student she is handling.

I haven’t done much to express these but I try to practice them as a teacher in my everyday life and I hope somehow colleagues and students would feel my efforts. 

A trip down memory lane

In a few months, us being a freshie will come to an end. Our experiences and the lessons as freshies are just a building block and preparation for the higher DevCom courses. We’ve got a long way to go for us to be able to get our Sablay. So, as of now, let’s be inspired by the stories of our alumni as we get to know their memorable experiences during their DevCom days and how their stay at UPLB prepared them for their current field.

For this week, let’s hear from Ms. Derisse Angel Cruz, an alumna from Batch 2018.

In 2018, Ms. Derisse Angel Cruz got his bachelor’s degree in Development Communication at the University of the Philippines. Ms. Angel worked at Edukasyon.ph, a social enterprise in the education technology sector that connects students to education opportunities through an online platform and promotes career awareness among the Filipino youth, as a writer from July 2018 to July 2020. Currently, she is working at Bukas, an education financing platform that offers affordable tuition installment plans (student loans) to college and graduate school students, partnered with leading universities and schools in the Philippines.

As a DevCom graduate, she firmly believes that communities are the birthing ground of change where real people with real stories are just waiting to be heard. She is passionate about learning, coffee, and the next generation.

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A Woman in STEM

At this point in time, we are yet to visualize a life beyond our collegiate life. We are yet to discover what lies beyond and which path we will take. Our lives as college students are just beginning to unfold, slowly revealing the rocky path and what journey we need to traverse.

As one unknowing DevCom student, I want to know what possibilities await upon graduating from college. In an email interview, I was able to get in touch with an alumna,  Ysabel Anne Lee, a Communications Officer in Asia, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and a BS Development Communication graduate.

Why did you choose DevCom?

“Devcom was not part of my plan really, but going through the courses made me realize that it’s not everything I thought it was when I read the course description.”

What experiences stood out to you during your DevCom stay?

“I was a student assistant at the Department of Science Communication for 2.5 years. During this time, we organized student-led activities for the department and the college on top of our administrative duties as SAs.”

“The field visits and trips, expert interviews, and  that were part of our major courses were helpful in giving us a preview of what we can do in various Devcom (and allied) fields. Even getting involved in some extension activities of the faculty members is helpful in navigating the path we want to take after graduation.”

“Being in the student council also helped me become more involved during college.”

Which DevCom experiences did you feel were imperative to what you are doing now?

“I think the hands-on nature of Devcom and Scicom helped me establish my chosen path as a development communication practitioner. I also did my internship at The Mind Museum—seeing the public and private side of Scicom during college was instrumental in defining which sector I wanted to be involved in.”

Do you plan to pursue a different career path apart from what you’re taking now?

“Not really, I think Devcom gave me a good platform to be involved in various international and development-oriented fields.”

What are three adjectives that can describe your UPLB DevCom stay? 

• Insightful

• Dynamic

• Challenging

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As we have seen, Ms. Lee’s experiences with DevCom molded her and remained with her post-graduation. Her abounding efforts paved way for her career today, and we can take it as an inspiration to also excel in the field.

From a Malu to a Maloi

I wouldn’t have considered DevCom and accepting the slots given by the OUR if it weren’t for my lovely Aunt.

Since WordPress won’t let me upload the pictures, visit this link to view the pictures instead: https://bit.ly/3qzAdCs

This is a tribute to her. Not only does she stands up as a true second mother to me, she also has a great contribution to how strong my faith in God and in humanity is.

When you LIZ expect it

How the detour and the training at Devcom led to where Liz Cabrera is today

In the Eyes of an Alumnus

Meet Mr. Dwight Jason Ronan, an alumnus of BS Development Communication class 2009 of University of the Philippines Los Baños. He graduated as Cum laude and Major in Community Broadcasting, Minor in Environmental Science and Ecology. He finished his master’s degree at the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand, with a Master of Science in Regional and Rural Development Planning last 2016. 

Now, he is based in Jakarta, Indonesia working as a Senior Officer for the ASEAN Secretariat, handling nature conservation and biodiversity, urban resilience, and water resources management. 

2019 ALUMNI CDC AWARDEE

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Ma’am Melds, always in your service!

Mildred O. Moscoso, aka Ma’am Melds, is an Associate Professor 2 at the Department of Educational Communication, College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines Los Baños. She was a graduate of UPLB in 1992 with a degree in Development Communication, majoring in Educational Communication. She got her master’s in 1998 and finished her doctorate in 2011.

In an interview with Ma’am Melds, she revealed that when she took Devcom she had no idea about the course. And when she got into the program, she realized that it was her calling.

Before she went into the college, she already had her experience in community service in Pinagdanlayan, Dolores, Quezon. At the foot of Mount Banahaw, they trained a community of Pinagdanlayan farmers to become their own community broadcasters. They also taught them to create their own scripts and produce their programs along with the community tower system they’ve installed in the area.

At the time when she was in the college, Ma’am Melds shared that her professors would always encourage them to go outside and immerse in the different communities to experience the field themselves. So, in one of her projects, she went to Pagsanjan to interview the residents about the alleged cases of pedophilia in their community.

According to her, all those experiences serving the people, helped her prepare for her very first job as a Development Communication Research and Extension Personnel.

Ma’am Melds emphasized that her learnings in the class were not enough to prepare her for her current work, rather it only planted the seed in her to realize the kind of job she’s taking in Devcom.

For Ma’am Melds, it’s always the experience outside that helped her flourish as a Development Communicator practitioner.

Ma’am Melds also added that although she’s not working in the field anymore, the perspective of Devcom that she has learned back then, remains in her as an Associate Professor 2 today, “Kahit hindi na ako nag-fi-field, yung perspective na and Devcom ay paglilingkod, hindi nawawala.”

Before the interview got ended, Ma’am Melds reiterated that the course Devcom is a vocation, “Devcom is more than just a bread and butter. It’s more than just your profession. Sabi ko nga, it’s a vocation. It’s a calling. It’s a call to serve.”