Our infomediaries

After almost a year of working with young people, we are now about to end our campaign in Aurora. The campaign mobilises young individuals to serve as infomediaries for their parents. Infomediaries are people who facilitate access to information for those who are having difficulty accessing it. Our months of work in Aurora included classroom discussions coupled with activities such as the infomediary quiz bee, putting up of rice garden, and endless promotion of the extension platforms such as the PhilRice Text Center and the Pinoy Rice Knowledge Bank. 

The infomediary quiz bee was a huge activity. The students showcased their technical know-how on rice production, which really surprised us. The photo below shows the practical exam as part of the quiz bee. The task was for them to identify parts of a rice plant, and to differentiate rice plants from weedy rice.

Aside from the practical exam, the infomediary quiz bee also showcased their proficiency in using the offline version of the Pinoy Rice Knowledge Bank. PRKB is a platform that contains most information one has to know about rice farming in the Philippines. Hence, even if the students are not knowledgeable about rice farming and even if they don’t have Internet access in their area, they can still search for rice farming information through the offline version of the Pinoy Rice Knowledge Bank. The students were fast and accurate in searching through the offline version of the PRKB.

The rice garden gave the participants hands-on experience in managing a rice farm. We needed to do this to increase the confidence of the students in discussing rice farming information to their parents. Rice gardens in two participating high schools showcased varieties that can be planted in their respective areas. This way, the students can recommend to their parents the variety they see fit for their agroclimatic conditions.

After months of working with young people, we were so pleased when we had the chance to converse with them regarding the campaign. Not only did they relate to us experiences when they performed infomediary roles, they were also very comfortable telling their stories to us—something we did not see before. When we first came to Aurora, the students were rather timid. They would not say a word to us. It is a big thing for us that the students have developed the trust to tell their stories to us over the course of campaign implementation. Not only we have groomed new rice farming infomediaries, we have also gained new friends.   

  

What counts as data

I have attended several scientific conferences where the positivists and constructivists, often the minority, meet. Coming from a social science background, I have developed a strong appreciation of the qualitative line of inquiry, while not discounting the strengths of the quantitative measures. 

During my thesis, I used predominantly qualitative methods owing pretty much on the questions that I asked (methods used depend on questions asked). Hence, most of the papers that I am writing now are drawn from my thesis, and thus, qualitative in nature.

While it was very fulfilling pursuing my research questions, I oftentimes encounter people who frown on my method. They are those who “only believe in things that can be weighed and measured”, so to speak. The problem is even more confounded when my work is evaluated by someone coming from a related, but not similar field. In not one instance, my work was evaluated by people working in the area of regulations. While I appreciated the transdisciplinary encounter, we did have some issues on what we consider as data. Generalizability has always taken precedence over transferability, if the latter even exists in their vocabulary.

I happened to discuss this once with a known scholar in social science, and she told me that I just need to accept the fact that it’s a numbers game when it comes to regulation. She added that what I can do is to influence whenever I can, but numbers would always be attractive to policymakers.

While it really pays to know how things work in reality, this is frustrating for people who have developed strong appreciation for the narratives of those being researched. While numbers are oftentimes regarded as the so called hard evidence, the fact remains that there are cases when the numbers generated will be put to question. And these cases, minority or what, should likewise merit attention if the goal is greater social equity.

People should likewise recognize the rigour involved in generating qualitative data. Oftentimes, rigour is equated to coming up with sophisticated formula—the more complex, the more comprehensive. Hence, they are guilty of getting trapped in the language of obfuscation.

This post is not meant to provoke any discord between positivists and constructivists. I have earlier mentioned that they both have their strengths and limitations. This, however, wishes to emphasize that the complexities in explaining social phenomena require more nuanced methods, requires digging deeper into the lives of the research participants. Policymakers and laypeople alike should recognize that there are a lot of ways of knowing.

In closing, let me quote Albert Einstein: Not all that counts can be counted, and not all that can be counted counts. 

Infomediary ripple

It all started with a curious mind. One day of deep thinking: Do the farmers benefit from our ICT initiatives? That was in 2009. That was when I barely had knowledge on doing extensive research. All I had was that big question. With my colleagues and college academic adviser, we went out to do a survey “Assessment of e-readiness of the five top rice-producing provinces of the Philippines”.

We learned a lot from the survey. Farmers who underwent ICT training, but were hardly able to apply what they learned. The reasons were very simple: they did not have computer units in their household, most were computer illiterate and had difficulty understanding the English text, which is the dominant text in the Internet. From that survey we learned that farmers wanted their children to teach them how to use the computer—if it could be made possible. That was the birth of the infomediary concept in our work.

But then, it did not take off as expected. The campaign to mobilise the youth as infomediaries started in 2012 in Aurora province. We are now in the middle of our campaign in Aurora. We are blessed that our proposal has been approved for funding by the DA’s Regional Field Unit in Central Mindanao. So here we are replicating the campaign in Southern Philippines! We are in Apolinario S Bernardo Memorial High School in Tacurong City. The same breath of fresh air, positive energy and enthusiasm, but different social context. This will be very exciting.

Days of Discovery

Let me repost an essay I wrote in 2007 which appeared in the Youngblood column of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, one of the national dailies in the Philippines. Might be a good material for cross-cultural communication.

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My thinking about Muslims for 21 years was shaped by Philippine news media -- what I saw on television, heard on the radio or read in the newspapers. Sadly, Muslims usually land in the news when there is an explosion, a kidnapping, a beheading or when some other atrocities happen. As a result, I was scared every time I would hear about them. I couldn?t help but associate them with the Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist groups. So for 21 years, I carried this prejudice against Muslim Filipinos. And I never had the opportunity to alter this perception until I started working with them.

When I learned that I was being sent to Mindanao, I was excited, thrilled --and afraid. This was something that I really wanted to do back when I was still in college. But then I was worried that I would end up as one of the casualties in a bombing or a victim of kidnapping.

During my first month in Midsayap, North Cotabato, I had a hard time focusing on my work. I was so paranoid that whenever we went out to buy food, I would look around, expecting a bomb to go off. Whenever I talked to my Muslim officemates, I would be very careful lest I hurt their sensitivities. My first month was a total disaster; I could not enjoy some of the nicest things about being in Mindanao. I am talking about the seafood, vegetables and fruits, which are all very affordable.

It has been four months since I first set foot here. I have discovered many things, which I am sure many people in Luzon and the Visayas do not know.

My work involves documenting success stories of farmers who are involved in some of the programs of the Philippine Rice Research Institute. I go to their homes and interview them. In the process, I have found many friends.

The first interview that I did was with a former commander of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). For me it was a scoop, and I was thrilled. But I was almost trembling with fear, when I was introduced to him. I thought I would never be able to finish the interview. I was afraid that I might faint in the course of our conversation.

The man had the fierce look I had come to associate with the movie character Rambo. I began by asking him about his farming experiences. But when I was finished with farming-related questions, I knew I had to ask him about the days when he was with the MNLF. I told myself that was the reason why I was there. But before I could summon the courage to throw my first question at him, I was asking myself so many questions: Will he get mad? Will he shoot me? Then I took a deep breath and started shooting my questions.

To my surprise, his life as a rebel was something he wanted to talk about. In fact, I had the impression that I bored him with my farming-related questions.

To someone who was so afraid of what he might say, his words were kind and comforting. In fact, he was a picture of serenity and peace as he talked.

I have been to places described as dangerous by the media. I have visited Camp Abubakar, formerly the largest camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. I have been to Basilan where the recent, televised encounter between the Marines and the Abu Sayyaf took place. I have been to Sulu where the beheading of farmers happened. I have been to all these places, and I think they are not as dangerous as the world has been made to believe.

And the people in these places? They are far from being the ruthless killers they have become in many people?s imagination. What I have seen are humble and polite people who, like all of us, crave for a peaceful life.

Whenever we enter a Muslim house, we would say, ?Assalamualaikum? [?Peace be with you?] and we would be welcomed with a similar prayer ?Waalaikumussalaam? [?Peace be with you, too?]. According to my Muslim friends, that is their standard greeting. Imagine people wishing you peace every day? In fact my Muslim friends keep telling me that Islam is the religion of peace-loving people.

These people are also very hospitable. Wherever we went to conduct interviews, we were always offered the best seat, the best food served in the most beautiful plates our hosts possessed. One time I interviewed a farmer who had prepared so much food that one would think there was a fiesta or he expected someone very special. He served us grilled fish, chicken ?adobo,? vegetables and lots of other foods, and yet I was there just for an interview!

In almost every place we visited, the people made sure we would have some produce to bring home: fresh from the garden bottle gourd, squash, cucumber, and other stuff.

In the office, I no longer feel uncomfortable talking to my Muslim friends. I find it very healthy and enlightening to discuss our differences now. Over lunch, we compare religious beliefs and what we find offensive. We discuss their practices like polygamy, and they are quite open about them. They have told me that under Islam, a Muslim cannot have many wives if he cannot provide the needs of their families. I found some of their ways rather quaint and amusing, such as solemnizing a wedding even in the absence of the bride. One of my friends was actually married while she was in a hospital; only her husband attended the ceremony.

My Muslim friends have also educated me about their different tribes. The fashionistas and the businessmen and women are the Maranao, the warriors are the Tausug, the weavers are the Yakan, etc. When we talk about these things, I realize how very little I know about Muslims.

Every day when I go to the office or conduct a field interview, I always feel excited. I know it will be another day of discovery for me. When I see their faces, I don?t see terrorists. What I see are humble and kind folks, just like all of us, searching for a peaceful life.

Here's the link to the article: Days of Discovery
 
Jaime A. Manalo IV, 21, is a writer from the Philippine Rice Research Institute. He documents success stories of farmers who are taking part in the PRRI?s Technical Cooperation Project 4 in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Knocking

We’ve been experiencing weather extremes lately. Last summer (March to May), Manila registered record high temperature, the hottest in recent years. Hence, it was declared as a heat island. Nobody wanted to go to our capital city then. And now, we’re experiencing excessive rainfall. In 2009, we experienced super typhoon Ondoy. That was the time when the rest of Metro Manila was submerged in water. That was the same time when our world class expressways and vast ricefields all of a sudden seemed like endless seas.

Manila is on the world news again. Well, that’s the trend whenever we are on international news. It’s either there’s bombing and/or kidnapping in Mindanao in Southern Philippines or when there are calamities. The country mourns for a couple of deaths noted in 3 days of non stop rain in Manila and in surrounding provinces. People crying desperately for help—we hear their voices once again. We also see bashing, mudslinging, blaming left and right—but this is not the time for that. This is the time to be united. To help. Our people need lots of it. 

It’s probably the Filipino spirit that despite the rising waters we still manage to smile, crack jokes, sing songs, make jingles out of our rather desperate situation. Filipinos are like that. Faith must have something to do with it. We are strong. We are among the happiest peoples of the world. We will survive. This, too, shall pass.

I do it usually for others, so I won’t hesitate to do it again now. I am knocking on your doors for some help for the flood victims in the Philippines. They need you. I saw thousands of pleas for food and clothing. Our people also need medicines just in case there would be disease outbreak because of floods.

Here are some organisations doing relief operations that have good networks across the country:

ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya Foundation
http://www.sagipkapamilya.com/

GMA Kapuso Foundation
http://www.gmanetwork.com/kapusofoundation/

Philippine Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org.ph/

Thank you.

The ICT applications project (post PNOA)

Yesterday we concluded the six rounds of participatory needs and opportunities assessment (PNOA) for our ICT applications project. Computer Science and Information Technology students from La Fortuna College, AMA-Cabanatuan, College of the Immaculate Conception, Central Luzon State University, Araullo University and Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology participated in the event.

It was some sort of a face off between the game developers and their intended clients: the out of school youth (OSY) Filipino farmers. Just to refresh your memory, this is a project where computer-related studies students are being asked to develop games that will promote cost-reducing and yield-enhancing technologies to OSY Filipino youth farmers.

I appreciate the fact that the university students took an effort to dress down (I knew they were fashionable people) for the event. I observed that many of them got inspired to think of a game that can be used by their clients. I surmise it was also the first time that they’ve been to that place. I have been telling my friends that my concept of Talavera (the municipality where we had our PNOA) was just Jollibee and Chowking so we can have some good meals outside PhilRice. I was very surprised to learn that there were some barangays (villages) kilometres away from the national highway. The places we visited were surrounded by vast expanse of rice areas, and indeed very rural.

Some of the OSY had difficulty writing their names when we asked them to sign in the attendance sheet. Literacy was a problem for some. While I am fully aware that many farmers did not finish formal education, it was another thing to see someone in his 30s or 40s who did not finish high school. It should be highlighted, however, that there were OSYs whose dreams could challenge the world’s biggest dreamers. They have big dreams for themselves. They just need some time to realise that—when they go back to school—probably next year as they said.

We had two fulfilling days doing the PNOAs. I, for, one was very pleased that this convergence of seemingly unrelated disciplines—development and computer-related—studies is finally possible. I can’t wait for the next big thing i.e. when the students are ready to show their games for the OSY Filipino youth farmers.

Doing your literature review

If you’re doing your thesis, prepare for this as this is literally a BIG one. My professors and some friends tell me this is the most difficult part to write in the thesis manuscript. Well, for one, this will take so much of your time—so if you intend to graduate on time, better strategise. Here are some tips for you:

• Start early. You can manage your reading load well if you will divide it into tiny bits. So, try to read as frequently as you can. This of course assumes that you already have a topic in mind and that you are already starting to build knowledge on it.
• Be very systematic. This means that you need to organise your notes well. In the past, what I did was to have an excel file. I had three columns—source, key points, and remarks. In the source column, I put the bibliographic citation. The key points column was for the claims or main arguments of the material I just read. The remarks column, I placed there just any thought that would help me remember the article. The good thing about doing it in Excel is that it has a very efficient search tool= CTRL+F. So if you need to find a reference, just type the key words and it will take you to it. (Caution: check your spelling).
• Check out the references of the material. Often, it is a practice to just skim through the article and just read the introduction and conclusion. This helps especially if you are so pressed with time. However, it would save you a lot of time if you would take some time off to have a look at the references cited. This will guide you in your literature search. I find this really helpful as oftentimes the big names in the discipline are in the reference list – you might want to learn from them as well. 
• Diversify. This means that you need to look for several materials. Don’t confine yourself to journal articles. Do find some books as well. Try to weigh which ones have the most relevant content. Additionally, make sure that you are not confined to the works of just one author. This is very common as sometimes if an author is really good in his field, we tend to be so immersed in his work that we quite have the tendency to shut off other scholars. It is always good to entertain opposing ideas.
• Check out open access journals. Most scholars have problems accessing journals as they are very expensive. Their interest is oftentimes blocked by the “pay per view” thing. The good news is there are many open access journals out there. And mind you, some are really good quality. So if you need help in finding articles, do check out these open access journals. Some of the sites you can visit are: the Public Knowledge Project and the Directory of Open Access Journals. Google them now!
• Discuss your thoughts with someone. It is always good to have someone to talk to. When I was doing my thesis, I had always made overseas calls to my friends back home. First, this is good to check your sanity :D.Often we get too immersed with the literature that we just keep going and going. So have someone who can tell you if you are still on the right track, if you need more, or if you need to slow down. Your adviser can do this for you, BUT have another one. Someone who can bear your rants, disappointments and joy!
• Prepare an outline. They say if you’re done with the outline, half of the work is done! This will help you a lot in your writing process. So don’t skip this part. When I was doing mine, I even have to do a concept map. If you are interested, email me or write a comment here and I’ll show how it’s done. It is always good to know how one idea connects with others.
• Write and rewrite. The beauty of writing is in rewriting. You write to document what is on your mind. You rewrite to make sure others understand what you’ve written.

I want to write more, but the PhilRice vehicle will pick me up in 30 minutes. So i’ll end here for now. Keep in touch!

P.S. I have written and published quite a few papers on information and communications technology for development (ICT4D). If you're doing some work in this area, I am happy to exchange thoughts with you. Cheers!

The ICT applications project

Is it true that young individuals in the Philippines do not want to be involved in rice farming? Not quite, I guess especially if we talk of indirect involvement in rice farming.

PhilRice is working with students of computer-related studies in universities in Cabanatuan City in a project called “Exploring potentials of ICT-based agriculture games in addressing rice production concerns in ricefields maintained by out-of-school youth Filipino farmers.” This is an interesting undertaking as it brings together two seemingly unrelated disciplines—development and computer-related studies. In information and communications technology for development parlance, it is called Development Informatics.

At the risk of being simplistic, development informatics recognizes that social issues cannot be resolved by solutions recommended by just one discipline alone. It recognizes that disciplines must converge to give a more holistic solution to an issue. Take the case of addressing the digital divide issue among farmers. Social scientists, very easily can point out that farmers cannot stand to benefit from all these high end technologies as they are confronted with a lot of technology issues—computer illiteracy, computer anxiety and others. There is a need to develop something, an ICT application, that will make ICTs more inclusive. Social scientists, however, will never be in the position to do that. We need computer programmers to develop these ICT applications. Computer programmers, on the other hand, should benefit from the strong social consciousness of social science people. Computer programmers and development studies professionals converging to give solution to an important concern—that is development informatics.

In this project, the computer programmers of the universities in Cabanatuan City are working with the information and communication technology for development professionals of PhilRice. We are exposing the students to areas that are probably known to them but they haven’t really touch based with—to the ricefields. We would like them to meet people who are slightly of the same age with them, but are spending their lives in the rice farm. The challenge: how can these university students make a difference in the lives of the out of school farmers? How can they help our young food producers do better in rice farming?

Through the agri games development project, the computer related studies students will be developing games that will promote the cost-reducing and yield-enhancing technologies in rice farming to students. It is an opportunity for them to indirectly contribute to the rice farm. In development communication parlance, what they will do is something called the “edutainment” approach—education and entertainment combined.

When we had the project briefing, everyone seemed excited. There was like the “this-is-an-opportunity-to-be-more-relevant” look on their faces. There was an air of enthusiasm. There was a strong desire to do something good.

I’ll write more after our participatory needs and opportunities assessment next week. 

How to behave in rural areas

Empathy is a must-have for development communicators. If you don’t have it, devcom is not for you. Go pick another course.

Often, even though we don’t intend to, we subconsciously put off others by our gestures, words, or simply by how we present ourselves. I’ve got a list of tips to remind us of how to behave when we are doing field work in rural areas. The setting is in the Philippines, but I’m pretty sure some of these will apply in other contexts.

• Ask about the area prior to going there. Is it conservative? Is it OK for the locals to see women wearing very short shorts? Are the locals accommodating? Mind you, it always helps to do this. It will help you pack the necessary outfit and other must-haves for your trip. My friend told me she had to cover her hair when she went to Sulu as the locals are not used to seeing girls showing off their hair. That was a strong gesture that she was respecting the culture in the area.
• Make sure you have a guide who knows the community very well. This is important as you cannot just go to the community and surprise everyone there about your coming. Chances are the locals will not entertain you, or they will give you a rather lukewarm response. It will also save a lot of time as you will be certain where to go and the people you need to give courtesy calls to.
• Courtesy calls. Don’t forget this. This is to, well, give courtesy to local officials that you will be doing something in the area. Remember you are a new face in the community. Often, in rural areas, everybody knows everybody. You can avoid creating a scene or anything if you will do courtesy calls prior to starting your activity in the area. Doing this will likewise widen your network.
• Dress down a bit. I know this is a difficult thing to do especially if you are from a college where every day is a fashion day. BUT YOU NEED TO DO THIS. DO NOT INTIMIDATE THE LOCALS! Try to wear flip flops, shorts, ordinary clothes. Remember you are not going to a party so dress down a bit. Be humble enough. You need to take this seriously as if you intimidate them, you will not get what you need. Often, when we interview farmers, we just wear simple clothing with minimal to zero accessories. They feel comfortable seeing us in that outfit.
• Manage your mobile phones. We know that cell phones are very important, but please don’t keep on showing them off when you are in rural areas especially if you have the high end phones. If you do this, they might think you are boastful—remember the conspicuous display of wealth. Avoid showing it off. Also, please put it in silent mode so it doesn’t interrupt interviews or any conversations later.
• Expect the worst. Rural areas are oftentimes not the place for your Starbucks, massage parlor, hang out areas. Many of our rural areas are still poor. Some don’t have access to clean water and latrines. So expect that some of life’s comforts will not be there. But this does not give you any right to be hostile to the locals. Don’t rant. Don’t be fastidious. Remember, they didn’t invite you to go there. You invited yourself.
• Don’t be complacent. Related to the previous point, try to make do with what is there. I’ve been to hotels with no electric fan, old and worn out bed cover, smelly toilets, etc. Take a deep breath. That’s a part of it. Hence, you are needed. Development communication is relevant because of said instances.
• Watch your words. People in rural areas are rather sensitive. So be very careful with the words you say. If you’re not sure, ask the guide.
• Take your time in asking questions and in listening to their stories. It’s very laid back in most rural areas. So don’t rush in asking questions and in listening to their stories. In fact, you will get more information if you are able to show that you are more like a friend, ready to listen to what they have to say.
• Have something for them. Whenever we go to rural areas, we make sure we have something for the farmers. Chances are these areas are rarely visited by extension workers, so we bring them publications on cost-reducing and yield-enhancing technologies. Tokens don’t have to be expensive. Just have something useful for them.
• Don’t feign affection. It is very easy to determine if you are not trying to fake it. The thing is be very sincere when you communicate with someone. If you can’t, don’t go to rural areas. The locals don’t need you in the first place.
• Enjoy the field work. Ask the guide and the locals themselves the best thing about their place. That will be a lengthy talk. They might bring you to a river or an undiscovered scenic place in their area— that will make you love this field even more.

Talk the walk

In 2007, I was deployed in PhilRice Midsayap in North Cotabato. I consider that as one of the highlights of my career thus far. It challenged me personally and professionally. So many things happened while I was there. One of them was when I hosted a radio program for farmers.

It is memorable for several reasons. First, I did not have formal training in broadcasting—I was a development journalism major. Second, I didn’t speak their language. It is a rule of thumb in community broadcasting that you should know the mother tongue in the area. Third, I thought I was too young for the job. I was 23 then.

But then, I was already there. And I knew that would happen. I should say though that I was so clueless with what I would do. I just knew that there should be a radio program for the station. The radio program was every Saturday, 5.30am.

It was funny because all I had was a 3-unit subject on Fundamentals of Community Broadcasting, some handouts from college—(so don’t ever lose your handouts), and guts. The first time when I appeared in the radio station, they kept looking for the next anchor as it was just a few minutes prior to the start of my program. They could hardly believe that I was the one they were looking for. There was like “you?” expression on their faces. But it worked! Several reasons could explain that. First is the fact that Midsayap is a melting pot so Filipino is widely spoken. Second, my colleagues at PhilRice Midsayap were very helpful and supportive.

There were times when I needed to record our episode especially if the expert could not go with me to the station for a live broadcast. So, then, I needed to learn Soundforge. That was a big accomplishment as I was (up until now actually) a technophobe. I learned to edit audio. Every successful recording was a big feat on my part.

The credibility issue likewise melted away. I think it was because of the good response on the program by the locals. I became too involved with it that when I was about to go back to the Central Office of PhilRice in Nueva Ecija, I found it really really hard. Some of the broadcasters in the station started to say that they would miss me, some farmers expressed the same. Very encouraging indeed.

I think one fulfilling thing for a development communicator is when you are able to touch other’s lives, and knowing that they felt your presence. The radio program in Midsayap was far from perfect. I probably messed up in a number of episodes. But I really like it. I’ve won so many friends, and somehow there was an air of accomplishment on my part. The radio program in one way or another provided ways on how we could better interact with our clients. It feels great.

What to expect

So, you are new to the job. Take a deep breath, as it is a totally different ball game. When I started working, I sort of got confused. I started asking questions like: is this the right office for me? Did I understand devcom well in college? It was tough. I don’t want the same thing to happen to you, so here are some things that might help you transition from being a university student to becoming a development communication practitioner.

• As I said, take a deep breath as it is a totally different ball game. In the Philippines, there are only very few institutions that practice the fullness of DevCom. PhilRice probably is one of them. The thing is unlike Mass Communication and Communication Arts, which are relatively older disciplines, Development Communication, I think, is not well understood by most institutions. Whilst it is very clear to us what we should be doing, we may not be on the same page with managers of institutions. This has several repercussions—favourable or unfavourable, usually unfavourable for us. 
• Related to my first point, the first repercussion is: it is quite seldom that institutions would have a separate office for development communicators. It is something that had been echoed a long time ago in several books (an example is the Communication for Social Change book by Jan Servaes). The thing with this is that corporate communication, public relations and other communication functions are gathered together in just one office. That is an injustice since what sets development communication apart from others is the brand of communication we are carrying.

• And since we are not understood well, it is quite often that development communicators don’t pay much—although I should say that it is starting to change a bit these days. The thing is companies, NGOs understand communication simply on its image building functions. The ‘paint- the-town-red’ function of communication—painting rosy pictures for projects with no visible impact, damage control if there are organizational crises etc. 

The list of negative repercussions goes on, so let me change gear by talking about other stuff… continuing the what-to-expect topic.

• In college, in UPLB, during my time we had different majors—development journalism, development broadcasting, science communication and educational communication. These majors have very unique identities although there are some overlaps, I should say. My point is when you work, these major streams disappear—entry point for most development communicators is knowing how to write. That’s the first question: Do you know how to write? Actually even though they are looking for videographers, the time will come that a videographer or a graphics artist will write! Writers’ crisis is oftentimes a gruesome phenomenon in most offices. So the lesson is, regardless of your major, practice writing. To some extent, devcom=writing.

• Now, the issue is what you are going to write. We know this; we have a bias on development issues. So, are we just going to write about them? Not quite. You will write everything—from image building articles, press releases, and even technical papers. Quite a lot? That’s how it is! There are pluses and minuses to it. The thing is, read widely so you will not be caught unawares when these things come. I remember my professor before told us that we should be very intelligent—that our IQ should not be lower than our body weight! So, read A LOT!

• While the entry point is writing, that doesn’t mean that you should forget the other important skills. The flip side of the point I earlier raised is that there will come a time when writers will be asked to take videos and lay out publications! In my case, I did not know how to layout when I started working. I was afraid of layouting softwares. InDesign intimidated me in the past. I just accepted it that layouting was not for me, but I knew very well that I should learn how to do it. So when I started working at PhilRice, I needed to do some overtime work to learn Corel, Photoshop and InDesign. Now, I am not a pro, but layouting doesn’t intimidate me anymore. In fact, I’ve laid out some of PhilRice’s publications.

• Communicators are also seen as good emcees. Even if you tell them that you are a devjourn major, they couldn’t care less about that. You are a communicator. So get out of your shell and release the master showman/woman in you! You can help yourself by watching telenovelas, television commercials and loosening up a bit. Back in college watching telenovelas would be the last thing I would ever do. It was like: Mula sa Puso? EWWWW!!!! But when I started working, the challenge was to communicate with your audience. We deal with farmers—they love radio and television drama. To communicate with them, there should be something that we can share in common. So, then I ended up watching Lazos de Amor :D

• Quite odd, but you will also be asked to chair the socials committee. You will plan events (you can use your skills from Doing social campaigns here)— practice some jokes et al. As for me, I already have the contact details of the dancers and standup comedians near PhilRice! I forgot to tell you—you will also do some intermission numbers! I remember I had to choreograph a dance number”Annie Batungbakal”. Sabi ko nga sa mga friends ko, “Ang hindi ko na lang nagagawa ay kumain ng apoy!”

• Also, prepare to become a writing/editing machine! In not one instance you would be asked to edit and/or write something. And oftentimes, they would think that these things are way too easy for you. It’s sort of : You’re-a-communicator?- Prove- it! Phenomenon! And mind you, some will look down on you if you don’t do it well.

Now, this entry is not meant to scare you off in any way. The reason why I am telling you this is for you to prepare yourself for the bigger world outside uni. Master the skills you can, and get some experience while still at uni. You can do this by either serving as student assistants or becoming a full-fledged project staff. Cheers!