CDC org presents Devcom programs at PACE student camp
The UP Community Broadcasters’s Society (UP ComBroadSoc) of the College of Development Communication (CDC) showcased two of its flagship development-oriented communication programs at the 1st PACE of the Future Student Camp (PFSC) of the Philippine Association of Communication Educators held on October 20-21 at the Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite.
The event was held alongside PACE’s Communication and Media Studies Conference (CMSC) 2023 with the theme “Communication and Media Education in the Time of AI: Values, Ethics, and Practices.”
The first flagship program, Gandingan Awards, was discussed by Evangeline Lucille Ortiz, former creative productions director of UP ComBroadSoc. Ortiz served as production head of the 17th Gandingan Awards.
Ortiz said that aside from being an award-giving program, Gandingan Awards also engages in public service activities, such as organizing trade fairs for local businesses in Los Baños and partnering with different communities annually.
She also underscored Gandingan as UP ComBroadSoc’s contribution to promoting development communication to mass media and the general public and upholding a free and safe press.
The presentation on the second flagship program, Leader Ka K! (LKK), was made by Servillano S. Morales Jr., public service head of the UP ComBroadSoc and LKK’s assistant director.
LKK is a youth-oriented educational magazine program, which UP ComBroadSoc manages in partnership with CDC’s Department of Development Broadcasting and Telecommunication (DDBT) and the Youth Development Affairs Office of Laguna.
Morales described LKK as an essential avenue for the youth in Laguna to share their stories and inspire other young people.
He said that the program also serves as an avenue to enhance their potential in community broadcasting through training-workshops that it organizes for students and through its training of volunteers and interns.
In his welcome message during the opening program of CMSC, Mark Lester M. Chico, president of PACE and faculty member at DDBT, explained the role of AI in research and development and the education sector.
“While challenges in upholding academic integrity in AI remain in conversations, we promote the use of AI for a learner-centered pedagogy, human capital development and capacity building, the improvement of efficiency of the education administration and AI as an avenue for collaboration,” said Chico.
Chico, who also serves as director of public relations at UPLB, was re-elected for a second term as president of PACE from 2023 to 2025.
Also present at the camp as UP ComBroadSoc’s representatives were Roberto Antonio Jr., chief anchor; Jian Martin Tenorio, partnerships and linkages manager; Margareth Callo, former public service head, and Marius Cristan Pader, community broadcaster.
Finally, Dr. Crispin C. Maslog, a retired faculty member of CDC, also showcased one of his new books entitled “PACE: Turning 50: A History of the Philippine Association of Communication Educators,” which can be availed through the board members of PACE.
Launched for the first time, the PFSC aims to provide a platform for communication students and organizations nationwide to present their communication initiatives and bring opportunities to socialize and collaborate. (Servillano S. Morales Jr.; Photo credits: Dan Alexander Abas)
