Batanes, A Poem

For my DEVC 207: Multimedia Production class, I produced a travelogue of Batanes.

Batanes is becoming one of the most popular destinations in the Philippines – with its breathtaking landscapes, picturesque sceneries, and awe-inspiring natural wonders. Its people – the Ivatans – are known for their warmth, hospitality, and honesty. But what exactly about Batanes leaves its visitors breathless?

This is the question of a first-time visitor and reluctant millennial. He wants to see the poetry in the places in, and the prose of the faces of Batanes. He wants to live in the experience of trying something new for the first time, to find out why people are so enamored by the northernmost islands of his country – even if it’s just on a budget.

Rather than approach this project as the typical informational video detailing facts about Batanes i.e. its size and population, its economy and geography, the treatment was more of a short film.

Narrations included poems or verses of poems about Batanes written by fellow Filipinos. While some general facts about the province were also shared, the overall theme and aesthetic of the video is “poetry” and “drama”. To contrast with poetic narration, weaved in between word and visual are Western indie-folk songs, as well as Ivatan folk songs, with the aim of lending a more sentimental tone to the video.

To capture the grandeur of Batanes, wide shots were employed. Close up shots, on the other hand, were used for scenes with people or focused on people. On certain scenes, a time lapse effect was also be applied. Montages were used primarily at the start of the video in order to introduce Batanes. While there were steady shots of landscape, I aimed to make the visual more raw and visceral through handheld, rather than tripod-based, shots of some scenes. The aim is to make the viewer feel like he or she is the one present in Batanes.

I have Internet, therefore I am

Data drives all that we do. This is the slogan of Cambridge Analytica, the political consulting firm embroiled in a scandal for illicitly harvesting the personal data of Facebook users, and using the information to influence public opinion. U.S. President Donald Trump paid the firm for his 2016 campaign, and rumors have swirled since last year that President Rodrigo Duterte’s tough-guy persona was a rebranding effort fashioned by SCL Group, Cambridge Analytica’s parent company.

It’s not clear just how much of the success of both Trump and Duterte can be attributed to a political firm’s data mining and strategic communication efforts. Nonetheless, one cannot discredit the observable: information, knowledge is power.

Our readings drew me to the current political and economic landscape abroad and in the Philippines. We are living in an Information Age best illustrated by the social media revolution. Of course, one has to be wary about using words like ‘revolution’ to describe a technology that is known more for selfies and gifs, but the ubiquity of today’s digital platforms truly stand in stark contrast to life before, especially when there was no Internet. The immediacy by which we can share information now is astounding. Data is treated like a rare mineral: mined, stored, and refined into information that can be ingested for power.

It also pays to know more. As a freelance writer, I am surprised how a 300- to 500-word article pays me more than the forty hours I previously spent in a desk job. It hasn’t escaped me that the 2-3 hours I spend writing for a living is probably earning me more than those involved in manual labor. Is this the advantage of someone who lives in Manila, immersed in an information rich society where data not only drives what we do, but defines what we do?

Since information and knowledge in a digital world is intangible, could it be that the center Galtung describes no longer exclusively applies to communities, societies or even countries? Could it be that the center is also the individual? I have an Internet connection, therefore I am. Lost in my virtual network, and benefiting from the value of the online, am I an imperialist, the cause of disharmony?

Perhaps this is why I found myself taking up my masters in development communication. Seven semesters in development communication later, I’ve learned that words exist to effect change. Development communication, it seems, is the bridge between the center and the periphery. It is the conversation between those who have more and those who have less.

Could it be that in recognizing I am at the center, I am positioning myself in a more sophisticated place, and furthering a divide? Might the irony of it all be that fact that my access to the Internet – which puts me at the center – has also made me vulnerable to personal data being abused or weaponized, and thus relegated me to a periphery? Or is self-awareness the overlooked ‘data’, the hidden gem of information, the starting point of a profound relationship which spells the difference between human flourishing and degradation?

Activity 12: Development Communication and Policy

Activity 12.1. Conduct a stakeholder analysis of this policy.
Activity 12.2. Use any of the enumerated methods to do a short analysis of this policy.
Activity 12.3. Prepare a one-page policy brief enumerating: your stakeholders; the results of your policy analysis; and your recommendations.

Re: Prohibition on Advertisements of Tobacco Products

Statement of Issue: The major consumer group in the Philippines have bonded together to lobby for a policy that prohibits the advertising of tobacco productions on radio and television.

In 2014, ten Filipinos died hourly due to smoking-related illnesses (Santos, 2014). According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) released March of this year and which was conducted in 2015, 23.8% of all adults reported current tobacco use in any form, with cigarette smokers averaging 11 cigarettes per day. The study also revealed that tobacco use was more prevalent in rural areas. Alarmingly, 24 million adults were exposed to secondhand smoke at home. Based on the survey, 40.5% of the respondents noticed cigarette marketing in stores where cigarettes are sold; 9.6% of adults noticed logos that promote cigarettes on clothing or other items.

Stakeholder Analysis:

Policy Recommendations:
Despite reductions in tobacco usage, the GATS report shows that nearly a quarter of all Filipinos continued to use tobacco in 2015. While many are beginning to take notice of anti-smoking campaigns, and changing their attitude and perception towards smoking as knowledge on the ill-effects of tobacco use are made clearer, stronger efforts must be taken in reducing, and perhaps even removing exposure to tobacco advertisement once and for all.

Prohibiting tobacco advertisement in radio and television is crucial. Since tobacco use is more prevalent in the rural areas, stringent efforts must be taken to implement a policy that would prohibit advertisements via radio. Major consumer groups must also team up with NGOs, medical professionals, and researchers to ensure factual reporting of the health hazards caused by smoking to legislators, and members of the broadcasting industry.

Consumer groups should also collaborate with legislators for a transparent hearing of the policy being lobbied. In this case, the consumer groups may agree with legislators to incentivize “anti-smoking campaigns” and other corporate social responsibility measures that may be undertaken by radio and television. This will compensate any perceived or accrued losses from tobacco advertising, and counteract whatever political and financial clout the tobacco manufacturers may have.

References:

Santos, M. (2014, March 3). 10 Filipinos die hourly due to smoking-related illnesses – Drilon . Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/581985/drilon-co-sponsors-bill-on-graphic-based-warning-on-cigarette-packets

Global Adult Tobacco Survey: Executive Summary 2015. (2017, March 13). Retrieved October 16, 2017, from https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/kmcd/GATS-PHL2016-Executive%20Summary_13Mar2017.pdf

Activity 11: Development Communication Practice

Which area of development communication practice would you like to specialize in? Why? 

I would really like to pursue Community Communication.

For my full-time job, I work as a program officer for a Law school. I handle both administrative work and marketing. This means I get to meet the people I serve and work with – rather than be boxed in a cubicle – and develop a rapport with them – faculty, students, staff, suppliers; NGOs, government organizations, private enterprises. On any given day, I can be talking to a regulatory body, and then next, discussing with service personnel and caterers how an event should go. It’s not only given me a rich and diverse network of people but also structured engagement opportunities which strengthens my organisational, problem-solving, and communication skills. Plus, when you meet people, you’re better able to gauge your position in the world – where you stand in relation to others. These insights I’ve gained is something I hope I can bring to my development communication practice.

As I also handle marketing, I’m exposed to a variety of design and communication tools: photoshop, Canva, social media. Marketing allows me to see how people respond to messages. It gives me an idea of what ticks, and what doesn’t. The creative aspect is also fulfilling. To see ideas coming to life i.e. brochures or posters being distributed, or posted, reminds me that what I am doing is not something in the air. It’s something visceral. I believe this will be useful when I do pursue community communication and start developing materials for communities themselves.

I also had the experience of doing fieldwork as part of a technical working group working on a sustainability report. This side-project exposed me to the social realities often neglected when the focus is on corporate social responsibility. Meeting new people and seeing communities actively participating in GRI surveys, sharing their stories, well they give a human face to the facts and figures which are reported. Certainly, the stories I gathered, and the lessons I learned inspired me to continue meeting people in the horizon of authentic human experiences. In the process, I’ve tried as best as I could to be a sponge: absorbing everything. I tried to learn the whys and hows, to see the processes, and at the same time, to be “humble” enough to know that I don’t really know as much. This attitude the sustainability reporting project instilled in me is something I continue to carry. I hope it too, will carry me when I pursue my DevCom practice.

Community communication presents the same opportunity to meet people and know them on personal level. The ability to interact and immerse in a community’s lived experience is something that I want to be a part of. Here you can really understand better how individuals, families, communities, and society at large works. You feel and you sense the struggles and it gives you an insight that cannot be matched by simply “researching or observing from a distance.”

Activity 10: Foundations of Development Communication

List of Five Arguments from other Disciplines That Support the Ascendancy of the Development Communication Approach:

Economics
In a world which have increasingly information-based economies, there is a great need to widen the scope of how we view economic models. Globalization and the rise of digital technology compels many to course their own way towards change. With this in mind, we see how development communication is crucial to enabling people and organizations to create spaces where meaningful participation is not only encouraged but also participated in. Through development communication, we learn more about trade, competition, business practices, and threats to sustainable development.

Psychology
Psychology is the “scientific discipline that studies psychological and biological processes and behaviour in humans and other animals” (Encyclopaedia Britannica). In order to successfully implement change that leads to self-actualization and the betterment of human lives, which is the goal of any individual, we need to look into context of human life. Development communication in tandem with psychology does just that. We look into what are the causes of the social ills afflicting communities, and how they impact the behavior and attitude of a person. Information gained from psychological inquiry helps development communication practitioners create programs, use messages, and develop projects which are humane, and empathetic.

Advertising
Selling products, persuading viewers to purchase goods – a whole lot of our society and politics today is based on strategic and persuasive communication, on marketing, on profit. Development communication aims to persuade people not to create a a illusory need rather to satisfy what is truly lacking. Development communication is crucial in putting a reality check in the needs vs want argument that pervades our increasingly commercial culture.

Political Economy
Political economy is a study of how institutions and organizations allocate resources, the relationships between them (market and state). This field usually examines society in variety of lenses – philosophy, politics, sociology, and economics. Communication is necessary in evaluating, formulating, and implementing policies which is at the core of complex social realities studied in Political Economy. The integrated mindset of a political economy student demands an understanding of how communication allows individuals to view things from multiple perspectives.

Humanities
The humanities is the study of human experience. It covers a broad range of fields including film, arts, literature, theater, and music. At the core of it, the humanities aims to discover the meaning of human experience. Development communication studies human experience – how it can be improved, transformed in so far as it leads to the highest of human experiences – self-actualization. As a field, development communication also makes use of film, art, literature, theater and music in order to connect, empathize, teach, and inspire.

Activity 9: What Is Development Communication?

Expound on the statement: Development Communication is communication for planned social change. 

Development communication is communication that aims to bring about change. It changes people. It changes communities. It changes lives. It changes the world. In itself, development communication also changes – incorporating new information, theory, or philosophy; adjusting to the times, understanding contexts, moving across spaces. But it’s not an arbitrary field of study, profession, or human enterprise.

Development communication is the art and science of making the world a better place. We study almost every aspect of human life to try and cover as much ground in order to deliver messages, develop and implement projects, and understand social ills. The aim is to give everyone the opportunity to realize their potential. Through it, we create, we become creative, we transform. Through it, we study, we ask, we explore, and we discover. It’s a profound way of being human because it’s powered by good.

Activity 8: Communication Concepts

Non-verbal Communication Skills
I have always been fascinated with how people “communicate” via their body language. I personally believe that a bulk of the messages we send and receive are through non-verbal cues. This website piqued my interest because it provided a guide on how individuals can refine their non-verbal communication skills, and improve how they read body language.

Convergence of Media
I have been an avid fan of the Flipboard app. To me, Flipboard is one of the results of convergence of media. As a mobile application, Flipboard collects useful information and data – whether they be print, video, or interactive digital media – and puts them all in one space. It’s a practical app that focuses on efficiency.

Invasion of privacy
We’re used to hearing people say we should respect their privacy, especially coming from those under the public limelight. In demanding more and more from this public persona who are under constant media scrutiny, where do we draw the fine line? This website provides important points on how the rules and laws of privacy work, especially in the case of celebrities.

Knowledge management
This article from Forbes magazine lists down on why the knowledge management trend is important to organizations. It cite three key reasons on why a company should get on the knowledge management bandwagon.

Memetics
After going through our topic on memes, I found this insightful article on memetics. It discusses various successful memes which went viral, and succinctly covers on why they were so without closing the door for further discussion. The article itself include a number of links readers may refer to.

Activity 7: Noise

Noise I deal with everyday at work:

1. Guests at the school’s office which often interrupt creative work. I see creative work as requiring a certain degree of isolation, much more silence.
2. Poor Internet connection
3. Lack of communication between supervisor and staff
4. Meetings at the start of the day, especially when I have just arrived at work
5. Meetings after lunch
6. Prejudices towards certain personalities; tendency to avoid certain personalities
7. When it gets too cold in the office
8. When tasks pile up it becomes difficult to focus, especially when there is no clear instruction which task to prioritize
9. A lack of physical space where I can work comfortably
10. Age or generational gap when it comes to discussing creative work
11. Encountering legal terminology at work

Noises at home:

1. Our pet dogs bark whenever they see people around, making it difficult to have a quiet moment at home. They can can also be too energetic, running around the house, making it impossible to maintain peace and order for extended periods of time during the day
2. Lack of soundproofed walls makes it hard to have private conversations with family members
3. Lack of space
4. Familiarity with parents and siblings often make me less attentive to their needs
5. Blackouts, brownouts; unannounced water service interruptions
6. When my parents speak in Ilocano or Ibanag, especially when I can only understand the languages at a surface level
7. Everyone is busy with their smartphones, computers, tablets, and television

Activity 6.2 and 6.3: Communication Media

Activity 6.2.

1. Based from my experience, Filipino households commonly own radio sets. When visiting relatives in the province, I notice not all families own a television set. And while few also own actual radio handsets, many are able to access radio broadcasts through their mobile phones, or have radio applications on their mobile devices. I would say, however, that TV is perhaps is a close second as the most commonly owned device of Filipino households.
2. Newspapers are the least commonly owned medium. Very few families in our neighborhood actually subscribe to the major Philippine broadsheets on a daily basis. Most of my own family and friends read the news through the newspapers’ digital version accessed via smartphones and tablets. Those who do have newspapers at home more often than not purchase broadsheets only when the headlines interest them. On a personal note, our family is subscribed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. My parents still prefer reading the news through its printed format.
3. Filipinos, I believe, are most exposed to radio. Apart from physically owning them in the household or accessing it through their phones, radio is the medium that you will also find in public transportation. Buses, taxis, Uber and Grab, UV Express and point-to-point shuttles: radio is ubiquitous in this regard. On the other hand, I believe Filipinos are least exposed to folk theater. The other mediums listed in the chapter are mostly materials that I’ve encountered i.e. flip charts, leaflets, diagrams in school, museums, and other educational institutions. Folk theater is more local and specific, and is not as readily available for mass consumption except through recorded materials.
4. I think Filipinos depend most on television in terms of information. The medium is highly informative while providing entertainment, and is far more interactive than radio. Considering how fake news is spreading through the web like wildfire, my own experience shows that Filipinos rely on television, with radio and newspaper coming in at close second, in order to verify information. TV news stations are considered credible. They carry authority and the content they disseminate.

Activity 6.3: Place a check on the boxes of the statement that explain some of the impact of new communication technology on development.

Check	Statements
	Job displacement
	More, generally better jobs generated
✔	Globalization
✔	Streaming of business opportunities
	Reducing importance of middle management
✔	Change definitions of community
✔	Focus on the credibility of sources
✔	Offer new ways of learning

Activity 6.1: Interpersonal Media vs Mass Media

 

CHARACTERISTICS	INTERPERSONAL MEDIA	MASS MEDIA
Senses stimulated at a time	3 or more at a time (sometimes all)	One or two at a time
Opportunity for feedback	Immediate	Delayed and minimal
Control of pace	Can be controlled	Uncontrolled
Message codes used	Verbal and non-verbal i.e. body language	Verbal (for TV visual, close to face-to-face communication)
Multiplicative power	Weak	High
Direction of message flow	Two way	One way
Message accuracy	Low	High
Power to preserve a message	Low	High
Ability to select receiver	High	Low
Ability to overcome selectivity and noise	High; very flexible	Low; constrained by the medium
Ability to meet specialized needs	High	Low
Speed to a large audience	Slow	Fast and often, immediate
Possible effects	Affects attitude and behavior	Information, knowledge