Going Virtual: DCR, CORE Bring This Year’s General Assembly Online
By utilizing Zoom and broadcasting the event on Facebook Live, the Circle of Research Enthusiasts (CORE) has successfully conducted this year’s General Assembly online. The need to gather the Department of Communication Research’s (DCR) students was fulfilled virtually, as physical gatherings were prohibited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gianne Faye Macatangay, project head of the event, said that airing the three-day event on FB Live will provide inclusivity to everyone who is struggling with their internet connectivity. She believes that broadcasting the event on this platform is the easiest way to connect with the whole CommRes community.
This three-day event, titled “OnEdot: ReCommnect or Discommnect?” was held on the 21st, 23rd, and 25th of September, 2020. Three topics were covered during the event and these topics focused on welcoming new students of the DCR and providing discussions that would be beneficial for their growth amidst the pandemic.
The Event Proper
“Ah, Wait! Kaya Ba?: Tips on Blended Learning Survival” was aired on September 21, 2020. This focused on educating DCR students with the new learning modalities that were implemented due to the ongoing health crisis in the country. An alumnus of PUP with a degree in BA Communication Research who graduated as the Most Outstanding Student of Batch 2017, a Master’s degree holder in Communication Management from the Asian Institute of Communication and Journalism, and a candidate for a Master in Population Studies at University of the Philippines Diliman — Mr. Jomar Soriano — took the reins and helped educate the students regarding these modalities. He even left words that students took to heart: If you are privileged, use your privilege to help the unprivileged.
As the event’s second highlight, broadcasted on September 23, 2020, “CommUNITY: Data Literacy for Efficient Community Action” aimed to enlighten students on what data literacy is and why it is important to the community. Mr. Sherwin Pelayo, the Analytics Regional Special Point of Contact (SPOC) for the Asia Pacific and Japan, discussed how and why students must be data literate. Pelayo also urged students to join Project Smarter Philippines through Data Analytics R&D, Training and Adoption (SPARTA), a government initiative offering free online courses about data analytics and smart governance practices.
After his discussion, Ms. Rianna Bengzon, a representative of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network-Youth (UN SDSN), enlightened the students about where and how to glean information from reputable sources. She also introduced the UN SDSN dashboard to the DCR students, as it is a reliable information source for COVID-19 updates and news. Potential student volunteers were also encouraged to join the UN SDSN.
On the last day, “Swipe Left or Swipe Right?: Why You Made the Right Choice in Staying with Communication Research.” emphasized what the BACR degree program has to offer. The said program is only offered by two universities in the country which are the University of the Philippines Diliman and Polytechnic University of the Philippines Manila. As its most esteemed speaker, Ms. Kyanna Bulan, an alumnus of BACR at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, has shed light on why BACR students have made the right decision in choosing their degree program that they want to pursue.
How it Was Made Possible: The People Behind the Success
The event did not plan itself. It was the fruit of the hard work of all officers — from the scheduling of the meeting, conceptualizing, theme management, contacting potential partners and sponsors, countless dry runs, and getting by the technical difficulties. According to Ms. Macatangay, despite its draining nature, the experience became fulfilling. “It’s the teamwork and dedication of all of us that made this event possible. I couldn’t even be more proud of each one of us,” She shared.
Apart from the hardworking officers of CORE, the event would not be possible without the support from the sponsors and the DCR students. During UNDERSCORE’s interview with Leabel Fabella, the current president of CORE, she expressed her gratitude towards her fellow CORE officers along with the newly-assigned junior officers, the DCR students, and Ms. Krupskaya Valila, the chairperson of DCR.
The virtual general assembly would not be as successful as it is without the kind help of its sponsors and partners — namely Canva, the Analytics Association of the Philippines (AAP), UN SDSN, UNDERSCORE PUP-DCR, Jing and Yang, and the PUP BACR alumni.
To acknowledge and recognize the speakers, they were given certificates by the DCR community which were signed by the CORE President, Vice President for Community Management, Project Head, and DCR Chairperson.
Replays of the event may be accessed on the Circle of Research Enthusiasts’ Facebook page.
