The OrCom program truly gives a holistic training to its students. That is why OrCom graduates have a variety of lucrative job opportunities to choose from. However, some graduates were not always in the look for these kinds of jobs as they want to pursue their passion and their desire to serve the institution that has molded them. I’m talking about the OrCom alumni who chose to teach and serve here in the University of the Philippines Manila, and we were lucky to have an interview with one of them. He is one of the most popular, dreaded at first, professors in the Department of Arts and Communication – Mr. Jan “BURN” Bernadas.

Yeah it’s quite boring but it’s still worth to listen to. I’ll try to post it for you to hear. Just waiting for Burns approval.

Last October 10, 2009, the OrCom program finally celebrated its 25^th anniversary after two weeks of delay due to the typhoons that ravaged the country.  It was a fun and memorable event for the people in the OrCom Program including myself.

I had high expectations on this event. But because of the organizers’ creativity and skill in mounting this kind of activity, all my expectations were met except for one important aspect – TIME. It is very important especially for us who’re claiming to be professionals. That made me remember the events seminar organized by OrComsoc a couple of months ago wherein one of its speakers, Ms. Marcie Linao from Summit Media, stressed the importance of being on time in all our activities. I think many didn’t hear what she said.

I thought that this event would differentiate itself from other OrCom events in the past. I thought it would be the savior, but it wasn’t. It still carried out the trademark of other OrCom events for starting late, and it was a little bit disheartening. I hope that we would realize the importance of time in everything that we do. I believe that unless we learn to observe time religiously, we cannot call ourselves real professionals.

After the mess brought by the incredibly high floods, it’s time for us to clean our house and bring everything back to order. It was very hard and tiring because it’s not just any ordinary house cleaning. We have to remove everything to get rid of the mud and its smell in our house. It was general cleaning to the nth level as my mom exclaimed.
However, our tiredness was occasionally diminished by the little treasures we found hidden in the deepest parts of cabinets and other storage areas. My parents thought we’ve lost or we never had these things before. Here are some of them:

1. A One-Peso coin minted in 1907, the early years of the American occupation in the Philippines.
2. Antique silverwares from my great-grandparents.

 

3. Antique Chinaware dating back to the Spanish, American, and Japanese eras.
 
4. Gold-plated “peinetas” or combs from my grandmother.
 
5. The cord and coins or “aras” used in my parents wedding.

Typhoon “Ondoy” really showed his might to our country through his strong winds and endless rains. This caused billions of damages to infrastructure, agriculture, etc. It left hundreds of dead and missing people while those alive became homeless. Yes, this tragedy brought a lot of devastation, but it also served as a catalyst that helped in further strengthening Filipino values and traits that made use known worldwide.

Creativity/Resourcefulness

High flood-water engulfed the entire metropolis, making it hard to go from one place to another. Many can’t afford to buy a real boat, but through our creativeness and the entrepreneurial spirit, we Filipinos have provided an answer to this problem through our improvised “balsa.” It is commonly made of styrofoam but others also used bottles, bathtubs   old refrigerators, and almost anything that will float on water. 

Resiliency/Happiness

Many of us lost homes and loved ones because of the storm, but we are still able to smile and laugh amidst all the hardships that we are experiencing. And this is not the first time that such calamity has happened. Aside from the calamities, we Filipinos also face problems on poverty, crime, and pollution among others. But however hard it may get, we are still able to stand and rebuild our homes and our lives. People in other cultures will just commit suicide when confronted with these kinds of problems. Our culture of happiness has helped to become resilient in times of trials like this.

Bayanihan

Another unique Filipino trait that has helped alot in enabling us to survive calamities is our bayanihan spirit. In times of hardships like this, we Filipinos even think of others first before ourselves. We are always ready to lend a helping hand to our countrymen even if we don’t know them personally.

Faith

Our unwavering faith in God is another saving factor for us Filipinos. Our deep faith has always been our greatest source of consolation. Whenever something bad happens, we always turn to God and entrust everything to His will. This has provided us with the strength and inspiration to continue living for God always has something better in store for us.

The Filipino Spirit

All these traits and values that I’ve mentioned comprise the Filipino Spirit. A spirit that’s unsinkable by any flood, unshakeable by any storm. A spirit that makes me Proud to be Pinoy!

It was September 26, 2009, a Saturday. We will not have a class in Organizational Communication 152 to give way to the Organizational Communication Silver Anniversary celebration. But as part of the anniversary, we were required by our SP 133 professor to attend a conference. 

Before I left our house in Bulacan, I heard that our province was under storm signal number two.  I didn’t mind it seeing that the weather was not that bad. It was raining, but it’s just normal. I left the house and arrived in school for the conference. 

As the conference went on, a heavy rain poured. At first I didn’t mind it. It occurs occasionally. I even liked it thinking that the rain will just be short. But when several hours passed and it’s still raining so hard, I knew this is not just an occasional rain. True enough. Those who went out of the conference venue said that the campus and Padre Faura was already flooded. 

When the conference ended, the rain is still pouring. We went out to see the parking lot and the garden flooded. There is no flooded way to the gate. Many cannot get out of the campus. Thank God I brought my slippers. We have no choice but to brave the floodwaters to go to Robinsons and eat.  

I was really surprised to see the water level on the street so high. I have encountered several floods in this area before, but in the history of my stay in UPM, this is the worst flood that I’ve encountered.

When we reached the mall, we immediately cleaned ourselves. Some bought slippers and then we went to eat. After eating, we decided to go to the arcade but it was terribly cold there so my friend Judy and I decided to go home. I got relieved when I saw that the LRT is still functioning – it’s my only way home. It took sometime before a train arrived at the Pedro Gil station. That is why I was really determined to ride the train no matter what. When the train arrived and its doors opened, I immediately entered. I was not surprised to see everyone wet and to smell something not so nice. But I didn’t mind it I was determined to go home.  As we passed by the city hall, I was shocked not to see the underpass.  It was really flooded. Everywhere I look, streets literally turned into rivers.

I alighted at Monumento station happy, thinkinhg that I’m one step nearer home. But the happiness suddenly became desperation when I found out that all trips going to our place were cancelled and even the NLEX was closed. 

I decided to go back to Pedro Gil to go to my sister’s apartment. However there were no vehicles on the road so I need to wlk the deep and dirty flood water. Again, I have no choice. I arrived at the apartment and it also was flooded. Good thing it has a second floor. I slept there and regained some of the strength I lost for tommorow’s adventure.

Roads were still flooded the next day but I was determined to go home. It was another adventure because it was still very hard to go to our place. I reached SM North EDSA and there I found the trip to Malolos. I rode the van and we peacefully arrived at the terminal.

From the terminal, I rode another jeepney going to the town proper where the terminal going to our town is located.  When I reached our town, I thought it would already be easy to reach home but there was no vehicle travelling to our barangay because the floodwaters are still high. When I saw some of our neighbors I decided to join them and walk to reach our place. Thank God a rescue truck arrived to pick us up and bring us to our place. When I saw our house I said to myself,  Sa wakas nakarating din!

The SP 137 Class under Prof. Alice Adeva did a great job in staging conference in line with the celebration of the Organizational Communication Program’s 25th Anniversary.

Initially, most of us were grudging because of the P50.00 registration fee. All we know is that we’re going to eat “Sticks” for our snacks which we earlier saw in the DAC office. But when I saw the conference kit plus the laminated ID, I thought that the conference was fabulous – except for the snacks of course.

As the conference went on, I was amazed to see the orderliness and the smooth flow of the program. Their choice of speakers was also good because they were OrCom Alumni who have excelled in their chosen career paths. Overall I can consider the conference as a success despite the heavy rains outside that prompted the organizers to cut it short because other speakers cannot make it anymore.

Last Saturday, we presented in our OrCom 152 class another project that did not only stretch our creativity but also our acting abilities – our viral videos. We were given the freedom to choose our own theme and topic for these videos. Initially, I thought it would be easier since we’re not boxed into a certain topic, but it seems it is harder because we need to think of something unique and engaging that will capture everyone’s attention.

We brainstormed and came up with a topic but until the last minute, just before we shoot, we were still changing some details. We finally decided just to have fun in doing this project rather than take it too seriously and come up with something were not happy about. Our video turned out to be okay. It is not great but it we had a great time watching it. It was kind of embarrassing because I can’t believe we’ve done crazy things like that but still, I enjoyed it and I have no regrets doing it.

Here’s our viral video. Hope you’ll enjoy it too.

Why Have a Corporate Blog?

Blogging has become a worldwide phenomenon. Several researches have revealed that more and more people around the world are reading and creating blogs. A number of companies have also realized the benefits of joining these kinds of communities. That is why they have tapped the use of blogs in promoting their products and services and in connecting with their clients or customers. Further studies revealed that social media users believe that companies should not just have a presence in this new platform, but they should also interact with its consumers. By doing so, customers feel both a stronger connection the companies thus increasing their trust and loyalty to them. Moreover, by having a regularly updated corporate blog, companies can achieve search engine optimization (SEO). The blogging culture also promotes linking to other blogs, which can also help in improving the company ranking in search results.

Things to Remember

Be sincere. Corporate blogs are not like websites made by a single webmaster. They are products of the collaboration of everyone in the organization. They differ from websites because corporate blogs can be informal and light and yet they can still provide information. Corporate blogs are more appealing because they make readers feel that someone is really talking to them about the organization.

Focus on the customers. Corporate blogs don’t just talk about the company. They give more focus on how to engage their customers and create stronger relation with them. It’s not all about hyping about the organization but also admitting shortcomings and giving solutions to them. This way, customers can feel they are important and valued more by the organization.

Be part of the community. Corporate blogging does not end in publishing posts religiously. Corporate bloggers should also visit other blogs and link with them if they provide valuable and useful information.

Everyone’s a peer. Negative comments are inevitable. Corporate bloggers should know that these kinds of comments are part of the blogging culture. They should not be taken personally but instead, they should be analyzed and used in improving certain aspects of the organization.

Do All Companies Need a Blog?

It is true that having a corporate blog can do great things for a company. However, these can only be achieved if the blog is updated with good content and maintained regularly. This requires significant amount of time and effort. It is better not to have a blog than to have one that will just be neglected after the excitement has gone out.

The B.A. Organizational Communication Program of the University of the Philippines Manila seeks to address the ever increasing demand for expertise in modern communication as related to organizations in the Philippines. The program aims to present a holistic perspective of organizational dynamics in the modern century by focusing on organization-related communication skills.

Because communication is a complex process in itself and a vital factor in the shaping of human ecologies, the importance of strengthening efficiency and effectiveness in communication cannot be overemphasized especially in organization structures where needs are highly technical. Thus, the entire program concentrates on an integration of written-oral skills and not just mastery of either oral delivery or writing style as separate abilities. Furthermore, the audio visual component in the curriculum aims to encourage the students to employ all the modern persuasive tools that make for effective communication.

The program is specifically geared to serving organizations where English and Filipino languages are used as major instruments of communication thus, a bilingual approach shall be adopted for classroom dynamics. This is to train the students to be articulate not only in English but also in Filipino for them to be truly effective in the Philippine organizational setting.
As it celebrates its 25th year in producing outstanding graduates, the B.A. Organizational Communication Program continues in “making and marking the best students in the country” by providing them with avenues in their selection of prestigious careers not only here in the country but also abroad.

Here are the major courses that comprise the B.A. Organizational Communication Program:

Organizational Communication 101 – Introduction to Organizational Communication

Deals with the theories, principles, and trends in organizational communication.

Organizational Communication 104 – Dynamics of Interpersonal Communication

Deals with the study of different forms of interpersonal communication and analysis of the influence of Philippine social values on interpersonal comm.

Organizational Communication 105 – Dynamics of Public Relations

Discusses the role of public relations in communication services and its ethical principles in simple and complex organizations. It also tackles problems in public relations dynamics within the Philippine setting.

Organizational Communication 107 – Intercultural Communication

Studies the means by which people communicate and establish relationships across cultural lines with the objective of training the students to function in a more effective way in multi-cultural situations.

Organizational Communication 109.1 – Technical Writing 1

Identifies and studies the elements of principles of effective written communication in organizations. Practices varieties of writing style (scientific, technical, popular), types of business correspondences, writing the memo, the short report, minutes of the meeting, and press releases.

Organizational Communication 109.2 – Technical Writing 2

Studies and practices the special types of written communication in organizations, the long report, concept paper, case study , project proposal, conference proceeding, project evaluation, writing in publications and editing manuscripts with emphasis on organizational needs and audiences. 

Organizational Communication 140 – Introduction to Organizational Theories

A comparative study of different organizational theories in different institutional structures, and evaluation of operations among selected models.

Organizational Communication 142 – Communication Processes and Structures

The study of the theory and dynamics of communication skills/processes in organizations with emphasis on Philippine structural models.

Organizational Communication 143 – Approaches to Communication in Management

Discusses the problems and issues of management communication in simple and complex organizations. Provides training on the communication skills on the management level.

Organizational Communication 145 – Psychology of Language and Communication

Identifies the basic psychological concepts underlying the study of language as a communication tool for specific social structures. 

Organizational Communication 152 – Communication Trends and Styles

A comparative survey of different communication trends and styles and their impact on organizations. 

Organizational Communication 153 – Communication Strategies and Approaches

Studies the methods and models of communication for specific purposes. 

Organizational Communication 155 – Organizational Communication Statistics

The application of statistical methods to organizational communication data.

Organizational Communication 180 – Practicum

Immersion in real organizations.

Organizational Communication 199 – Organizational Communication Research

Nature development principles and problems of organizational communication research in the Philippines.

Organizational Communication 200 – Thesis

Implementation of thesis proposal and writing of the research paper. 

Speech 133 – Argumentation

Studies the principles of argumentation analysis, evidence reasoning, fallacies, and briefing with application in public speaking, discussion, and debate. Development of capacity to reply extemporaneously to objections, practice in argumentative composition and delivery. 

Speech 136 – Forms of Public Address

Focuses on more important forms of public address and the occasion which rise to them. Studies special methods by which speech is made clear, interesting and forceful. 

Speech 137 – Group Discussion and Conference Leadership

Examines the procedures in exchanging information in solving problems, determining policies and resolving differences in small face to face groups and developing insights into the nature of group processes.

Speech 183 – Audio-Visual Communication

Studies the selection and use of multi-media technologies for communication situations.

Curricular Program Requirements:	Units
General Education	45
Organizational Communication	48
Speech Communication	12
Foreign Language	6
Cognate	9
Elective	9
Linguistics 100	3
P.I. 100	3
Math 11	3
Total	138

Sources: UP Manila Catalogue of Information 2005-2010

                   Department of Arts and Communication Brochure

During the past weeks, we have discussed in how new social media tools particularly social networking sites have changed our lives. They have become so popular worldwide because of they created an avenue for us people to meet, share, and interact with each other whenever and wherever we are. They have enabled us to do so much that we almost cannot live without them. However, no matter how helpful social networking sites are, they still have their downsides as much as all things do. Here are some of them:

Lack of Privacy

Whenever we join social networking sites, we give out so many personal information aside from our name, gender, age, location. Most of us say we are careful or we take precautions, but no one can be sure. There are just people who can find more information about us if they want to. And they may even use that information for their benefit but to our disadvantage.

Scams and Harassment

Another disadvantage of social networking sites which is connected to the first I mentioned is the possibility for failure of security in both personal and business circumstances. These sites apply certain security features to keep members’ information safe and secure. However cases of identity theft, harassment, cyber-stalking, and online scams still happen. People at odds with each other also find these sites as avenues to extend their fights and exchange hurtful messages to each other.

Time Consuming

Well, if social networking sites are not really your kind of thing this can be a disadvantage in the sense that it would just be a waste of time for you. This applies to individuals and organizations alike.

“The key to social networking is that it is supposed to be fun, whether you are just doing it for kicks or clicking around for business purposes.”

 Of course, these disadvantages won’t dampen the spirits of those who really are in into social networking. Those who enjoy social networking will not let these drawbacks prevail over the fun and enjoyment they experience in joining these sites.