With the goal of engaging the youth in local culture, heritage, and tourism preservation and promotion, the CPSU College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) provided a skills-based training on technical, creative, and journalistic writing, documenting and radio-based reporting to the SK members coming from the 32 barangays of Kabankalan City last April 4-8, 2022.
The said event, under the Project BELT or Basic English Language Training, was realized as an extension program of the College headed by its dean, Dr. Marfy Cabayao, together with the CAS extension coordinator Ms. Girlie Villanueva, and its project coordinator, Dr. Josephine Asuncion Emoy, in partnership with the SK federation of the City headed by its federated president Hon. Jeorgelyn Largado.
Envisioned as society’s future leaders, the said skills-based training was a response to their request for technical assistance in terms of the necessary competencies to expand their reach of public service through effective information dissemination to the general public utilizing appropriate channels/platforms.
The activity was composed of two separate trainings, with the first one focusing on the theme, “Skills-based Training on Technical, Creative, and Journalistic Writing,” delivered by in-house speakers, Engr. Ma. Cristina Canson who spoke on the topic, Community Journalism: Functions and Importance; Sir Jeffrey Gil Lingamen on the topic Bias-Free and Gender-Neutral Language in Creative and Technical Writing; and Dr. Josephine Asuncion Emoy, on the topic Composition and Functions of the Editorial Committee and ISSN Application. Also elucidating on the technical aspects of writing features with emphasis on culture and identity preservation was the invited resource speaker, Dr. Hazel Villa, of West Visayas State University and a Visayas correspondent in Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The second training highlighted on the theme, “Skills-based Training and Radio-Based Reporting,” which was discussed by Sir Serafin Plotria, station manager of iFM 94.3 (RMN) and a columnist in Negros Daily and Negros Now Daily magazines. His talk focused on engaging the youth in the promotion of their advocacies and local heritage preservation through radio broadcasting. Likewise, Dr. Flora Lingamen-Carpio, anchor and station manager of CPSU Radyo Muscovado, shared a talk on Radio Broadcasting and Rules of the Kapisanan lng nga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas (KBP).
As an output of the training with significant contributions to their respective communities and the City as a whole, participants were being guided and assisted in coming up with their own community-based multi-lingual publication with ISSN from the National Library of the Philippines.
More significantly, it served as an avenue for them to develop their youth-oriented radio-based programs which will highlight their respective development initiatives, projects, advocacies, as well as the promotion of literary, historical and cultural gems of their locality.
During their on-site training, their skills in radio broadcasting were harnessed as they were given the chance to guest in CPSU Radyo Muscovado. As partners with the University, they (SK federation) were given regular time-slot every Saturday from 11:00AM - 12:00 noon as part of the YOUTH WE CAN segment of the program together with the SSG and FLP.
It is believed that this partnership with the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) will serve as an asset in instilling a positive outlook to them towards responsible leadership through encouraging participatory engagement on matters concerning youth development, interests, and advocacies. Likewise, this will enable them to cultivate their creative and innovative skills for effective information dissemination.
By: J.A. Emoy
Photo credits: College of Arts and Sciences