CEGP Trains Campus Journalists of Cebu
“To write is already to choose.”
The College Editor’s Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) held the Cebu-wide campus journalism training on Oct. 25 in the USC-TC Rigney Hall. With the theme “Padayon: Emancipating Campus Journalists for the Unceasing Fight on Responsible Journalism and Genuine Social Change,” the training aims to orient the participants on the role of campus journalism in fostering change in the country.
The training is participated by different student publications in Cebu, such as the University of San Carlos, University of Southern Philippines Foundation, University of Cebu – Banilad, University of Cebu – Marine Education and Training Center, Cebu Technological University, Cebu Normal University – Main, Cebu Normal University – Balamban, University of the Visayas, Roosevelt Memorial College, University of San Jose – Recoletos, and the University of the Philippines.
Different sessions were held by different speakers, who talked about the issues pressing the country and its campus journalists. Daryl Jabil of CEGP started the sessions by talking about the timeline of CEGP, from the time it was established until how it stands today. He also tackled on the role, objectives, line works and demands of the campus press.
Bayan Central Visayas representative JP Paglinawan’s talk was about the Philippines under the governing President Benigno Aquino III. In statistics, Paglinawan showed how the country is doing poorly in economic growth, employment, tourism, foreign investments, and agrarian reforms. He shared his insights on the country’s unequal economy, showing more statistics that proved how the richest Filipinos are getting richer and the poorest ones are getting poorer. In the end, he fought for change in foreign domination, domestic agriculture, and national industry.
CEGP Vice President for Visayas Franel Poliquit tackled on the situation of the Philippine campus press. She shared about campus press freedom violations nationwide, like withholding of funds, administrative intervention, and closure of publications. She expressed that these violations are due to the chronic problems of education, especially the irreconcilable interests of the school’s students and its administration.
Lastly, USC SSC Vice President Ken Ecarma talked about the People’s Initiative to Abolish Pork Barrel. The Pork Barrel Abolition Act, he said, aims to mandate itemized budgeting and to criminalize the use of pork barrel funds, and as a People’s Initiative, must garner 10 percent of the total registered voters nationwide, with three percent from each district. He further emphasized that pork barrel must be abolished for it promotes patronage politics, which can only benefit the politicians of the country.
In between the sessions were also classroom discussions, in which prominent figures in media taught the participants skills in certain fields of campus journalism. Luis Quibranza III talked about feature writing; Karlo Mongaya discussed about editorial writing; Nathan Archival talked about photojournalism; Intoy Corpin tackled on graphics design and layouting; April Agnes Galado talked about campus paper management; and Issa Perez shared some online and social media strategies.
After the sessions, the participants gathered for a caucus, where they shared violations they have experienced while managing their respective publications.
At the end of the training, certificates of participation and awards were presented to the participants. The Best Magazine awards were awarded to the following publications: Today’s Carolinian (USC) for Third Place, Lakandiwa (UC – Banilad) for Second Place, and Ang Suga (CNU – Main) for First Place. Today’s Carolinian also won as Best Newsletter and Best Website.
In her closing remarks, CEGP Head Secretariat Jet Cenia quoted writer Carlos Fuentes: “Writing is a struggle against silence. You start by writing to live. You end by writing so as not to die.”
