UP Mass Comm holds alumni homecoming on September 27

Are you a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (CMC)?

Do you want to make money from (or just simply share) your old memorabilia? Do you want to hook up with old friends? Do you intend to know the answer to bugging questions like who among your classmates still loves you after all these years?

The UP CMC will hold a grand alumni homecoming titled

UP Mass Comm and You: Photographs and Memories atbp.

on September 27 (Saturday), 1 p.m. at the CMC Plaridel Hall in Diliman, Quezon City.

Special prizes await those who will bring interesting CMC memorabilia like old class cards, papers and blue books of CMC courses taken, as well as Form 5s, graded papers, course syllabus, student ID and library borrower’s card, among others.

There will also be a variety program showcasing the talent of CMC students and alumni.

If you want to bring back memories of your academic pursuits in the college (as well as ensure that your secrets will remain hidden!), the CMC will be selling to you for P1,000 your “student record jacket” consisting of your form 5s (admin copy), dropping slips, requests for reconsideration and other documents related to your stay of four years (or more) in the college. Please note that you can only buy your own student record jacket, not your classmates’.

The college will also have an exhibition area for any collection of objects you may want to share.

For details, please contact Dr. Arminda V. Santiago at (632) 920-6867 / (632) 920-6863 or Ms. Katkat Ramos / Ms. Chrissie Macaraig of UP CMC at (632) 920-6864 or email upmasscom@gmail.com / staff_upcmcfoundation@yahoo.com

ELECTION OPS E-BOOK

Preparing for Elections: Analyzing the Disposition of Forces in Election Campaigns by Eero Rosini P. Brillantes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Philippines License.

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Tornado in Los Banos, Laguna

A tornado formed in Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines on 14 August 2008 around 4 to 5 in the afternoon. Heavy clouds were present in that afternoon then residents observed a twister forming. Trees are uprooted and buildings are destroyed. When the tornado dispersed, Los Banos was wrapped with heavy rains with strong winds.

MANAY GINA DE VENECIA LAUNCHES ADVISORY BLOG, INSPIRES NETIZENS TO COPE WITH LIFE'S CHALLENGES

Manay Gina De Venecia, life counselor, radio drama producer, and wife of former speaker Jose Devencia Jr., walks on the mild side by launching her blog, www.manayginadevenecia.blogspot.com.

The blog focuses on issues pertaining to women, family, love and life. She describes herself as a "Quintessential Filipina", and gives advice on a range of issues considered essential in the course of a woman's life. She also showcases her advocacies and activities, especially the Haven for Women, Haven for Children, and the Ina Foundation.

In her daily blog work, she posts quotable quotes she finds on the internet which appeals to her sensitivities. These include quotes for mothers, children, prayers on peace and understanding, and faith.

Comments and quotes have been pouring in, mostly about musings of everyday struggle of people

, Says Eero Brillantes, who developed the creative and technical content for the blog of Manay Gina.

If you would read the comments on the blog, you can see the potential for a powerful outlet to propagate hope. Tagos sa puso ang mga naka post. So much emotion is involved. All of us try so hard to find our patch of good earth.

Of particular interest to a lot of her blog visitors is the post on the "Miracle of the Shoes" which talks about the loss of a loved one. The De Venecias lost a daughter to a fire accident at their home.

A blog post from a certain Maria Isabelle had this to say:

Losing a loved one is never easy. My Mom once told me that there is nothing more heartbreaking than losing a child. She said it with tears in her eyes. My Mom, like you, is a strong woman. She lost twins about two decades ago..And like you, she turned to the Lord and prayed for her two prayed for her two boys…I cried with you and your family. KC and I are of the same age and I felt you pain when I saw the footage on TV. Looking back, I see that you have come a long way from the shocked parent I saw. What I see now is a strong woman who believes that her beloved daughter is at peace with the Lord.
Pairs of shoes are amazing. In your case, it is more than amazing. It is miraculous. Keep praying.

Another post comes for a certain Ann Margaret and tells of her own life and death experiences as her comment:

As I read Manay Gina's blog on "Miracle of Shoes," I felt the void inside my heart like her because I also lost my grandmother. It was so hard to accept that she's gone because I don't have enough courage and strength to endure the pain of losing her. Her death was so sudden. But it would still take a life time for me to say "I'm ok." Her blog really touched my heart; it is very sentimental. I burst into tears while reading it. Losing someone we love is never simple; it would crash our hearts into million pieces, feeling as if the world is on your back. Though we cry so hard, it would never bring them back to life. Yes, I also believe that prayers are the best way to ease the hurt, because through prayers we can talk to them solemnly and in peace. Prayers are the best channel to communicate with God and to the soul of our departed ones. It would also help their soul to find their way to heaven. Let's face the fact that they left us because they are now in the arms of God. Just be strong and have faith. Because everything happens for a reason.

Manay Gina also writes on life learnings from her interaction with Former President Corazon Aquino, who she fondly calls "Tita Cory".She says that

To the world, she (Cory) will always be the symbol of a bloodless revolution. To me, she will always be my Tita Cory -- a role model in integrity, the glow of reason in times of darkness, and someone who finds strength and perseverance in prayer. I believe the Lord has blessed Tita Cory with the gift of His peace — an inner tranquility that calms the heart and soothes the soul.

The blog also features her own showbiz activities and in the process incites comments on the importance of her work in the field. "Nagmamahal, Manay Gina" has so far garnered two Catholic Mass Media Awards. Says Enzo Emmanuel,

Showbusiness has become a tool of influence and change in society. because information is given at the same time as entertainment, the messages can easily get across. Manay Gina has used this to promote her advocacy which made a difference and lots of troubled women were given help

.

Nacionalista Party Stand on Cha Cha

Press Release: Nacionalista Party
From: Office of the Spokesperson


For More Info: Gilbert Remulla, gcremulla@yahoo.com
Date: August 12, 2008

NP Spokesperson Gilbert Remulla: No Amendments to the Constitution Before 2010

The Nacionalista Party, headed by Senate President Manny Villar, reiterates its commitment to policy debates on how to further develop the Constitution. It recognizes that the Constitution, being the mother law that governs the nation, must be responsive to strategic issues of national interest. It supports the initiative of Sen. Aquilino Pimentel to open the doors of debate on federalism as a pro-active course of action in bringing peace to Mindanao.

Having said that, the Party categorically opposes any move to change the Constitution before 2010 as part of peace building in Mindanao. It believes that this will further divide an already polarized society. The immediate task is to build a climate of understanding between and among stakeholders to true peace in Mindanao. And this means getting the pulse of the whole nation, sincerely involving our democratic institutions, and respecting our democratic processes and laws.

The peace in Mindanao must be addressed head on if we are to move forward as a country. We hope that any initiative to bring peace to Mindanao must be done with utmost transparency and accountability. Any move to pursue a political settlement among contending parties in Mindanao under a cloak of secrecy and political maneuverings will not prosper.

This also means a commitment to a peace process that de-escalates the conflict. This starts with the immediate cessation of hostilities and veering away from a climate of fear and armed confrontation. Our ordinary brothers and sisters are the ones suffering. The displaced are already around 160,000 and still increasing. Add to this those who are being brought back to the Philippines from Sabah by Malaysian authorities, and those OFWs going home due to armed conflicts in many parts of the world.

Let us all redirect our energy towards strengthening our republic. At the end of the day, we would like to see a Philippines that is strong politically and economically. Let us strive to be a prosperous and powerful nation, worthy of respect in Southeast Asia and the rest of the world. xxx

Young Generation of Politicians Barnstorms Schools, Connects with the “Internet Nation”

Press Release: August 11,2008
For more info: Eero Brillantes, 09276702831, mindbullet45@gmail.com

Young Generation of Politicians Barnstorms Schools, Connects with the “Internet Nation”



A multipartisan political group called the “Young Turks” led by Genuine Opposition Spokesperson and Pamantasan Lungsod ng Maynila President Atty. Adel Tamano has started to go the rounds of colleges and universities all over the country. Tamano, along with other young political personalities Nacionalista Party spokesperson and former congressman Gilbert Remulla, Ateneo English Professor Danton Remoto, Congressman Erin Tanada, Congressman TG Guingona and San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito are doing the rounds of campuses advocating for youth involvement in governance.

The kick-off started at Silliman University in Dumaguete City last July 10-11, 2008. Tamano described the event. “The bright students of Silliman University asked questions and we tried to answer them with substance and with style, with wit and cheer and laughter intact. It is because their questions seemed to deal with lack of hope, of being betrayed by their leaders, of abandonment. I hope we kept the spark plug of hope alive. We spoke in a chapel, a presentation room for business students, and the great church — all in one day. We hope the Sillimanians had a grand time, the way we did too, in our first campus tour.”

Eero Brillantes, CEO of Mindbullet Marketing and Public Relations, who maintains the young turk’s blog www.oppositeofapathy.wordpress.com, says that the blog has become hyperactive after the Silliman activity. Based on site metering, he noted interest in what the group has to say. “The blog has just recently been put up. Yet it has already been visited almost 10,000 times. It is currently ranked number 13 for politics and government by topblogs.com.ph. Its just one notch lower than the “Mar Roxas for President 2010 blog which is at number 12. The blog definitely has momentum. With the campus tour catching fire, the blog is poised to be a prominent fixture in new politics for the country. The Young Turks and the Internet Nation has become properly introduced.”

For his part, Remoto was upbeat about the launch and how the internet was able to disseminate the event exponentially. “Skycable showed the complete proceedings that night of July 10, and we also had coverage from two radio stations, two newspapers and the Sillimanian college paper as well as its website. Not to mention the many blogs of the bagets from Silliman, which are now being read and re-sent and re-read all over the borderless world of cyberspace. “

Moreover, Congressman Tanada emphasized the need for dialogue between the young batch of political leaders and the youth. He said that it is important for the youth not to lose hope and for them to assert their rights. Remulla asserted that there is still hope and it resides in the youth, and the young generation should not be afraid to stand for what they believe in.

On August 26, 2008, the Young Turks will visit the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance from 1-5 p.m. This will be followed by a tour to University of the Philippines at Los Banos in September. xxx

Audience research

The audience is the receiving end of any message that we want convey. Any product, advocacy, endorsement, activity or message that need to be promoted and sold has its own set of audience. The behavior of audience can only be predicted through an intensive, methodogical, objective and scientific research. To get help in doing audience research, its theory and practice should be studied both in the theoretical and practical perspectives.

Ratings Analysis: The Theory and Practice of Audience Research written by By James G. Webster, Patricia F. Phalen, Lawrence Wilson Lichty, provides a thorough and up-to-date presentation of the ratings industry and analysis processes. It serves as a practical guide for conducting audience research, offering readers the tools for becoming informed and discriminating consumers of audience information, from broadcasting to cable to the World Wide Web. In its third edition, this essential volume:

illustrates applications of audience research in advertising, programming, financial analysis, and social policy;

describes audience research data and summarizes the history of audience measurement, the research methods most often used, and the kinds of ratings research products currently available; and

discusses the analysis of audience data by offering a framework within which to understand mass media audiences and by focusing specifically to the analysis of ratings data.

Appropriate for all readers needing an in-depth understanding of audience research, including people working in advertising, electronic media, and related industries, Ratings Analysis also has much to offer academics, critics, policy-makers, and students of mass media.

Taken from google books

You may buy this book from amazon.com

Seven Great PR Tips for Winning Press Coverage

by: Robert Deigh

Reporters are always looking for compelling stories. You can help them and, at the same time, win press coverage for your products, services, organization or cause. Every organization, including yours, has newsworthy information. Sometimes you just have to dig a bit to get to it. Here are seven suggestions that will help you find the stories within your organization that you can pitch to get positive press attention and boost your public relations:

1) Identify trends in your industry - use your organization/product/issue as an example of a trend -- and pitch them as story ideas to the magazines, newsletters and Web sites your customers and prospects read.

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