Through a workshop held on October 24 and 25, 2017 at the National Arts Center, Mt. Makiling, Laguna, the Padayon Public Service Office of the UP System prepared a batch of University personnel to write journal articles based on the public service programs they have been undertaking in the University.
Eight faculty, research, extension and professional staff members of UP Diliman, UP Los Baños, UP Manila, UP Visayas, UP Mindanao, and UP Open University went through workshop sessions on conceptual frameworks and quantitative methods of research that can best apply to their public service, so that they can come up with journal articles, either in English and Filipino, or both.
The workshop fellows were: Celia Balbin of the National Institute of Science and Mathematics Education Development in UP Diliman; Christine Joyce Mendoza and Charina Maneja of the College of Human Ecology of UP Los Baños; Fedelynn Jemena of Information, Publication, and Public Affairs Office of UP Manila; Soledad Garibay of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences of UP Visayas; Vlademir Shuck of the School of Management of UP Mindanao; and, Luisa Gelisan and Emely Amoloza of the UP Open University.
The participants are currently engaged in services ranging from teaching and environmental education and multimedia support for education, to community information management and development, agricultural systems management, and child protection in the hospital.
They are each expected to be able to submit an article to a peer-reviewed journal in six months. In the meantime, they will be presenting their public service programs in conferences organized by the University on public service and extension in higher education.
From UP Diliman, the resource speakers were journal editors: Dr. Rogelio Alicor Panao of the Department of Political Science; Dr. Manuel Sapitula of the Department of Sociology; Dr. Milagros Laurel of the Department of English and Comparative Literature; and, Dr. Vim Nadera of the Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature who is currently the director of the Philippine High School for the Arts.
After being run through the rigors of scholarly writing by Panao and Sapitula, the participants had a session with Laurel and Nadera on nuances of communication in the Philippines and the value of the “indio-genius” as expressed in language.
According to Padayon Public Service Office Director Ma. Crisanta Flores, the “writeshop” is being conducted for the first time. It was initiated by her immediate predecessor, Nelson Cainghog. With public service promoted as “a scholarly and interdisciplinary endeavor”, its acceptance as a role of the University of equal footing with teaching and research is likewise promoted, Flores said. UP as a public service university is thus mandated by its 2008 charter, she added.
Panao said scholarly publication will not only lend “institutional legitimacy” to public service programs in the University but will strengthen its public impact and help public policy-making for community development.
Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs Jose Wendell Capili, speaking on behalf of Vice President for Public Affairs Jose Dalisay Jr., added that UP is a member of AsiaEngage, a group of ASEAN universities advocating social and community engagement of universities. The UP Padayon Public Service Office is under Dalisay’s office. (Jo. Lontoc, UP MPRO)
Text and photo by UP Media and Public Relations Office (MPRO)