DOJ’s extension project wins Gawap Lingap Community Award

Words: Maridel Ish Catilogo and Ma. Lourdes B. Murillo

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines – College of Communication gained its first Gawad Lingap Community Award as a 1st runner up for Best Extension Program on December 8, 2020.

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In 2012, Dr. Hemmady S. Mora was seated as chairperson of the Department of Journalism up to the present. She initiated to pursue an extension program in able to present these accomplishments for the accreditation purposes of the department. 

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An extension project titled; ‘Salin-Kaalaman sa Pamamahayag sa Komunidad’ is one of the projects that aims to help a community to organize an editorial team and launch their own newsletter. 

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The Tinig West Crame, a newsletter for the community of West Crame, San Juan City, is an extension project of the College of Communication spearheaded by the Department of Journalism. 

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With the help of the professors of DOJ who trained the citizens, the barangay was able to create a newsletter that would help the barangay officials to communicate and report its various programs and efforts for the benefit of the community.  

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When asked by the accreditors why Dr. Mora chose West Crame, “it is shooting two birds in one stone. Doon ako nakatira at the same time, iyong kausap kong kagawad who was then the acting barangay chairman is a PUP graduate. We have a common ground so might as well help.”

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The grand launching of the project happened in February of 2018. Before that, there were certain procedures that took place, these were the proposal stage, signing of the memorandum of agreement, benchmark survey, framing and finalization of the training plan, and the training proper. 

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Monitoring of barangay volunteers were conducted for data gathering and writing of news for “Tinig West Crame” Volume 2 on December until January of 2019. 

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Upon the completion of the second volume, an impact study was made to see how it was helping the community that was led by Prof. Jomar Soriano. It tackled and evaluated the economic, social, public health, and environment, spiritual, and disaster risk communication. 

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The Salin Kaalaman sa Pamamahayag sa Komunidad involved 5 teachers, 1 barangay kagawad, 5 barangay volunteers, and the 24 students from different ages who took the training program.