Rencee's Blog

Project IWAG: The Cagbang Immersion

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The third year Communication and Media studies Students is currently taking up CMS 110- Development Media course under Prof. Amy Tanoy. The course is about improving and developing appreciation of the community media not only on the part of the residents but for the students as well. It is considered as a deviant course from the rest of the CMS production classes and lectures. In CMS 110, the students immerse in a community so as to teach its people on how to have more appreciation on the traditional media.

Barangay Cagbang was chosen as the host community of the project. The student were divided into 8 groups, each specializes on the development of a traditonal medium. Such examples of community media are binalaybay, community radio, Harana, Composo, Community video, wall newspaper and Community Theater. Each medium has its own learning value or message which aims to instill positivism on every residents using the community media.. Each group has its own set of respondents, whom they are going to teach and practice for the final output using the media. On March 6, Saturday is the culminating activity of Project IWAG of the CMS 3rd year students, wherein all the groups’ respondents are going to perform their final output.

This course does not only serve as breath of fresh air for the CMS juniors. It contains a lot of elements that promotes betterment of the Barangay Cagbang through the use of the media that is already available on the place. Every community media gives out messages that talk about learning values such as gender sensitivity and responsible citizenships and environmental protection among the residents.

The course aims all well to the community. The project had already run for months and so far, everything is in the right track towards the goal. But looking at the down side of the project, its sustainability is put into question. The project will only last for one whole semester. After the end of the semester, the residents have a greater tendency to forget about the project and go back to what they’re used to.

Nevertheless, the course has its big significant value on the part of the students. Getting their selves involve in a traditional community will make them knowledgeable of the different communication situation from what they’re used to. They’re familiarization of the basic media will make them more skilled and appreciative of the media they have right now., Also for the community, to be able to make use of their community media to its fullest purpose will make their everyday communication easier and better.