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Copyright © 2021 UP CMC Department of Communication Research

All rights reserved. This manuscript is NOT FOR SALE. It may be reproduced, distributed, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or
mechanical methods FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Any part of this manuscript may not be
used or excerpted in an academic, commercial, non-commercial, or trade publication, in print,
electronic, online, or all other formats, without prior, explicit, and written permission from the UP
CMC Department of Communication Research.

Editing and layout by Professor Fernando dlC Paragas, PhD

Cover design by Assistant Professor Jon Benedik A. Bunquin, MA

Department of Communication Research

2F, Annex Building, Plaridel Hall
College of Mass Communication
University of the Philippines Diliman

Ylanan Road, UP Diliman Campus

1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel: (632) 9818500 loc 2665
Email: communicationresearch.upd@up.edu.ph

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Messages............................................................................................................................................................. 5

The Conference .................................................................................................................................................10

Theme .............................................................................................................................................................. 11

Logo ................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Organizers .......................................................................................................................................................... 12
The Department of Communication Research ........................................................................................ 12

Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE) ..............................................................16

Philippine Association for Communication and Media Research, Inc. (PACMRI) ............................. 17

Philippines Communication Society (PCS) .............................................................................................. 18

Organizing Committee .....................................................................................................................................19

Ceremonial Speakers ....................................................................................................................................... 21

Closing Keynote Speaker................................................................................................................................ 23

Guest Performing Group ................................................................................................................................. 24

Board of Judges ................................................................................................................................................ 25

Plenary Speakers .............................................................................................................................................. 28

Capsule Schedule ............................................................................................................................................. 31

Day 1  12 November, Friday ......................................................................................................................... 31

Day 2  13 November, Saturday .................................................................................................................. 33

Program & Abstracts ........................................................................................................................................ 37

Day 1  12 November, Friday ........................................................................................................................ 37

Plenary Session 1  Opening Ceremony ............................................................................................... 37

Plenary Session 2  Keynote Presentation 1 ....................................................................................... 38

Glocal intimacies amidst the global pandemic:

Of mobile mediated relationships and lockdowns in the Philippines

Plenary Session 3  Undergraduate Student Paper Competition ................................................... 40

Parallel Session A-Special  PACE Session on Communication Education ................................... 47

Parallel Session A1  Media Platforms & the Pandemic ..................................................................... 48

Parallel Session A2  Learning during the Pandemic ......................................................................... 52

Parallel Session A3  Life during the Pandemic ................................................................................... 58

Plenary Session 4  Keynote Presentation 2 ....................................................................................... 63

Lying together? Fake news as a social process

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Day 2  13 November, Saturday .................................................................................................................. 64

Plenary Session 5  Keynote Presentation 3 ....................................................................................... 64

Diversification in the Philippines’ Disinformation Industries:

Unboxing the digital warchest for the 2022 elections

Plenary Session 6  Graduate Student Paper Competition ............................................................. 65

Plenary Session 7  Faculty Paper Competition.................................................................................. 70

Parallel Session B-Special  PCS Session on Communication Practice ........................................ 74

Parallel Session B1  News & the Pandemic ......................................................................................... 75

Parallel Session B2  LGUs & the Pandemic ......................................................................................... 79

Parallel Session B3  Life Stages & the Pandemic .............................................................................. 86

Parallel Session C-Special  PACMRI Session on Academic Publishing ..........................................91

Parallel Session C1  Research Design & the Pandemic .................................................................... 92

Parallel Session C2  Pandemic Discourses ........................................................................................ 96

Parallel Session C3  Languages of the Pandemic ............................................................................ 101

Plenary Session 8  Keynote Presentation 4 ..................................................................................... 105

Pandemic, as told on Twitter:

Digital witnessing through hashtag assemblage

Plenary Session 9  Closing Ceremony .............................................................................................. 106

Partner Institutions .........................................................................................................................................107

Sponsors .......................................................................................................................................................... 108

Major Sponsors ........................................................................................................................................... 108

Minor Sponsors ............................................................................................................................................ 110

Donor ............................................................................................................................................................. 110

Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................... 111

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The COVID-19 Pandemic is a far-reaching health crisis affecting not only the
Philippines but the world. Its global spread is unprecedented to say the least.
We are trying to make sense of the various changes and modifications in
pursuing life brought by the pandemic. The pandemic has immensely impacted
on the pursuit of everyday life. In pre-pandemic days, the Internet was
essentially a conduit of texts, messages, and meanings; it was a mediation
and mediatization tool. With the pandemic, the internet has evolved to be an
alternative means of conducting/delivering classes/lessons, a main source for
information, and in a paradoxical way, a stabilizing and destabilizing platform
for society.

While we would like to re-search communication and media in the time of the
pandemic, I argue that this re-search should also include the recognition of
emerging and emerged trends in communication and media, especially
brought about by digital technology. Let us look into visual and textual
transformations such as, how binge watching has changed our personal
relationship with our media, to mention one among many. It is essential to
examine these transformations for the basic reason that the mass media
audience now has a vast smorgasbord of media forms that it can access. The
transformation is creating new ways of looking at images and texts as more
platforms are made accessible to the media consumer.

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To all the speakers, participants, paper presenters, and supporters of the

National Communication Research Conference and the Department of
Communication Research, my warmest greetings, thanks, and congratulations
to all of you!

We have come a long way from the first NCRC in January 2012, with the theme
“Creatively Rediscovering Communication and Media”. In that Conference, we
emphasized the importance of keeping up with evolutionary media, of looking
beyond studies of production and portrayal in media, and also interrogating
transformative media: of how to transform and be transformed by media in an
increasingly mediatizing and globalizing milieu. In this 7th NCRC, titled
“Breaking Through Outbreaks and Breakdowns,” we are tackling yet another
transformation in the field of communication and media and their
intersections with the many facets of human life and other social institutions.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has shaken us to rediscover transformations in
our personal and professional lives, as well as in the way we ask questions and
find creative solutions to survive, make sense, and meaningfully live our
everyday in a time when life seems to have come to a standstill.

NCRC 2021 is also the first time that the Conference is held purely virtually. In a
time when we are forced to be physically isolated, we take advantage of
mediatized interactions to reach more and more academics and scholars from
all over the country and beyond, precisely to break away from this deadlock
and carry on the practice of research, dissemination, and networking.

And so, I salute all those who bravely faced the pandemic by doing research
about it and despite it. I hope that this Conference affords us the space to
collectively combat the pandemic in the way we know best, through research
and knowledge creation. I also wish that this collective voice would also join
many more in the fervent prayer that we shall soon emerge victorious at the
end of this trying time. Our research competencies are indeed our gear that
will keep us relevant and equip us for whatever else the future may bring. And
the NCRC will certainly remain to be that battleground that will bring us all
together, to forge on through more breakdowns and transformations that life
may bring.

Padayon!

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Warm greetings from the Philippine Association of Communication Educators

(PACE)!

As the pioneer, biggest, and most dynamic professional organization of

communication and media educators and practitioners in the country, we are
happy to share the space once again with fellow communication scholars in
co-organizing the 2021 and first virtual edition of the National Communication
Research Conference (NCRC).

We congratulate the students, faculty members, and other professionals who

contributed greatly to the success of NCRC!

We also extend our appreciation to our board of trustees and members for
devoting their time and expertise as moderators and committee members, and
for organizing a PACE reflective session on the future of communication
education.

As we continue to face the challenges of the times, PACE commits itself to

pushing for policies that are responsive to the needs of local and national
academic and industry-based communities, to adapting to changes by
continuously capacitating our colleagues in navigating toward rehumanizing
communication education amid technological dependency, to caring for one
another as we safeguard our health and welfare, and to empowering our
sector by providing opportunities for collaboration and development of our
crafts and expertise.

Once more, our heartfelt cheer to everyone at NCRC. Mabuhay!

We are stronger because together, #WeArePACE.

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The National Communication Research Conference (NCRC) 2021 is a full-circle

moment for us at the Philippine Association for Communication and Media
Research, Inc. (PACMRI).

From NCRC20215 emerged the need for an organization where faculty

members, students, and academic researchers can nurture their
competencies, strengthen their work, network with each other, and contribute
to the improvement of communication and media as well as the development
of the nation through rigorous scholarly research.

At the NCRC2017, a Technical Working Group of representatives from various

communication and media programs convened to commit to the
establishment of such an organization. At the 2018 NCRC, the PACMRI was
formally launched, and its first set of activities announced at the 2019
Communication Research International Conference (CRIC).

In 2020, on the eve of the pandemic, the PACMRI held its first General
Assembly. The pandemic notwithstanding, the PACMRI has since held
numerous webinars and meetups: quarterly in 2020 and almost monthly in
2021. These events covered research approaches from the quantitative, the
qualitative, to the critical. The discussed topics such as health
communication, gender in advertising, learning in the new normal, doing
research abroad, researching fear, media and information literacy, women
doing research, and lifelong learning. We have partnered with the
Philosophical Association of the Philippines (PAP), the Philippine Association
of Communication Educators (PACE), and the Philippine Association for Media
and Information Literacy (PAMIL).

Next year marks the beginning of the programmatic development of PACMRI.

We will hold our first elections, begin a research program involving the
establishment of thematic interest groups, and work towards our own
academic journal on communication and media.

The NCRC gave birth to PACMRI. And now it is the turn of PACMRI, together
with our peer organizations, to help enrich the NCRC, build a dynamic
community of academic researchers on communication and media, and foster
a Philippine society that harnesses knowledge for good.

Mabuhay at padayon sa ating mga Mananaliksik ng Bayan!

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On behalf of the Philippines Communication Society (PCS), I greet all

participants, paper presenters, and organizers of NCRC2021, the seventh
iteration of the National Communication Research Conference, my heartiest
congratulations! This year, I find myself closing a cycle of sorts. In 2012, when
PCS was first invited to partner with the UP Department of Communication
Research for the first NCRC, I was the conference convenor.

At PCS and the UP-CMC, we see the value of endeavors like NCRC where a
community of communication and media students, faculty, scholars, and
practitioners participate in sharing research findings. Venues such as the
NCRC are opportunities for paper presenters to hone their communication
skills and to receive feedback from conference attendees that may enhance
their studies. Truly, presenting at a conference is just as important as
conducting the research. Research worth doing is research worth
disseminating.

This year’s theme is particularly significant, given the pandemic and the
consequent community lockdowns that we have all been through. When the
COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic, it spawned an infodemic. With
large numbers of people relying on online and social media to access real-time
updates on COVID-19, even well-meaning people spread misinformation,
sharing false claims, erroneous warnings, and false cures or remedies as a
treatment for COVID-19. The role of communication and media in stemming a
tsunami of misinformation is certainly worthy of study.

May you find this book of abstracts a proper introduction to NCRC2021’s

research presentations on communication and media in a time of pandemic.
We hope you find this book of abstracts —and the conference itself —
informative, interesting and inspiring. My colleagues in PCS and I are very glad
to have you here.

Keep well. Stay safe. Padayon!

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First organized by the Department of Communication Research in 2012, the NCRC is the
geographic expansion of the Communication Research Student Conference which the
Department began in 2008.

The 2014 NCRC, which had the theme “Beware: You are at risk” and focused on risk
communication, received the Top Award in Communication Training and Education at the 2014
Philippine Quill Awards of the International Association of Business Communicators- Philippines.

In 2017, the NCRC was held at the University of the Cordilleras in Baguio City, marking the first time
that the annual conference was staged outside the UP Diliman campus. The 2017 NCRC also
featured special sessions on research conceptualization and research dissemination. A technical
working group also met at the 2017 NCRC to initiate the work towards the establishment of an
academic research organization, which has since been founded as the Philippine Association for
Communication and Media Research, Inc.

In 2016, NCRC expanded to become the Communication Research International Conference

(CRIC) which the Department organized with the Philippines Communication Society (PCS). The
second CRIC was held in 2019.

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We are experiencing the greatest challenge of our generation. What has begun as an epic medical
crisis has infected our whole being, plagued our nation’s economy, and changed how we teach,
study, work, and communicate. It has displaced us from our comfort zones, separated us from our
rituals and traditions, and unsettled what we have already known and done so well.

From this place of uncertainty, however, we are heading into a re-search of research as we explore
new topics, new ways of seeing and doing, and new approaches to building knowledge. We are
moving towards innovations, transformations, and revolutions. Our ability to chart our future is
where our hope and salvation lay as communication and media researchers, teachers, students,
and practitioners.

The National Communication Research Conference (NCRC) 2021 will thus examine how we now
perceive and conduct communication and media research. The seventh overall, and the first to be
conducted online, NCRC 2021 will probe into the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on people,
groups, communities, institutions, practices, and behaviors. It will tackle the various breakdowns
that the pandemic is causing in the norms, patterns, models, standards, and routines of
communication and media research and practice. It will also highlight the breakthroughs,
realizations, discoveries, the steps forward, and the looking beyond which are helping open new
possibilities for communication and media research.

The NCRC logo features the Tambuli, an indigenous bugle that is one of the
earliest forms of media in the Philippines. Made of carabao horn, the tambuli was
used to summon people for village gatherings and signal important events. The
tambuli is the main icon that comprises the UP College of Mass Communication
(UP CMC) logo.

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https://www.facebook.com/UPCommunicationResearch

The Department undertakes research and extension work which benefit stakeholders within and
beyond the academe.

By teaching and conducting communication research within the context of processes and
effects, and grounding these with practical experience through fieldwork and internships, the
Communication Research Department ensures that its graduates are equipped to contribute to
the practice of social research in the academe, in the communication and media industries, and in
government and non-government sectors.

As a showcase of tertiary education in the fields of communication and media

in the country, the Commission of Higher Education named the Department as a Center of
Excellence in Communication.

The Department’s degree programs combine theories, methods, practice, and ethics in the
teaching of communication and media research. Though the programs’ various lecture and
seminar courses, students negotiate a diverse array of Philippine and global theories, appreciate
the nuances of research methodology, and study as well as critique public, corporate, and social
marketing programs.

Communication Research (Comm Res) students

- Learn the nitty-gritty of quantitative and qualitative research in communication and media;
- Enjoy courses that combine classroom learning and hands-on, fieldwork experience; and,
- Get involved in various extra-curricular activities that make for a holistic academic experience

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BA Communication Research

The program develops scholarship, skills, and proficiency among its students by teaching and
conducting communication research and by grounding these with practical experience through
fieldwork and internship. It ensures that its graduates are equipped to contribute to the practice
of social research in various sectors.

Master of Arts in Communication

The program contributes to a comprehensive and innovative advancement of communication as

an academic discipline and professional field of study. It seeks to develop critical inquiry and high-
level research by striking a balance between communication research theory and practice. It
grounds the fostering of awareness and responsibility in communication and its application in
other disciplines.

PhD in Communication

The program provides advanced graduate training in theory, research, policy, planning, and
management which enables qualified students to carry out independent research in
communication and related disciplines and to pursue careers in academic, government, and
private communication media agencies and communication-related institutions. It offers a
platform to attain distinction in the field of communication for professionals in the communication
discipline and related fields.

Salik is the Department’s Research Hub through which it integrates its

instruction, research, and extension activities. Salik is the root word of Saliksik
and Mananaliksik, the Filipino word for research and researchers, respectively.

Salik comprises:

Suri is the instruction component which comprises the Department’s two thematic research
laboratories: Salaysay, which surfaces and determines Filipino communicative experience, and
Subaybay, which examines media content and reception.

Sanay pertains to the professional development services of the Department. It offers training
programs in communication and media research, strategic communication, and allied topics.
Within Sanay, the Department is also developing teaching materials such as a handbook and case
studies.

Hanay is the Department’s digital repository initiative which consolidates studies and datasets on
Filipino and Philippine communication and media.

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The Faculty is at the cutting-edge of communication research in the Philippines. Its members are
experts in basic and applied quantitative and qualitative research, as well as in the related areas of
health communication, social mobilization, strategic communication, advertising, and public
relations/information, among others.

The Faculty also extends its services to assist developmental efforts by local and international
government and non-government organizations as well as business and industry groups. Through
their research, publications, and extension work, the Faculty thus contributes to the development
of their discipline and to society in general.

Filipino Diaspora  Philippine Folklore, Sociology of Communication

Communicative-Anthropological Perspectives

Strategic communication  Message design  Political communication

Feminist/women/gender studies  Family communication  Communication & development

Algorithmic culture  Platform governance  Networked disinformation  New media

Digital communication

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Discourse analysis  Dyadic communication  Social media & the self

Communication training & education

Gender & communication  Migrant work  Media studies

Communication, media & society

Communication technology and policy  Cross-border communication

Strategic communication  Gender, health, and wellness

Science communication  Health communication  Communication planning

Monitoring & evaluation

New media studies  Transnational migration & family communication

Political communication

Child rights  Participatory action research  Strategic communication

Communication training  ICT

Population studies  Reproductive health  Policy analysis

Leisure studies  Research design

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https://www.pace.org.ph/  https://www.facebook.com/paceinc/

The Philippine Association of Communication Educators Foundation Inc. (PACE) is a non-stock

and non-profit organization of professionals engaged in communication education and media
practice in the Philippines. It was founded in 1975 and since then has been in the forefront of
activities focused on the review of policies and standards for communication education and
ethical practice in the teaching and media professions.

PACE is considered to be the oldest, biggest and most dynamic national organization of teachers
of communication, broadcasting and journalism. PACE has been known for its pioneering
programs and projects promoting peace communication, media education, media monitoring,
public service broadcasting, gender-sensitive and child-friendly media, broadcast internship for
students, communication theory-teaching skills and government-academe-dialogue. Its
institutional membership consists of the Philippines’ leading universities and colleges.

PACE envisions to be “the leading organization with the conviction and passion to foster a
responsive and responsible communication education towards a just society.” It is “committed to
pursue excellence in communication education and ethical practice in the profession; to initiate
and participate in policy review and formulation in the field of communication, media and
information: and to serve as a catalyst for social change.”

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https://www.facebook.com/PACMRI

The Philippine Association for Communication and Media Research, Inc. (PACMRI) is envisioned to
be a network of academic professionals who will advance the scholarly study of communication
and media phenomena that involve the Philippines and Filipinos.

At the National Communication Research Conference (NCRC) 2015, the Department of

Communication Research of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication
committed to initiate the building of an academic network. Members of a technical working group
at the NCRC 2017 in Baguio City then passed a resolution to further discuss the establishment of
the PACMRI.

After consultative meetings in April and May 2018, the PACMRI was launched at the NCRC 2018 in
UP Diliman.

PACMRI envisions, “A knowledge-based society, fostered by a community of scholars, that values,

uses, and innovates communication and media research for the Filipinos and the Philippines.” It
seeks “to To advance knowledge about communication and media phenomena that involve the
Filipinos and the Philippines.

Joining PACMRI means being part of the first-ever organization of communication and media
scholars in the Philippines, as well as a community of communication and media experts who will
help elevate Communication discipline as a crucial driver of societal development.

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https://www.facebook.com/philscomsoc

The Philippines Communication Society (PCS), incorporated in June 1987, is an organization of

communication scholars, researchers, media executives, public information officers, corporate
communication officers and communication professionals engaged in the promotion of
communication as a social science discipline.

It is the only communication-related organization that represents the communication discipline at

the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) – a non-stock, non-sectarian, non-profit, non-
governmental organization of professional social science associations geared towards the
consolidation of Philippine social science resources.

PCS conducts and co-convenes forums and conferences for communication educators and
students and media practitioners. Its operations are being managed by fifteen trustees who
comprise the working Board of the organization. Its current secretariat office is at the Asian
Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) at España, Manila.

PCS publishes annually the PCS Review—a refereed journal on media and communication; and has
a newsletter – PCS Posts – to update its members on its activities. It also recognizes
communication and media experts with its Excellence in Communication Award. Two recipients of
this award were Florangel Rosario Braid and Regina Lopez.

Stalwarts in communication research and media education such as Dr. Florangel Rosario Braid, Dr.
Crispin Maslog, Alice Villadolid, Ramon Tuazon, Rod Cornejo, Gerry Josue, Dr. Jose Reuben
Alagaran III, and Ariel Sebellino, were PCS past presidents.

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Randy Jay C. Solis

Chair, UP CMC Department of Communication Research

Fernando dlC. Paragas

Head

PACE PACMRI PCS

Mark Lester M. Chico Divina T. Tormon-Pasumbal Maria Angelica D. Abad

Jonalou SJ. Labor

Jon Benedik A. Bunquin
Heads

PACE PACMRI PCS

Joeven R. Castro Divina T. Tormon-Pasumbal Lynda C. Garcia
Antonio Gabriel D. Tiongco
Cathyrene L. Peñaflorida
Thomas Edison A. Pineda

Ma. Aurora Lolita Liwag-Lomibao

Marie Fatima I. Gaw
Mariam Jayne M. Agonos
Heads

PACE PACMRI PCS

Reginald H. Gonzales Karen Lee V. Panela Christine Anne R. Cox
Julius Neil Piala Felipe F. Salvosa II Artin G. Umali
Jude Vincent Parcon
Nelfa M. Glova

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Julienne Thesa Y. Baldo-Cubelo

Fernando dlC. Paragas
Jon Benedik A. Bunquin
Heads

PACE PACMRI PCS

Rowena Capulong Reyes Ralph Edward P. Sekito Felipe F. Salvosa II
Ulderico B. Alviola John Cavin M. Sabonsolin Nef T. Luczon
Maria Theresa B. Panzo

Ma. Rosel S. San Pascual

Head and PACMRI Representative

PACE PCS
Monina T. Bello Dante M. Velasco
Gina D. Lumauig

Violeda A. Umali
Head

PACE PACMRI PCS

Bettina Joyce P. Ilagan Joyce L. Arriola Lourdes M. Portus
Janet S. Tibaldo Fernando dlC. Paragas Kriztine R. Viray

Czekaina Esrah Rapanot

Maria Katreena L. Saguid
Jose Lorenzo Bautista
Patricia Emerie dela Pena
Nicole Claire Desierto
Yllian San Luis

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(In order of presentation)

Ma. Josefina “Joy” Belmonte is currently serving as the 11th elected mayor of
Quezon City since 2019.

Mayor Belmonte believes that the success of the city lies upon having
trustworthy leadership, data and information-driven decision making, and an
efficient and well-functioning government system that is worthy of the public
trust.

Her style of leadership is one that is heavily rooted in the needs and
wants of every QCitizen. She strengthened people’s participation by
involving many sectoral organizations, civil society groups, and other
stakeholders.

During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Mayor Joy Belmonte proved

that through the dedicated service of the local government officials and
genuine concern for its constituents, the city will survive all hurdles
thrown against it.

Mayor Belmonte completed her high school studies at the Poveda

Learning Centre. She got her Social Sciences degree from the Ateneo
de Manila University, a master’s degree in Philosophy from the Institute
of Archaeology, University College in London, and another Master’s
degree in Museum Studies from the Leicester University in the United
Kingdom.

[From https://quezoncity.gov.ph/public-servants/mayor-joy-belmonte/]

Fidel Nemenzo is Professor of Mathematics and Chancellor of the

University of the Philippines Diliman. He studied at UP Diliman and
Sophia University in Tokyo, where he obtained his Doctor of Science
degree in mathematics. He specializes in number theory, elliptic curves
and coding theory, and has held research and teaching posts in Tokyo,
Singapore, Amsterdam, Munich and Phnom Penh. Among the awards
he has received are the Achievement Award in Mathematics from the
National Research Council of the Philippines and the UP Diliman
Gawad Chancellor para sa Pinakamahusay ng Guro. Prof. Nemenzo
served as President of both the Southeast Asian Mathematical Society
and the Mathematical Society of the Philippines. He is currently the
chairperson of the Mathematical Sciences Division of the National
Research Council of the Philippines.

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Dean Armina V. Santiago is a tenured faculty member at the UP College of

Mass Communication and an affiliate faculty member with the Faculty of
Information and Communication Studies at the UP Open University. She is also
the President of the UP CMC Foundation, Inc. and the Head of Production of
TVUP, the Internet television station of the UP System.

Dr. Santiago was a Visiting Associate Professor at the School of MultiMedia

Technology and Communication at the Universiti Utara Malaysia under the
Bachelor in Creative Industry Management (BCIM) (Film). She handled courses
in Creative and Critical Thinking, Film History and Theory, Directing,
Screenwriting, and was the production thesis adviser for the first batch of
BCIM graduates.

Professor Santiago has a PhD Communication degree and a Bachelor Arts

degree in Broadcast Communication from UP. She earned her Master of Arts
degree in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of North Texas in the
United States as a Fulbright-Hayes scholar. Her dissertation, “Imaging the
Filipino Woman: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Melodramatic Films made by
Filipino Mainstream Directors from 1990 to 2000,” received the 2010 Award of
Distinction from the 4th Lourdes Lontok-Cruz Award for Best Thesis in
Women’s and Gender Studies.

Randy Jay C. Solis, PhD was a member of the Department of Communication

Research at the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Mass
Communication and the founding steering committee of the National
Communication Research Conference in 2012. In 2020, he obtained his PhD
degree from the School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese
University of Hong Kong. After this, he returned to the faculty and is now the
Department Chair and Convenor of the NCRC 2021.

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Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo, an alternative lawyer and public servant, is the
14th Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines. After years of working
with the poor and the marginalized, teaching the less fortunate about their
rights under the law, Leni, as she is popularly known, emerged into national
consciousness following the loss of her husband, long-time Naga City Mayor
and Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo. Called upon to carry on his legacy of
good governance she stepped into the political arena in 2013, when she won
as Representative of the Third District of Camarines Sur.

Amid productive term in Congress, she was called upon to run for Vice
Presidency, and rose above many odds to assume the second-highest elected
post in the country. Determined to bring the Office of the Vice President closer
to the people, she led the crafting of its flagship anti-poverty program, Angat
Buhay–an endeavor inspired by six key advocacy areas, including food security
and nutrition, women empowerment, education, healthcare, rural
development, and housing. It has reached 185 communities around the
country, through the generosity of partner-organizations and individuals,
most of whom are from the private sector. She also launched Istorya ng Pag-
asa, a program that aims to spread hope and positivity by featuring
extraordinary stories of ordinary Filipinos through words and portraits, and
films, shown at events, exhibits, and social media.

Believing in the power of collaboration, and a faith in the people, VP Leni vows
to keep working to help her fellow Filipinos, especially those in the fringes of
society.

[From http://ovp.gov.ph]

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http://upconcertchorus.net/

The UP Concert Chorus, UPCC, or simply Korus, is one of the official performing
groups of the University of the Philippines. As an internationally-competitive choir,
Korus has perfected versatility in singing classical, folk, pop, and Broadway musical
genres with signature vibrant choreography.

An icon of stage performance that pioneered ChoreoCapella or choreographed a

capella in the Philippines, Korus is one of NCCA's Ani ng Dangal Awardees for 2013 &
2016. Ranked No. 1 in the world for Folk choral performance at the 2012 Festival
Internacional de Cantonigros in Spain. Korus also garnered the Grand Prix at the 6th
International Krakow Choir Festival in Poland and was the recipient of the 2012 Aliw
Awards Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award. Korus soars beyond its 50th year
to share its unique, fun, and passionate performances to the world.

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 25

VIOLEDA A. UMALI, PHD

U of the Philippines Diliman
Chair

JANET S. TIBALDO, PHD JOYCE L. ARRIOLA, PHD KRIZTINE R. VIRAY, MA

Saint Louis U University of Santo Tomas Polytechnic University of the
PACE Representative PACMRI Representative Philippines
PCS Representative

BETTINA JOYCE P. FERNANDO DLC LOURDES M. PORTUS, PHD

ILAGAN, PHD PARAGAS, PHD Philippine Social Science
Cavite State University U of the Philippines Diliman Council
PACE Representative PACMRI Representative PCS Representative

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JOYCE ARRIOLA, PHD is a professor of communication and literature at the University of Santo
Tomas. She is a Regular Member of the National Research Council of the Philippines, Division 11-
Humanities. Currently, she is the Director for Research of the Philippine Association for
Communication and Media Research, Inc. Her research interests include postmodern and
postcolonial media and cultural studies, cinema studies and adaptation studies.

BETTINA JOYCE PETELO ILAGAN, PHD is a faculty member of the Department of Languages and Mass
Communication, College of Arts and Sciences, Cavite State University. Among the courses she
handles are communication theory and research, advanced communication skills, and thesis
writing and scientific reporting. She is a graduate of BA Organizational Communication (cum
laude) from the University of the Philippines Manila and MA in Communication Arts and PhD
Development Communication from the University of the Philippines Los Baños. She is a member of
Gamma Sigma Delta International Honor Society of Agriculture, Asian Congress for Media and
Communication, Association of Tertiary Press Advisers in Southern Tagalog, and the International
Communication Association. She currently serves as member of the board of trustees of the
Philippine Association of Communication Educators.

FERNANDO DE LA CRUZ PARAGAS, PHD is a Professor at the Department of Communication Research

of the College of Mass Communication of the University of the Philippines Diliman and the
Convenor of the Program on Higher Education Research and Policy Reform at the UP Center for
Integrative Development Studies. In 2019, he received the Gawad Tsanselor sa Natatanging
Guro. He completed his PhD degree in Mass Communication at Ohio University as a scholar of the
Fulbright program of the United States of America. Dr Paragas earned his MA in Urban and
Regional Planning, for which he received a Dean's Medallion, and BA in Communication Research,
where he received the Best Undergraduate Thesis Award, at UP Diliman. Dr Paragas had taught at
the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at the Nanyang Technological
University, Singapore.

LOURDES PORTUS, PHD is the Executive Director at the Philippine Social Science Council. She was a
Professor at the UP College of Mass Communication and served as the Special Assistant to the
President of the University of the Philippines. She has published books and several articles in local
and international refereed journals. She earned her PhD and Master of Arts degrees in
Communication and Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from UP Diliman.

JANET S. TIBALDO, PHD, a Licensed Professional Teacher, is a BA Communication faculty at the

School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts, and a Language professor at the School of
Advanced Studies in Saint Louis University. She is currently an exchange professor in
Communication Science at Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta. She finished her AB Mass
Communication, MA and PhD in Language Education (magna cum laude) in SLU. She is currently
pursuing her MA in Communication at the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC).
She is a member of the board of trustees of the Philippine Association of Communication
Educators (PACE) and a technical panel member in the Media Literacy Orientation Services
program of the National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT). Based on her conference papers
and publications, her research interests are MIL, media semiotics, visual rhetoric, computer-
mediated communication, and participatory culture.

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VIOLEDA A. UMALI, PHD (University of Vienna) is Professor at the Department of Communication

Research of the College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD). Her
research focuses on mediated communication as it links with politics and governance, population
dynamics, and leisure. She earned her BA Communication Research (cum laude) and MA
Demography degrees from the University of the Philippines. She also holds a Master of Mass
Communication degree from the Nanyang Technological University, where she was enrolled as a
recipient of an ASEAN postgraduate fellowship from the Singapore government. She pursued her
PhD in Political Science degree as a fellow of the InitiativKolleg Vienna School of Governance,
University of Vienna, Austria.

KRIZTINE ROSALES-VIRAY, MA is erstwhile President of the Philippines Communication Society and

an Associate Professor of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Ms. Viray teaches courses
in research, communication, theatre, and film Her research interests include gender and the
media, media and political participation, cultural studies, film studies and communication and
education. Some of her works were presented in various national and international conferences
and published in peer-reviewed journals. Her recent publications are the following: Intersections:
Readings in Media, Government and Society (co-author), Theorizing the Filipino Communication
Environment in the 100 Days of Duterte (co-author) and Media’s Influence on Government and
Society (sole author). Ms. Viray is a graduate of Master in Communication major in Communication
Research from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. She currently works on her
dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy in Philippine Studies (Language, Culture and Media) at the
De La Salle University Manila.

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(In order of presentation)

Jason Vincent A. Cabañes is Professor of Communication and Research Fellow

at De La Salle University—Manila. He holds a PhD from the University of Leeds,
UK. He is currently chair of the Ethnicity and Race in Communication Division of
the International Communication Association and associate editor of the top-
tier journal Communication, Culture and Critique. His primary research focus is
on the mediation of cross-cultural intimacies and solidarities. He was recently
Principal Investigator for the project ‘Imaginaries of intimacy and cultural
diplomacy: Korean television series, Filipino understandings of romance, and
cross-cultural encounters of social values’, funded by The Korea Foundation
via the University of the Philippines Korea Research Center. His earlier works
appear in top-tier publications such as New Media and Society, Media, Culture
and Society, the International Journal of Cultural Studies, Visual Studies , and
the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. He is also co-editor of the book
Mobile media and social intimacies in Asia: Reconfiguring local ties and
enacting global relationships. This 2021, he has been named by the National
Academy of Science and Technology as one of the Philippines' Outstanding
Young Scientists.

Cecilia S. Uy-Tioco is Associate Professor of Media Studies in the Department

of Communication at California State University San Marcos. She holds a Ph.D.
in Cultural Studies from George Mason University. Her research is primarily
engaged in interrogating the relationships between media, culture, and
globalization. In particular, she studies digital inequality and the
telecommunication industry in the Philippines and digital/mobile media and
transnational Filipino migrants. Her work has been published in Continuum:
Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, Communication Research and Practice,
Media International Australia, and various edited books. She is co-editor of the
book Mobile Media and Social Intimacies in Asia: Reconfiguring Local Ties and
Enacting Global Relationships. She is spending the 2021-22 academic year in
the Philippines to do research for her book tentatively titled, Texting Capital:
Mobile Phones, Social Transformation, and the Reproduction of Power in the
Philippines. During this time, she will also be Visiting Faculty at the Ateneo de
Manila University and the University of the Philippines.

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Edson C. Tandoc Jr. is an Associate Professor at the Wee Kim Wee School of
Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University in
Singapore and an Associate Editor of Digital Journalism and Human
Communication Research. He is also the author of Analyzing Analytics:
Disrupting Journalism One Click at a Time (Routledge, 2019) and co-editor of
Critical Incidents in Journalism: Pivotal Moments Reshaping Journalism around
the World (Routledge, 2020). He is also the Director of NTU’s new Center for
Information Integrity and the Internet (IN-cube). His research focuses on the
impact of emerging technologies on digital news production and consumption.

Jonathan Corpus Ong is Associate Professor of Global Digital Media at the

University of Massachusetts - Amherst. He has written two books and over
twenty journal articles in the areas of media ethics and. digital politics. His
research on the shadowy political trolling industries in Southeast Asia uses
ethnography to understand the identities and motivations of disinformation
producers. His policy engagement with the Philippines' election commission
led to policy change in social media political advertising in the 2019 Philippines
Elections. He is currently Research Fellow at the Shorenstein Center of
Harvard Kennedy School where he studies 1) COVID-19 racism and
disinformation, 2) conspiracy theory in tarot and astrology online
communities, and 3) the true costs of disinformation to human rights workers.

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Jon Benedik A. Bunquin is an Assistant Professor at the Department of

Communication Research of the College of Mass Communication, University
of the Philippines Diliman. His research focuses on networked citizenship, and
he studies how networked media environments shape people’s engagement
with social and political affairs using quantitative and digital research
methods. He has presented and published work on the political
communication networks of the youth, networks of online social movements,
and political participation in various local and international conferences and
journals. He earned his BA Journalism (cum laude) from the University of the
Philippines College of Mass Communication. He also graduated with an MA
Communication from the same University, where he received the best
master’s thesis award for his work on the Filipino youth’s political
communication networks

Fatima Gaw is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Communication

Research, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines. Her
research centers on the mediation of platforms, algorithms and digital
technologies in cultural production, politics, and public discourse. Her recent
scholarly works involve theorizing algorithmic cultures, problematizing
platform governance, and investigating political influencers and social
movements in contemporary media environments, published and presented in
international and regional journals and conferences. She has a Master’s
degree in Digital Communication and Culture from the University of Sydney
and a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Communication, Magna cum laude, from
the University of the Philippines.

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
12:30-1:00PM Assembly time
1:00-2:00PM Opening Ceremony
Plenary - Welcome Messages
Session - Intermission Number
1 - Conference Overview
2:00-2:45PM Keynote Presentation 1
Plenary Glocal intimacies amidst the global pandemic:
Session Of mobile mediated relationships and lockdowns in the Philippines
2 - Jason Vincent A. Cabañes, PhD (U of Leeds, UK)
Professor, De La Salle U
- Cecilia S. Uy-Tioco, PhD (George Mason U, USA)
Associate Professor, California State U San Marcos, USA
Visiting Faculty, Ateneo de Manila U & U of the Philippines Diliman
2:45-4:30PM Undergraduate Student Paper Competition
Plenary “Shoot them dead”: Influence of the headlines and captions of online news
Session articles towards comments on Facebook
3 - Chloe Therese Rodriguez, Mary Cielou Garganera, Amiel Pazcoguin,
Sarah Faith Rulloda, & Luise Gayle Sangalang• U of the Philippines Diliman
Cathexis on face in catastrophe: Politeness in President Duterte's late-night
public address "Talk to the People on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)”
- Rhovyc R. Caguisa, Alleya D. Era, Neycheren I. Gurne, Omar James M.Lero, Ma.
Gheia Arrianne N. Marañon, & Jannelle M. Molina • Polytechnic U of the
Philippines
Critical discourse analysis of ABS-CBN’s coverage of Duterte’s public
addresses on COVID-19 response
- Sarah Faith D. Rulloda, Mary Cielou B. Garganera, Amiel Loïc C. Pazcoguin,
Chloe Therese B. Rodriguez, & Luise Gayle C. Sangalang • U of the Philippines
Diliman
Virtual linguistic landscape of health announcements in the Philippines
during COVID-19 pandemic
- Blessy P. Jerusalem, Keziah G. Dellosa, Natalie A. Tabayan, Honelyn B. Alarca,
Lois Laine Lua, Kendy Cleare D. Benedicto, & Henelsie B. Mendoza • Philippine
Normal U
Ew! COVID!: A narrative analysis of the existing stigma against survivors and
their stigma management
- Diego A. Dequino, Joshua V. Lim, & Byron Luigi L. Gaton • De La Salle - College
of St. Benilde Antipolo Campus

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4:30-4:45PM Wellness Break

4:45-6:00PM PACE Session on Communication Education
Parallel What lessons have we learned during the pandemic which can inform
Sessions communication education in the next normal?
PS-A
A Moderator: Joeven Castro, MA • Far Eastern U
SPECIAL
- Marco Polo, MA • De La Salle U Dasmariñas
- Karen Panela, MA • Far Eastern U
- Maria Gwenetha Y. Pusta, PhD • U of Santo Tomas
Media Platforms & the Pandemic
Moderator: Rowena Capulong Reyes, PhD • Far Eastern U
- Analysis of the cognitive effects of IATFEID’s COVID-19 guidelines
through the utilized mediums of selected respondents of Cabuyao,
Laguna
PS-A1
- Kaka-selpon mo 'yan!: A descriptive study of Gen Z college
PACE
students' feature preferences in CMC applications during
- the COVID-19 pandemic
- CANVAS: Challenges among tertiary students
- Philippine cinema: Factors that affect the role of independent
Filipino film producers in the age of streaming
Learning during the Pandemic
Moderators: Cheeno Sayuno, MA • U of the Philippines Los Baños and
Dame Avelino, MA • Angeles U Foundation
- Intercultural communication competence of Filipino professors in
South Korea in the disruptive, transitional online teaching and
learning
- Tungo sa pagbuo ng plano sa komunikasyon ng kalidad ng
PS-A2 programang Teacher Education, Espesyalisasyon sa Filipino sa
PACMRI panahon ng pandemya
- Reassessing online education: How the new normal affected the
communication strategies of selected digital immigrant educators
in Dasmariñas, Cavite
- Karunungan sa gitna ng pandemya: Eksploratibong pag-aaral sa
Filipino communicative behavior sa pagbabahagi ng kaalaman ng
mga magaaral sa Kolehiyo ng Komunikasyon sa ilalim ng flexible
learning system
Life during the Pandemic
Moderators: Hemmady Mora, PhD • Polytechnic U of the Philippines
and Christian Jaycee Samonte• Polytechnic U of the Philippines
- Social media detox as a healthy approach to social networking in
the time of the pandemic: A phenomenological study
PS-A3 - Life experiences in the new normal: Interpersonal communication,
PCS work values and job commitment of young professionals
- Awareness on online information and its effect on the attitude
towards self-quarantine of millennials residing in Batasan Hills,
Quezon City during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Filipino adults' lived experiences with vaccine-related circulating
information on Facebook: A hermeneutic phenomenology

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6:00-6:15PM Wellness Break

6:15-7:00PM Keynote Presentation 2
Plenary Lying together? Fake news as a social process
Session - Edson Tandoc, PhD (U of Missouri-Columbia, USA)
4 Associate Professor, Nanyang Technological U, Singapore


8:30-9:00AM Assembly time
9:00-10:00AM Opening and Synthesis of Day 1
Plenary Keynote Presentation 3
Session Diversification in the Philippines’ Disinformation Industries:
5 Unboxing the digital warchest for the 2022 elections
- Jonathan Corpus Ong, PhD (U of Cambridge, UK)
Associate Professor, U of Massachusetts-Amherst, USA
Research Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School, USA
10:00-11:00AM Graduate Student Paper Competition
Plenary Filipino resilience cannibalism: A textual analysis on the co-optation of
Session Filipino resilience vis-à-vis neoliberalism in ABS-CBN, GMA, and
6 Inquirer.net Facebook posts during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Pamela Faith L. Asis, Russel Cyra N. Borlongan, Easter Paz Issa D.
Paulmanal, & Jovelle Ann G. Urquico • U of the Philippines Diliman
Communicating landslide risks during the COVID-19 pandemic: A baseline
study for PHIVOLCS-Dynaslope stakeholders
- Heinrich Joyce Domingo, Eunice Decena, Ardeth Joy Maligon, Arturo Daag,
& Dr. Renato Solidum • U of the Philippines
- Diliman & PHILVOLCS, DOST
Coping with the pandemic: Participatory video and narratives of the
urban poor
- Maria Victoria Almazan & Trina Leah Mendoza, PhD • U of the Philippines
Los Baños
11:00 AM - Faculty Paper Competition
12:00 NN Emerging cinema quarantine (ECQ): Alternative film practice and
Plenary narratives in the time of pandemic
Session - Herwin Cabasal • Far Eastern U
7 Triggered together: Notes on the circulation of emotions in the digital
virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic
- John Mervin Embate • U of the Philippines Los Baños
Taking COVID-19 to the streets: Making sense of slang metaphor
- Priscilla Mizpah Santillana • U of Batangas
12:00NN-1:00PM Lunch

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1:00-2:15PM PCS Session on Communication Practice

Parallel How can one thrive as a communication and media professional now
Sessions and in the next normal?
B Moderator: Edna Bernabe, PhD  Polytechnic U of the Philippines
- Juliet Labog-Javellana  Associate Publisher, Philippine Daily
PS-B
Inquirer
SPECIAL
- Jesca Dalida-Bantayan  Insights and Strategy Director, IPG
Mediabrands
- Margot Torres  Senior Vice President for Marketing, McDonald's
and Communication Head, TASK FORCE T3 (for Test, Trace and
Treat) Inter-Agency Task Force – National Task Force (IATF-NTF)
News & the Pandemic
Moderators: Cherie Glo Cabungcal, PhD  De La Salle U Lipa & Herwin
Cabasal, MA  Far Eastern U
- Reporter's Notebook: Description of quality TV content produced
PS-B1
by journalists during the pandemic
PACE
- Exploring communication styles of local media practitioners on the
communication of COVID-19 issues and challenges
- A grounded analysis of news consumptions and preferences
amidst the pandemic
LGUs & the Pandemic
Moderators: Maybel F. Vallado, PhD  U of the Philippines Visayas
and Maria Gwenetha Y. Pusta, PhD  U of Santo Tomas
- Communicating COVID-19 in local government: A content analysis
on the crisis communication agenda of Pasig City Public
Information Office Facebook page during the pandemic
- Social media in the new normal of governance: Manileños’
PS-B2
perception of Mayor Isko Moreno’s COVID-19 live streams
PACMRI
- Active-empathic listening as a pandemic response initiative:
exploring the listening behaviors of the Quezon City Local
Government community media
- A comparative content analysis of the city mayors’ Facebook
pages during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Pandemic management and preparedness: A case study on Manila
barangays
Life Stages & the Pandemic
Moderators: Jason Paolo Telles, MA  U of the Philippines Baguio and
Christine Anne Cox, MA  Ateneo de Manila U
- Paper to screen: Experiences and strategies of baby boomers in
handling mis- and disinformation related to COVID-19 pandemic in
a digital platform
PS-B3
- Exploring the media consumption and response of selected
PCS
senior citizen residents during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Do you trust me(dia)?: Identifying response and detection
strategies towards misinformation amidst the COVID-19
pandemic
- Generation Share: Senior citizen motivation in fake news sharing
during the COVID-19 pandemic
2:15-2:30PM Wellness Break

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2:30-3:45PM PACMRI Session on Academic Publishing

Parallel How do we make our papers competitive for publication in reputable
Sessions academic journals?
C Moderator: Rae Marielle M. Bayanin  Far Eastern U
- Warlito Caturay, Jr., PhD  Editor, Silliman Journal
PS-C
- Grace Barretto-Tesoro, PhD  Editor-in-Chief, Social Science
SPECIAL
Diliman
- Jonalou SJ Labor, PhD  Managing Editor, Plaridel and Editor-in-
Chief, PCS Review
- Cheryll Ruth Soriano, PhD  Associate Editor, Asian Journal of
Communication
Research Design & the Pandemic
Moderators: Leslie Medina, PhD  Holy Angels U and Generoso B.
Pamittan, PhD  Far Eastern U
- Lair of lies: A quasi-experimental approach to validating deception
theories
PS-C1
- Resilience in media: Narratives on the impact, breakdowns and
PACE
breakthroughs during the COVID-19 pandemic among selected
media professionals
- Nanay school of medicine: An examination of health
communication accuracy in support groups for Filipino mothers on
Facebook
Pandemic Discourses
Moderators: Sheilla C. Balbutin  Xavier U-Ateneo de Cagayan and
Jenny Ortuoste, PhD  U of Santo Tomas
- What’s Up, DOH! A rhetorical analysis of the Health Department’s
virtual pressers on the COVID-19 pandemic
PS-C2 - (Mis)Information and rhetorical citizenship in Filipino TikTok’s
PACMRI #resbakuna: The rise of opinion leaders, gatekeepers, and
soothsayers during the pandemic
- Risk communication management amid the pandemic :
Transcending the challenges in risk reduction and management
among the flood-vulnerable communities of Davao City,
Philippines
Languages of the Pandemic
Moderators: Flordeliz L. Abanto  Far Eastern University and Jim
Duran  Polytechnic U of the Philippines
- I’m online because I miss people: Understanding interpersonal
PS-C3 communication dynamics and relational maintenance strategies
PCS of young adults through the use of online platforms during the
COVID-19 quarantine
- Humorous memes for COVID 19 communications
- A pragmatic analysis of Mayor Sara Duterte's public
announcements
3:45-4:00PM Wellness Break

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4:00-4:45PM Keynote Research Presentation 4

Plenary Pandemic, as told on Twitter: Digital witnessing through hashtag assemblage
Session - Assistant Professor Jon Benedik A. Bunquin, MA (U of the Philippines
8 Diliman) and Assistant Professor Fatima I. Gaw, MA (U of Sydney)
U of the Philippines Diliman
4:45-5:30PM Closing Ceremony
Plenary - UP CMC Department of Communication Research Initiatives
Session - Announcement of Paper Competition Winners and Special Prizes
9 - Closing Keynote Remarks

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


Maria Josefina Tanya "Joy" Go Belmonte

Mayor, Quezon City

Professor Fidel R. Nemenzo, DSc

Chancellor, U of the Philippines Diliman

Professor Arminda V. Santiago, PhD

Dean, UP College of Mass Communication

UP Diliman - Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts

Assistant Professor Randy Jay C. Solis, PhD

Chair, UP CMC Department of Communication Research
Convenor, National Communication Research 2021

Assistant Professor Randy Jay C. Solis, PhD  U of the Philippines Diliman

Associate Professor Maria Margarita A. Acosta, PhD  Miriam College

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


MODERATORS

RANDY JAY C. SOLIS, PHD MARIA MARGARITA A. ACOSTA, PHD

U of the Philippines Diliman Miriam College

Glocal intimacies amidst the global pandemic:

Of mobile mediated relationships and lockdowns
in the Philippines

JASON VINCENT A. CABAÑES, PHD (U OF LEEDS, UK)

Professor, De La Salle U

CECILIA S. UY-TIOCO, PHD (GEORGE MASON U, USA)

Associate Professor, California State U San Marcos, USA
Visiting Faculty, Ateneo de Manila U & U of the Philippines Diliman

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the already increasing centrality of mobile media in
Philippine everyday life. Because of the repeated lockdowns that the country has experienced,
people have turned to digital platforms to reconfigure their social intimacies. To understand these
mediated relationships, we draw on the concept of “glocal intimacies.” This refers to the centrality
of mobile media in people’s attempts to navigate romantic, familial, and communal intimacies that
are entwined in both the global and the local.

Glocal intimacies builds on the notion of “glocalisation” as the simultaneity and inter-penetration
of the global as the universal and the local as the particular (Robertson 1994). It also highlights
how this interplay of the global and the local are characterized by hybridity, in that the local is
influenced by global forces and that the global is challenged by the persistence of local cultures
(Ang, 2003).

As the most ubiquitous information communication technology (ICT) in the Philippines, the mobile
phone is at the forefront of amplifying the everyday-ness of these glocal intimacies. In the context
of the current global pandemic, mobile media has made it more evident that our relationships are
influenced by the entanglements of global and local cultures. Although COVID-19 has made
commonplace the experience of enduring prolonged physical separation from our loved ones, our
mobile connections have allowed us to reconfigure local relationships as well as to encounter new
kinds of intimacies that other people around the globe are exploring.

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Drawing from our ongoing research, we show how mobile mediated glocal intimacies have
sustained old ties and forged new ones. These include discovering new platforms for keeping in
touch, reconfiguring traditions and social obligations, exploring emerging forms of mediated
romance, and dealing with digital fatigue. At the same time, we recognize that because a majority
of Filipinos have limited mobile phone and data access, such experiences of glocal intimacies are
uneven and, for some, can be challenging to attain.

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


BOARD OF JUDGES

VIOLEDA A. UMALI, PHD

U of the Philippines Diliman
Chair

JANET S. TIBALDO, PHD JOYCE L. ARRIOLA, PHD

Saint Louis U University of Santo Tomas
PACE Representative PACMRI Representative

KRIZTINE R. VIRAY, MA
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
PCS Representative

"Shoot them dead”: Influence of the headlines and captions of online news
articles towards comments on Facebook

CHLOE THERESE RODRIGUEZ, MARY CIELOU GARGANERA, AMIEL PAZCOGUIN,

SARAH FAITH RULLODA, & LUISE GAYLE SANGALANG
U of the Philippines Diliman

The “shoot them dead” order of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, which targeted leftist
groups in his COVID-19 public address on April 1, 2020, drew controversy. The remark emerged
following the violation of quarantine protocols during the Sitio San Roque protest staged by
Kadamay, a left-leaning urban poor group. Duterte’s partiality towards leftist groups and the
criticized militaristic approach of the government’s pandemic response provided a rich context in
examining how various media outlets framed the controversial remark.

Against this backdrop, the headlines and captions about the statement were conceptualized in
this study as conflict frames, a journalism technique wherein the coverage emphasizes conflict in
a political event (Bartholomé et al., 2017). The presence of conflict frames in news may posit an
effect on partisan polarization (Han & Federico, 2017). In the online context, these conflict frames
can stimulate varying reactions from the audience as manifested in the comments. This study,
then, aimed to answer the question, “How do the headlines and captions of the news articles
posted on Facebook regarding Duterte’s “shoot them dead” remark influence the framing of
comments?”

A content analysis was employed on 44 online news articles on this issue as well as on 20
comments for each report. This study specifically analyzed the frames and tones of the headlines,

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captions, and comments. Frames are “central organizing ideas” that provide context, structure,
and meaning to information, facilitating a specific interpretation of an issue (David & Baden, 2017).
Parallel pro-Duterte and anti-Duterte statements in the Facebook posts and comments were
coded as positive and negative frames, respectively. Tones, on the other hand, were ascertained
based on the number of aggregated positive and negative frames. The headlines, captions, and
comments with positive tones were operationalized with predominantly pro-Duterte statements
or sentiments, while negative tones were anti-Duterte. Meanwhile, unclear tones were
determined based on the equally positive and negative coded frames, which indicated an
undistinguishable political stance.

Bivariate analysis was used to reveal the correlation between the tones and frames of the
headlines and captions to the tones and frames of the comments. Meanwhile, the combination of
the tones and frames of headlines and captions to the comments were analyzed through a
multivariate analysis. Results showed there was a recurrence of association between the
headlines and captions with the negatively framed comments. Negative frames in the comments
were likely to surface when the audience was exposed to news that contained conflict frames.
This claim is consistent with the findings that exposure to conflict in the media leads to the
decline of public approval (Forgette & Morris, 2006).

Findings also revealed that headlines were better predictors than captions, in which captions
supplemented information to the headline. Negatively framed headlines that mentioned the
critics of the government and emphasized the shoot-them-dead remark produced comment
frames that were against the opposition and media. Results of this study revealed implications for
journalistic intervention on political patronage among the public. This can be seen through the
association of the negatively framed headlines to the comments that defend the government.
This is further nuanced by the multivariate analysis of frame to frame relationships, wherein
headlines and captions that involve clarification of Duterte’s statement lead to a more critical
audience. With the results of this study, journalists can therefore curate content that can trigger
a certain reaction from their audience.

In this era, public opinion on social media is critical to policy-making and campaigns. Based on this
study, the researchers suggest looking at the influence of the magnitude of framing effects as
posited by the Theory of Framing Effect in Competitive Environment (Chong & Druckman, 2007) in
the context of the Philippines.

Keywords: Conflict frames, news on Facebook, Facebook comments, online discourse, political
polarization

The original version of this paper was part of the requirements for CRes 135 under Assoc. Prof. Ma.
Rosel S. San Pascual, PhD.

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Cathexis on face in catastrophe: Politeness in

President Duterte’s late-night public address
“Talk to the People on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)”

RHOVYC R. CAGUISA, ALLEYA D. ERA, NEYCHEREN I. GURNE, OMAR JAMES M.LERO,

MA. GHEIA ARRIANNE N. MARAÑON, & JANNELLE M. MOLINA
Polytechnic U of the Philippines

Reputation and trustworthiness are integral parts of crisis communication, and crises have the
ability to cause reputational damage, which may translate to more significant problems. When the
COVID-19 crisis hit the globe, it created phenomenal difficulties for leaders of the present
fundamental organizations. With the reverberating effects of COVID-19 on the Philippine
populace, the administration of President Duterte was forced to respond to the crisis and to
address the nation on how they plan to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, maintaining
“face” is fundamental in handling a state crisis. Looking at the most trending talk of President
Duterte’s late-night public address as a rhetorical artifact, this research asks: What are the
emerging politeness strategies in President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's late-night “Talk to the People
on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)” and its synergy on the rhetorics of crisis
communication?

Anchored on Brown and Levison’s Politeness Theory as a rhetorical lens, this study aimed to
describe the emerging pragmatics of politeness on the President's address and its rhetorical
implications. The theory pertains to the recognition of "face," or the positive social value that
people place on themselves in a particular situation. Thus, politeness theory assumes that
individuals use various speech strategies to save other people's "faces," both their negative and
positive "faces." Operating on qualitative textual-pragmatic methodological design, one most
trending COVID-19 Talk to the People address as identified by the Presidential Communications
Operations Office (PCOO) was selected. A qualitative analysis of the textual tapestry of the
chosen formal address was done based on positive and negative politeness strategies and
excluding other politeness strategies which require an assessment of the impact on audiences,
as reflected in the literature.

Findings showed that President Duterte utilized positive and negative politeness strategies. Even
though excluded from the study, it was noteworthy how other politeness strategies which were
bald, and off-record strategy eclipsed the prior. Identified arising themes were explicated as
COVID-19 responses, confabulation with New People’s Army, pre-emption of Martial Law, and
expectation of power and responsibilities, particularly positive and negative politeness strategies
during the address of crisis. The most employed negative politeness strategy was “apologize.” As
for positive politeness strategies, “notice, attend” and “offer, promise” were the most utilized.
Further, a prominent sign of pattern in his utterances arose as it persistently epitomized a way of
talking wherein it was grounded from offering grand vows to attempting to illustrate transparency
through admission and/or reasoning out without any considerable answer for pacifying the
populist public. His rhetorical speech act may provide a new kind of political rhetoric, including
populist strategies in political communication, especially in crisis communications.

Due to the nature of this research, it would be necessary to cross-check this with other speeches
of President Duterte to the Filipino population. Nonetheless, the findings of this study provide a
starting point for critical evaluation of other political speeches about the future crises and

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disasters within the Philippine context. These findings may, in turn, provide the basis for more
effective crisis communication, leading to better policies, programs, and strategies. In addition,
this modified or retooled politeness theory might be another point of entry for other researchers
for analysis of other socio-political contexts.

Keywords: Crisis communication, COVID-19, President Duterte, Politeness Theory, Rhetorics

Critical discourse analysis of ABS-CBN’s coverage

of Duterte’s public addresses on COVID-19 response

SARAH FAITH D. RULLODA, MARY CIELOU B. GARGANERA, AMIEL LOÏC C. PAZCOGUIN,

CHLOE THERESE B. RODRIGUEZ, & LUISE GAYLE C. SANGALANG
U of the Philippines Diliman

ABS-CBN Corporation, the biggest media conglomerate in the Philippines, has had a precarious
relationship with the Duterte administration. There had been allegations of biased reporting
against President Duterte, which created a rich political-economic context in analyzing ABS-
CBN’s journalism. Additionally, this is due to the media giant’s wide public penetration, elite
ownership, and blatant attack of Duterte against the broadcasting company. The coincidence of
the ABS-CBN franchise renewal issue with the COVID-19 pandemic is a crucial discussion on how
the media’s role in society can be utilized when faced with a threat to their business survival. This
study aimed to answer the question, “How did ABS-CBN’s online news articles report Duterte’s
public addresses on the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic amidst their franchise renewal
issues?”

This study analyzed 18 ABS-CBN online news articles on Duterte’s public addresses, which were
chosen through criterion purposive sampling. The articles included COVID-19 related issues such
as public health, corruption, government funding, criticism against the opposition, national
security, economy, and livelihood. Fairclough’s (1999) Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA),
integrated with Carvalho’s CDA framework for media texts (2008), was utilized to analyze the
chosen articles. Journalistic elements such as the structure, language, objects, and actors were
identified in the micro-level of analysis. For the meso-level, interdiscursivity of ABS-CBN was
understood by looking into the framing, positioning, legitimizing, and politicizing strategies found
in the articles. The macro-level analyzed the significant political events coinciding with the public
addresses, which was used to broaden the findings in the micro-level and meso-level analysis.

Under the positioning strategy, the depiction of Duterte as a rewarder and punisher was
characterized depending on whether he addresses actors from the out-group or actors from the
in-group. The out-groups in this study include Vice President Leni Robredo, rebel groups, and
alleged corrupt government officials while the in-groups include Duterte and his allies such as
Spokesperson Harry Roque, Health Secretary Duque, and the military. Simultaneously, findings
also showed that the articles framed Duterte as a man-of-action by reiterating his strong
statements from his public addresses. ABS-CBN then fulfilled their role as a provider of
information while taking on a “neutral stance” in their articles through reiteration.

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Politicizing strategies revealed the limited journalistic intervention of ABS-CBN. By comparing the
presentation of conflicts in the articles, depoliticization can be discerned in reporting
controversial in-group members such as China, the military, and other political actors who are
susceptible to public flak. Furthermore, the legitimizing process uncovered the construction of
Duterte’s overarching power through the reader’s interpretation of the article. Two elements are
found to be essential in interpretation: the article’s headline and the reader’s positionality.

The overall journalistic strategies of the ABS-CBN play a crucial role in the public’s meaning-
making of the government’s COVID-19 response. Although their media coverage could be an
opportunity to explicitly attack or favor the government, the network presented an objective
stance in covering Duterte’s COVID-19 speeches. The apparent neutrality of ABS-CBN’s portrayal
of Duterte is argued to be a strategy to please the various stakeholders scrutinizing ABS-CBN vis-
à-vis their franchise renewal issue. The public, therefore, is revealed to be the invisible political
actor behind ABS-CBN's journalism. The findings of the research were mapped in a diagram similar
to the ABS-CBN logo to unravel the interplay between the network’s condition and Duterte’s
leadership.

The results of this study contribute to the awareness of the media’s dual role as a business and as
a watchdog, in which the construction of online news articles is a product of these realities. The
researchers recommend future studies to interview those affiliated with ABS-CBN to better
understand and solidify the presumed stance of the company. Moreover, for a better assessment
of the journalistic intervention in news text (Carvalho, 2008) in an online mediated set-up, the
researchers suggest cross-referencing other online news articles from different media
companies by utilizing a comparative-synchronic analysis.

Keywords: ABS-CBN franchise renewal issue, Critical Discourse Analysis, political economy of
media, Duterte and ABS-CBN, COVID-19 journalism

The original version of this paper was part of the requirements for CRes 130 under Assoc. Prof.
Julienne Thesa Y. Baldo-Cubelo, PhD.

Virtual linguistic landscape of health announcements

in the Philippines during COVID-19 pandemic

BLESSY P. JERUSALEM, KEZIAH G. DELLOSA, NATALIE A. TABAYAN, HONELYN B. ALARCA,

LOIS LAINE LUA, KENDY CLEARE D. BENEDICTO, & HENELSIE B. MENDOZA
Philippine Normal U

This paper examined the online announcements of Local Government Units in Metro Manila,
Philippines during the first six months of the pandemic (March-August 2020). A total of 318
advisories and updates by the top 5 cities that had the highest number of COVID-19 cases were
collected from the Facebook pages of Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Parañaque and San Juan to
identify the country’s developing Virtual Linguistic Landscape or VLL.

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More specifically, this paper looks at code preferences, characteristics, and its underlying
implications to reveal the language situation, priorities and policies of these Philippine cities in
response to the current pandemic, as well as the implied meaning and power dynamics present in
the LGUs’ announcements.

Using a qualitative research design, the researchers adopted a coding sheet from existing
linguistic landscape studies (Oab, 2016; Mendoza, 2019) in examining the code preferences using
Part Writing (Backhaus, 2007); analyzing characteristics using Place Semiotics (Scollon & Scollon,
2003) and Visual Design Principles (Kress & van Leeuwen, 1996); and interpreting its power
relations through Preference Model Theory (Spolsky & Cooper, as cited by Gomaa, 2020) and
Critical Discourse Analysis (van Dijk, 1995).

The results revealed that English was the dominantly used language which could be explained by
the scientific and medical nature of information being transmitted that lacks direct Filipino
translations. This dominance was also reflected through the English-leaning nature of social
media trends in posts and discourses, as well as using English as the preferred formal language by
the authorities. Although there are several language policies in the Philippines that prescribe the
use of both English and Filipino in local announcements, the number of monolingual English
announcements raises a concern, as it presumes that the target audience can comprehend the
English language very well.

In terms of characteristics, the placement of the dominant language was at the top-center, while
the non-dominant, Filipino, was found at the bottom-margin. The use of colors in the
announcements was strategic so they could easily be associated with the LGU, making them
“more legitimate” and attractive to readers. Apparently, they also took advantage of presenting
statistics in tables, inclusion of images, illustrations, maps, and graphs to complement the texts.
Apart from the use of colors to mark legitimacy and territory, the constant presence of the LGUs’
logos served as a political publicity language which helped them further assert their control and
credibility to the target readers. While most signs aimed to convey knowledge and enforce safety
protocols, there was still evidence that some of them may be vulnerable to political agendas.

These findings call for language inclusivity in relaying scientific information and community
notices along with the need to demand accountability from the government in meeting the
language needs. These make the power relations more apparent than silent and propels the right
to know of the citizens. Furthermore, the utilization of VLL as a means of risk communication
highlights the importance of visual presentation, consistency, authenticity, relevance, and brevity
of the content as some of the main considerations in the production of online announcements.

Keywords: Virtual Linguistic Landscape, COVID-19, online health announcements, local

government units, power relations

The original version of this paper was part of the requirements for 02S-ENG14 Language Research
under Dr. Henelsie B. Mendoza.

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Ew! COVID!: A narrative analysis of the existing stigma

against survivors and their stigma management

DIEGO A. DEQUINO, JOSHUA V. LIM, & BYRON LUIGI L. GATON

De La Salle - College of St. Benilde Antipolo Campus

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, panic arose and struck local communities across the
Philippines. This resulted in, but not limited to, the hoarding of disinfectant alcohol as well as
numerous incidences of discrimination, racism, and hate crimes not just in the Philippines, but in
various countries all over the world. This development is all because of the fear of being
associated with the status of being a COVID-19 patient/survivor amidst the spreading global
outbreak. Some survivors have reportedly denied their symptoms, health status, and travel history
because of the fear of being judged and avoided by society or within their community.

This research aims to examine thoroughly the existing stigma against COVID-19 survivors here in
the Philippines by knowing their perceived stigma messages and experiences that were credited
to the survivors during and after their recovery from the virus. It answers the question, “What are
the Stigma Management Strategies of COVID-19 Survivors during the occurrence of stigma?”

To study the stigma, the researchers used Meisenbach’s Stigma Management Communication 1)
to identify and understand the flow of stigma communication all the way down to its
consequences such as how survivors manage discriminatory messages against them, and 2) to
understand the reasons as to how and why the stigmatizers communicate these stigmatizing
messages against COVID-19 survivors. This study thus surfaces common stigma cues. Both
negative verbal and nonverbal communication that the survivors received served as an indicator
of discriminatory acts during stigmatizing encounters together with the process of how it
affected the survivors’ lifestyle when they were exposed to stigma messages.

The researchers interviewed COVID-19 survivors as informants for the purpose of understanding
their experiences throughout their journey as discriminated/stigmatized individuals.

The involved strategies that they commonly used when stigmatized, according to the survivors,
were a consequence of the stigma message which was the acceptance and tolerance of the
negative messages that they received. Survivors mentioned that it would not last anyway and
would probably disappear in a few weeks. They cited the need for education and proper
knowledge dissemination to prevent more fake news from spreading, which would result in more
cases of stigma against COVID-19 survivors.

The stigma messages and stigma cues the survivors received were the manifestation of the
stigma that existed during this time of pandemic which affected their aspect of life by depriving
their privileges due to the stigma such as transportation, employment, family relationships, and
other sorts of needs. The survivors may experience having communication barriers from their
communities which hinders them from getting back to the society and if not addressed properly,
these minimal stigma cues may result into a more serious problem that may lead to violence like
the related cases of Chinese bullying and Asian hate crimes in different parts of the country. This
existing stigma can also be the result of hiding the symptoms which may become more
problematic in flattening the curve of COVID-19 cases.

Keywords: COVID-19, stigma cues, stigma messages, survivors, stigma management

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


What lessons have we learned

during the pandemic which can
inform communication education
in the next normal?
JOEVEN CASTRO, MA
Far Eastern U
Moderator

MARCO POLO, MA KAREN PANELA, MA

De La Salle U Dasmariñas Far Eastern U

MARIA GWENETHA Y. PUSTA, PHD

U of Santo Tomas
.

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MODERATOR FROM PACE

ROWENA CAPULONG REYES, PHD

Far Eastern U

Analysis of the cognitive effects of IATF-EID’s COVID-19 guidelines

through the utilized mediums of selected respondents
of Cabuyao, Laguna

ALYANNA THERESE B. TAGAMOLILA, IAN PAULO M. CHU, MIKAELA JANE M. OPIÑA, & HAILEY P. FERRER
Malayan Colleges Laguna

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought media institutions into heightened information
dissemination. With the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious
Diseases (IATF-EID) tapped as the central unit for handling the pandemic, media institutions rely
on this agency to disseminate timely and relevant information to the masses.

Previous international research has probed into audience dependency in times of crisis, human
cognition, and medium separately; thus, has been unable to comprehensively examine the
relationship between cognition, medium, and audience dependency to media as a whole. With
this, the importance of analyzing the cognition, medium, and audience dependency in a local
context enabled the researchers to find out how the information from IATF -EID are being
processed cognitively specifically the ability to acquire (awareness), remember (recall), and share
(language) information by the select residents of Cabuyao City, Laguna, Philippines.

By doing qualitative research that focuses on data gathered through a survey method and focus
group discussions, the researchers want to determine whether the IATF-EID guidelines and the
platforms of the City Information Office (CIO) were able to affect the cognitive processes of the
residents of Cabuyao City primarily those that utilize television and social media in obtaining
information. The data gathered by the researchers then showed that both social media and
television are effective mediums and that the level of awareness, retention, and language of the
respondents vary depending on their chosen medium.

The researchers utilized a baseline survey with a set of preliminary questions designed for
respondents who used television and social media as their means to acquire information. With
their responses, focus group discussions (FGD) were then done to see how their level of
awareness, retention, and language of COVID-19-related information manifested. These
manifestations were labeled into codes that were used to assess whether social media and
television were effective in disseminating COVID-19 related information.

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Furthermore, while both mediums played a significant role in making the citizens of Cabuyao
informed regarding the pandemic situation of the country and their locality, the data revealed that
television and social media, both as mediums utilized to obtain information had their respective
differences and similarities which made them an efficient medium to gather COVID-19-related
information. Moreover, the data indicated that television was a more effective medium in
understanding the pandemic situation in a national context, with information coming from reliable
and established media institutions. However, it lacked information dissemination capability on a
micro-scale or in a local context; which was what social media provided. As local government units
had their social media accounts to relay and notify information regarding COVID-19, the local
information dissemination was at its high efficiency.

However, with social media being a host to various cybercrimes, the authenticity of the
information being relayed continues to be a challenge for the LGUs as disinformation and
misinformation hinder the community’s collective understanding of the pandemic situation. In
conclusion, both mediums have effectively affected the cognitive processing of information of the
select residents of Cabuyao City, Laguna. Both mediums have the respective characteristics that
make them an efficient tool to make sense of the information given by the IATF-EID to the masses.
Moreover, as the pandemic continues, the role of information dissemination comes into play to
ensure a well-informed mass. With this, it is important to guarantee that information is accessible
to all, from rural to urban areas, from national to local regions--as effective information
dissemination is at the core of risk and crisis communication

Keywords: COVID-19, awareness, retention, language, medium

Kaka-selpon mo 'yan!: A descriptive study of Gen Z college students'

feature preferences in CMC applications during the COVID-19 pandemic

PAMELA ANNE ROBLES & ANJULIA JUAN

Miriam College

Amid the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, people have felt isolated from their loved ones
because of the “social distancing” needed to decrease the spread of the virus. As the Philippines
was placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), people were unceremoniously made
to bid goodbye to their family and peers. Thus, many people were separated from those they
considered as sources of emotional support in these difficult times, leaving only digital means as a
safe channel of communication. While most aspects of life were put at a standstill, education
persisted by bringing the classroom to the home with online learning. Students were now faced
with the challenging of balancing responsibilities at home and at school without the direct support
of their peers. As such, the researchers sought to understand how Generation Z college students
enrolled in schools in Metro Manila utilized social networking sites (SNS) to maintain friendships
during the community quarantines imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Being tagged as digital natives, Gen Z was presumed to have the least difficulty in adjusting to the
transition to the online space. Despite this, there is little information known on how they use new
digital platforms to recreate their pre-pandemic social settings, specifically on how they utilize

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the tools available to them to convey the nonverbal cues that go hand in hand with face to face
communication, or if they even deem it necessary to do so to maintain existing relationships.

Several pairs of friends were interviewed regarding SNS multimedia features that they used.
Findings revealed that Filipino Gen Z college students mainly used video calls, photo sharing, and
GIF keyboards as a means to replicate in-person communication. The most popular SNS platform
they used to communicate with one another was Messenger due to the ease in which they can
access their contacts, but had learned to optimize Discord, which they said was able to most
closely replicate the feeling of being together in one space while taking up significantly less
bandwidth than other applications. Despite the long-term physical separation from their friends,
many students felt that their relationships had improved because of their efforts toward constant
communication.

The data gathered had shown that most, if not all, students were adept enough with SNS that
they were able to quickly transition to pure online communication. The community quarantine
became an opportunity to use new SNS applications and features that became either more in-
demand or popular. The physical distance had not been much of an obstacle for expressing
nonverbal cues as multimedia features had expanded to express an array of thoughts and
emotions. The availability of SNS features that imitated face-to-face activities and interactions
had been useful tools for students for pursuing their academics and interpersonal relationships,
however despite their digital native status, Gen Z still find stronger meaning in being in the
physical presence of their friends.

Keywords: Social Networking Sites, Gen Z, communication, multimedia, nonverbal cues

CANVAS: Challenges among tertiary students

CATRINA GRACE MELENDRES, EMMAN SUAREZ, JACINTH VILLANUEVA, & JEREMY JEDD PABOTOY
U of San Carlos

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced many educational institutions to suspend face-to-
face classes and transitioned to modular and full online modality learning. This research study was
conducted to identify the challenges faced by selected tertiary students in a private academic
institution in Cebu City in using CANVAS, a learning management platform that allows users to
access their course modules online and engage in synchronous meetings and asynchronous
activities.

Using Daft and Lengel's (1988) Media Richness Theory (MRT) and interviews conducted to gain
better understanding of the students' online learning experiences, findings showed that the
means of communication in CANVAS was limited; the messages conveyed were blunt and direct;
and the interface was quite complicated. Results further revealed that CANVAS fell short in
meeting the MRT characteristics i.e., ability to handle multiple information cues simultaneously,
ability to facilitate rapid feedback, ability to establish a personal focus, and ability to utilize natural
language. Fast and stable internet connectivity was required to maximize the use of the online
group discussion feature in CANVAS. To ensure that the quality of education is maintained and

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even improved in an online setting, further training, assessment and evaluation of the current
eLearning platform is highly recommended.

Keywords: COVID-19, online learning, Learning Management System (Canvas), communication

students, Media Richness

Philippine cinema: Factors that affect the role of independent

Filipino film producers in the age of streaming

GIONE DAINELLE PAGDANGANAN

De La Salle U Manila

This study explores the evolving role of independent Filipino film producers in the age of
streaming. Film streaming is rising because of the absence of physical cinemas due to the COVID-
19 pandemic. The audiences are finding and using new ways to consume films online. This
research highlights the significant factors that affect the role of producers in the story
development, distribution, and exhibition phases in the streaming era.

This qualitative study applied purposive homogeneous sampling by conducting in-depth semi-
structured interviews with award-winning and globally recognized independent Filipino producers.
The study concludes three factors that affect the creative practice of producers in the era of
streaming—the universality of the film’s story, audience character, and the flexibility of streaming
platforms.

Keywords: Philippine cinema, independent film, producers, streaming, new media

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
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MODERATORS FROM PACMRI

CHEENO SAYUNO, MA DAME AVELINO, MA

U of the Philippines Los Baños Angeles U Foundation

Intercultural communication competence of Filipino professors in South

Korea in the disruptive, transitional online teaching and learning

MARY CATHERINE ARIOSA

UP Open U

Globalization has been instrumental in the influx of Overseas Filipino workers worldwide. In
particular, Filipino teachers and professors in Asian countries such as a China, Japan, South Korea,
Thailand and Vietnam have been thriving.

Most studies on teaching are explored within the academic literature of education, psychology,
philosophy, management but another approach to understanding teaching is to explore it through
the lens of communication, in particular, Intercultural Communication (IC). There is limited
scholarship on the exploration of the lives of Filipino professors who are working South Korea and
how they communicate to other cultures different from their own. This study is also a fertile
ground for sociopsychological and socio-cultural views of communication research (Craig, 1999)
and finally, there are few narratives documenting authentic voices of Filipino professors in this
region.

The objectives of this study include the exploration of intercultural communication in teaching
practices and description of intercultural communicative teaching interactions that may influence
the social construction of knowledge in a disruptive transitional online teaching-learning space.
This study anchors on the theories of Intercultural Communication (IC) from various
communication scholars such as Byram’s (1997), Fantini’s (2000) and Deardoff’s (2006), their
expansion to include Benett’s (2008) Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) and ICC’s
pedagogical application (Tran & Sepho, 2015, Tran & Duong, 2018).

Moreover, this study talks about the shift from traditional face-to-face classroom interaction to
online teaching and learning environment as response to the current pandemic. Teachers have
been facing challenges as a result of this shift. Most South Korean university classes have been
done in three ways: asynchronously, synchronously, and hybrid/blended. Although technology
has been in place because of good Internet connection and software licensing investments made
by South Korean university, teachers are not equipped to become module-makers and digital
creators.

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Exploring the elements of Intercultural Communication (IC), Intercultural Communication

Competence (ICC) and the online teaching and learning space builds the framework of this study.
The exploratory, participatory, collaborative and constructivist/interpretivist nature of this study
is made possible through Creswell’s (2013) qualitative methodology (interview) of Filipino
professors who are currently working in South Korea.

The data from the experiences and stories of Filipino professors are analyzed through the
sociocultural and sociopsychological lenses of communication in order to know the
perception/view, development and actual practice of Intercultural Communicative Teaching used
by Filipino professors in online teaching-learning during the pandemic (COVID-19). The
perception/view, development and actual practices are fundamental in the definition of
Intercultural Communicative Teaching Practices (ICTPs).

The ultimate aim of this dissertation is to contribute to the thickening and advancing of literature
on the application of various Intercultural Communication theories through the emergence of the
definition of Intercultural Communicative Teaching Practices (ICTPs). This study is still on-going,
and participant-researcher is still gathering data and listening to the stories of her fellowmen and
women.

The researcher believes in the need for authenticity in the capturing the mind, heart, and soul of
each Filipino professor working in South Korea. “Our stories need to be told. Within the DIASPORA
discourse of mostly struggle, I believe that our stories of struggles and successes enrich the
Filipino Diasporic stories worldwide. (Ariosa, 2021).

Keywords: Intercultural communication, online teaching, online learning, Filipino professors,

South Korea

Tungo sa pagbuo ng plano sa komunikasyon ng kalidad

ng programang Teacher Education, Espesyalisasyon
sa Filipino sa panahon ng pandemya

MELVIN MORTERA
Rizal Technological U

Ang mahalagang hamon sa kabila ng restriksyon ng paggalaw sa larang ng edukasyon ay

pagpapatuloy ng pagtiyak at komunikasyon ng kalidad para sa anumang akademikong programa.
Hindi pinadapa ng pandemya ang hangarin ng kalidad sa paglilingkod lalo sa larang ng edukasyon.
Ang mga sektor ng edukasyon mula sa batayan, teknikal at pagpapaunlad ng kasanayan hanggang
sa tersarya ay tumutugon sa mandato ng pagpapaunlad sa tulong ng kalidad. Mahalaga ang
gampanin ng bawat yunit ng isang sistema upang maisakatuparan at maibahagi ito sa mga sakop
na stakeholders ng tiyak na Institusyon. Ganito ang tanaw sa inilalapat na Total Quality
Management at prinsipyo ng KaiZen o nagpapatuloy na pag-unlad (continuous improvement) sa
pamamagitan ng mga ipinatutupad na Quality Assurance Measure. Kailangang nailalapit ang
komunikasyon ng kalidad at mensahe nito sa lahat ng kabahagi ng sistema.

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Ang Teacher Education Program, Espesyalisasyon sa Filipino ay bahagi ng isang malaking sistema
ng Lalong Mataas na Edukasyon sa Rizal Technological University. Bilang isang yunit o sub-
sistema, mahalaga ang maiaambag nito sa mga tunguhing kalidad ng nasabing Institusyon. Sa
kabuoang bilang ng mga mag-aaral na 377, fulltime faculty na anim at tatlong guro na nasa
estadong part time na pinamamahalaan ng puno ng Kagawaran, nakikita ang pangangailangang
naitatawid ang mahahalagang impormasyon tungkol sa mga hakbang sa pagtitiyak ng kalidad.

Sinikap ng pananaliksik na ito na isakatuparan ang pagsusuri sa internal at eksternal na kapaligiran

ng nabanggit na sub-sistema upang maging batayan ng mga plano sa komunikasyon ng kalidad
lalo sa mga stakeholder. Nilalayon nito na gawing sistematiko ang mahalagang kontribusyon at
proseso ng pakikibahagi ng iba-ibang sektor sa pagkakamit at pagpapatuloy ng kalidad. Dagdag
pa, ang pagkakaroon ng nasabing plano ng komunikasyon ng kalidad ay higit na makakatulong
bilang gabay sa mga kaugnay na plano ng sustainable quality improvement ng Institusyon.

Ginawa ang pagsusuri ng mga nariyang mga datos mula sa iba’t ibang mga korespondensya,
dokumento, mga pabatid, mga panayam sa Kagawaran, mga alumni at iba pang stakeholders.
Iniharap ang nabuong output ng saliksik sa Kagawaran at kolehiyo upang maisaalang-alang na
modelo ng iba pang kagawaran sa kanilang mga estratehikong pagpaplano. Nakatuon ang
nabuong planong ito sa mga sumusunod na mahahalagang elemento: tagatanggap, mensahe,
medyum, kadalasan ng pagbabahagi, panahon, mga gampanin at gagampan at mekanismo ng
pagbibigay-puna. Ang nilalaman ng mga ito ay batay sa interaksyon ng mga nakalap na salik mula
sa eksternal na kapaligiran (mga panganib at oportunidad) at internal na konteksto (kalakasan at
kahinaan ng proseso ng komunikasyon ng kalidad). Samantala, sa hanay ng pagtiyak ng kalidad,
ginawang batayan ang pagtaya sa mga sumusunod na indicator mula kay Sallis (2005): akses,
paglilingkod sa stakeholders, pamumuno, pisikal na kapaligiran at mapagkukunan, pagtuturo at
pagkatuto, mga mag-aaral, eksternal na pakikipag-ugnayan, organisasyon at pamantayan.
Isinakatuparan ito sa pamamagitan ng sariling pagtataya ng bumubuo sa Kagawaran.

Ang mga nasabing indicator ay isinakonteksto sa mga pagtatangkang gawain ng diseminasyon ng

mga hakbang at programa sa pagtiyak ng kalidad. Nakatuon ang inilalahad na output ng pag-aaral
na ito sa pleksibilidad ng mga medyum na magagamit sa diseminasyon, elektronikong konteksto
ng mga programang pagpapaunlad at nagpapatuloy na ebalwasyon at pagtiyak sa mga
mahahalagang kontribusyon ng mga produktong guro sa Filipino at iba pang stakeholders sa
larang ng edukasyon.

Keywords: Plano ng komunikasyon, komunikasyon ng kalidad, mensahe ng kalidad, nagpapatuloy

na pag-unlad, guro sa Filipino

Reassessing online education: How the new normal affected

the communication strategies of selected digital immigrant educators
in Dasmariñas, Cavite

DEANICE REYES, ELLI AMADO, & HANNA DUGAY

De La Salle U Dasmariñas

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Digital immigrants are known as the generation born during the pre-digital age, and many of
today’s educators are a part of this generation. Now, these digital immigrant educators are facing
the challenges and difficulties of the “New Normal” in education facilitated by the Department of
Education (DepEd) in the Philippines to counter the risks brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The
study explored and determined how the “New Normal” affected the communication strategies of
selected Digital Immigrant Educators in Dasmariñas, Cavite and the internal and external factors
that hinders the flow of communication in a remote distance learning setup.

The study was methodically guided by the Communication Theory and the Social Cognitive
Theory. The study conducted a series of interviews and expert interviews.

The study found that digital immigrant educators are primarily affected by difficulties in navigating
technical features, as well as struggle in media usage. There is also the concern about student
learning and the emotional and mental fatigue of the educators. These educators formulate their
communication strategies through the concerns and feedbacks of their students, and through
maximizing the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS), email, videoconferencing platforms,
and utilizing social media as an educational tool. To bridge gaps, the educators communicate
effectively with their students by encouraging and requiring them to participate in online
meetings and changing their tone and way of speaking to show empathy and consideration.

Keywords: Digital immigrant educators, communication strategies, new normal, distance learning,
communication theory

Karunungan sa gitna ng pandemya: Eksploratibong pag-aaral sa Filipino

communicative behavior sa pagbabahagi ng kaalaman ng mga mag-aaral
sa Kolehiyo ng Komunikasyon sa ilalim ng flexible learning system

ELIZABETH O. LAGNASON, JHON CARL D. MATEO, JIMMY III S. SANTIAGO, & MELANIE E. TRINIDAD(+)
Politeknikong Unibersidad ng Pilipinas

Ang pagbabahagi ng kaalaman ay mahalaga para sa makabuluhan na pagkatuto at pagpapalakas

sa pakikipagtalastasan at pakikipag-ugnayan. Kadalasang nagaganap ang pagbabahagi ng
kaalaman sa paaralan, organisasyon at maging sa trabaho. Subalit sa paglaganap ng pandemyang
COVID-19 sa Pilipinas, iba’t-ibang mga sektor at institusyon ng lipunan ang naapektuhan lalo na
ang sekta sa edukasyon. Noong nakaraang taon ng 2020, naglunsad ang Komisyon ng Mataas na
Edukasyon o Commission on Higher Education (CHED) ng makabagong kurikulum ng edukasyon
na Flexible Learning. Ito ay isang paraan upang maipagpatuloy ang distansyang pag-aaral at
pagkatuto ng mga mag-aaral sa gitna ng pandemya gamit ang tekhnolohiya.

Ang makabagong uri ng sistema sa edukasyon na ito ay nagdulot ng pagbabago sa uri ng

komunikasyon, at sa paraan ng pagbabahagi ng kaalaman sa pagitan ng mga guro at mga mag-
aaral, at maging sa pagitan ng mga estudyante. Kung saan, sa ilalim ng makabagong kurikulum na
ito, pangunahing ginagamit ang mga makabagong teknolohiya at mga elektronikong platapormang
pang komunikasyon gaya ng Google Meet, Messenger, at iba pa, upang maipahatid ang leksyon at
kaalaman sa mga estudyante. Mayroon nang iilang pag-aaral na tinalakay ang mga kaugalian ng

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Pilipino sa pakikipagtalastasan sa tradisyunal na paraan ng edukasyon, at sa pagbabahagi ng

kaalaman online at sa loob ng organisasyon, subalit wala pang pag-aaral ang tumatalakay sa mga
kaugalian ng Pilipino sa pakikipagtalastasan sa pagbabahagi ng kaalaman sa makabagong sistema
ng edukasyon na Flexible Learning na layuning saliksikin sa pag-aaral na ito. Kaya naman malaki
ang magiging ambag ng pag-aaral na ito sa disiplina ng edukasyon at ng komunikasyon bilang ito
ay magsisilbing karagdagang literaturang tumatalakay sa Filipino Communicative Behavior.

Ang pag-aaral na ito ay isang kwalitatibong pananaliksik na ginamitan ng penomenolohiyang pag-

aaral upang makabuo ng mga bagong kaalaman sa pamamagitan ng malalimang pag-unawa at
pag-aanalisa sa mga kaugalian at karanasan ng mga kalahok sa pag-aaral. Ang teoryang balangkas
na ginamit ng mananaliksik ay ang Ipe's Knowledge Sharing Model (2003) na naglalahad ng iba't-
ibang salik sa pagbabahagi ng kaalaman sa isang organizational culture, at ang Filipino Worldview
ni Jocano (2001) bilang lente nito. Samantala, Purposive Sampling ang ginamit sa apat (4) na mga
mag-aaral, at limang (5) mga propesor bilang mga kalahok na mula sa iba’t-ibang departamento ng
Kolehiyo ng Komunikasyon sa Politeknikong Unibersidad ng Pilipinas na parehong naranasan ang
makabagong sistema ng edukasyon na Flexible Learning at ang tradisyunal na edukasyon na Face-
to-Face sa nasabing kolehiyo. Remote Focus Group Discussion (FGD) naman ang ginamit bilang
pangunahing instrumento sa pagkalap ng mga impormasyon at datos mula sa mga kalahok ng pag-
aaral sa pamamagitan ng teleconferencing application partikular na ang Zoom Conferencing
application.

Mula sa resulta ng pag-aaral na ito, ilan sa mga lumitaw na tema ng pagbabahagi ng kaalaman ay
ang konsepto ng bayanihan, konsepto ng hiya, at konsepto ng reciprocity. Nakita rin sa pag-aaral
na ito na mahalagang siyasatin ang mga pag-uugali sa pagbabahaging-kaalaman, motibasyon sa
pagbabahagi, at ano ang umiiral na oportunidad sa mga mag-aaral sa pagbabahagi ng kaalaman
bilang ang mga ito ay nag-adapt na sa makabagong pamamaraan ng pag-aaral sa ilalim ng flexible
learning. Bukod pa rito, bilang ang pag-uugali ng mga Pilipino sa pagbabahagi ng kaalaman ay isa
sa mga sumasalamin sa kultura ng pakikipagkapwa ng mga Pilipino, ang mga resulta ng pag-aaral
na ito ay makatutulong sa pagpapayabong ng kaalaman ng mga Pilipino sa ating kultura ng
pakikipagkapwa at pakikipagtalastasan. At pinakahuli, ito rin ay kapaki-pakinabang para sa mga
kaguruan at sa mga nasa sektor ng edukasyon ng bansa.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Knowledge sharing is vital in human development. It is essential to one’s social awareness and
social being. Typically, this happens inside the classroom, work, or organization. However, due to
the spread of COVID-19 virus, various sectors and institutions in the country were affected ,
bringing about a massive change in the way people live. One of the sectors that have been greatly
impacted is education. In 2020, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) launched an
innovative education curriculum called Flexible Learning. From the traditional type of education
where you personally face your teacher and classmates, it has become distance learning where
technology is the main tool in the discussion inside the classes.

This modern type of education has also brought about a change in the type of communication,
and in the way knowledge is shared between teacher and student, and even between students.
Wherein, under this new curriculum, modern technologies and electronic communication
platforms such as Google Meet, Messenger, etc. are mainly used to disseminate and share

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knowledge to students. There are already a few studies that discuss Filipino Communicative
Behavior in the traditional way of education, and in sharing knowledge online and within the
organization, but no studies have yet discussed Filipino Communicative Behavior in Knowledge
Sharing in the modern flexible learning education system which is the purpose of this study.
Therefore, this study will greatly contribute to the body of knowledge particularly in the discipline
of education and communication as it will serve as additional local literature that tackles Filipino
communicative behavior.

This study is qualitative research that uses phenomenological analysis to generate new
knowledge through an in-depth understanding and analysis of the norms and experiences of the
participants in this study. The theoretical framework utilized by the researchers is the Ipe’s
Knowledge Sharing Model (2003) which reveals different factors of knowledge sharing in an
organizational culture, and the Filipino Worldview of Jocano (2001) as its lens. Meanwhile,
Purposive Sampling was used to its four students, and five professors as participants who were
from the different departments of College of Communication at the Polytechnic University of the
Philippines who both experienced the Flexible Learning System and the traditional Face-to-Face
education at the said college. Remote Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was used as the main
instrument in gathering information and data from the study’s participants through
teleconferencing application particularly, the Zoom Conferencing application.

From the results of the study, some of the emerging themes of knowledge sharing were the
concept of bayanihan, the concept of hiya, and the concept of reciprocity. It was also found that
exploring communicative behavior, motivation in knowledge sharing, and the opportunities in
knowledge sharing of the students is important for it depicts how students have adapted to the
change in the curriculum, under flexible learning. Moreover, as knowledge sharing is one of the
reflections of the culture of the fellowship of Filipinos, the results of this study will be a help in
enriching the knowledge of Filipinos in our culture of fellowship and communication. Lastly, this
will also be beneficial for faculty and those in the education sector of the country.

Keywords: Pagbabahagi ng kaalaman, kaugalian, pakikipagtastasan, edukasyon, flexible learning

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MODERATORS FROM PCS

HEMMADY MORA, PHD CHRISTIAN JAYCEE SAMONTE

Polytechnic U of the Philippines Polytechnic U of the Philippines

Social media detox as a healthy approach to social networking

in the time of the pandemic: A phenomenological study

FIONNA FRANCISCO, AARON JOSEPH LEONARDO , & ADRIENNE REI CABRISTANTE

Colegio de San Juan de Letran

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been dependent on social
networking sites 1) to connect and communicate with others and 2) to entertain themselves in
spite of the lockdowns being implemented all over the world. However, alongside the benefit
social media bring are detrimental effects which Generation Zs have also encountered.
Interestingly, this study is focused on the social media experiences of Generation Zs and the
importance of taking a social media break in the time of the pandemic. Essentially, this study aims
to investigate social media detox as a solution to the problems experienced in social media as well
as its underlying effects on Generation Zs’ overall well-being. In line with this, the research
focused on the Generation Z spectrum because multiple studies revealed that Gen Zs are glued to
technology; thus, they are more likely suffering from social media addiction. To address the
problem, the researchers conducted a phenomenological study that highlighted the essence of
social media detox. Thus, a semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted with Gen Zs as
respondents.

Furthermore, analytical approaches such as thematic coding was used throughout the data
analysis process. Additionally, the S-O-R theoretical analysis was also done to study and
understand the perception of Generation Z’s behavioral and emotional response in the
stimulations of their social media experiences. Because of social media’s overarching detrimental
effects, the findings of this study emphasized the demand for social media detox among
Generation Zs. Based on the interviews, Generation Zs have encountered a lot more negative
effects than positive ones based on their social media experience. For example, the COVID-19
pandemic hinders people from personally seeing each other, thus they rely on social media during
these trying times because it is the easiest way to give and receive information. Social media is
also being utilized to attend online classes. In contrast to that, inability to control everything on
social media, toxicity from other social media users, and excessive exposure to social media
causes the mental, emotional, social, and physical health of Generation Zs to deteriorate.

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Due to the extreme involvement of Generation Zs in social networking sites, their experiences
greatly affect their perception and approach with the trend of social media detox and such coping
mechanisms. The findings revealed the correlation between the negative social media
experiences and the trend of social media detox as a response by Generation Zs, as aligned with
the S-O-R theoretical framework. Hence, the social media detox response of Generation Zs has
still shown a beneficial impact on their overall well-being. It has been discovered that social media
detox is not a long-term solution for them since it is still necessary in their lives, despite the
damaging effects it brings. Based on the results, some Generation Zs consider social media as a
temporary escape from the toxicity of the real world. However, some Generation Zs also revealed
that toxicity is rooted in social media for they have encountered it firsthand.

In conclusion, the study contributes to the Generation Z spectrum literature and research both in
the Asian and Philippine settings. The results of the study would enlighten Generation Zs, or even
other generations, about the importance and advantages of undergoing social media detox.
Furthermore, due to the limited time and setup of this research, it is recommended to expand
knowledge regarding this topic, further research related to social media detox should be
conducted with a larger population sample, a different research approach, or a difference in the
respondents’ demographic profiles.

Keywords: Social media, social media detox, Generation Z, well-being, COVID-19 pandemic

Life experiences in the new normal: Interpersonal communication,

work values, and job commitment of young professionals

KAREN CRISTINA PAGLINAWAN & WILLIAM MEL PAGLINAWAN

Notre Dame of Dadiangas U – General Santos City

The pandemic has hit every single employee detrimentally, leaving each one feeling worried on
how to make ends meet especially in this new normal. Using qualitative measures to probe the
living experiences of the young professionals in the highly affected economic sectors of General
Santos City - Philippines, eight core themes were extracted using Moustakas’ (1994) modified van
Kaam phenomenological analysis. Results revealed that the economic uncertainty, as well as the
psychological and personal consequences brought by the pandemic have made them stay in their
existing jobs; thus, allowing them to seek multiple employment. It was found out that young
professionals developed a certain perspective towards employment, making job security as a
central aspect in staying committed to their jobs. More so, the participants manifested a dynamic
communication style which became one of the essential aspects in expressing concern in the
organization and they also regarded family values as a driving force in striving to live.

Findings also revealed that it was not the nature of adversity such as the threat brought by the
pandemic that was most important, but how individuals dealt with it. In this paper, when young
professionals faced adversity or frustration in this new normal, protective factors of resilience,
work values, commitment and communication helped them survive, recover, and even thrive in the
face and wake of misfortunes.

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Keywords: Lived experiences, interpersonal communication, work values, job commitment,

employee experiences

Awareness on online information and its effect on the attitude

towards self-quarantine of millennials residing
in Batasan Hills, Quezon City during the COVID-19 pandemic

ARNOULD LOUIE ABELLON, JOCELYN DOMINGO, ELOISA CARMELA AQUINO,

ARIANE ZOE TICMAN, & KATARINA KIARA DE LA PAZ
U of Santo Tomas

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has affected the economy, social practices, and the psychological
health of individuals. The government has enforced protocols and restrictive measures to control
and manage the spread of COVID-19. Information disseminated on online platforms has a
significant influence on an individual's behavior and alters the effectiveness of countermeasures
deployed by the government. Exposure to sufficient information would determine attitudes that
would subsequently influence the intention and behavior of an individual.

This study examines the effect of awareness on online information about COVID-19 on the
attitude of millennials residing in Batasan Hills, Quezon City regarding self-quarantine. This study
aims to acquire information on participants’ awareness on online information sources and their
attitude towards self-quarantine during the outbreak.

The study is focused on obtaining responses from millennials (23-39 years old) residing in Batasan
Hills, Quezon City. Millennials are known to be digital natives and have increasing dependence on
web-based information which in turn could shape their decision making. The 383 respondents who
participated in the study were identified through snowball sampling.

A survey questionnaire composed of multiple choice and Likert scale questions was developed to
collect relevant data. Demographic questions were adapted from the IZA Institute of Labor
Economics. Meanwhile, to measure the awareness and attitude of the respondents, 5 questions
per variable were adapted from a structured questionnaire of a research conducted by World
Health Organization. Ethical implications were reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics
Committee of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Pharmacy.

Data were gathered through Google Forms, which was sent to the participants via Facebook. An
informed consent was accomplished by the respondent prior to answering the questionnaires. An
external pilot study was conducted to be familiarized with the procedures to be done and verify
the validity of the questionnaire tool. Both variables were subjected to Cronbach's alpha to
measure the internal consistency of the item sets. The Cronbach α obtained for awareness and
attitude were 0.69 and 0.77 respectively. Subsequently, quantitative data analysis was employed
using IBM SPSS Statistics Software v.22 and Microsoft Office Excel. The scores obtained by the
respondents on awareness on online information and attitude towards self-quarantine were
measured using a 5-point Likert scale. The mean scores along with the standard deviation of both

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variables were obtained. Lastly, inferential analysis was done through Spearman's correlation
coefficient to determine if there is a significant relationship between the two variables.

Results showed a relatively high level of awareness regarding online information about COVID-19
and a positive attitude on self-quarantine given the average score of 4.592 and 4.461, with a
standard deviation of 0.438 and 0.574, respectively. Furthermore, the results of Spearman’s
Correlation Coefficient confirmed a significant correlation between awareness and attitude.

Keywords: COVID-19, millennials, awareness, attitude, online information

Filipino adults' lived experiences with vaccine-related circulating

information on Facebook: A hermeneutic phenomenology

SHINJI KOMODA, KARINA EVANGELISTA, RIAN MITCHELL PIAMONTE,

ENRICO MIGUEL PILAPIL, & SIMON DOMINGO
U of the Philippines Diliman

The arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in the Philippines has been met with apprehension on social
media as Filipinos post their takes and comments on the vaccines and on the act of vaccination
against COVID-19 itself (Rosario, 2021). Facebook, as one of the preferred social media platforms
by Filipinos (Estella & Löffelholz, 2019; Sanchez, 2021), provides much space for diverse content
given its open and public nature. As beneficial as Facebook is, it may also create problems and
pose challenges in terms of how people perceive and recognize facts—acknowledging that not all
contents posted on the platform are verified and that people have varying levels of media and
information literacy. The dynamism and diversity of the vaccine-related content found on
Facebook make it interesting to study the lived experiences of those who actively engage with, or
just passively consume circulating information. While several studies on COVID-19 and social
media have already been conducted, most of them utilized the quantitative paradigm, thereby
producing numbers and statistics. Although valuable, we believe that quantitative figures alone
do not meaningfully capture the human aspect of the phenomenon. As such, we felt the need to
provide more nuancing and deeper insights, as well as a composite description of the
phenomenon, which the qualitative paradigm is best used for.

This study aimed to inquire into and interpret the lived experiences of Filipino adults with vaccine-
related circulating information on Facebook. We conducted in-depth and semi-structured
interviews with five purposefully selected participants in order to extract their life texts, or, in the
context of this study, lived experiences. We then repeatedly and conscientiously analyzed the
participants’ life texts, following Martin Heidegger’s philosophy of Hermeneutic Phenomenology.

Our analysis of the participants’ life texts revealed that they have been well-exposed to both
official and unofficial content. Official content from the government and other reliable sources
made them feel informed and, to some extent, secure. Unofficial content, on the other hand,
brought about a wider spectrum of emotions: fear, uncertainty, annoyance, and, on the other end,
encouragement and happiness. While all five participants have been well-exposed to vaccine-
related circulating information on Facebook, most of them only engaged with content passively—
mostly only through reading—with some of them mentioning their “fear of sharing” as a reason.
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While the participants’ thoughts on the volume of circulating information varied, all of them have
acknowledged that not everything that they saw on their news feeds was true, acknowledging the
existence of negatively and politically charged content, as well as the lack of knowledge of the
ones posting them.

Taken altogether, we have conclude that the participants’ lived experiences with vaccine-related
circulating information on Facebook were highly personal in terms of both process and outcome.
We further interpreted the being highly personal of the participants’ lived experiences as a
journey which can be unidirectional, bidirectional, or short-lived. Holistically, the participants'
constant journeying, exploration of, and navigation through the sea of circulating information
have helped them in clearing the dissonances brought by both misinformation and lack of
information, and, ultimately, their decision regarding their vaccination against COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy, lived experience, Hermeneutic Phenomenology,

Facebook

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MODERATOR

AUGUSTUS LATOSA, PHD

Far Eastern U

Lying together? Fake news as a social process

EDSON TANDOC, PHD (U OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA, USA)

Associate Professor, Nanyang Technological U, Singapore

Who falls for fake news? A large—and still growing—number of studies have examined what makes
some people fall for online falsehoods. Many of these studies have focused on the role of
cognitive mechanisms, such as confirmation bias and analytic ability. These studies were mostly
done in Western contexts and focused more on individual-level factors. But the spread of
falsehoods is also, and the ways to fight it may be, a social process. Focusing on studies we have
done in Singapore as well as observations in the Philippines, we identify social processes and
contexts that enable and sustain the spread of online falsehoods.

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MODERATORS

RANDY JAY C. SOLIS, PHD MARIA MARGARITA A. ACOSTA, PHD

U of the Philippines Diliman Miriam College

Diversification in the Philippines’ Disinformation Industries:

Unboxing the digital warchest for the 2022 elections

JONATHAN CORPUS ONG, PHD (U OF CAMBRIDGE, UK)

Associate Professor, U of Massachusetts-Amherst, USA
Research Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School, USA

This talk discusses the limits of the frame “disinformation” when exploring how media
manipulators have diversified their playbook in their attempts to influence political conversation.
In the Philippines’ competitive disinformation economy where high-level strategists, social media
influencers, and precarious digital workers compete for clout and political clients, money is in
maneuverability–the ability to evade fact-checking interventions and social media deplatforming.
It is important to understand how techniques of micro-targeting through the use of micro-
influencers and private messaging apps are being prepared for the 2022 elections. Presenting
ethnographic research on the social identities and moral justifications of actual fake news
workers in "Architects of Networked Disinformation" (2018) with preliminary results from engaged
research on the rise of conspiracy theory, COVID-19 racist speech, and pseudonymous
influencers, this presentation aims to reframe our basic understandings of paid trolling. I discuss
the need to move beyond a heroes-vs-villains or good-and-evil perspective to one about
complicity and collusion in order to develop appropriate regulatory interventions. I end with tips on
how courageous college students can identify and refuse disinformation architects' recruitment
strategies for both profitable and precarious paid troll work.

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BOARD OF JUDGES

VIOLEDA A. UMALI, PHD

U of the Philippines Diliman
Chair

BETTINA JOYCE P. ILAGAN, PHD FERNANDO DLC PARAGAS, PHD

Cavite State University U of the Philippines Diliman
PACE Representative PACMRI Representative

LOURDES M. PORTUS, PHD

Philippine Social Science Council
PCS Representative

Filipino resilience cannibalism: A textual analysis on the co-optation

of Filipino resilience vis-à-vis neoliberalism in ABS-CBN, GMA,
and Inquirer.net Facebook posts during the COVID-19 pandemic

PAMELA FAITH L. ASIS, RUSSEL CYRA N. BORLONGAN,

EASTER PAZ ISSA D. PAULMANAL, & JOVELLE ANN G. URQUICO
U of the Philippines Diliman

Filipino resilience is often presented in a positive and inspirational manner in mainstream media
during calamities and ill-fated events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these reports
deradicalize the true meaning of resilience and obscure systemic injustices under the guise of
self-support and adaptability.

To address an understudied presentation of resilience in the Philippine legacy media, this paper
investigates how ABS-CBN News, GMA News, and Inquirer.net co-opt resilience vis-a-vis
neoliberalism in their Facebook posts contextualized in the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, it
explores how news agencies frame Filipino resilience in their captions and images on Facebook,
surface the neoliberalism concepts framed through Filipino resilience, and critique how this co-
opts Filipino resilience.

Resilience, as the ability to adapt and bounce back during adversity, is a malleable concept in
many disciplines, and its adaptation to various fields is often debated. Thus, the researchers
employed the UP Resilience Institute’s (UPRI) and the United Kingdom’s Department for
International Development (DFID) as the resilience framework to illustrate Filipino resilience.

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Guided by the Framing Theory, the Resilience Framework, and the concepts of Neoliberalism, this
qualitative study employed textual analysis of 35 Facebook posts (texts and photos) regarding
education, livelihood, shelter, health, and transportation. After surfacing the resilience frames on
the selected Facebook posts from March to October 2020, the paper examines the presence of
neoliberal frames using the dominant ideology of global capitalization. Furthermore, this leads to a
criticism of the co-optation of resilience whereas ideologies of individualism, market-oriented
coping mechanisms, and the underemphasis of government accountability are promoted.
Findings show that Filipino resilience is presented as soft news utilizing colloquial words and
phrases to elevate the narration. With the intricacy and tonality of such descriptions, the text
maneuvers how the audience should feel or even act towards the subject. As a standalone,
images lack context as most of these are simply re-shared from viral Facebook posts.

Furthermore, news agencies fail to account for the systemic roots of these problems as these are
directly associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the news agencies have the liberty to
adjust their reporting style in social media, their framing of Filipino resilience is conservative, safe,
and economic-centered. To nurture the ‘rags to riches’ culture, heart-breaking but romanticized
stories of Filipino resilience as survival motivated by individual economic efforts are commonly
highlighted, devoid of the government’s responsibility and accountability during a global public
health crisis. The portrayal of Filipino resilience in local news media falls short of the
interdisciplinary approach. This exploits the narratives of poverty and survival to trigger online
engagement and maintain the pre-pandemic status quo. Fortifying the neoliberal culture, the
state’s power, resources, and responsibility are non-existent.

In terms of content generation, news agencies resigned their gatekeeping responsibility as they
are inclined to present content that is likely to induce audience engagement. On social media,
Filipino resilience stories became a staple resulting in shallow reporting and misrepresentation,
which includes calls for donations from citizens; bayanihan is also privatized.

Filipino resilience is co-opted due to the presence of neoliberal frames of human-interest stories,
the glorification of the self-made man, and the ability to govern one’s life. The paper firmly infers
that this co-optation is anti-poor and regressive, as it amplifies the gap between the poor and the
rich amidst the public health crisis. It is evident that news media agencies failed to challenge the
common notion of Filipino resilience. Instead, they continue to propagate its sanitized and
depoliticized branding and consumption.

Keywords: Filipino Resilience, co-optation, COVID-19, neoliberalism, Philippine news agencies

Communicating landslide risks during the COVID-19 pandemic:

A baseline study for PHIVOLCS-Dynaslope stakeholders

EUNICE R. DECENA1, HEINRICH JOYCE S. DOMINGO1,2, ARDETH JOY E. MALIGON1,

ARTURO S. DAAG1, RENATO U. SOLIDUM, JR.1,3
Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
1

(DOST-PHIVOLCS), 2University of the Philippines Diliman, 3Department of Science and Technology

(DOST)

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The Dynaslope Project, a government-funded program implemented by the Philippine Institute of

Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), develops and deploys an early warning system for
deep-seated landslides. It uses landslide sensor technology and community involvement in its
implementation of an early warning system. The community directly participates by providing on-
site measurements and observations of landslide features. They also participate in trainings
initiated by the Project and lead in the mobilization of their own communities. Currently, the
Dynaslope Project has 50 sites all over the country. Much like in many fields and industries,
community quarantines and lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic have limited the face-to-
face communication between the Project and its stakeholders. As the Project shifts to online
communication, it is important to identify how these changes resonate with the stakeholders.

This research is guided by the Actor-Network Theory (ANT) which was developed by science and
technology scholars such as John Law, Bruno Latour, and Michael Callon. It posits that, instead of
a single entity defining a network or a system, it is the interactions from people, objects, and
institutions that create a collective network. This collective network is dynamic in nature as a
result of interaction among actors. As actors interact with each other, in the Dynaslope context,
with landslide risk management and early warning as the main focus of concern, a process called
co-orientation happens wherein actors continuously negotiate a coherent meaning. This
research is in threefold. First, it enumerated the stakeholders’ perceived participation and
communication barriers. Second, it identified tools and channels that the stakeholders prefer for
communicating with the Dynaslope Project during the COVID-19 pandemic. Third, it measured the
degree of trust of the stakeholders in the PHIVOLCS-Dynaslope Project, the landslide early
warning information (LEWI) it releases, and other key messages.

Moreover, this paper employed a quantitative descriptive methodology. It used a stratified

sampling method in selecting the participants. There are three strata depending on the
stakeholder group that receives the EWI. Stratum 1 was composed of the landslide early warning
committee (a volunteer organization consisting of community members) and the barangay local
government unit (LGU). Stratum 2 was composed of municipal and provincial LGUs. The last
stratum consisted of stakeholders from other agencies and groups that also receive the EWI such
as some PHIVOLCS field stations, some regional offices of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau,
among others. In terms of data collection, the research used a combination of an online survey
and computer-assisted telephonic interview (CATI). Stakeholders who have access and
knowledge in answering online forms were provided with the link to the online survey while others
who do not have access and resources were guided by the researchers in a phone call.

As the world copes with the “new normal,” it is important to identify strategies and techniques on
how to effectively communicate risk. In the context of the Philippines, this research can help
government-funded projects identify the best communication strategies for their stakeholders.
Among the major findings of the research include the stakeholder’s preference to offline mediated
communication like SMS and mobile phone calls, high level of trust in the Dynaslope Project
because it is implemented by a national agency PHIVOLCS, and the presence of communication
and participation barriers such as limited access to technology, lack of economic resources,
nonproficiency with Filipino and English languages, and lack of knowledge on technology use.

Keywords: Science communication, COVID 19, landslide, early warning system, community-based

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Coping with the pandemic:

Participatory video and narratives of the urban poor

MARIA VICTORIA ALMAZAN & TRINA LEAH MENDOZA, PHD

U of the Philippines Los Baños

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic had widespread effects. Primarily a health issue, it also
affected lives, livelihoods and education. The urban poor were among the hardest hit, with cities
as epicenters of the pandemic.

This research sought to articulate issues raised by the urban poor through participatory video
(PV). This qualitative study was designed to surface key themes from their narratives. It aimed to
fill in the research gap on the urban poor and their experience during the pandemic through
remote PV. There is no single definition of PV. According to literature, it is considered as a
collaborative approach where communities produce videos and share it with an audience. Then
they achieve collective meaning-making and acquire a sense of empowerment in the process.
To popularize the research, the initiative was coined as "Quarantine Vlog." Quarantine referred to
the government response mechanism to COVID-19 while vlog was considered as short form video
content posted online. Remote PV, in the form of vlogs, elicited stories on how the urban poor
coped with the existing pandemic. A remote research design was used to be able to gather data
withstanding the COVID-19 pandemic.

The research was conducted in partnership with the Foundation for the Development of the Urban
Poor. With their help, twenty-four participants from four communities across Metro Manila were
invited. They were only given two prompts to answer through a vlog: “Ano ang iyong kuwentong
pandemya?” and “Ano ang naging epekto nito sa iyong araw-araw na pamumuhay?”

Participants used their cellphones to record their vlogs in their own time. In a related research in
Africa, they used cellphones to capture videos and called them ‘cellphilms.’ For Quarantine Vlog,
their vlogs were posted on the dedicated Facebook (FB) page for the research. FB became a
platform to share and interact with other participants through comments and reactions. It also
became an accessible way to communicate with participants through FB Messenger, especially if
asked for their consent or their opinions.

Also, web conferencing application Zoom was used to facilitate focus group discussions. It was
able to bridge participants coming from different communities. They shared their experience in
creating their vlogs and how it has affected them. They weighed in on the positive and negative
aspects of the pandemic. Finally, they were asked to whom they wanted to send their videos to.
Coding and analysis was used to analyze data or the vlogs. Analyzing their stories through the
Dramatism theory, the results reflected the common themes and the distinct Filipino values that
emerged during the crisis. From 165 codes, key themes that appeared were: kabuhayan,
edukasyon, mental health and malasakit sa kapwa.

They were able to reflect on their narratives and represent themselves in their own way. Even if
they were not in contact geographically, they were able to share their sentiments and found
themselves connected with each other. Most of them worked in the informal sector surviving day
to day through diskarte. Meanwhile, students had a difficult time coping with their studies and
balancing them with household responsibilities. The pandemic took its toll on both young and
adults when it came to the discussion on mental health. And yet, Filipino values shed light in
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challenging times. Malasakit sa kapwa or solidarity was highlighted in their stories where everyone
looked out for everybody else.

Through PV, they gained the self-confidence to share their story with others: "Nagsasalita kami."

Keywords: Participatory video, participatory communication, Dramatism, urban poor, pandemic

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
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BOARD OF JUDGES

VIOLEDA A. UMALI, PHD

U of the Philippines Diliman
Chair

BETTINA JOYCE P. ILAGAN, PHD FERNANDO DLC PARAGAS, PHD

Cavite State University U of the Philippines Diliman
PACE Representative PACMRI Representative

LOURDES M. PORTUS, PHD

Philippine Social Science Council
PCS Representative

Emerging cinema quarantine (ECQ):

Alternative film practice and narratives in the time of pandemic

HERWIN BENEDICTOS CABASAL

Far Eastern U

‘Quarantine cinema’ emerges as a film culture and genre that is characterized by its offering of
alternative film practice and narratives in the time of COVID-19 pandemic. This phenomenon is a
result of necessary adjustments to adapt in these trying times and a critical response to the
social, political, and economic issues brought by a public health crisis.

During the series of the community quarantines implemented by the national government as
precautionary measures to quell the spread of the COVID-19 in the Philippines, the ‘alternative
cinema’ (e.g. short films, documentary, experimental, animation, and other works in video) as a
mode of film practice distinct from mainstream filmmaking contributes to the role of
communication and media field in bearing witness and presenting the pandemic narratives.

The most notable virtual film events and screenings of ‘quarantine cinema’ in the cyberspace of
Facebook, YouTube and other streaming platforms from March 2020 to March 2021 include the
following:
(a) Mulat 2.0 Visual Expressions of Quarantine (Likhang Mulat by FEU Department of
Communication);
(b) Quarantimes: Short Films from the Regions (North Luzon Cinema Guild, Inc);
(c) #QuarantineStories (Makata Indie Film Festival);
(d) Quarantined Lives (Project Space Pilipinas);
(e) Video Home Festival: Buhay-Quarantine (Dr. Carl Balita Productions );

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(f) Gawad: QuaranTimes Chronicles Documentaries and Film Essays (Gawad CCP Para sa
Alternatibong Pelikula at Video);
(g) DokyuBata 2020 - Pagbabago’t Pagbangon: Mga Kuwento ng Katatagan at Pag-asa sa
Gitna ng Pandemya (National Council for Children’s Television);
(h) #QCShortShorts: Depicting the Lighter Side of Quarantine Life (QCinema International
Film Festival);
(i) Eksena Cinema Quarantine: COVID-19 Filmmakers’ Diaries (National Commission for
Culture and the Arts - National Committee on Cinema); and,
(j) Pag-aalay: Webxhibition and Festival - Pag-aalay sa Panahon ng Pandemya (University
of the Philippines).

The research questions that this paper sought to answer deals with both the creative process and
content: (a) How did the filmmakers and festival organizers of ‘quarantine cinema’ despite the
inevitable constraints and challenges resiliently respond to the imperative need to change in
terms of filmmaking and film screening? (b) What are the recurring themes in the narratives of
‘quarantine cinema’ that genuinely depicted the lived experiences based on the overlapping
struggles and triumphs of the Filipinos during the first year of the pandemic?

Drawing on the data from the online interviews, livestreamed talkbacks and speeches, published
statements of the film festival organizers and filmmakers, and participant observation, this article
described and examined the mode of production and consumption of ‘quarantine cinema’.
Furthermore, a neoformalist method of film analysis was applied to explore the formal and stylistic
considerations in ‘quarantine cinema’. Lastly, thematic analysis was also employed in order to
categorize and substantiate the motif in the themes of the narratives of ‘quarantine cinema’ that
vividly resonate both breakdowns and breakthroughs encountered by the Filipinos especially the
most vulnerable.

The results indicate how ‘quarantine cinema’ plays its part in sustaining art and culture amidst the
virus outbreak by practicing alternative ways of (a) film production that is limited and confined at
homes and personal spaces; (b) film aesthetics through the use of amateur devices and
unconventional techniques; (c) film narratives that are based on the stories from the margins
exploring the themes on their livelihood, education, mental health, activism, productivity, and
hope, among others; and (d) film exhibition and events that heavily relied on social media.

‘Quarantine cinema’ is scholarly elucidated through Nick Deocampo’s assertions on alternative

cinema that counters the dominant systems of film production; Raymond Williams’ notion of
emergent culture when the new meanings, values, practices, and relationships are continually
being created in a society; and Jürgen Habermas’ evolving concept of the public sphere where
citizens can form and exchange opinions that matter in the public affairs.

This study concludes that ‘quarantine cinema’ serves as a document, testament, and
manifestation of life during lockdown and beyond. It aims to stir the imagination and critical
consciousness of the nation whose sufferings and resilience are being narrated and expressed
through alternative films intended for dialogue, criticism, and discourse.

Keywords: Alternative cinema, quarantine cinema, online film festival, pandemic narratives, mode
of film practice

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Triggered together: Notes on the circulation of emotions

in the digital virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic

JOHN MERVIN EMBATE

U of the Philippines Los Baños

The COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly severed our physical connection with each other, beginning
in March 2020 when the national government has implemented strict community quarantine
restrictions to all households. Despite this, we managed to stay connected in digital spaces,
building upon and even expanding our social media use and access to other online applications.
These online interactions were never neutral as they transpired against the backdrop of an
"incompetent" and heavily militarized government response to the pandemic (Beltran, 2020;
McCarthy, 2020; Sy, 2021), the politicized shutdown of a major broadcasting network, the rapid
spread of misinformation and disinformation, and the disparity in the severity of punishment
among common citizen violators and erring government officials, among others.

Social media became the primary source of information of many quarantined individuals at the
time of the pandemic. Yet, aside from merely depositing news reports and information to
audiences, social media also functions as a platform where meanings are negotiated, and
emotions are expressed. Studying the circulation of emotions in social media as a communication
phenomenon asserts that communication can be viewed more than as a process of information
exchange, but also as a means through which bodies can "concatenate" (Berardi, 2015) even in a
digital space.

This conceptual paper looks into the affective economy (Ahmed, 2004a; Ahmed, 2004b) of the
COVID-19 crisis in the Philippine by analyzing the emotion discourse in select viral posts in social
media. It problematizes the concept of "triggered,” an Internet slang commonly used to describe
someone who was "offended or gets their feelings hurt" (Urban Dictionary, 2016), and argues that
being triggered means so much more than being sensitive or provoked; rather, it points to the
centrality of emotions in activating civic engagement and social mobilization.

Engaging the concepts of affective structures (Karatzogianni, 2012) and ontopower (Massumi,
2015), this paper discusses how the government has sowed fear by defining the threat of the
COVID-19 pandemic. This political move enabled the government to operationalize an otherwise
indefinite and uncertain concept of threat, thereby securitizing the entire COVID-19 pandemic
response and bringing the event of threat into being. Eventually, this "threat" has become an
empty signifier that could be ascribed new meaning depending on who or what the State deems
as its enemy. This fear circulated in social media but is met with resistance and negotiation. Not
only did it set off a social trauma directly experienced by individuals or groups, especially those
who have been abused or harassed by State forces, it also "lent experience" to those who may not
have a firsthand encounter with police or military intimidations but are still able to respond to their
Other as if they are bound to them (in a Levinasian sense) and stand in solidarity with those who
fear for their lives. This act of solidarity, which blossomed in the digital virtual, resonates with the
Deluezean idea of rhizome, and was able to transcend into the actual world, enabling
revolutionary moments (Karatzogianni, 2012).

Hence, while fear and anxiety might have dominated the COVID-19 discourse, there remains an
abundant circulation of hope, especially with the active civic engagement of the youth, the
creative efforts to educate and popularize relevant information about the pandemic, and even the
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seemingly inexhaustible generosity and aid given to those in need, many of which began in
temporary online assemblages, such as the calls for donations and community pantries.

The paper concludes with a discussion on the potential and implication of studying emotions in
communication and social media, especially in the pursuit to understand our complex human
behavior at a time when distancing is the new norm and our sensibilities of tangibility seem to
have been taken away from us.

Keywords: Emotions, social media, affective structures, ontopower, COVID-19 pandemic

securitization

Taking COVID-19 to the streets:

Making sense of slang metaphor

PRISCILLA MIZPAH SANTILLANA

U of Batangas

Metaphor has its practical and persuasive value in making the message emphatic, hence, its
utilization in communication materials. Its use is manifested not only in creative work but also in
formal, technical and professional undertaking. In the context of global concern, using metaphors
help people concretize, visualize and even lighten up the threat to know how they should respond
to it. In the Philippines, slang is the most utilized metaphor. This study aims to explain the slang
metaphor, what it means, and how it applies to the pandemic. Through a survey of the taglines and
hashtags used to promote COVID-19 precautions, particularly the health protocols, the researcher
provides a content analysis of slang words and phrases used by the Department of Health (DOH).
The sources of such texts are the social media and website posts of the agency. The analysis
involves the stages of decontextualization and recontextualization. Decontextualisation is
achieved by making sense of words such as 'resbakuna', 'ka sangga ng bida', 'bida', 'contravida',
and 'bida solusyon'. Recontextualization is utilized by explaining the slang metaphor in the COVID-
19 context with emphasis on Speech Act. Since slang is used in the streets, which are commonly
described as busy and active, using it as a metaphor strongly suggests people's required active
role to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. Results show that slang metaphor involves reusing
words and phrases from the community to promote advocacy through the 'bandwagon,' 'stand
out,' and 'binary opposition' concepts.

Keywords: Metaphor, slang, communication, COVID-19

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


How can one thrive as a

communication and media
professional now and
in the next normal?
EDNA BERNABE, PHD
Polytechnic U of the Philippines
Moderator

JULIET LABOG-JAVELLANA JESCA DALIDA-BANTAYAN

Associate Publisher Insights and Strategy Director
Philippine Daily Inquirer IPG Mediabrands

MARGOT TORRES
Senior Vice President for Marketing McDonald's
and
Communication Head,
TASK FORCE T3 (for Test, Trace and Treat)
Inter-Agency Task Force – National Task Force (IATF-NTF)

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
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MODERATORS FROM PACE

CHERIE GLO CABUNGCAL, PHD HERWIN CABASAL, MA

De La Salle U Lipa Far Eastern U

Reporter's Notebook: Description of quality TV content produced

by journalists during the pandemic

JONH PAUL SEÑO & MARIANNE CUARTO

U of the Philippines Diliman

Journalism, since its inception, has been utilized to be the major source of information,
entertainment and even education for people. Journalists perform these functions to ensure that
the audience will get essential information. In times of crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, where
accurate information is essential to people, journalism is the mediator between the actual event
to the people. Like any other sectors, media organizations are experiencing limitations in terms of
producing their media content since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic.

Traditional methods of field production and face-to-face interviews were not recommended and
even suspended for quite some time. This paved a way for journalist to explore all possible ways to
produce “quality content” that will satisfy the needs of audience for relevant information during
the pandemic. To describe and interpret how journalists reimagined “quality output” during the
pandemic, the study utilized the integration of Hierarchy of Influences (HOI) model and
Standpoint Theory. This study explored the standpoint of the journalists of GMA, ABS-CBN, and
TV5 on Journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic as an objective account of reality. HOI’s three
levels will be used to describe the journalists and executive producers’ narratives of media
routines to produce quality output. Case study method was employed, and interview as a tool to
retrieve data.

Findings revealed that adjustments were made in the content generation, story gathering, actual
production and editing, since most of them were working from home. “Quality output” was
described based on story, visual aesthetics, final output, production standards, transition from
traditional production to digital production, combination of tradition and digital media production,
recognition or non-recognition of challenges and limitation in TV production during pandemic,
stories showing dilemma, risks and threats to journalists, and articulation on non-negotiables
when producing stories for TV. Informants described “quality output” in terms of visuals as the one
that was available.

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There was a leniency or a little consideration in terms of visuals because of the limitations in
getting a good video clip. They only utilized and relied on whatever was available. Informants
agreed that “quality output” was newsworthy story that had an impact on the audience specially
the ordinary Filipino citizens. “Quality output” was an output that was produced using hybrid set-
up or the combination of traditional and digital approaches, considering the limitations in
technology, access, mobility and access. Moreover, “quality output” was when journalists were
able to adapt to changes and used it to produce content for TV. Informants were all aware about
the threats and risks impose by COVID-19 pandemic, thus, giving focus on their own safety when
producing content for TV. This concept revealed that “quality output” was when a story for TV was
produced without risking the lives of the journalist. It is a must that the stories they produce for TV
are compliant with the standards of journalism, which are factual, fair, balanced, accurate, honest,
credible and presents all sides of the story. It may not have the best visual aesthetics, but once
the story met their journalistic criteria, they considered it “quality output.”

Keywords: Quality output, hierarchy of influences, standpoint, COVID-19 pandemic, journalism

Exploring communication styles of local media practitioners on the

communication of COVID-19 issues and challenges

JONATHAN TUDTUD, ANGELIE PANERIO, & KHAREEN CULAJARA

U of Mindanao

The media plays an essential obligation to be socially responsible in delivering information to the
public. However, in the midst of a persisting health crisis, mass media communication can be
littered with media spectacles and multiple conflicting perspectives. Against this background, this
study was conducted to explore the communication styles of local media practitioners in Digos
City, Davao del Sur, Philippines, on the communication of prevailing topics and issues related to
COVID-19. The media landscape in Digos City has long been recognized as observably vibrant, with
an estimate of at least 10 actively operating radio stations, some of which have televised
(“teleradyo”) and social media platforms. The dearth of research in communication and
communication styles set in the local context prompted the researchers to conduct the study.

The study employed qualitative content analysis to explore the communication styles of the local
media practitioners as to how they respond to COVID-19 related issues and topics during their
daily programs on-air. The study used a simple random sampling procedure in identifying the radio
programs to be included. The data sources for this study are transcribed content of actual
broadcasts from radio stations randomly taken through the constructed week method. The lens
through which the analysis is done is guided by Sherman’s (1999) classification of three basic
communication styles, namely (1) aggressive; (2) passive; and (3) assertive; this was further
revised by Newton (2011) to add (4) passive-aggressive; (5) submissive, and (6) manipulative
communication styles. Additionally, to explore whether the communication styles used by media
practitioners adhere to the upright profession in the field of broadcast and media practice, the
Philippine Journalist’s Code of Ethics of 1988 serves as a guide in the discussion of the
profession’s ethical standards and values.

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Results revealed that a significant number of media practitioners employed the assertive
communication style in delivering the correct information to the public based on the accurate
sources of information given. On the other hand, some media practitioners employed aggressive
and manipulative communication styles during the discussion on unverified online information.
Such a tendency to lean on misinformation and manipulation in the delivery of COVID-19 related
issues and topics may cause enough confusion to the public. In the context of other surrounding
issues like upcoming elections and the like, this study validated that “the press always takes the
form and coloration of the social and political structures within which it operates” (Siebert, et. al,
1956, as cited in Jimoh & Kayode, 2019).

The study suggests that to adhere to the upright profession of media practice, practitioners
should delve into the suitable sources of information at the least. Finally, it is the hope of the
student-researchers that this study will build a better understanding on communication styles,
lend ideas for future researchers on the same niche, and encourage future media practitioners to
critically analyze the current state of local media news and information dissemination. Where fake
news proliferates rapidly, one should stand as the watchdog of society – a truth crusader of
societal reform.

Keywords: COVID-19, communication style, media practice, local media, code of ethics

A grounded analysis of news consumptions and preferences

amidst the pandemic

CARL IVAN LINANG & RUTH CAMACHO

Lyceum of the Philippines U-Laguna

Online news platforms, particularly amidst the pandemic, became a popular source of news,
especially among the Gen Z or younger generations. This paper aims to examine the news
consumptions and preferences of selected participants in the middle of the pandemic. This paper
utilizes grounded theory to make sense of this new and important phenomenon.

Ten participants from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao were interviewed.

Data revealed that consuming news from online platform was most preferred by the participants
due to convenience, accessibility, and exposure. The participants, however, noted that they
consumed both online and traditional news platforms relevant to their lifestyle. The notable
common feature of online news platform that made it preferred by the participants of this study
was their power to rewind, pause, play, and fast forward online news. Moreover, the participants
observed that news in online platform appeared on the timeline of the participants even though
they were not searching for it unlike in the traditional platform that the participants had a
conscious effort to provide time to consume news. On the other hand, the participants of this
study emphasized that the inclusion of commercials in the traditional news platforms helped them
to consume news without having information overload especially in the middle of the pandemic.

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Hence, based on the findings of this study, the researchers were able to reconceptualize the
news consumptions and preferences amidst the pandemic. The researchers suggests that
convenience (e.g., power to consume news and completeness of news), accessibility (e.g.,
lifestyle and socio-economic status), and exposure describes the news consumption and
preferences amidst the pandemic in both traditional and online news platforms. News networks
should consider these following factors to maximize the news consumption experience of their
consumers on both online and traditional platform.

Keywords: News preferences amidst the pandemic, online news platform, traditional news
platform

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
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MODERATORS FROM PACMRI

MAYBEL F. VALLADO, PHD MARIA GWENETHA Y. PUSTA, PHD

U of the Philippines Visayas U of Santo Tomas

Communicating COVID-19 in local government: A content analysis on the

crisis communication agenda of Pasig City Public Information Office
Facebook page during the pandemic

PAMELA FAITH ASIS, RUSSEL CYRA BORLONGAN, EASTER PAZ ISSA PAULMANAL,
MARIA KATREENA SAGUID, & JOVELLE ANN URQUICO
U of the Philippines Diliman

Crisis communication is crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially to the local government
units (LGUs) mandated by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to implement the health policies of
the national government. Additionally, LGUs are at the forefront of the pandemic response by
closely monitoring and providing support to their constituents. Given that social media,
particularly Facebook, is an indispensable medium in crisis communication, it is largely used by
government units for information dissemination during a crisis. Likewise, it is a common venue for
self-presentation and self-promotion of local political figures, affording greater engagement
between elected officials and common citizens.

This quantitative study focuses on Pasig City, a first-class city in Metro Manila hailed by the
National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 as the model LGU for its mitigation efforts. The official
Facebook page, Pasig City Public Information Office (PIO) has been actively disseminating
information regarding national and local policies, health and safety protocols, and programs in
response to the pandemic.

Anchored on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Crisis and Emergency Risk
Communication (CDC-CERC) Framework and the Agenda-setting Theory, this paper seeks to
determine the crisis communication agenda of Pasig City LGU as reflected in their Facebook posts
(texts) during the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to identify the CDC-CERC concepts evident in each
phase (pre-pandemic, early pandemic, mid-pandemic, and pre-vaccine), as well as the framing of
their COVID-19 pandemic-related Facebook posts.

A total of 240 Facebook posts from the Pasig City PIO were analyzed to fulfill the research
question and objectives. Through data scraping, Facebook posts from 5 January 2020 to 27
February 2021 were gathered, including those that were re-shared. However, only the Facebook
captions were considered in the analysis. A codebook was developed as the study’s primary
instrument using Krippendorff’s alpha as the intercoder reliability coefficient.

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Results showed that most of the concepts from the CDC-CERC Framework were present in Pasig
City LGU’s crisis communication. Messages often presented new concepts, information, and
processes to the public. The use of personal pronouns, respectful language, and the absence of
humor were highly evident across the phases of the COVID-19 crisis. Promotion of self-efficacy
and positive action sets were likewise apparent, while messages that promote action and
acknowledge people’s fears and perceptions were minimal. Also, most of the posts consistently
provided individual-centric messages while upholding transparency throughout the four phases
of the COVID-19 crisis. The prominent frames of the Facebook posts were likewise identified;
overall, messages were highly focused on health issues. These posts were usually delivered with a
tone of commitment and honesty and were largely attributed to the local or national government.
Thus, it shows consistency with Pasig City’s prioritization of public health, congruent with the Big
V agenda that Mayor Vico Sotto promoted during his candidacy.

Furthermore, the study argues that although the Pasig City PIO Facebook page is a government
social media platform, there is a challenge to detach it from the entity of Mayor Vico Sotto. The
sheer volume of Facebook posts re-shared by Pasig City PIO from Sotto’s official Facebook page
suggests that it does not only serve as an LGU communications arm but also as an extension of
Sotto’s online persona. The researchers conclude that the communication agenda of Pasig City is
reflective of the principles espoused by the CDC-CERC Framework, but more importantly, it
highlights Mayor Vico Sotto's brand as a champion of anti-corruption, good governance, and
public health.

Keywords: COVID-19 crisis communication, political communication, CDC-CERC Framework,

Agenda-Setting, Vico Sotto

Social media in the new normal of governance: Manileños’ perception of

Mayor Isko Moreno’s COVID-19 live streams

MICHELLE GADOR & LEINAH AGUILAR

Miriam College

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the implementation of the
Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the Philippines in March 2020, the means of digital and
political communication have evolved. This research focuses on mass information dissemination
during a pandemic, specifically the Manila Mayor Isko Moreno’s use of Facebook live streams. It
describes the perceptions of the Manila residents, who are the research participants, on Mayor
Isko’s daily Facebook live streams that discuss COVID-19-related information. Specifically, this
research aims to determine which kind of content Manila residents give the most importance to as
well as the COVID-19 updates and policies that they accept, reject or are noncommittal to. These
perceptions are based on their personal experiences and the real situation of COVID-19 in Manila.
In relation to the changes of communication methods during the pandemic, this research also
discovers the Manileños’ perceptions towards the digital accessibility and clarity of the messages
of the live streams.

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These objectives are addressed from borrowed concepts of the Social Judgment Theory and the
Agenda-Setting Theory. Through an online survey and two separate focus group discussions with
Mayor Isko supporters and non-supporters, findings show that Manila residents are in favor of the
use of live streams on Facebook as this platform is widely used and easily accessible. The Manila
residents also find these live streams as helpful, relevant, and timely especially during the
pandemic. This also explains why the Manila residents have high ego-involvement towards the live
stream topics concerning the pandemic such as vaccination availability and distribution, and
updates on COVID-19-related protocols. They have perceived that Mayor Isko Moreno’s daily live
streams have also been a way to establish a relationship and trust among his constituents. Other
aspects of his Facebook live streams that resulted in positive perceptions from the research
participants were the execution and production value which included the high quality audio and
video. These allowed the viewers to clearly receive and understand the important information
being broadcasted online. However, the long duration of Mayor Isko’s live streams that last from
20 minutes to about an hour and a half was the characteristic that research participants disliked
the most.

The researchers observed that because of their loss of interest, relevant information may be
missed or overlooked. Moreover, the findings from the study implies that whether labelled as a
Mayor Isko supporter or non-supporter, his policies are mainly accepted by the research
participants. This is because it targets the COVID-19-related issues of Manila residents, and for
the overall benefit of the city. The difference between the two groups is that non-supporters tend
to voice out criticism, while supporters praise the policy agenda of the mayor. The criticism of the
non-supporters consisted of ways that Mayor Isko can improve his service and implementations
of COVID-19 protocols in the city of Manila. On the other hand, supporters observe how beneficial
and effective each one of Mayor Isko’s COVID-19 policy is for the Manila residents, and the proof of
its effectiveness are seen on his daily Facebook live streams.

Keywords: COVID-19, Facebook livestreams, perception, Manila residents, Mayor Isko Moreno

Active-empathic listening as a pandemic response initiative:

Exploring the listening behaviors of the Quezon City Local Government
community media

MARIELLE JUSTINE SUMILONG

U of the Philippines Diliman

Following the global shift to digital engagement, local government organizations, too, have
recognized social media as an emerging communication modality. The role of social media in local
government communication has been consequential in controlling a crisis, bridging community
and health information and services, and eliciting public participation. Many Philippine local
governments have been using social media platforms as their primary civic engagement tool--an
easier way to reach their publics, promote their initiatives, and stimulate local dialogue, with a
much larger scope at that.

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Studies have recently uncovered communication gaps (over-communication, under-

communication, communicating uncertainties, and ethical issues on information dissemination)
experienced during the pandemic. Such inconsistencies in communication, especially in
emergency and crisis situations, cause and intensify the knowledge-behavior gap among general
audiences, which can then lead to misinformation and misbehavior. Because of the
communication gaps and consequences the ongoing pandemic has given rise to, the centrality of
public communication as a force for information has been emphasized and challenged –
information and communication technologies-led developments including social media have now
become the principal instruments for the democratization of knowledge.

Listening, one of the most integral and integrative elements of the communication process, has
been considered foundational to building and sustaining community as it is able to span gulfs in
understanding and viewpoint among different people. In forging a sense of community in social
media, organizations have also found practicing listening crucial in attempting to involve and
encourage fans and consumers to participate in conversations and discourse.

This study recognizes that organizations, whether affiliated with the government or with the
private sector, have substantially taken to social media their attempts to address the
communication gaps caused by COVID-19. Because of the decreased opportunities for physical
interaction and the challenges in disseminating information through traditional media, local
government offices are now in under more pressure to perform effective communication through
virtual means. Premised on these circumstances, this study sought to explore how a local
government unit’s social media page practices and manifests listening in response to the
communication challenges brought about by the current global emergency –more specifically, it
aspired to answer: How does the Quezon City Local Government Facebook page perform active-
empathic listening in its pandemic-related statements? This research asserts that active-
empathic listening is a dimension already integrated in local interpersonal contexts, however,
there is a need to contextualize active-empathic listening in community media in consideration of
the influences of Filipino values and the LGU’s crisis communication practices.

Ten statements that elicited positively-valenced social media engagement –posts reflecting
highest time-aggregated data of ‘likes’, ‘shares’ and ‘comments’ were selected and analyzed for
this study. Content analysis anchored on Active-Empathic Listening and its dimensions was then
implemented on the selected text, adopting the instrument items in Bodie’s (2010) Active-
Empathic Listening Scale as the coding categories in the matrix.

After conducting a deductive content analysis, the study discovered that a notable percentage
(55%) of Quezon City Local Government’s official statements manifest sensing behaviors ¬–a
significant element of their pandemic-related communication reflected active-empathic listening
through being sensitive and receptive to public opinion, through acknowledging that their
constituents are being sought and heard, and through verbalizing empathy.

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A significant number of statements also demonstrated the responding listening dimension, with
messages denoting more proactive communication rather than just ensuring accurate
understanding of the messages received from the citizens. These behaviors were congruent with
utilizing social media for improved efficiency, productivity, policy making, and public image
especially since the local office’s projects, directives, and plans address the public concerns were
published. Finally, only a few messages were found to have exhibited processing –listening
behaviors that expressed the cognitive processes of hearing and remembering. This was
attributed to the different nature and dynamic of local government communication in social
media.

Keywords: Listening, pandemic response, social media, local government unit

A comparative content analysis of the city mayors’ Facebook pages

during the COVID-19 pandemic

CONSTANCE STACEY ANETTE GIRAY, JONATHAN YNARES, & KAMILLE GELEEN MALIGAYA
De La Salle - College of St. Benilde Antipolo Campus

The researchers argue that social media has become a platform for public servants to
communicate as well as share and exchange information. This proposition builds on Bajar’s (2017)
assertion that modern technology has affected the way politicians use social media in particular
and the Internet in general. Thus, the study sought to determine which type of information did the
three first-time mayors from the National Capital Region (NCR) post the most in their personal
Facebook pages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, it examines the Facebook posts of
Mayor Isko Moreno of Manila, Mayor Francis Zamora of San Juan, and Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig.

In doing this study, the researchers hope to understand how Facebook can be used to
communicate in specific localities. This is very important during this pandemic, where a lot of
people turn to social media as a key means of information.

To answer the objectives, the researchers did a content analysis of the mayors’ posts in their
Facebook pages from January 2021 to May 2021. To be included in the sample, the post must be
about updates of active cases, relief operations, testing, COVID-19 programs, isolation facilities
and vaccine updates. Four variables were coded for each post: the medium of posts, the
frequency of posts, the level of engagement, and the type of information. The researchers coded
a total of 1, 248 posts across the three mayors’ Facebook page.

The Facebook page of Moreno put up 746 posts throughout the January to May 2021 of the
pandemic, second is Zamora with 454 posts and 48 posts for Sotto. The Facebook pages gathered
more than 100,000 reactions, comments and shares. Significantly, Moreno’s Facebook page
utilized the social media account the most with 746 posts. Results showed Sotto garnered the
highest rate of engagement, with 1.79%, compared to only 0.20% for Zamora.

Results showed that the mayors’ Facebook pages focused on vaccination updates. The posts
centered on the location of vaccination centers in their respective cities and the process for
vaccine registration. There were posts, too, about motivating the people to get vaccinated.
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The mayors also posted about the different steps they took to mitigate the damage the pandemic
caused and show their people what they are doing to ensure their safety. All of the mayors’ most
used type of medium is text and photo. Photographs showed their daily activities and the steps
they are taking to combat the pandemic. Their social media agenda was to show how active they
were in Facebook by posting different COVID-19 programs and continuously sending out
messages that vaccines were safe to use. The personal Facebook pages of the NCR mayors were
all used as a platform to inform their constituents about the programs they had put in place to
combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Isko Moreno Domagoso, Vico Sotto, Francis Zamora, Facebook, COVID-19

Pandemic management and preparedness:

A case study on Manila barangays

BRICKETTE FAYE AGPAOA, NATASHA FABIAN, & GIAN MAURICIO

Colegio de San Juan de Letran

The governmental pandemic response has shifted in different ways to smaller sectors throughout
the country given that circumstances and restrictions appear within unsupervised households.
The worldwide outbreak is indeed dangerous yet containable. Containability over civilians has
shown current adjustments to the system itself. Thus, identifying its methods and strategies of
immediate action acknowledges massive numbers of civilians striving for welfare. Social issues
and policy guidelines arose within barangay officials and its fellow residents. Therefore, assessing
the country from the local populace presented a huge impact on keeping up with the neighboring
countries. In line with this, it also helped identify the measures that are taken and distributed
within the local government to be able to foresee the system during critical times. This study
contributes to the knowledge regarding local civil servants of smaller sectors or barangays within
the country. This gives a better understanding of how the local government reacts to sudden
adjustments to the system; considering that this ongoing predicament is fairly new and prevalent
among Filipinos.

This study analyzed possible scarcity and deficiencies including the approach, procedures, and
perspective of our local authorities. The main objective of this study was to identify the methods
and strategies that barangays within Manila enforcement and administer to their residents.
Moreover, provided enlightenment and evaluation of the methodology of the local government
units (LGUs) that would eventually affect the larger vicinity and locality of the entire City of Manila
and even its neighboring areas and region. The findings of the study discussed the extent to
which the barangay residents are able to comply, given that immediate implementations were
taken place by local authorities. The study identified that certain factors of strategizing and
planning contributed to how the sector reduces the outbreak in their area without affecting the
subsistence of the public. The researchers have gathered data through case study and in-depth
interviews of existing authorities that are currently residing within multiple Barangays existing in
Manila grounds.

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A thorough qualitative analysis of transcripts was conducted to identify the similarities of action
across different areas within the Manila Municipality. The findings indicated that factors such as
certain governmental implementations presented an existing flow of order through smaller
numbers of communities. These responses highly influenced the existing methods and strategies
of barangay sectors such as restrictions, punishments and resources. Moreover, the majority of
the barangays focused on factors such as: (a) allocation of resources, (b) surveillance, (c)
planning and Enactment, and lastly, (d) the ordinance of the national and local government. These
major events were used in order to maintain their fellow residents’ condition while providing
measures on how each individual can access healthcare, discipline, and safety equally. Moreover,
it was shown that sectors focused on providing resources to fellow residents with greater critical
situations rather than those with better economic status.

Results confirmed that such factors directly impacted the necessary process of conducting an
efficient and effective system towards pandemic management. It was indicated that the morbidity
and mortality rate may be reduced by seeking and understanding the situation of each barangay
and its constituents. Along with establishing a classification of priorities to produce a fault-free
and well-maintained method and strategy. Acquiring certain information towards different other
factors that influence the strategic planning of smaller sectors within its residents can be more
utilized by future studies. The production of this study would be of great benefit to the future
researchers that would cover governmental strategy amidst a pandemic crisis. Thus, this study
attempts to fill in the void and serve as an effective tool and reference for future researchers that
wish to further assess this course of study.

Keywords: Local government, pandemic response, pandemic, preparedness, local mitigation

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MODERATORS FROM PCS

JASON PAOLO TELLES, MA CHRISTINE ANNE COX, MA

U of the Philippines Baguio Ateneo de Manila U

Paper to screen: Experiences and strategies of baby boomers in handling

mis- and disinformation related to COVID-19 pandemic in a digital platform

XEAN DREW INDIG, MARK CHRISTIAN ARELLANO, & JANN HAROLD PEÑA
San Sebastian College - Recoletos, Manila

Paper to Screen refers to the transition in the dissemination of news and information from
traditional media (which include newspaper or tabloids) to different digital platforms. It also
pertains to how people migrate from older to newer media, as with baby boomers who used to
read print newspapers but had to explore new gadgets to access the news. These baby boomers,
who are now considered as considered as digital immigrants, are the subject of this research.
Specifically, this research determines their experiences and strategies in handling mis- and
disinformation related to COVID-19 pandemic in digital platforms.

Baby boomers have witnessed the evolution of newspapers from traditional media to digital
platforms. They have seen how information dissemination has been revolutionized, with anyone
having the ability to post nearly anything online. This development, however, comes with the
challenge of distinguishing real information from mis- and disinformation. This is important
especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital misinformation has become so pervasive in online social media that it has been listed by the
WEF (World Economic Forum) as one of the main threats to human society. Whether a news item,
either substantiated or not, is accepted as true by a user may be strongly affected by social norms
or by how much it coheres with the user’s system of beliefs (Bessi et. al, 2015). Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), noted that we are
fighting not only an epidemic but also what he called an infodemic. and indeed, numerous cases of
false information about the virus are already spreading online — sometimes intentionally,
sometimes not. But perhaps worse than that, it is increasingly difficult for us to figure out which
information we should trust (Starbird, 2020).

This research employed a phenomenological analysis method and a qualitative research design. It
used purposive sampling.

Baby boomers were able to adapt well to the transition of traditional media to digital platforms in
terms of reading and obtaining information. They found it easy and convenient because they were
able to easily find the information they wanted to read.

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The informants observed that information in digital platforms can be inaccurate. Based on their
experiences, informants said they encountered inaccurate information regarding lockdowns as
well as the effects of vaccines to the body. In transitioning from paper to screen, informants said
they were able to develop awareness about false data.

When reading news from the screen, according to our informants, the important thing to do in
handling mis- and disinformation was looking for trusted, reliable, and credible sources. The
informants employed strategies such as consultation, cross-platform comparison, and source
backtracking to handle mis- and disinformation.

The Uses and Gratifications Theory states that media consumers seek media that best satisfy
their particular needs. In relation to this research, while there are many digital platforms that are
present on the Internet, media consumers still choose specific news platforms that they trust.
According to a study by the research firm Edelman (2019), consumer trust in traditional media is at
66% compared to digital media at 44%. As such, many of the trusted sites/platforms on the
internet that are preferred by our respondents have been established on traditional platforms
such as television, radio, and newspapers.

Keywords: Misinformation, disinformation, baby boomers, COVID-19 pandemic, digital platforms

Exploring the media consumption and response of selected senior citizen

residents during the COVID-19 pandemic

AYRA PATRICIA OMBANIA, MA. ANGELA PARK, ERROL JAMES DAVID, ROBIN IAN RUBIS, NIEL CARLO PEDRO
Far Eastern U

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect everyone, especially the vulnerable sector including
those who have prior illness, marginalized citizens, children, and older people (Cahapay, 2020).
Out of 30,070 confirmed deaths in the Philippines, the most affected age group were those who
were over 70 years old with 36.6% fatality rate followed by people who were aged 60-69 years old
with 27.6% fatality rate (Department of Health, August 2021). With the immense health threat
caused by the pandemic, the government imposed health protocols, restrictions, and ordinances,
while various private and government groups released health and pandemic-related information
through various media outlets. Given the high level of vulnerability of more than seven million
senior citizens in the country, it is imperative to understand and find out how they navigate
information through media in times of a global health pandemic.

This study focuses on the stories of senior citizens about their media consumption during the first
year of the COVID-19 pandemic and how their media use affects their view and knowledge of the
health crisis. Specifically, it identifies how they consumed media, understood how they responded
to media, and analyzed the role of media in consumption of health-related information. The stories
and experiences of six senior citizens from Batasan Hills, Quezon City were gathered through
online interviews and analyzed using the perspectives from the Social Construction of
Technology. Batasan Hills is one of the barangays with the most number of COVID-19 cases.

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The study revealed that senior citizens were seen as “patrons” of television as they preferred this
to other media as source for COVID-19 related information. The participants associated
themselves with a particular media source, established a preferred media channel, and depended
on a certain network. The pandemic also engaged the senior citizens to consume more media
content because they needed to be updated about the crisis and because they were relieved
from their jobs, thus affording more time in front of the television. The study also revealed
difficulties of senior citizens to comprehend concepts and jargons related to COVID-19. More so,
they were passive media consumers who relied on what were conveyed to them by a single source
rather than seeking different sources of media to further expand the information they received.
Lastly, they are also affected by one of the largest network shutdowns. Since May 5, 2020, when
ABS-CBN signed off their channels, they were compelled to transfer to different networks to look
for information and entertainment source.

The senior citizen participants responded differently to the COVID-19 related information from
their preferred source. They believed that the pandemic is exaggerated, unjustifiable, and that
the reports are inaccurate — i.e. misreported cases of COVID-19 deaths, families are taking
advantage of free cremation services, etc. These misconceptions also affected the participants’
decision-making involving their health. They did not seek professional help when they feel sick.
More so, their beliefs fueled how they responded to health protocol catered by the media. Despite
media saturation of health protocols, senior citizens complied not because of fear that they might
catch on the virus and concern that they may pass it to others but because of fear that the law
might punish them due to their noncompliance. Lastly, despite the media saturation on COVID-19
related information, senior citizens still practice alternative medications such as “suob.” Their
past experiences, accustomed practices, and spirituality were the factors most commonly
mentioned in the construction of the current health crisis.

From the study, senior citizens make sense of the pandemic through the help of the information
supplied to them by the media. They might have been provided with information by the media, but
they are still reliant on accustomed practices and past experiences to make sense of the COVID-
19 crisis.

Keywords: pandemic, senior citizen, media, health , information

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Do you trust me(dia)?: Identifying response and detection strategies

towards misinformation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

XZ-HUNK SORRONDA, SHAN PHILIP BAEL, JUREN ELUMBA, & KARMINA SARENAS
Zamboanga del Norte National High School

The world thrives on information, especially at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, and social
media has been a primary repository outlet to seek information. Yet, the overabundance of
information has posed false information to circulate. The purpose of the study is to mitigate
people from encountering false information on social media platforms by identifying how they
respond and detect false information online. This research anchored the Stimulus-Response
Theory (SRT) and the Fake News Life Cycle and Connections to the Four Fake News Detection
Perspectives (FNLC).

This study utilized the qualitative phenomenological approach and adopted a purposive sample of
11 key informants for the semi-structured interviews. And in examining the data, the researchers
applied thematic analysis.

Results showed that people detected false information by source tracking, dissecting the
material, and double-checking the information. Moreover, people responded to false information
by disregarding the post, mitigating the spread, and confronting spreaders. In conclusion, people
should equip themselves with detection strategies and the right way to respond to false
information to be safe in the virtual world. The researchers suggest that creators and
administrators of social media platforms should fortify their algorithms. Furthermore, it is ideal if
some government associations would exert initiatives to counteract the issue of fake news.

Keywords: Detection, response, fake news, false information, social media

Generation Share: Senior citizen motivation in fake news sharing

during the COVID-19 pandemic

RIA ANN ROLDAN

Ateneo de Manila U

The COVID-19 pandemic and its surge of information has intensified concerns about fake news
sharing, a behavior that is noticeably on the rise in a particular age group. As a result of lockdowns
and social distancing, senior citizens find themselves in the hazardous position of being more
dependent than ever on technology and social media while also being proven by previous
scholarship to be seven times more likely to spread fake news.

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To understand why this behavior is so prevalent among senior citizens in particular, this study
aimed to identify the factors motivating senior citizens to share fake news online. A modified Uses
and Gratifications Theory framework was adapted from the scholarship of Apuke and Omar (2020)
that identifies five possible factors that predict fake news sharing: altruism, instant news sharing,
self-promotion, socialization, and entertainment. The study used non-probability sampling to
conduct an online survey questionnaire on a sample size of 121 senior citizens over the course of
seven days. The results of the survey were analyzed on Google Sheets using relative frequencies,
mean, median, mode, and cross-tabulation.

The results showed two relevant findings. First, it was not a singular factor motivating the
behavior, but instead a symbiosis of instant news sharing, socialization, and altruism all informing
and feeding on each other. Second, these factors were identified within a closed system called
the Senior Citizen Echo chamber, which was characterized by a common difficulty in identifying
fake news, and an continuous insulated reciprocation of behavior without intervention from those
who could identify fake news. A synthesis of the findings resulted in a model for the behavior of
fake news sharing on COVID-19 in senior citizens.

Keywords: senior citizens, fake news, social media, infodemic, user motivational factors

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How do we make our papers

competitive for publication in
reputable academic journals?
RAE MARIELLE M. BAYANIN, MA
Far Eastern U
Moderator

WARLITO CATURAY, JR., PHD GRACE BARRETTO- TESORO, PHD

Editor Editor-in-Chief
Silliman Journal Social Science Diliman

JONALOU SJ LABOR, PHD CHERYLL RUTH SORIANO, PHD

Managing Editor, Plaridel Associate Editor
Editor-in-Chief, PCS Review Asian Journal of Communication

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MODERATORS FROM PACE

LESLIE MEDINA, PHD GENEROSO B. PAMITTAN, PHD

Holy Angels U Far Eastern U

Lair of lies: A quasi-experimental approach

to validating deception theories

APPLE GRACE BONHOC

UP Open U

The COVID-19 pandemic primarily affected how organizational communication takes place. Most
of the transactions and internal communication shifted virtually. The transition shows that remote
work arrangements may increase workplace deceptive communication encounters and decrease
its chance of detection. Having been known as fallible lie detectors and nescient in unmasking
deceit, humans may now have a slimmer chance of accurate deception detection. This
organizational communication study was conducted to unravel the truth behind these claims and
uncover how workplace deception detection occurs during face-to-face and virtual
communicative instances.

The study tested the respondents' WD detection knowledge before and after exposure to
treatments such as Facial Micro-Expression Training (FMET) and Online Deception Detection
Training (OODT) done through Google classrooms. It also investigated the academic employees'
cognitive and psychological processing of cues when detecting workplace deception (WD).

Convergent Parallel Mixed Method and Non-equivalent Control Group pretest-posttest quasi-
experimental designs were employed for this purpose.

Results indicated that both control and treatment groups were knowledgeable when using Facial
Micro-Expressions (FME) before and after exposure to FMET. Although findings revealed no
significant difference in the treatment group's WD detection knowledge after FMET, the said
group showed an increase, from less to moderate WD detection knowledge, after undergoing
Online Deception Detection Training (OODT).

Through online semi-structured interviews (SSI), the participants described their cognitive and
psychological processing of cues when detecting WD. Results showed that they (1) clustered
FME, context, verbal, vocal, and non-verbal cues as signals, (2) used background information and
evidence as keys, and (3) maximized context and probing as gateways.

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From the interviewees' responses, it could be surmised that their cognition and action in WD
detection depended on the communication context, which gave them access to the social cues
such as facial expressions, verbal, vocal, and non-verbal signs. Most participants claimed that
they commonly clustered the available cues to get as much information about the incident and
accurately detect deception.

However, considering the work-from-home (WFH) arrangement, communications among work

team members were done through video conferencing, e-mails, chats, and other forms of
mediated communication. In an online workplace communication, the expectations for immediate
access to social cues and spontaneity of the interaction can now hardly be met. Interviewees
expressed that the WFH communication context prevents them from applying their WD detection
knowledge and prompts them to postpone their judgment in deception detection.

For them, the "new normal" mode of interpersonal communication and deception detection called
us to rethink the old ways, transcend beyond the limitations, cope and adjust our techniques, or
use specific strategies that can be done remotely, virtually, and even after the actual deceptive
interaction itself (e.g., examining post-interpersonal communication between the sender and the
receiver, searching, examining, and utilizing concrete evidence).

While it was true that the pandemic made the deceptive communication landscape more obscure
and complex, this researcher is optimistic that it also presented us with an opportunity to develop
and elaborate on the deception theories' propositions to accommodate emerging communication
demands.

Thus, this study validates the Interpersonal Deception Theory, Information Manipulation Theory,
and Adaptive Lie Detector theories using the interview responses. Addenda to the claims were
recommended to extend the theories' application to less interactive deceptive communicative
instances and highlight the influence of relationships, profession, job rank, and knowledge on
deception detection episodes. The theorizing for Information Manipulation Theory (IMT) resulted
in the proposal of examining virtual silence (e.g., seen-zone, inbox-zone) as a form of exploiting
information. New perspectives related to probing and relevance of relationships in gathering
context-general cues are also pitched for pondering and further exploring ALIED's claims.

Keywords: Organizational communication, workplace deception detection, virtual deception

detection, facial micro-expressions, deception detection theories

Resilience in media: Narratives on the impact, breakdowns,

and breakthroughs during the COVID-19 pandemic
among selected media professionals in Iloilo City

MICHELLE BAYAUA
U of San Agustin

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This qualitative research was conducted on selected media professionals in Iloilo City working in
some capacity during the pandemic from 2020 to the present. The purpose of this study was to
look into how media professionals, as sources and gatekeepers of information, have fared during
the pandemic. This study thus explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on the work of
media professionals, media organizations and their practices and behaviors. As the so-called
fourth estate, media professionals and media coverage are a crucial part of society, and during a
pandemic even more so, as people look for credible, reliable sources of information in the wake of
the proliferation of fake news, misinformation and disinformation.

The study aimed to delve into the hindrances, challenges, alternative practices, coping
mechanisms and support services required by media professionals and organizations to thrive in
an ever-changing, virus-laden environment.

Five purposefully selected media professionals from various media organizations were
interviewed using an open-interview guide. The descriptive-narrative theory of analysis helped
establish a theoretical framework that guided the researcher in coding the data. The themes that
emerged from the interviews included (a) challenges in conducting basic aspects of the
profession, such as data gathering, interviewing, verification and field work and the changes they
made to adapt to the circumstances, (b)the impact of COVID-19 on their personal and
professional well-being, including job stability, (c) the impact of COVID-19 on the media
organizations they work for, (d) the coping mechanisms, and (e) the importance of support and
social services for media professionals to cope with crises brought about by a catastrophe such
as a pandemic.

The study found that media professionals, as informational front-liners, faced numerous
challenges while working in the middle of a pandemic. The threat of infection and death from the
COVID-19 virus, the lockdowns and quarantines, limited movement, the challenges of gathering
data and sources and verifying the same, led to the creation of a local media landscape where
information became restricted and/or limited itself. These in turn put a strain, not only on media
professionals, but also on media organizations and the free and unhindered flow of information. As
such, media professionals developed their own coping mechanisms and support systems-which
included, but were not limited to, family, friends, colleagues and the media institutions that
employed them. However, though media professionals did enjoy support services from their
organizations, the fact that they constantly staked their lives in the name of truth and social
justice meant that a more comprehensive and institutionalized social support service for media
professionals should be considered and put into place. Moreover, the current pandemic also
showed some marked shifts in the kind of practices and behaviors media professionals had
traditionally done, especially in the emerging areas of scientific writing and data science. As such,
this implies a more innovative, sustainable approach from media professionals and organizations
in order to stay on top of pandemic and other kinds of crisis coverage.

Keywords: Media resilience, media professionals, journalism, coping mechanisms, pandemic

coverage

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Nanay school of medicine: An examination of health communication

accuracy in support groups for Filipino mothers on Facebook

AVRIL ADRIANNE MADRID

U of the Philippines Los Baños

Facebook groups have become popular forums where women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or
caring for young children find and offer socially supportive communication. For many mothers, the
primary functions of these groups are network support, informational support, and emotional
support. Because of the reliance that mothers have on “intimate mothering publics” like this on
social media, it is critical that accurate health and medical information is shared. This on-going
study examines the nature of health-related discussions in posts in mothers’ support groups on
Facebook.

Using deductive content analysis and thematic coding, six constructed weeks in 2019 (pre-
COVID-19) and 2020 (during COVID-19) were sampled from all posts in the group to determine the
types of questions mothers ask in the group and ascertain whether the responses they receive
are consistent or contradict health guidelines. In addition, the practices that mothers post about
that are not consistent with health guidelines are also described. Of special interest to this study
is how the COVID-19 pandemic, which has certainly curtailed mothers’ physical access to
informational and emotional support, has affected mothers’ usage of and reliance on these
Facebook groups. Our findings have implications for health communication initiatives geared
toward supporting maternal and child health, particularly on Facebook groups establishing
standards to ensure mothers’ access to accurate evidence-based information and addressing
misinformation.

Keywords: Socially supportive communication, maternal and child health, accuracy of health
information, science communication

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MODERATORS FROM PACMRI

SHIELLA C. BALBUTIN, PHD JENNY ORTUOSTE, PHD

Xavier U-Ateneo de Cagayan U of Santo Tomas

What’s Up, DOH! A rhetorical analysis of the Health Department’s virtual

pressers on the COVID-19 pandemic

KYM JUNE CESAR CACNIO, WILFREISLE NICOLE NEYRA, & MARIVIC SALVA
Colegio De San Lorenzo

With the history of the COVID-19 pandemic constantly being rewritten and the Philippines as being
the site where the virus’ first mortality case was recorded outside of its origin, communicating
about it has never been more important. The hallmark of the art and science of risk/crisis and
health communication is rhetoric/persuasion. In a time of panic and relentless uncertainty, an
effective and strategic rhetoric becomes imperative. The Philippines is still under community
quarantine, with new COVID-19 variants still in loom. This predicament makes every messaging
effort from health experts become crucial in in all levels. Thus, this research was undertaken with
the intent of thematically analyzing how the Philippine Department of Health used rhetorical
appeals and how they managed the current pandemic using crisis communication strategies
through their virtual pressers posted on the DOH official Facebook page.

This study rested on the precepts of Aristotle’s Classical Theory of Rhetoric. In order to reveal the
crisis communication strategies in managing COVID-19 employed by the Department of Health
through its virtual pressers posted on its official Facebook page, the researchers also looked at
the four risk communication strategies of Peter Sandman as the key components and bases for
analyzing the organization’s competence in managing the crisis.

A qualitative research design was deemed appropriate since the study entailed textually
analyzing the messages and the rhetorical appeals and crisis communication strategies of these
virtual pressers. The researchers found that the rhetorical appeals seemed to be aligned with the
persuader’s (DOH) need for legitimacy and credibility in order to be successful in the development
of trust and liking among the recipient of the messaging (the public). Aristotelian logic is a
rhetorical strategy that clearly played a role in determining the success of the health
department’s communication.

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It was found the DOH sought to logic as its strongest persuasion technique through
augmentation, justifications, claims and data/evidence to connect with and convince its public
regarding the information it shared to them. In its response to the health crisis during the onset of
the COVID-19 pandemic, the DOH employed different risk/crisis communication principles via
these virtual pressers such as the principle of knowing the audience so that it could effectively
formulate messages intended to change the risk perception of the public and enhance awareness
and adherence to health protocols. The health department had also been found to display a
degree of competence when assessed using the principle of scientific experts’ involvement and
partnership and with the principle of sharing responsibility. Both principles are reminiscent of
public relations which is a cornerstone in rhetoric/persuasion. The DOH recognized the necessity
of reaching their public by way of social media so that the latter will acknowledge it as a partner in
mitigating the situation. The researchers also found that while these virtual pressers were
vehicles for information dissemination, the people who are involved in the messaging process may
need to review their approach so as to effectively change behavior among the public. At this
juncture of the COVID-19 pandemic, content is king. Rhetoric that reassures is important. While
provisional and in the initial phases, this research can spark more efforts in looking at how
communication is vital in a health crisis like this global pandemic.

Keywords: Pandemic, COVID-19, health and risk communication, rhetoric, virtual presser

(Mis)Information and rhetorical citizenship in Filipino TikTok’s

#resbakuna: The rise of opinion leaders, gatekeepers,
and soothsayers during the pandemic

CHARLES ERIZE LADIA

U of the Philippines Diliman

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected not only economies and healthcare systems but also the
mental health, information consumption, and even entertainment modes of citizens around the
world including the Philippines. In particular, geographic lockdowns and health protocols in the
country prevented citizens from leaving their homes, settling for information and entertainment
sources accessible using the internet. One social media platform that Filipino netizens utilized
during this period was TikTok, a video sharing application that allows users to craft and share 15-
second videos where they can share personal narratives, lip sync popular music videos, and
recreate their cooking recipes among other contents.

TikTok was introduced in 2018 in the Philippines where it has since bcome the number one app in
the the entertainment category. The Philippines ranks 11th in the world in terms of downloads and
the application. The platform has been popular especially among millennials and Generation Z as it
offers a personalized feed of informative and entertaining videos which allow them to build a
community of followers and engage with other users.

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When COVID-19 pandemic struck the world in 2020, the platform became an important repository
of information regarding the pandemic and the vaccine. Aside from being a space for positivity and
inspiration, the World Health Organization also created a COVID-19 Updates page on TikTok to
spread information on the development of the pandemic including information on the affected
population and the available vaccines. The affordances of TikTok, especially the ability of users to
create short informative videos, became an essential citizen-led information drive that caters to
those who need information about the pandemic. With this new platform for information and
entertainment, how do Filipino TikTok users maximize TikTok in spreading COVID-19-related
information to their communities? How do they reconfigure TikTok not just as a platform for
information but also a space where they can assert their citizens’ rights and persuade others to
do the same?

Using digital ethnography as a method and rhetorical criticism as an analytical perspective, I

looked into the content of the top 100 contents using the #resbakuna - a government-led
hashtag promoting vaccination and eliminating vaccine hesitancy. As of August 2021, the hashtag
already gained 6.2 million views and the top 100 posts garnered 288,170 likes. Most of the videos
were informative, entertaining, and also persuasive. The content of the videos mainly presented
information about the vaccine including the brands, the side effects, and the registration in
different local government units. What became a crucial point for information were the
consciousness of these users to differentiate the available vaccines and state the efficacy of
each. Some users also shared their funny stories--from their fear of getting injected to the
preparation they did for the vaccine. These personal narratives gave the hashtag #resbakuna an
entertainment value perfect for the platform. Finally, the contents were also persuasive in terms
of engaging the disinformation on the vaccine and the hesitancy of the public. Most of the Tiktok
videos ended with persuading their followers to register and get vaccinated with the available
vaccine. Persuasion became a key purpose of the content of the hashtag as these ordinary
Filipinos ventured on encouraging more viewers that vaccination was key to solving the pandemic
and going back to normal.

In the process of curating and creating these contents, these Filipino TikTok users also
reconfigured what it meant to be a citizen in a time when everyone could contribute to the
discourse of the pandemic. These acts of sharing information became a process of rhetorical
citizenship--the creation of being and becoming a citizen through embodied discourse and
persuasion. Netizens did not only share their vaccine information but also asserted their rights as
citizens. They demanded accountability from the government, encouraged their fellow citizens to
act, and enacted performances that focused on their nationalistic and communal attitude
towards the pandemic. In this process, they also assumed relevant positions as opinion leaders,
gate keepers, and soothsayers in the online platform. Some netizens tried to plot the process of
vaccination, earned the trust of the viewers, and persuaded them to get vaccinated as soon as
possible. In asserting their truth, netizens, especially medical practitioners, tended to act as
gatekeepers of information in order to assert their ethos and respond to disinformation about the
vaccine. And other TikTok users became soothsayers as they predicted the future of the nation if
their viewers did not get vaccinated.

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Indeed, TikTok became an essential information repository during the COVID-19 pandemic but it
was also vulnerable to misinformation that could promote vaccine hesitancy rather than
eliminating it. TikTok users maximized the affordances of the platform by creating content that
informs, entertains, and persuades. These users ‘responsibilized’ themselves by acting as citizens
in these online spaces. When online users practice their citizenship in online spaces like TikTok,
we start to see how the concept of being and becoming a citizen is an everyday discussion
practiced in and informed by these changing political realms.

Keywords: COVID-19, TikTok, misinformation, rhetorical citizenship

Risk communication management amid the pandemic:

Transcending the challenges in risk reduction and management
among the flood-vulnerable communities of Davao City, Philippines

KAREN JOYCE CAYAMANDA

U of the Philippines Mindanao

Transcending the pandemic has become a priority in all sectors of government. Aside from
addressing health concerns, another critical matter that government must consider is the
management of disasters, specifically flooding. In the literature, however, risk communication and
disaster risk management are usually discussed separately, indicating a gap in the literature on
disaster studies. The reviewed literature indeed emphasized the significant role of risk
communication and management at the level of the communities to enhance community
preparedness and reduce the risks triggered by disasters like flooding. However, no literature has
been found specifically in the area of risk communication management.

In response to the literature, this study, therefore, focused on integrating risk communication
with disaster risk management towards a more holistic approach to risk reduction. However, since
the current disaster posed some challenges in the current set-up of the DRRM, a re-evaluation of
this area of concern was recently done.

The challenge in any communication to be effective, specifically in communicating flood risks,

relies on the efficient performance of interorganizational integration with organizations and
systems observing interoperability as the “ability of systems, units or forces to provide services to
and accept services from other systems, units or forces and to use the services so exchanged to
enable them to operate effectively together.”

Risk Communication Management plays the central role in risk management and Interoperability
and enhances the preparedness among the local communities. Communicating risk and managing
flood-risks in a large city like Davao City are challenging tasks for policy and decision makers
knowing that risk perception and risk related behaviors varies across different people based on
the social context and their experiences with the disaster. Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management is commonly done by governments and institutions through dissemination of
information using different channels and assorted tools.

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Using a convergent parallel mixed method design, the original study was conducted utilizing both
the qualitative and quantitative approaches in the data collection and analysis guided by the
integrated frameworks of the disaster risk management and the social amplification of risk (SARF).
The merging of both results in the analysis and interpretation helped identify the convergence
and divergence of the findings.

This paper, however, focuses on the results of the qualitative approach and presents the risk
communication systems and protocols of Davao City reflecting the transmission process of flood-
risk information and how it is cascaded to the local communities. It aims to describe the role of the
institutional structures and communication system and the transactional processes involved in
communicating risk information. It highlights the DRRM challenges during this pandemic and the
role of risk communication in the interoperability mechanism of the agencies involved.

Results of this analysis revealed that Davao City implements a top-down communication system
for risk reduction management, however, this approach has little or no room for direct
transactional interaction between the source of the message and the local communities.
Messages have been found to be unfiltered and interoperability mechanism has been found only
at the level of the implementing agencies. In addition, vulnerability is associated with socio-
demographic characteristics, experience in flooding and responses to flooding. Furthermore, this
paper argues that since the perception of risk varies across contexts and experiences, local
communities play a significant role in developing a flood-risk communication system based on
their own perceptions, experiences and practices that have been developed through the years in
dealing with flooding in their area of residence.

Hence, the study concludes that risk reduction strategies can be further enhanced through a risk
communication management using a localized and participatory approach in the proper
knowledge transfer of flood risk communication among the stakeholders involved, placing the
community as the central actor for amplification.

Keywords: Pandemic challenges in DRRM, flood-vulnerable communities, interoperability

mechanism, risk communication management, community resilience

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MODERATORS FROM PCS

FLORDELIZ L. ABANTO, MA JIM DURAN, MA

Far Eastern U Far Eastern U

I’m online because I miss people: Understanding interpersonal

communication dynamics and relational maintenance strategies of young
adults using online platforms during the COVID-19 quarantine

TED MATTHEW O. PACIS

U of the Philippines Diliman

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven difficult for Filipinos in the psycho-social aspect. As a result of
the isolation caused by the quarantine protocols, Filipinos have been longing for social interaction
and belonging. Young adults in the Greater Manila Area have resorted to utilizing online platforms,
such as Zoom and Discord, to maintain connections with their out-of-home friendships.

This study aimed to answer the question: How did the young adults of the Greater Manila Area
maintain their relationships using Zoom and Discord as their preferred online platforms
throughout the COVID-19 quarantine? Expanding this question, it sought to answer the following
research objectives: (1) To describe the narrative history of the young adults of the Greater Manila
Area throughout the COVID-19 quarantine; (2) to analyze how the young adults of the Greater
Manila Area have reduced their relational uncertainties that impact their communication dynamics
and relationship maintenance strategies; (3) to investigate how the young adults of the Greater
Manila Area utilized Zoom and Discord as their preferred online media platforms as a means of
communicating under the COVID-19 quarantine; (4) to investigate why the young adults of the
Greater Manila Area utilized Zoom and Discord as their preferred online platforms as a means of
communicating under the COVID-19 quarantine; and (5) to determine how the young adults of the
Greater Manila Area maintained their relationships using Zoom and Discord as their preferred
online platforms throughout the COVID-19 quarantine.

The study utilized the following theories in building its theoretical framework: Berger &
Calabrese’s Uncertainty Reduction Theory (1975) supplemented by the concept of relational
uncertainty, and Madianou & Miller’s Polymedia Theory (2012) supplemented by Madianou’s study
on ambient co-presence in the context of Polymedia (2015).

This qualitative study utilized a narrative-phenomenological approach. Through purposive

sampling and participant observation, it investigated how young adults have utilized online
platforms to communicate with their out-of-home relationships during the first full year (March
2020 to March 2021) of the COVID-19 Quarantine in the Greater Manila Area. One-on-one, semi-

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structured interviews were conducted, alongside participant observation by the researcher, and
thematic analysis was utilized to interpret the data.

Findings showcased the narrative experience and strategies that young adults employed to
maintain their relationships while living under the COVID-19 Quarantine. It also introduced the role
of online platforms as a Polymedia and the motivations young adults had in utilizing them,
especially in relationship maintenance. It was observed that the situation of the pandemic had
caused a significant use of platforms such as Discord and Zoom to address the lack of face-to-
face interactions and enable activities on these platforms to reduce relational uncertainty and
maintain the friendships of young adults in the Greater Manila Area.

The findings of this study contribute data on studies about the COVID-19 pandemic. It expands
data on interpersonal relationships that utilize computer-mediated communication for
relationship maintenance. It also provides a local perspective on understanding the role of online
platforms as a Polymedia.

Humorous memes for COVID 19 communications

MYDAH F. KABINGUE, CHRISTIAN RAY C. LICEN, ROWANNE MARIE M. MANGOMPIT, & SUNLIEGH C. GADOR
Cebu Technological U

Humor has been used by most people in coping with challenging times, especially during this
pandemic. The influx of humor memes in social media platforms manifest Filipinos' coping
mechanism in this global health crisis. There have been studies on humor conducted abroad.
However, only few local studies on humor using memes in the Philippine setting. This study then
attempted to fill this research gap aimed to contribute to the attainment of sustainable
development goals on food security and well-being.

This study identified and analyzed the general ideas that emerged from the Bisaya memes
including the types and functions of Bisaya humor during the COVID-19 pandemic because it
intended to gain better understanding of the content of these memes and the role of humor
during a crisis. This paper also determined the sustainable development goals that were reflected
in the studied social media texts. Further, the categories of Catanescu & Tou (2001) were used in
analyzing the Bisaya memes posted in the Facebook posts. Using the qualitative and exploratory
research methods, the criteria were set in gathering memes. All memes had to be collected from
the shared Facebook posts; memes must be in Bisaya published from March 16, 2020 - May 16,
2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Memes must also reflect COVID-related
messages and have generated a “humor” emoticon as reaction or comment.

Results revealed that the emerging general ideas revolved around health practices, security and
health behavior. Among the types of memes, comparison, pun and exaggeration predominated
that could be attributed to colonization and Filipino culture in coping with the health crisis through
humor. Health, Zero Hunger, Reduced Inequalities and Decent work were demonstrated among
the sustainable development goals. Consequently, this study provides implications to the
implementation of IATF and the Philippine government in making and modifying policies to help the
Filipino citizens promote their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study could also
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contribute to the crafting of programs that would alleviate poverty and empower the citizens to
have livelihood programs and decent jobs. Lastly, Filipinos are resilient as they use humor as
coping strategies amid the health crisis.

The authors offer following recommendations: First, this study could help the policy makers on the
attainment of sustainable development goals. Second, graphic artists and creators of memes
could use comparisons, puns and exaggeration to get across their message to the netizens
effectively as these types create vivid images in understanding humor memes. Third, humor could
be used to promote well-being and strengthen the immune system to release stress brought by
this COVID-19 pandemic or any possible stressors. Fourth, memes might be read beyond the
images and texts. Finally, humor using memes could be integrated in the teaching-learning
activities in Semantics of English, English Discourse, Pragmatics, Strategic and Participatory
Communication and Literary and Cultural Studies.

References:

Catanescu, C. & Tou, G. (2001). Types of humor in television and magazine advertising, Review of
Business-Saint John University, 22 (1), 92-95.
UNDP (2020). COVID-19 and Human Development.

Keywords: humor types, humor functions, memes, sustainable development goals,

communication

A pragmatic analysis of Mayor Sara Duterte's public announcements

MAICO DEMI APEROCHO, SAINT ERIDAO, FRITZ DREXTER BUQUE, & MARTHIN JOVE JAVIER
U of Mindanao

This research is a pragmatic analysis of the public announcements of Davao City Mayor Sara
Duterte-Carpio. This research focuses on Mayor Sara’s public announcements during the period
of community quarantine (ECQ, GCQ, and MGCQ). The purpose of this study is to determine the
speech acts, specifically the illocutionary forces and the politeness strategies evident in her
public announcements.

The public announcements were gathered from the Facebook page, Davao Disaster Radio. After
careful analysis, five illocutionary forces were identified. These illocutionary forces were
assertive, commissive, declarative, directive, and expressive. Furthermore, four politeness
strategies were evident in the public announcements. These included the bald-on strategy,
positive politeness strategy, negative politeness strategy, and off-record strategy.

Results showed that during the Enhanced Community Quarantine, the most dominant
illocutionary force was the directive because the community quarantine just started. The speaker
wanted the listeners to listen and obey the rules. During the General Community Quarantine, the
most dominant illocutionary force used was assertive, with utterances that committed the
speaker, in this case, Mayor Sara Duterte, to the truth of the expressed proposition. Lastly, during

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the Modified General Community Quarantine, the most dominant illocutionary forces were the
assertive and the directive.
Results also suggested that these were used because there was the need to justify the set
guidelines and other decisions to be followed by the public. On the politeness strategies, the most
evident in the public announcements during the three community quarantine classifications was
the bald-on record. It was because the purpose of directly stating what the people should know
was the most crucial part of releasing public announcements.

This study highlights the importance of language choice and manner of delivery in public
communication as these could impact public understanding of the important announcements
during a health crisis. Hence, it is significant to further examine the illocutionary forces and
politeness strategies in public communication, specifically those that concern the public
wellbeing, to determine the meaning, the force, and the action needed to respond.

Keywords: Pragmatic Analysis, Public Communication, Illocutionary Forces, Politeness Strategies,

COVID-19 Communication

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MODERATOR
Mark Lester M. Chico  UP Los Baños

Pandemic, as told on Twitter:

Digital witnessing through hashtag assemblage

JON BENEDIK A. BUNQUIN, MA (U OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN)

Assistant Professor, U of the Philippines Diliman

FATIMA I. GAW, MA (U OF SYDNEY)

Assistant Professor, U of the Philippines Diliman

As publics witness the COVID-19 pandemic predominantly online, the mediation of digital
technologies shape how they perceive, experience, and evaluate the crisis. We conceptualize
digital witnessing to characterize these mediated forms of witnessing emerging from the interplay
of assemblages of actors, texts, and technologies governed by the affordances and logics of
digital media. We draw from Frosh and Pinchevski’s (2014) theorization of witnessing as an
assemblage and Frosh’s (2019) world-witnessing to examine the network #MassTestingPH,
which consolidated calls by Twitter publics to conduct mass testing in the Philippines. Through a
three-level analysis using social network analysis, content analysis, and semantic network
analysis of over 70,000 tweets, our findings illustrate the reconfiguration of witnessing processes
by indefinitely subjecting witnessing networks, discourses, and assemblages to redirection, re-
embodiment, and resignification. We argue that this renders digital witnessing the capacity to
reproduce multiple meanings, to reconstruct witnessing events, and to redefine power relations.
This research advances theoretical and methodological approaches to witnessing research in
contemporary media.

Keywords: Assemblage, hashtags, network analysis, Twitter, witnessing

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Assistant Professor Randy Jay C. Solis, PhD

Chair, UP CMC Department of Communication Research

Assistant Professor Randy Jay C. Solis, PhD

Convenor, NCRC2021

Assistant Professor Mark Lester M. Chico, MSc

President, PACE

Professor Fernando dlC Paragas, PhD

President, PACMRI

Professor Elena E. Pernia, PhD

President, PCS

Professor Violeda A. Umali, PhD

Head, NCRC2021 Competition Jury

Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo

Vice President
Republic of the Philippines

Assistant Professor Randy Jay C. Solis, PhD  U of the Philippines Diliman

Associate Professor Maria Margarita A. Acosta, PhD  Miriam College

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https://web.upb.edu.ph/homepage-cac  https://www.facebook.com/upbcacofficial

The Department of Communication, under the College of Arts and Communication of the
University of the Philippines Baguio, was established in 2002. It implements the BA
Communication program with concentrations in Broadcast Communication, Journalism, and
Speech Communication. The Department of Communication seeks to create a hub of
communication scholars who uphold the University’s time-honored values of honor and
excellence and leads in communication research and practice to contribute to the public good.

https://psu.edu.ph/  https://www.facebook.com/PSUroars

Pangasinan State University, commonly referred to as PSU, is a state university in the Philippines
notable for its many locations throughout the province of Pangasinan. It is mandated to provide
advanced instruction in the arts, agricultural and natural sciences as well as in technological and
professional fields. Its main campus is located in Lingayen, Pangasinan. Other campuses are
located in Alaminos City, Asingan, Bayambang, Binmaley, Infanta, San Carlos City, Santa Maria,
and Urdaneta City. The PSU Graduate School is located in Urdaneta City and the Open University
Systems (OUS) is located in Lingayen Campus and Binmaley Campus.

The Office of the Governor of Pangasinan is sponsoring the participation of our delegates from the
Pangasinan State University.

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http://www.ovcrd.upd.edu.ph/

The creation of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development (OVCRD) was
approved at the 1124th meeting of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines on 24
September 1998.

The rationale:

• With the advancement of scientific research and the advent of information and transfer
technology, the vital role of academicians and researchers in national development
efforts in an increasingly global village is underscored. Such recognition has spawned the
imperative for institutions to create offices for research and development to properly
address, coordinate and meet the tremendous demand for research results. With
advancing information technology, resource generation as well as the protection of
research results can also be best implemented in an institutional setting.
• Research is an important aspect of faculty academic work, but its pursuit is another track
distinct from and closely related to their classroom teaching. Enhancing research in a
university requires providing it a distinct track as well as its own office.

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https://www.facebook.com/updoica/

The Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA) was formally established in March 1999 by
virtue of the decision made by the Board of Regents during its 1128th meeting on January 28, 1999.
OICA is under the Office of the Chancellor, UP Diliman.

OICA is mandated to carry out the following functions:

1. To formulate policies, guidelines, plans and programs on artistic and cultural activities for
UP Diliman. These activities are directed towards the following:
a. enrichment of artistic and cultural experiences of UP Diliman students, faculty, staff,
residents, and audiences off-campus;
b. promotion of humanistic and nationalistic values among the members of the UP
Diliman community and the nation;
c. creation of an environment conducive to realizing the visions of UP Diliman artists and
cultural workers;
2. To organize, coordinate, and support various artistic and cultural activities in UP Diliman;
3. To promote and support the various artists and artistic groups in UP Diliman;
4. To plan, evaluate, and oversee the development of theaters, museums, sculptures,
garden, art galleries, studios, and other cultural facilities and infrastructure in UP Diliman;
5. To promote UP Diliman as a major cultural center in the Philippines.

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UP Office of the Vice President for Development

UP Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs

UP Media and Public Relations Office

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