AIJC President Ramon R. Tuazon attended the 4th Asia Pacific Information Network (APIN) Meeting on 26-28 November 2008 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Network’s objectives include promoting ICT literacy and application, information and knowledge networking, sharing of information resources, and the use of international standards and best practices in communication, information and informatics. The regional meeting was convened by UNESCO and the National Center for Scientific and Technological Information (NACESTI) of Vietnam.

During the regional forum, Mr. Tuazon was elected co-chairperson and presided over the discussion of this year’s APIN agenda. Participants from 18 countries agreed that APIN shall focus on information accessibility and information literacy as priority areas among the five areas earlier identified by the Information for All Program (IFAP) of UNESCO. The Network also called upon UNESCO to provide technical assistance in the formulation of national information policies. APIN will also set up an open archive for scholarly research materials and promote an interactive and collaborative environment for information sharing using blogs.

During the regional forum, Mr. Tuazon also presented two papers, “An Update on Information Policies in the Philippines” and “Creating, Protecting and Promoting Cultural Values and Identity through ICT.”

Meanwhile, forum participants expressed interest in holding the next meeting in the Philippines in 2010.

AIJC participated in the recently concluded 4th Population and Development (PopDev) Media Awards as member of the Screening Committee. The event honors journalists who have brought the issue of population and development into the public consciousness.

Launched by the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development in 2005, the PopDev Media Awards is a major project under the UN Population Fund’s 6th Philippine Country Program. It seeks to give recognition to media practitioners who disseminate information and positive values on population and development. It also aims to encourage journalists to examine population and development issues as crucial social issues affecting Filipino society.

This year’s awardees who were honored on November 25 at the Mandarin Suites, Gateway Mall are:

Best News Reportage: David Chavez Dizon, abs-cbnNEWS.com; Best Investigative Report: Cherry Ann T. Lim et al, Sun.Star Cebu; Best Opinion/Editorial Piece: Rene Ezpeleta Bartolo, The Mindanao Times;  Best Feature or Magazine Article:  Isa Lorenzo, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism;  Best Radio Program: Magandang Gabi Dok, DZMM; Best TV Documentary: I-WITNESS The GMA Documentaries (Sandra Aguinaldo Team); Best Single Photo: Sonny M. Espiritu, Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project; and Citation For Photo Essay: Jes Aznar, Newsbreak Magazine.

AIJC has completed a package of instructional video for the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) which updates the police curricula on laws protecting women and children. The learning materials will be used for training police officers on human rights, criminal justice system, gender awareness, and protection of women and children’s rights under the Access to Justice for the Poor Project (AJPP).

PPSC is one of the partners in the AJPP, a joint undertaking of the Philippine Government and the European Union.  It is in charge of the Institutional Development of Law Enforcement and the Judiciary component. 

In using the instructional video to train police officers at the municipal level on human rights, the police as well as students and advocates of women and child protection will be enabled to fully grasp the Philippine criminal justice system, gender awareness, child sensitivity, and the best practices in addressing cases of women and children abuse. The program of instruction is presented in five modules to facilitate learning. It begins with a discussion of the sociology of the poor and fundamental concepts of social justice.

The AIJC worked closely with prominent legal, police enforcement  and social science experts in producing the learning materials. Experts include Atty. Katrina Legarda, PCSupt and Women & Children Protection Center Chief Yolanda Tanigue, Col. Eldibrandy Usana of the PNP Human Rights Office, Dr. Cecilia Reyes of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, UP Professor Angelito Manalili, and European Commission country head Eva Pastrana Gutierrez. Department of Social Welfare and Development  Secretary Esperanza Cabral and Undersecretary Alice Bala as well as Council for the Welfare of Children Executive Director Elena Caraballo provided crucial inputs to the material.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED)’s Technical Committee for Communication has presented during a public consultation the Draft Policies and Standards for Graduate Programs in Communication and Development Communication.

The 10 December public consultation was presided over by AIJC president Ramon R. Tuazon who also chairs the Technical Committee. The other members of the Committee are Dr. Florinda DF Mateo (UP), Dr. Wolfreda Alesna (VSU), Prof. Mark Vincent Escaler (ADMU) and Fr. Francis Lucas (CMN). The consultation was attended by deans and chairpersons of communication schools nationwide, CHED Office of Planning Services, and some CHED regional directors.

According to Mr. Tuazon, the proposed curricula for MA in Communication and MS Development Communication provide students with higher order and advanced communication competencies needed in professional practice, teaching and communication studies. Communication has been redefined to go beyond mass media to include telecommunication, new media, etc. Thus, graduates of the two programs are expected to be equipped to pursue new and emerging career options such as communication consultants, knowledge managers, multimedia content managers, or planners/designers or alternative learning systems.           

Both curricula include innovative courses such as communication media laws and ethics (to include IPR, e-commerce, public domain), educational communication systems management, Information and Communication technology/ICT4 Development, and Knowledge management.

Earlier, the Technical Committee for Communication also completed the proposed policies and standards for undergraduate programs in communication and development communication. The CHED commission en banc will review and approve the proposed policies and standards for undergraduate and graduate programs for possible implementation starting school year 2009-2010.