Untitled

[margaretgolpe]

108 - Infographics on 4.1, 4.2, and the handout 

[margaretgolpe]

108 - Op-Ed: Red flag

I was there when one of my best friends opened up about her toxic relationship with one of the boys from our class. She had finally decided to end it with him, as heart-rending as it was, because he cheated on her. There weren’t a lot of words spoken during that conversation, but all I needed was my friend asking to borrow my handkerchief (because she had already soaked hers from all the sobbing) to know that the hurt of disloyalty is beyond indescribable.

I admit that I don’t often find myself feeling tender emotions when watching or reading our nation’s state of affairs. Most of the time I am consumed by burning anger, other times it’s just plain disappointment, but both are just coming from a position of entitlement—as citizens of this country, we do deserve a competent response to the current worsening health, economic, and social crises.

Recently, it was reported that U.S. Marine Pemberton was granted absolute pardon by our president. Pemberton is convicted of homicide after killing Jennifer Laude, a transgender woman, in a motel in Olongapo City. According to police reports, her body was found bare in a bathroom, with neck injuries and her head “leaning on a toilet.” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that he respects that decision, and I don’t know how else I can illustrate the influx of emotions that I had upon hearing those words from the former legal counsel himself of Laude’s family.

The rage was short-lived. What immediately followed was a feeling I consider to be even more miserable because betrayal, in any context, shatters hope.

And hope is something we’ve all been desperately grasping, especially given our circumstances for the past seven months (or for the past four years, actually). Hope is even more indispensable for me, as a Development Studies major, because it builds the tenacity demanded by ambitions of a more equitable society. Hope is something I hold delicately because I believe that it is social. We don’t hope for ourselves—hope exists to help others, and it is entwined with our humanity as social beings.

But how can you continue hoping in this situation, when a former human rights lawyer himself supports such an abominable decision? It truly prompts one to wonder what exactly in the world is invaluable enough to compromise principles. Roque, only a week before Pemberton was granted absolute pardon, condemned the Olongapo City court’s decision to order the early release of the convict based on good conduct. He even said that the decision was a “judicial overreach” and was ultimately “the death of Philippine sovereignty.”

How do we compete with a rigged system? Where can we effect change when, on national television, we witness it drive a previous well-meaning lawyer to deliberately turn a blind eye to the very family he was once defending and to explicitly express his tolerance of the criminal’s release?

We are in a manipulative relationship with this administration, and now more than ever, we must not lose hope in our collective ability to end this cyclical trauma.

[margaretgolpe]

108 - An open letter to MiMAP

To Ms. May Dawat, current President of the Microinsurance MBA Association of the Philippines (MiMAP), and Executive Director Mr. Jun Jay Perez, 

I hope that this letter finds you well.

I am Ma. Margaret Golpe, a 3rd year AB Development Studies student from Ateneo de Manila University who is tasked, along with other group members from our Communication for Development class, to collaborate with an organization and craft a communication strategy which can help them further their goals. 

I have proposed to my team to consider the field of microinsurance, with RIMANSI (Philippines) or specifically one of its members—Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) MBA—as the potential partner for our project. 

Our target audience would range from the Milennials to our own generation, which is Generation Z. The current global health crisis and its extensive impact on economies has prompted us to recognize the importance of money management skills in preparation for crises. When equipped with adequate financial knowledge (on the value of saving money, emergency funds, living below budget, debt management, investments, etc.), we would be able to better handle unanticipated events or even protect our futures. Financial literacy is a skill that can be developed, and upon further research, we were able to discover that your organization, including CARD MBA, is actively working to promote financial awareness by conducting educational training and workshops as a value-adding service for existing and potential clients. We also recognize the challenge to improve the mindsets of the youth towards the microinsurance industry. Your advocacy is something we would like to forward as well, and we would like to help you extend your reach to the public through digital platforms. 

This is not to discard the need to retain direct contact with the more vulnerable sectors of society, such as farmers and those residing in disaster-prone areas, whose access to services that institutions like yours offer are often only made available through partner cooperatives in local communities. We acknowledge the core of the industry as well—providing risk protection and affordable insurance to those who are more socioeconomically disadvantaged. Losing a major breadwinner in a family is a tragic yet real event that can cause extensive financial problems for many, and Delmar Geronimo’s story is only one of the few that we know of. Already coupled with mental and emotional distress after losing his mother to a freak accident, Geronimo had to also immediately go through financial instability. CARD MBA was fortunately responsive and immediately assisted Geronimo and the family with the insurance their mother was entitled to since she was a member of the organization. With a weekly premium of only PhP 20, a client is already entitled to a life insurance and can be given a maximum benefit of PhP 100,000. 

There is an upward trend in the field—data shows that Filipinos are opting for microinsurance, and roughly 40M Filipinos have already been reached by the industry as of September 2019. The Department of Finance is still targeting to bring this number further to 50M by 2022. Especially in a time that draws only more attention to the importance of money management, there may still be prospects in expanding the youth’s awareness of microinsurance as well as in enhancing their financial literacy all through a non-intimidating manner. Information campaigns can be designed together with your organization and may be released in different social media platforms to make educational materials and tools more directly accessible. The youth, provided with the right knowledge and skills, can even ultimately help more people become insured. 

We are hoping for your kind consideration. 

Thank you. 

[portia-dev-journal]

Guess that Fallacy!

Round 1 

 “My god. I hate drugs. And I have to kill people because I hate drugs.” - President Duterte

Round 2

Me: Ma, masakit ulo ko. My mom: Kakakompyuter mo yan!

Round 3

Literally no one: Zuko: It’s either I find the Avatar or live out the rest of my days without honor!!!

Round 4

“In the Bible, a verse from Ephesians 5:22-24 states: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” Therefore wives must always follow their husband’s orders.”

Round 5

“President Duterte said we have successfully flattened the curve of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines. The government must be doing a good job with their military approach to the health crisis :) This is why we should never question the government. Makinig nalang kayo.”

[margaretgolpe]

1. i’m not sure if this is appeal to emotion ?

2. false cause? haha

3. false dilemma :))

4. texas sharpshooter? 

5. appeal to authority?

[eljaygoesdevcomm]

Make them Guess That Fallacy!

Oh man, here we go again! 

1. I swear, once you legalize same-sex marriage in the Philippines, people will start burning their Bibles and putting up Satanic Churches.

2. Either we allow China to establish military bases on our islands, or they themselves will go to war with us.

3. My friends keep telling me it’s bad to stay up all night but they’re the ones I always see online at 4 in the morning.

4. Most people aren’t really talking about how Australians have constantly mistreated their indigenous people so it shouldn’t really be that big of a deal.

5. You’re such a scaredy-cat, no wonder you can’t get yourself to lead the group.

[margaretgolpe]

1. slipper slope 

2. false dilemma 

3. tu quoque 

4. bandwagon ?

5. is this a loaded question ???? : (

[mkapls]

9. Guess that Fallacy!

*Kris Aquino voice* MGA KA-108, GAME KA NA BA? THIS IS:

Here are your questions:

Keep reading

[margaretgolpe]

1. slipper slope ? haha

2. tu quoque 

3. straw man ?

4. post hoc ergo propter hoc 

5. appeal to ignorance lol

[marybungay-dev108]

Logical Fallacies Activity

First Fallacy

Masy: The government should really pay attention to controlling the cases of COVID-19 in the country! It is affecting people’s mental health and economic stability. The priority should be contact tracing and mass testing, not some beautification of Manila Bay that is just trying to distract us from the real problem here!

Denire: The beautification of Manila Bay is a project for the World Coastal Clean up day, don’t you think having beautiful to look at can help the masses’ mental health in general? Look at them appreciate the view!

Masy: But gathering them there together there is a public health hazard in the first place! Not to mention, dolomite sand has been proven to have adverse effects on aquatic life!

Denire: The military was there to assist the gathering, didn’t some people wanted quarantine lifted anyway to go back to their economic activities? The effects of dolomite has been proven false by the DENR itself!

Second Fallacy

State University students: The government’s priority should be its citizens health, well-being, and economic stability! Stop the unnecessary spending on things that we don’t need!

Fallacious Argument: But don’t you benefit from the government’s services anyway? You study for free because of the government! So stop saying anything against the institution that funds your education!

Third Fallacy

Would you rather have beautiful white sand on Manila Bay or the stinky garbage its always been pestered with? Progress is progress! ‘Wag puro nalang reklamo!

[margaretgolpe]

1. appeal to ignorance..?

2. to quoque 

3. false dilemmas 

[eljaygoesdevcomm]

Logical Fallacies

Name that logical fallacy!

1. I swear, once you legalize same-sex marriage in the Philippines, people will start burning their Bibles and putting up Satanic Churches.

2. Either we allow China to establish military bases on our islands, or they themselves will go to war with us.

3. My friends keep telling me it’s bad to stay up all night but they’re the ones I always see online at 4 in the morning.

[margaretgolpe]

1. slipper slope ?

2. false dilemmas

3. tu quoque !

[ninakagaoan]

Logical Fallacies

1. I don’t like to agree with her arguments because her appearance in the video - her clothes, books, and glasses - made it all look fake and pretentious.

2. We conducted an internet connection survey among students of Sitio Rizal. Results showed they had stable connection, therefore it must be the same for their neighboring sitios Andres and Apolinario.

3. Either you give up your dream for a more practical job, or you live off the streets for the rest of your life.

[margaretgolpe]

1. ad hominem 

2. overgeneralization 

3. false dilemmas!

[mkapls]

7. Logical Fallacies

fergalicious, fallacious, make them boys go loco

Here are my 3 fallacies! I’m not so great at making them up but I hope you get what kind of fallacies they are!

1. A: “We young people totally demand for better climate action now.”     B: “You can’t push for climate action because you’re just a bunch of snowflakes who don’t know anything about the real world! We need real leaders!“

2.  C: “I like singing in the shower.  Sometimes I do a little dance too.”      D: “Oh didn’t you know? If you sing and dance in the shower, you’ll slip on the wet tiles then you’ll be needing medical attention or else you’ll die from all that blood loss. You got a death wish or something doing just that?”       C: (Internal screaming)

3. E: “Oooh I love your two-toned hair color and your make-up! I bet you’re just like those e-girls on TikTok who dance and stuff. I’ll follow you, what’s your @?”     F: “…I don’t even have a TikTok?”

[margaretgolpe]

1. ad hominem

2. slippery slope ?

3. overgeneralization.. ?

[margaretgolpe]

108 - Guess That Fallacy!

1. “Puro ka reklamo. Ano ba ambag mo?”

2. “Either we continue to enforce the lockdown and let people starve or re-open businesses so people can continue earning income.”

3. “My grandparents lived through Martial Law, and they said that they didn’t encounter problems during that time. The Marcos regime therefore isn’t as bad as you’re claiming it to be.”

4. “Once same-sex marriage is legalized, people are going to start worshipping satan. Same-sex marriage enables atheism!”

5. Phil, despite wanting to pursue a liberal arts course, proceeds to enroll in a SOM course because his parents say that a business course will help him earn more income and will thus make him happier in the long run.

[margaretgolpe]

108 - The wonderful world of twitter (journal entry)

What is or are your reaction/s [to Locsin’s tweet]?

I think Locsin’s tweet was irresponsible. His remark not only disrespects our ties with Malaysia but it also certainly does not represent our values and beliefs as a nation. I think it is even more appalling that he consciously crafted his tweet even after knowing that Malaysia, last 2018, already rejected the proposal to make Sabah a part of the Philippines [1].

What would you tweet in response if you had the chance?

As our DFA Secretary he should already be aware of updates regarding this issue but if given the chance to reply to him, I think I would call out his ignorance and reiterate the basic facts: that the PH’s claim to “a right of sovereignty” based on “historic title” [2] is not recognized by international laws. Sabah is and has always been occupied by Malaysia, and that is already legally acknowledged by the “political organs of the United Nations.”

[1] Esmaquel II, P. R. (2018, January 31). Malaysia slams bid to make Sabah the 13th PH state. Retrieved from https://rappler.com/nation/malaysia-sabah-philippines-state-charter-change

[2] Hallare, K. (2020, August 29). Malaysia issues note verbale, rejects PH's claim on Sabah. Retrieved from https://globalnation.inquirer.net/190497/malaysia-issues-note-verbale-rejects-phs-claim-on-sabah

Other references

Tomacruz, S. (2020, July 29). Malaysia to summon PH ambassador over Locsin's Sabah tweet. Retrieved from https://rappler.com/nation/malaysia-to-summon-philippine-ambassador-locsin-sabah-tweet?utm_source=twitter

[margaretgolpe]

108 - Individual Responses #1

Hello, I’m Margaret! My groupmates for this activity are Mikha, Eljay, Ange, and Portia, who are wonderful and genuine people who make me smile on gloomy days < 3

My preferred medium for my responses would be blog entries, as I feel that the length and depth of my reflections would not be viewed as seriously if I were to post them on other social media platforms. FB, Twitter, and Youtube are often used for leisure :)

Reflections and Insights

The excerpt from the Servaes Handbook delved into various definitions for Development Communication and Communication for Development, and I was able to find nuances after some comparison and contrast. For instance, I think that Development Communication leans towards the top-down approach—Servaes, along with other writers like Rogers and Quebral, emphasizes the application of communication theories, tools, and research to developing countries with the aim of transitioning from a dissatisfying situation, such as poverty, to a more satisfying one that bears some semblance to Western progress. On the other hand, Communication for Development appears to seek change/development from the bottom up. It places the social process involved in communication at its core, highlighting the roles of empowerment, participation, and education in encouraging communities to participate in the decision-making process of their own development objectives. 

In Quebral’s Primer, I think I agree more with her updated definition of Development Communication compared to the 1971 version, although I admit that I still personally had issues with some of the topics she discussed. She was able to expound on the tasks of communication media in a developing country, and I especially agree with how they must be able to disseminate information regarding important events, whether local or national, as well as how they must also provide a public platform for these issues to be discussed. However, she also mentioned that it is one of their roles to teach people livelihood and communication skills, even the ability to function as a community. I’m not sure if I completely agree with these sentiments because it appears to be imposing. I think that there could have still been space to discuss how communities could potentially define their own development objectives, or how the possibility of people or communities rejecting a “knowledge-transfer” exists. Additionally, I think there could have been further discussion regarding biases in communication media. In one section of the primer she mentions that “if development is accepted as a national goal, the media should cover all its angles and give it due priority.” The statement has its merits, but I can’t help but think of the power dynamics between different Philippine political figures and institutions which may have development perspectives that encroach on the rights of minorities or other vulnerable sectors of society. Is it considered fair to give them their own platform? 

I enjoyed reading Chatterjee’s article because it included a brief history of Development Communication from which I gained a few insights. What I agreed with the most was one of the statements by the World Bank: “[...] changing knowledge and attitudes does not necessarily translate into behavior change.” It made me think of how there really is only so much development workers can do—yes, we can empower, educate, and encourage communities to be more proactive, but at the end of the day a big part of the decision to be better is in their hands. After all, development is not something done to people but with them. Despite these insights, however, I still had a few issues with some ideas in Chatterjee’s article. For example, I find his definition of development concerning and narrow. It assumes that human wellbeing and other forms of progress will inevitably follow only after achieving economic growth, which is not completely true. Heightened economic activity does not necessarily equate to better social conditions. Often times it actually manipulates working conditions in the name of profit and productivity. In the latter part of his article, Chatterjee also talks about development communication—to be effective, development discussions must use tangible and measurable terms. I agree with this statement to an extent because I also think that academic jargon, ironically, sometimes evoke feelings of alienation, especially for those are not the most proficient in the field. Nonetheless, I do think that the ideological should be given just as much attention and importance since concepts are often the foundation of the measurable terms, actions, and indicators that we already are familiar with. Disregarding the ideological neglects the qualitative dimension of development, which is just as valuable on its own.