National Child Development Center to rise in PamantasanThe country’s first National Child

Development Center cum Train-ing Laboratory will rise at the Pa-mantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) to offer curricular studies for teachers on early childhood care and development which currently do not receive sufficient emphasis in institutions of higher learning.

The center, to be housed in a new building that is targeted for comple-tion next year, is the centerpiece of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed last Oct. 25 between PLM and the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council, a national government agency.

Established by Republic Act No. 10410 or “The Early Years Act of 2013,” the ECCD Council is respon-sible for institutionalizing a national system for early childhood care and development covering children aged zero to four years.

The ECCD system is envisioned to be comprehensive, integrative and sustainable, involving public

and private, multi-sectoral and inter-agency collaboration at the national and local levels among government,

service providers, families, commu-nities, non-government organiza-

PLM College of Law conferred twin awardsThe College of Law of the Paman-

tasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila re-cently received two awards from the Legal Education Board (LEB) for its consistent rating as one of the coun-try’s top-performing law schools.

The LEB supervises all law schools in the country through Republic Act No. 7662, the Legal Education Reform Act of 1993 which mandates it to pre-pare students for the practice of law and to ensure the continuing legal education of practicing lawyers.

On the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the LEB last Nov. 11, the university was awarded the Cer-tificate of Academic Recognition with trophy for being among the 15 High-est Ranked Law Schools in Overall

8 l PLM TODAY l November - December 2016

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Members of the PLM Board of Regents, led by Chairman Benjamin I. Espiritu (seated, extreme right), and Early Childhood Care and Development Council Executive Director Teresita G. Inciong (standing, extreme right) join Manila Mayor Joseph E. Estrada and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Pamantasan and the ECCD.

TOP-PERFORMING LAW SCHOOL. President Ma. Leonora V. de Jesus and Atty. Rufino V. Abuda, vice president for legal affairs, hold one of the awards given to the PLM College of Law for its consistent inclusion among the country’s best performing law schools. Also in photo are College of Law Dean Marisol D.L. Anenias (second from left) and Arch. Gil C. Evasco, vice president for academic affairs (second from right).

Vol. 1, No.2 November-December 2016Intramuros, Manila

ProQuest subscription gives PLM access to e-books, e-journalsUniversity Library goes hi-tech

Turn to page 6

Score another first for the Paman-tasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila!The University Library recently

finalized its subscription to Pro-Quest, a US-based information content and technology company that provides access to a global col-lection of e-books and e-journals, thus, making the Pamantasan the first local state university to give its students and faculty this high-tech service free of charge.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, ProQuest has a grow-ing content collection that now encompasses 90,000 authoritative sources, six billion digital pages and spans six centuries. It includes the world’s largest collection of dis-sertations and theses; 20 million pages and three centuries of glob-al, national, regional and specialty newspapers; more than 450,000 e-books; rich aggregated collec-tions of the world’s most important scholarly journals and periodicals; and unique vaults of digitized his-torical collections from great librar-ies and museums, as well as organi-zations as varied as the US Library

of Congress, the Royal Archives and the Associated Press.

The subscription was announced in simple rites held last Dec. 6 at the Library Reading Room where Uni-versity officials, led by President Ma. Leonora V. de Jesus, participat-ed in the ceremonial launch of this newest library service.

“The University Library has wit-nessed a great metamorphosis in recent years, both in the library col-lection, development, and service structures,” Grace Mauricio, chief li-brarian, said in her opening remarks.

Thanking President De Jesus for her support, Mauricio noted that

ONLINE RESEARCH. President Ma. Leonora V. de Jesus tries out PLM’s ProQuest subscription as other University officials, led by EVP Nelson Celis and Chief Librarian Grace Mauricio, look on. Next year, 100 new PCs will be installed at the University Library to enable more students to take advantage of this online research service.

Editor-in-Chief Mr. Ibarra C. Gutierrez

Consulting Editors Ms. Sahlee Bugna-Barrer

Mr. Rodolfo A. Morales Managing Editor

Ms. Pauline M. AbudaWriter

Ms. Mary Lane D. LiporadaContributors

Dr. Gina A. OpinianoMr. Edward Ortega

PhotographersMr. Jeffrey BagallionMr. Jonathan Flores

Lay-out ArtistMr. Ernanie Gonzales Editorial Coordinator

Lainna Pangyarihan-Ko

The PLM Today is published by the Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs with office address at

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, General Luna cor. Muralla St. Intramuros,Manila. For inquiries or information, please call 02-526-6842 or email us at vppa@plm.edu.ph.

PLM bags silver at PRSP Students’ Grand PrixThe Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng

Maynila placed first runner-up in the 2016 Students’ PR Congress and Grand Prix interschool competi-tion for its public relations campaign #ItoAngGustoKo which sought to heighten awareness of the severity of the out-of-school youth problem in the Philippines.

PLM’s Team Gladius, composed of 11 mass communication stu-dents, prepared the campaign as the university’s official entry to the an-nual event organized by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) for students in the fields of communications, advertising and media. A highlight of this yearly PRSP affair is the interschool contest that trains students in developing an ac-tual communication plan.

The campaign of Team Gladius adhered to this year’s PRSP theme which focused on the Abot Alam National Program for Out-of-School Youth of the Department of Educa-tion and the National Youth Com-mission. The project seeks to locate out-of-school youth and enroll them

in program interventions in educa-tion, entrepreneurship and employ-ment.

The PLM public relations plan stressed how the alarming rise in the number of out-of-school threat-ens the country’s economic develop-ment, specifically by contributing to the increase in the number of un-skilled workers. Despite the enor-mity of the problem, it is not being adequately addressed compared to other national issues, the plan pointed out.

The campaign of Team Gladius listed several recommendations to help reduce the number of out-of-school youth and to pave the way for a better future for these youngsters by urging the government to appro-priately resolve the problem.

PLM competed against San Beda College, De La Salle University (DLSU), Assumption College, and Polytechnic University of the Philippines in the fi-nals of the Students’ PR Congress and Grand Prix held last November 13 at the Henry Sy Sr. Hall of DLSU. n

TEAM GLADIUS. Members of PLM’s Team Gladius are all smiles after bagging first runner-up in the 2016 Students’ PR Congress and Grand Prix interschool competition for their public relations campaign #ItoAngGustoKo to heighten awareness of the severity of the out-of-school youth problem in the country. Photo shows (from left) Nerissa Gabelo (team adviser), Jelo Arevalo, Ariana Ubina, Ryan Carl Mangubat, Christine Joy Galura, Ina Marie Tuscano, Pamela Faith Asis, Shanen May Dean, Joaida Fely Ruales, Rachelle Anne Tan, Albert Ray Alejandro, Roman Paolo Montalban, Prof. Mark Gutierrez (team adviser), and Prof. Ludmila Labagnoy from the Department of Mass Communication of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

Towards paperless transactions

The Information and Communica-tions Technology Office (ICTO), in

coordination with the Microsoft Stu-dent Partners (MSP) and Microsoft Student Community (MSC), conducted a series of trainings on the Microsoft Office 365 suite for Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) officials, deans, unit heads, faculty and staff.

Held on Nov. 17, 21, 24 and Dec. 8, 2016, the series was held in response to the directive of Dr. Ma. Leonora V. De Jesus, PLM president, for ICTO to

conduct various trainings on the use of the different features of Office 365, which will eventually lead to paper-less transactions in all offices of the university.

An actual hands-on use of the program concluded each training session, which many of the attendees particularly enjoyed. Most acknowl-edged their surprise at the different features of Office 365 and stated that they would begin using the program soon. n

ICTO conducts Office 365 trainings

2 l PLM TODAY l November - December 2016

Passing Rate, and the Certificate of Merit for being among the 15 Highest Ranked Law Schools in the Passing Rate for New/First-Time Examinees.

“It is with great pride that we re-ceived these awards from the LEB for recognizing us as one of the top-per-forming law schools that obtained a passing rate which was above the national rating recorded in last year’s Bar Examinations,” said Atty. Marisol D.L. Anenias, dean of the PLM College of Law. In 2015, the College ranked ninth in terms of passing percentage rate among the country’s law schools.

It was the second straight year that the PLM College of Law was com-mended for its successful efforts to advance the study of the legal profes-sion and, at the same time, to provide quality education to underprivileged but deserving law students.

The twin awards were conferred to PLM for having adequately per-formed within the parameters of the Board’s legal mandate alongside the

November - December 2016 l PLM TODAY l 7

other top law schools of the country, said LEB chairman Atty. Emerson B. Aquende.

“I’m glad because even though we are a fledgling college, having been es-tablished only in 1989, we can already compete with the well-entrenched law schools,” said Dean Anenias, who expressed her gratitude to PLM Presi-dent Dr. Ma. Leonora V. De Jesus for her unwavering support for the col-lege, and to the faculty members for their earnest efforts to train the stu-dents become productive and efficient lawyers in the future.

“We are unique, compared to oth-er universities, in the sense that we expose our future practitioners to the law for the public interest, and stress that private practice is very different,” she pointed out.

Dean Anenias disclosed that the college is one of the law schools prac-ticing the Moot Court system as part of its Juris Doctor curriculum to fos-ter the competence and proficiency

College of Law conferred twin awards From page 8

of its students. At the same time, the analytical skills of the students are sharpened through the application of the Socratic Method. The method in-volves argumentative dialogues based on questions and answers to stimulate critical thinking and to elicit notions and underlying presumptions.

The course includes the Legal In-ternship Program which aims to im-merse students in actual legal prob-lems on the field to impart to them the long-standing principle adopted by the College, Lex Ad Bonum Publi-cum, or “The law for the public’s in-terest.”

The two awards were received by Dean Anenias who hosted the LEB an-niversary celebration held at the New World Manila Bay Hotel in Malate. The affair was attended by legal luminar-ies from the Integrated Bar of the Phi-lippines, the Philippine Association of Law Schools and the Philippine Asso-ciation of Law Professors, law practi-tioners and law students. n

PLM professor named Outstanding Finance Educator Prof. Melvin Jason S. De

Vera, a faculty mem-ber of the College of Busi-ness Management of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, was recently named Outstanding Fi-nance Educator Awardee in the National Capital Re-gion (NCR) to add another feather to the university’s academic cap.

De Vera, along with Ferdinand Timbang of Miriam College who also represented the NCR, re-ceived the prestigious De-loitte-FINEX Outstanding Finance Educator Award from Deloitte Philippines and the Financial Executives Insti-tute of the Philippines (FINEX) Re-search and Development Founda-tion Inc. which conduct an annual nationwide search that honors the

finance education profession.The current president of the Fi-

nance Educators Association of the Philippines, De Vera bagged the 2015-2016 edition of the accolade

after hurdling panel interviews conducted by the chief finance officers of renowned financial institutions. He is the first PLM faculty member to qualify as a semifinalist and a finalist in this 10-year-old awards program.

In ceremonies held last Oct. 6 at the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel Manila, De Vera accepted the award together with the winners from the Vi-sayas and Mindanao. They in-cluded Dr. Melanie De Ocampo from the University of San Car-los Cebu and Dr. Virgie Yacapin from Xavier University in Min-danao who was also named the national winner this year.

Deloitte/Navarro Amper & Co. is a professional services firm providing audit, tax, risk, and finan-cial advisory services, while FINEX is an association of about 700 finance executives. n

NCR WINNER. Prof. Melvin Jason de Vera holds his awards as Outstanding Finance Educator in the National Capital Region. Flanking him are officers of Deloitte Philippines and the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX).

Student leaders hold 2nd General AssemblyBy Edward Ortega

Students of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila enthusiasti-

cally welcomed the plans discussed and initiatives taken by their stu-dent leaders during the 2nd General Assembly of the Supreme Student Council, the College Student Coun-cils, and presidents and vice presi-dents of student organizations held last Nov. 9, 2016 at the Bukod Tang-ing Bulwagan.

Spearheaded by the Office of Student Development and Services (OSDS) in partnership with the Col-lege of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences-Student Council (CHASS-SC), the gathering also served as an avenue to update the student body

on operational matters.In her opening remarks, Dr. Gina

A. Opiniano, officer-in-charge dean of the OSDS, challenged the stu-dent leaders to position themselves based on the goals they intended to achieve. She also reminded them to capably fulfill their responsibilities.

Director for Student Discipline Prof. Marianne Rose P. Yu, for her part, reported on student violations, and reiterated the shared responsibility of the OSDS and the councils and orga-nizations to inspire discipline among PLM community members.

Members of the College Student Councils shared their strategies in disseminating information regard-ing matters on student discipline. These included conducting room-

to-room announcements and being active in the grievance committee of their respective colleges.

Ibarra C. Gutierrez, vice president for public affairs and vice chair of the President’s Committee on Culture, Arts, and Sports (PCACS) and Do-mingo Cobarrubias, PLM consultant and movie and theatre actor, called on the student leaders to be more responsible in planning and imple-menting their respective activities. They also expressed willingness to support and fund student activities, particularly those that relate to arts, culture and sports, with the objective of widening the scope of PLM from just an academic institution to a cul-tural center that promotes the holis-tic development of its students. n

Helping less-privileged PLM scholars

Pamana Project distributes pre-owned uniforms By Dr. Gina A. Opiniano

The Office of Student Develop-ment and Services (OSDS), Su-

preme Student Council (SSC) and College of Business Management Student Council (CBM-SC) success-fully conducted the second round of the PLM Iskolar Pamana Project last Dec. 2, 2016 at the University Activity Center when they distrib-uted pre-owned uniforms to 87 PLM students.

The PLM Iskolar Pamana Proj-ect is a pre-owned uniform col-lection and distribution project that aims to help the scholars of PLM get uniforms for free. The uniforms are gathered from dona-tions of their fellow PLM students and alumni.

A brainchild of the PLM adminis-tration, the project promotes social responsibility, a core value of the Pa-mantasan, by encouraging students and alumni alike to share their ex-tra uniforms or pre-owned but still wearable uniforms with their less privileged schoolmates.

2016. Many dona-tions were received from students and alumni who were given pins and cer-tificates as tokens of appreciation for the act of kindness.

A year-long activity, the PLM Iskolar Pamana Project continuous to accept dona-tions of uniforms as well as other items that may be useful to students

such as books and school supplies. Donations may be given to the OSDS or CBM-SC office during weekdays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

These will be given to less privi-leged PLM students during the next rounds of distribution scheduled for next year. The beneficiaries of this project have expressed their grati-tude to the organizers and the PLM administration for coming up with this project. n

EXEMPLARY PROJECT. Students gather at the University Activity Center for the second round of distribution of pre-owned uniforms.

The first round of distribution was held last June 6, 2016, the first day of classes, as an auspicious way to welcome School Year 2016-2017. Fifty-one uniforms were distributed to willing beneficiaries of the project.

Encouraged by the positive re-sponse to the project’s first round of both students and alumni, the organiz-ers scheduled another round of distri-bution which was preceded by the col-lection of donations last Sept. 20-22,

November - December 2016 l PLM TODAY l 3

University Library goes hi-tech From page 1

it was hard to believe that the PLM library opened with only 768 vol-umes of books, most of which were donated by private individuals, so-cieties, and foundations, such as the Asia Foundation and US Informa-tion Services. At present, she said, the library’s book collection totals 50,000 volumes of foreign and local print materials, but, thanks to the ProQuest subscription, this can now be multiplied several times over.

The ceremonial launch is con-sidered a giant leap for the Univer-

tions, professional associations, and academic institutions.

The MOU signing was attended by former President and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Es-trada, former President and incum-bent Congresswoman of the second district of Pampanga Gloria Maca-pagal-Arroyo, and former Senator and incumbent PLM Regent Maria Teresa Aquino-Oreta. Signatories were PLM President Maria Leonora V. de Jesus and ECCD Council Vice Chairman of the Board and Execu-tive Director Teresita G. Inciong.

Under the MOU, PLM and the ECCD Council will develop an op-erational framework and practical modalities for cooperation focusing on education development issues, in order to advance childhood care and development in the country.

The PLM, a state university fund-ed by the City of Manila, has the expe-rience of educational management as well as the administrators, faculty and personnel who can conduct an ECCD Council-designed program for the pre-service and in-service train-ing and development of present and future child development teachers in Manila, the rest of the National Capital Region and beyond.

Both the PLM and the ECCD Coun-cil have the mandate to undertake re-search and human resources develop-ment interventions for the systematic

sity as it will provide PLMyers with access to the best books, journals, and learning materials through an increasingly familiar and popular medium – digital technology. It will also enable the University Library to achieve one of its key goals, which is “…to explore potentials of technology in order to deliver a wide spectrum of excellent library services.”

The ProQuest subscription comes bundled with another pro-minent service, Turnitin, an anti-

plagiarism software that is very popular among researchers. This software enables users to enhance and perfect their technical and aca-demic writing skills by detecting copied parts of a written output. Many universities are now using this tool to assist undergraduate and graduate students in improving their research skills.

With these newly acquired li-brary services, PLM is well on its way to becoming a real techie uni-versity. n

Child Development Center to rise in PLM From page 8

professionalization of ECCD service providers. Under the MOU, profes-sionalization can be achieved through enrolment in educational programs in site-based or distance education modes, and through pre-service and in-service training including continu-ing education programs.

ECCD efforts are founded on the recognition that early childhood care and development programs are a valuable investment contrib-uting significantly to improved performance among children when they enter school and later in their lives. n

6 l PLM TODAY l November - December 2016

THREE PRESIDENTS. PLM President Ma. Leonora V. de Jesus presents a replica of PLM’s Rizal as a Student monument as a token of appreciation to former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as another former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph E. Estrada look on.

Traffic. Final exams. Papers. Dead-lines. Love life. Family. Barkada.

Financial problems. Social media. In this fast paced world, these and vari-ous other triggers cause stress and depression and, at the most extreme, suicidal tendencies. Recognizing the symptoms and measures to ad-dress people at risk was the topic of “Stressed and Depressed: A lecture on depression awareness and suicide prevention,” a talk given by Dr. Eleanor Ronquillo to a jampacked Justo Albert Auditorium last Nov. 16, 2016 at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

A medical doctor and psychiatrist, Dr. Ronquillo has more than 25 years of experience in stress management, depression awareness, suicide inter-vention and other mental health issues.

Stress, according to her, is normal and comes from many sources, including family, finances, and studies, among others. “Social me-dia is now a major source of stress because you see how different you are from other people,” she noted. “It’s a source of bad news, and you see comments from very emotional people. It has also become a venue for bullying and hate comments.”

Depression, on the other hand, takes two forms. “Some people react to stress or problems with a passing sadness or normal depression, where feelings of depression are short-lived and mild,” Dr. Ronquillo said. “But when depression lasts more than two weeks with significant symp-toms, then medical attention may be necessary.”

When people are depressed, they are unwell, not abnormal, and should be given appropriate treatment, she emphasized. She cited symptoms of depression such as extreme sad-

ness; feelings of worthlessness, guilt and failure; loss of interest in activi-ties that used to bring pleasure; lack of energy and exhaustion; agitation and restlessness; trouble in concen-tration, inability to think clearly or make decisions; lack of or too much sleep; weight loss or weight gain; and suicidal thoughts, among oth-ers. Causes of depression may be biological (e.g., genetics, chemical

imbalance, medical illness), psycho-social (loss of a loved one or rela-tionship), or long-term use of illegal drugs and alcohol.

Depression may lead to a down-ward spiral into suicide. Dr. Ron-quillo explained that warning signals may include statements such as “Hin-di ko na kaya”, “Kung wala ako mas masaya pa sila”, “Sana hindi na ako ipinanganak”, “I wish I were dead“, “I have no one, nobody cares”, and “I am a loser and a burden,” among others. Those who have suicidal thoughts may also come up with drawings and letters indicating lack of self-worth and death; seek access to means of suicide such as pills or drugs, a gun, rope or knife; act recklessly or en-gage in risky behavior; increase al-cohol or drug intake; or suddenly

put financial or property matters in order. Dr. Ronquillo encouraged the audience to be supportive of people at risk and encourage them to seek treatment and therapy.

Reacting to Dr. Ronquillo’s talk, Prof. John Vincent Felix, chair of the Department of Psychology, College of Science, said: “Accumulated stress is the problem. The family should be able to equip their children so that

they can stand on their own, express themselves freely, and fully determine what they want out of life. Para kahit anong problema dumaan, kaya niya itong lampasan.”

Prof. Jessie Reyes, a full-time faculty at the Depart-ment of Psychology, added that “Family is the core. If there is a good founda-tion, depression can be al-leviated and issues can be solved. The family helps individuals remain and grow stronger.”

“We want our students to recognize fellow stu-dents at risk,” PLM Presi-

dent Ma. Leonora V. de Jesus said. “We are not just interested in stu-dents getting good grades, we want fully developed individuals.”

PLM, she added, is planning to implement a number of measures to ensure the good mental health of all the members of the PLM community. These include conducting more lec-tures and seminars; increasing aware-ness of stress, depression, and suicide intervention among students, faculty and personnel; increasing the number of and skills of guidance counsellors; collaboration with the Philippine Gen-eral Hospital; posting of contact infor-mation of crisis centers and hotlines on the PLM website and Facebook page; creation of a PLM crisis center, helpline, and training PLM students to serve as responders. n

Psychiatrist conducts lecture on depression awareness, suicide prevention

Stressed and depressed: Recognizing and helping people at risk

JAMPACKED LECTURE. Dr. Eleonor Ronquillo tells her audience to be supportive of people at risk and to encourage them to seek treatment and therapy.

PLM students enJOY journalism lecture Three of the country’s most out-

standing journalists – Maria Te-resa “Marites” D. Vitug, editor-at-large of Rappler; Horacio “Howie” G. Sev-erino, news anchor and vice president for Professional Development of GMA Network Inc.; and Nancy C. Carvajal, reporter of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism – inspired students of the Pamantasan ng Lung-sod ng Maynila at the last leg of the Metrobank Foundation’s Journalism Lecture Series held last Nov. 24 at the Justo Albert Auditorium. The three were recognized as the Journalists of the Year (JOY) 2015 in a search con-ducted by the Metrobank Foundation and Probe Media Foundation Inc.

The Search for JOY recognizes excellence in Philippine journalism across all media platforms. With the theme “Shaping the Nation through Powerful Stories,” the 2015 search honored journalists who had con-tributed to positive social change and nation-building and helped influence and develop their audience towards constructive growth.

Carvajal, former senior reporter of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, is best known for the exposé on the P10-bil-lion pork barrel scam that made Ja-net Lim Napoles a household name in 2013. “With the right motivation and attitude towards good journalism anyone can own these kinds of sto-ries,” Carvajal told PLM students.

She encouraged the audience to be responsible in words and action, and take care of the right to freedom of expression. Every journalist, she said, dreams of writing high impact stories, the kind that can take down an unde-sirable leader, expose incompetence in government, influence public opin-ion, and change history. However, it is important to discern available in-formation, nurture the right contacts, and do the necessary research and legwork to come up with a compelling story, she noted.

Advising future journalists, Carva-jal said: “Follow your nose. Organize and get facts the right. Take notes. Record the interview. Do not misrep-

resent yourself. And always ask per-mission.”

Recognized for her hard-hitting questions and exhaustive research and analysis, Vitug was honored for her stories on the inner workings of the Supreme Court. “Journalists should pursue a more noble cause, which is to bring positive change to communities and to the country,” she said. To do this, she said journalists should adhere to the core principles of journalism: loyalty to citizens, obliga-tion to the truth, independence from subjects, commitment to the role as community watchdog, adherence to the highest standards of journalism, and ethical behavior.

She discussed the challenges of writing controversial stories, which require comprehensive research and possibly facing cases of libel. She cau-tioned the audience about fake news and urged them to remain involved in the key issues affecting society. Be-cause of her interest in the Supreme Court, she encouraged the students to be aware of changes in the highest court in the land, as the choice of the next Supreme Court associate jus-tices are likely to have a major impact on everyone’s lives. “You can make a difference as citizens, students and journalists,” Vitug told PLM students.

Severino who hosts documentary and news programs at GMA Network,

focused his talk on the kind of person that makes an excellent journalist. “Excellence is a moral obligation,” he said. “In some jobs, mistakes can be fatal; in journalism, mistakes can be very damaging.” He encouraged the students to forget passion and devel-op interests, find and appreciate good mentors, develop good collaborators, listen to their parents and yet make independent decisions, clarify goals, and be realistic and flexible by testing talents and skills.

Journalism currently faces a num-ber of challenges, particularly in the depiction of violence, Severino not-ed. “In news reporting, journalists may be facilitating desensitization, when people are no longer affected and shocked,” he said. “It may also cause disinhibition when viewers lose their normal tendency to inhibit from their own thoughts of violence. There is also moral disengagement, or the dehumanization of victims of violence.”

Enjoying human rights and the power of technology, millennials, ac-cording to Severino, are the most em-powered generation in history. He ended his talk with a challenge to the students: “Will you be the selfie gen-eration or aspire to something greater and turn your cameras to the bigger world? Wherever you are, wherever you go, make it a better place.” n

JOY AWARDEES. Metrobank Foundation’s three Journalists of the Year (JOY) 2015 (from left) Marites Vitug, Howie Severino and Nancy Carvajal field questions from the audience after their talks on the various aspects of journalism.

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