Today's Work Assignment: Media Field Trip

- April 3, 2012, Tuesday.

- The Konrad Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University (ACFJ,) where I currently work in, just held a two-day media workshop for participants from 4 NGOs based in Aurora. Each workshop, facilitated by faculty, professionals, alumni, or current MA students, presented an area/form of communication that would let the NGO participants realize how media works, how powerful media is, and how media can empower themselves and their advocacies.

- For today, I, together with two colleagues, were tasked to bring the participants on a field trip to GMA 7 and the Philippine Daily Inquirer head office. It was fortunate of me to go with them, since I'd at least have some diversity from what I usually do at work, and the best part, all expenses were covered by the institution.

- We first went to GMA after a PR seminar with Mr. Sev Sarmenta in Ateneo. We arrived at GMA at around 10am, and were welcomed immediately by our tour guides. We roamed through the studios, and were fortunate to have encountered Mariz Umali, a reporter, after her Flash Report shoot. Later, we were able to encounter Susan Enriquez, and Arnold Clavio on-air during their radio show. Too bad I wasn't able to meet up with my friend and batchmate, Mav Gonzales, who recently became a reporter for GMA.

- We all had lunch at the side walk of busy Timog, munching our packed lunch away before riding off to the other side of NCR - Makati.

- We arrived at the PDI head office earlier than expected, so we were able to rest a bit before starting the short lecture about PDI.

- Out guide oriented us on PDI's vission, mission, system, and affiliations at 1pm, and she even gave us free PDI notebooks. She led us to the printing press, to let us see how the newspapers were being printed and made. Unfortunately, picture-taking was not allowed in that area.

- We went back to Ateneo afterwards to wrap up the workshop series with 2 more workshops. I am as tired as an old and crumpled newspaper, but I did have fun during the field trip. Still, all I could do right now is to roll on the floor and moan about my sore arms and legs.