“The answer is simple, isa lang ang aking duyan, at ito ang Pilipinas. Ang ugoy nito ang ugoy ng buhay ko,” said Fernando dlC. Paragas, PhD, 10th dean of the UP Diliman (UPD) College of Mass Communication (CMC), during his oath-taking on April 22 at the UPD Film Institute Cine Adarna and livestreamed via Vimeo.
His response was to the questions repeatedly asked of him upon his return to the CMC in 2015 after years of teaching abroad: Why give up the good life where there are many research grants and teaching load is light? Why return to the Philippines where resources are scarce?
“Even before I left for Singapore, I already made a promise to return and seek to apply what I’ve learned about the principles and operations of a research university back to our country. To help our people study ourselves and contribute more meaningfully to the local and global literature on communication and media,” Paragas added.
Lessons on the cradle. During his message, Paragas shared the lessons on the cradle
that his mother taught him.
“Maging lingkod-bayan has been instilled in me the moment my Nanay cradled me,” he said. “Nanay earned her English degree from the UP College of Education in 1958 and was the perfect candidate in the search of teachers bound for the United States in the 1960s,” Paragas added.
His mother chose to stay and taught in public schools. She also served as an adviser to a generation of student journalists in Cavite, Quezon City, and Manila. Paragas’ mother passed away 20 days before his oath-taking.
“It is important to leave the comforts of the cradle” is the first lesson.
“Save for the three years in the United States and six years in Singapore, I have been here in UP since 1991, at least 31 years or exactly two-thirds of my life spent as an Iskolar ng Bayan. But while UP is my comfort zone, my proverbial duyan, I have worked with many of you outside the sprawling Diliman campus,” Paragas said.
“The importance of rocking the cradle” is the second lesson.
“Iyong pag-ugoy nito ay hindi kailangang palaging banayad. We who are gathered on-site and online are presented today with the biggest challenge of our times—that of communication and information,” he said.
Paragas shared the need to address the prevalence and insidiousness of misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information head-on.
The last lesson is needing the help of others.
“Sometimes, either by choice or circumstance, nalalaglag tayo o ang iba sa duyan. Minsan, kaya nating tumayo sa sarili natin pero minsan kailangan natin ang tulong ng iba. What is important, however, is that we are mindful of those who formed our cradle. I’m happy at how we care for each other. May malasakit tayo sa isa’t isa. Pero, we can still improve,” Paragas said.
He articulated this in his vision paper—to make CMC as 3Cs, a caring community of communicators.
“Guided by this vision, our collective mission is to care and communicate—for ourselves, for each other, for our community, and for our country,” Paragas said.
College agenda. Paragas also enumerated the CMC’s three-year college agenda, “to help develop our people, our content, and our places, even as we prepare for the next normal.”
The six parts of his agenda are: (1) the college plantilla plan, (2) the faculty and staff development and promotion plan, (3) the academic excellence program, (4) the college and community engagement program, (5) the digital service program, and (6) the physical spaces and equipment program plan.
Assisting him in implementing the CMC’s agenda are Ma. Ivy A. Claudio (college secretary), Rachel E. Khan, DPA (associate dean and Department of Journalism chair), Daphne Tatiana T. Canlas, PhD (Department of Broadcast Communication/DBC chair), Randy Jay C. Solis, PhD (Department of Communication Research/DCommRes chair), Robert L. Rownd, (UP Film Institute director), Violeda A. Umali, PhD, (Graduate Studies Department chair), Jonalou SJ Labor, PhD (Office of Research and Publication director), and Roehl L. Jamon (Office of Extension and External Relations director).
Tambuli. During the turnover part of the ceremony, Arminda V. Santiago, PhD, ninth CMC dean, handed over a tambuli to Paragas.
The tambuli is an important CMC symbol for stewardship.
Event co-host Cherish Aileen A. Brillon of the DBC explained the use of the tambuli.
“During pre-colonial times, it is an instrument that calls people to come together either to listen to important announcements or to take part in making decisions for the community, which is actually what this oath-taking symbolizes. The CMC community coming together,” she said.
Event co-host Jon Benedik A. Bunquin of the DCommRes further emphasized the importance of the turnover.
“From the former dean of the college to the new CMC dean, this turnover of the tambuli symbolizes an amicable transition to the new administration and the commitment to continuously work together in support of the CMC and its endeavor.”
Words of affirmation. “Ibang hamon naman ang kinakaharap ngayon ni Dean Ernan. He will have to lead the college in a time of transition. Sinusubukan nating bumalik sa face-to-face, sa bagong normal. Pero hindi pa talaga ganap na natatapos ang pandemya. Nandiyan pa rin ang banta ng mga bagong variant kaya kakaibang panahon ito,” Chancellor Fidel R. Nemenzo said before the oath-taking proper.
“He will also have to lead the college in a time of great change, disruption, and uncertainty—at the time of social media, the digitization of our lives, fake news, and revised history. This is a great challenge for the dean. I’m sure it’s both challenging and it excites you as well,” Nemenzo added.
The DCommRes faculty members who prepared an audiovisual presentation (AVP) together with Paragas’ sister, Louie Paragas Sebastian, took turns telling stories of his beginning in UP as a student, his studies abroad, his years as a DCommRes faculty member, and his accomplishments within and outside the college.
In another presentation, faculty members from the UP System (UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies, UP Cebu, UP Los Baños, and UP Mindanao) and those from universities abroad (Ohio University, USA and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore), gave their affirming words. Some of the faculty members were his former advisees in their graduate studies.
Also present in the ceremony were the members of his family.
Term of office. Paragas’ appointment was approved by the UP Board of Regents at its 1368th meeting on Feb. 24. He will serve until Feb. 23, 2025.
CMC alumnus Terrence Tolentino covered the song “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan” by National Artist for Music Lucio D. San Pedro. Paragas personally requested the song as it directly relates to the lessons of the cradle.
The UP Concert Chorus Alumni Association led the singing of the National Anthem and performed “What a Wonderful World” by G. D. Weiss and G. Douglas with arrangement by Jai Aracama, while the UP Symphony Orchestra led the singing of the UP Naming Mahal.