PARTNERSHIP. XU Development Communication department chairperson Evans Yonson encourages public and private organizations in Cagayan de Oro City and beyond to partner with DevCom in the implementation of its programs. Supplied photo.
The Development Communication (DevCom) department of Xavier University is looking forward to forging partnerships with government agencies, private entities, and non-profit organizations for its development-focused communication projects this year.
“When we started the school year, we were thinking of how to get everyone involved, especially here in Cagayan de Oro, in our development projects,” said XU-DevCom department chairperson Evans Yonson.
“With the spirit of bayanihan, where we are supposed to be building a community together, we thought of coming up with partnerships with the organizations here in CDO, ranging from the national government agencies, private institutions, businesses, and civil society groups,” he added in his message during the Partners Night held earlier this month at Primavera Residences which drew together existing and possible partners of DevCom.
“We hope that you will find [DevCom] worthy of your participation and partnership,” said Yonson. “We do not want to talk about development alone, but also the communication theories that go with development.”
At the forefront
In its more than four decades of existence, DevCom has established programs geared toward catalyzing social change guided by the principles of Communication for Development, one community at a time.
“Over the years, we have developed a niche in the development communication practice. We have pioneered so many projects,” said DevCom faculty member Shiella Balbutin (former DevCom department chairperson).
“We have provided our students and partner institutions the opportunities to actively participate and promote programs that resonate the values of DevCom, that of being purposive — a communication with a purpose and a social conscience. It is pragmatic; it is conscious of the impact of a communication intervention. It is people-oriented because at the heart of DevCom are the people, the very reason of our existence,” added Balbutin.
DevCom hopes to get this message across those who want to become partners for the various projects and events of the department.
“This is our tradition. We have taught students to put into practice the idea of development communication and we have gone a long way since our beginning as a small unit in the College of Agriculture. We hope that you will find interest in our projects and that you will heed our call for partnership because we cannot do this alone,” said Balbutin.
DevCom has established an annual photo exhibit called "Lansad" to display socially compelling images and to spark discussions on various social issues. This year marks the tenth year of Lansad. Another major event, "Syagit," a public communication exhibit, has become a platform for students to present their skills in strategic communication planning and execution. The department has staged puppet shows to present development topics and themes, not just in the rural areas but also in the city. It has also produced schools-on-the-air programs for a rural radio station, which catered to the needs of specific audiences in the region, bringing life into the concept of community broadcasting.
“Our projects this year are aligned with the agenda of Xavier on governance, peace, social development, and the environment. The DevCom department, along with the Development Communication Society, has also lined up a slew of activities — Lansad 2016, Syagit, ECHO 2017, a film festival, participation in United Nations celebrations, coffee table book production, and many more,” enumerated Yonson. 
DEVCOM. The new logo of the Development Communication department of Xavier University bears the colors of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and its theme for this academic year, “Transforming our World through Communication for Development.”
New studios and theme
DevCom is currently renovating its laboratory to include TV and radio studios which will be used starting next semester.
“In November, we will be inviting all our partners to the blessing of the new DevCom studios,” shared Yonson.
Partnering with DevCom, said Yonson, underscores the organizations’ commitment to social responsibility besides promoting their names and products.
“We need to be grounded with our work in development so we teach our students to write for print, broadcast, and new media. We have development journalism, educational communication, and communication research,” he said. “We teach students to do research in local markets so if you have an interest in understanding your customers’ thoughts on your products, we can do that for your companies.”
DevCom offers core subjects on photojournalism, social marketing, community publication, multimedia productions, and interpersonal communication.
According to Yonson, their partnership packages are negotiable as the department aims to form long-term ties with interested institutions and groups.
The department also serves as the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) service unit of the XU Senior High School. Part of the MIL curriculum is the introduction of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and how the youth, especially senior high school students, can contribute to development and nation building.
DevCom has adopted the 17 global goals in its theme for this academic year, “Transforming our World through Communication for Development. ∎