The Torch revives its publication through conducting a journalism seminar-workshop, October 13-13 at Function room, 2nd Floor, Main Building, GADTC

By: Veronica C. Laranjo

Through initiating a two-day 2019 Alfonsos Campus Journalism Seminar-Workshop, Gov. Alfonso D. Tan College (GADTC) rebuilt The Torch, the official student publication of the college after it was lost since 2013.

Under the leadership of the Student Publication Coordinator Danilo A. Fajardo, Jr., the said activity aimed to provide trends and updates on campus journalism held at Function Room, 2nd floor, GADTC, Oct. 12-13.

“Being able to reconstruct this publication is never easy for me,” Fajardo said. “As the coordinator of the student publication and tasked to revamp the publication I should assure that my editorial staff is acquainted with the new trends and updates in Campus Journalism. This is really a great opportunity for us to enhance our journalistic skills.”

 Meanwhile, during the first day of the seminar, the resource persons were Danilo U. Omega, Education Program Supervisor (EPS) 1 and Campus Journalism Coordinator of the Division of Tangub City to give inputs for News Writing; Gretchen Lyn Shein C. Ramas, Tangub City National High School (TCNHS) School paper adviser (Filipino) for the Online Publishing and Photojournalism; and Joselito B. Escala, TCNHS Campus Journalism Coordinator and the President of Tangub City Division School Paper Adviser Association for the Editorial Cartooning and Sports Writing.

“I commend GADTC especially the Editorial staff to come up the publication again,” Omega said. “I am so glad and proud because this is the first school to implement a workshop in campus journalism here in our division. This is one way of enhancing your journalistic skills (journalists) and also a preparation for the Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC) qualifiers.”

In the second day, Pinky Y. Del Castillo, School Paper Adviser (English) of Sumirap National High School (SNHS) for Editorial Writing and Column Writing and Mahalia T. Sultan, School paper Adviser at Sta. Maria National High School (SMHS) for Science and Technology Writing and Feature Writing, shared their expertise in journalism.

Juris Rita M. Seclot, Program Head in Mass Communication and Head, Corporate Communications and Promotions office in GADTC, on the other hand, expressed her excitement about the seminar because she said this semester is a different story wherein The Torch is back with a bang and vengeance.

“I am one of the most excited with this event because I’m so happy that this is realized,” she said. “I know that you know guys that we have been struggling with our school publication for several years. Each year, we change advisers and writers, but look at us now; we are on the way of solving it. The struggle of the publication here in our institution really makes me so sad because what happened was a violation of democratic right of a campus press and now, I am happy that this is finally back and you all guys are amazing.”

The first time seminar workshop on campus journalism in GADTC was bannered with the theme: “Revitalizing Journalistic Skills of Students through Modern Journalism”.

Participants were Senior High School (SHS) students qualified for the RSPC, trained SHS students for the next Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC), mass communication students and the TORCH Editorial Staff.

Indeed, Omega emphasized the most important thing in Campus Journalism which was writing is not about to impress but to express.