De Leon: Week #1 at Peace Works

List down all the tasks that you performed during this period. Describe each in detail.

April 14, 2009
10:15 to 11:45 noon
We had a brief orientation about the organization, PAZ, including its goals and sister organizations such as Katilingban, Nagdilaab, CPD-WMSU, and IRMSP. We also talked about the function of PeaceWorks as the information arm of PAZ and as an alternative source of news here in the city. The orientation was lead by Darwin Wally Wee.

An overview about peace journalism was also given to us by Darwin and our EIC, Rey Luis Banagudos. Afterwards, we were given our first story assignments for this week. I was tasked to write about Akay Kalinga, a non-government organization that offers social and educational services to street children of Zamboanga City.

12:00 noon
Right after the brief orientation and distribution of story assignments, I dropped by the main office of PAZ to inquire about contacts of people involved in the article. I got the number of Akay Kalinga Center to contact Ms. Loida Sapalo, Center in charge, and the office of Claret Missionaries to contact Fr. Angel Calvo.

1:30 to 4:00 pm
I started to make a phone call to the offices mentioned above to schedule an interview with the people involved. Unfortunately, Ms. Sapalo was out for an activity so I got her mobile number and sent her an SMS regarding the interview. We had an informal correspondence through mobile. I also dropped a letter of appointment at the center to formally set the interview the next day. We agreed to have it at 5:00 in the afternoon at the center and she confirmed it through SMS.

I also called at the office of Fr. Calvo but I was asked to make another call after an hour. During this time, I made the letter of appointment for Ms. Loida. Then I called back and finally arranged an interview with Fr. Calvo at 2:30 in the afternoon the following day at the office of PAZ.

April 15, 2009

9:30 am – 11:00 am
Early morning, I tried to search for information on the web regarding the subject of my story, Akay Kalinga. I found relevant links and read some write-ups and articles for background information about Akay Kalinga and Katilingban sa Kalambuan. I also asked some friends who have been with PAZ some information about Fr. Calvo. During this time, I already had my MP5 player charged for the voice recorder that I will be using for the interviews.

1:00-2:15
I went to town at around one in the afternoon to buy a notebook and batteries for the still camera. After such, I went back to school to finalize the guide questions for the interview. At ten minutes pass two o’clock, I arrived at the office of PAZ and I was instructed to go to Claret campus because Fr. Calvo wanted to have the interview at his office instead. So, I rushed into Claret and located his office. I was still ten minutes early before the scheduled interview so I had the chance to have a personal chat with Fr. Calvo and tried to get along with him first before asking the real thing.

2:30 – 3:30 pm
The interview lasted for around forty minutes and I was lucky enough that Fr. Calvo allowed me to have the interview recorded. I went back to school after the interview and tried to assess the information I have at hand and finalized the questions for the next interview.

4:40 pm – 5:50 pm
Around 4:40 in the afternoon, I arrived at the Akay Kalinga center. When I got there, I met Ms. Sapalo and we immediately started with the interview. She was also kind enough to allow me to have the entire interview recorded and gave me the privilege to talk to one of the center’s high school graduates. Then, I took some photos of the children, the facilities of the center and its façade. I also asked for some documents that will reflect the records of the children who entered formal schooling. She asked me to go back the next day for the documents that I requested. I left the center before six o’clock in the evening.

7:10 – 9:00 pm
After dinner, I reviewed all the information that I had from the interviews. I checked my notes and listened to the recorded files and jot down the necessary information that I need. I organized the raw data for easier reference and tried to plan the structure of the story.

11:00 – 12:30 am
It was already pass eleven in the evening when I began to write the draft of the story and stopped writing half pass the hour of twelve.

April 15, 2009

10:00 to 11:30 am
At ten in the morning, I continued to write the story and was not able to finish it yet because there was information that I had to get from the documents from Ms. Sapalo. She asked me to come to the center at around three or four in the afternoon.

3:20 to 4:00 pm
I went to the center at 3:20 and arrived at 3:30. When I got there, she was not yet ready with the documents so I took some more photos while waiting for her. Then, I left the center when she handed me the papers.

6:00 to 8:00 pm
I continued writing the story at pass six in the evening and finished everything at pass eight. Then, I sent the story to the EIC through e-mail.

9:00 to 10:30 pm
Pass nine, I started selecting the photos that I will submit for final selection. I worked on the photo enhancements and photo captions.

April 15, 2009

3:00 – 5:00 pm
We were suppose to have our weekly consultation with our EIC on a Friday, as scheduled, but it was moved a day after because Sir Rey was in Ipil for a news coverage. We started at three in the afternoon, discussing our written weekly report. It was a casual conversation about our experiences during the week. Then, Sir Rey started assessing our first submitted stories. He said that it was actually a good start and after the conversation, he instructed us to work with the webmaster to publish the stories in the web. Christine and I were tasked to select at most three photos to accompany our story. Then, it was published on the web.


Describe new skills you learned, or skills you improved upon as a result of these tasks. Be specific.

Dealing with people and trying to get along with them the first time you meet them is one important skill that I have started to learn. The interviews helped me a lot to establish confidence and appropriate aura when facing different kinds of people.

Working independently and utilizing the time for urgent matters was another thing that I also learned without having a teacher. Doing work-related tasks during vacant time avoids cramming. Finding ways to do things that are new to me is also important to finish a task.

Spontaneity during interviews


Other thoughts regarding the OJT experience.

Many things happen while working in the field. You have to look for the people who will give you the information. You should know the things that you actually do not know.

I remember when I was looking for the Akay Kalinga Center. I almost reached thirty minutes looking for the exact location of the center because it was my first time to go that place. Until I finally located the center and so I dropped the letter for Ms. Sapalo. The next day, during the interview, in the middle of our conversation the rain poured so hard and I worried so much about the noise because I was recording the interview. And there were other external noises like the vehicles in the neighborhood and children shouting. So, I really had to jot down everything as much as I can to make sure that I get all the information that I need. I was about to take a photo of the façade but there was water all over the place so I decided to take the photo the following day when I get the documents that I need. As I walked out of the small road, my feet soaked into the water and I had no choice because that is the only way to get into the main road. It was still drizzling and so I had to walk with my soaked feet and I was already starting to feel cold because the rain was continuously pouring. There was no vacant tricycle so I headed my way to the jeepney terminal and finally arrived home all wet.

There were also financial struggles because I had to spend much on the fare since I ride the tricycle most of the time because it is my first time to go the places that I had to go to. Then I really had to save every peso that I have so that I can still go home after the long day.

These things, I know are just simple experiences compared to the real experience if ever I’ll become a professional journalist. But right now, as a student I think that the most difficult part is still on doing the story, putting up the words, planning the structure, selecting the information, and the entire “writing” as a whole. Because after all, this is the only thing that the people would see. All the hard work will be of no use if the story is not written very well. So, it really took me a long time to finish the story.