Reinventing “UP College Of Mass Communication” – Now, Where Is It Going? Asking As A Friend!

Right now, I’m intellectually looking back at my alma mater, UP Los Baños (UPLB), where I graduated with a BSA major in Ag Ed in 1965 (weighted average 2.65 if I remember right). In that same year, I placed close second in the Pangasinan (Entrance) Teachers Exam with 90.6% – a Diliman lady got 90.5%. (Actually, they are statistically the same.)

UP – Cristina Chi says on Thursday, 30 Jan 2025, the UP Diliman Board of Regents approved the renaming of the “UP College of Mass Communication” (CMC) into the “UP College of Media and Communication” (PhilStar, philstar.com).

Inspired, here’s me looking at “digital media for instruction” and “mixed learners” – CMC Dean Fernando Paragas, Sir, to begin the re-education of CMC people, and for them to enjoy it while they sweat it out, why not teach your staff Harvard professor Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI)? They will then discover their own individual geniuses!

The MI list is this: 1. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (“Body Smart”), 2. Creative Intelligence (“Thinking Smart”), added by FAH, 3. Existential Intelligence (“Life Smart”), 4. Interpersonal Intelligence (“People Smart”), 5. Intrapersonal Intelligence (“Self Smart”), 6. Mathematical-Logical Intelligence (“Number/Reasoning Smart”), 7. Musical Intelligence (“Music Smart”), 8. Naturalist Intelligence (“Nature Smart”), 9. Spatial Intelligence (“Image Smart”), and 10. Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence (“Word Smart”).

Suddenly, with MI, media & communication becomes lively & lovely occupations for UP instructors!

What nerve have I to say all of the above? Let me introduce myself: Frank A Hilario is historically the one and only “Outstanding Alumnus For Creative Writing” of the entire UP System, from Aparri to Jolo, from the founding of the UP System in 1908 till now, 2025. No, not “Distinguished Alumnus…” it’s “Outstanding Alumnus…” you have to distinguish!

Madecor President Elpidio L Rosario was President of the UPLB Alumni Association when that happened in 2011. By that time, I had blogged thousands of articles and ICRISAT had published 2 books from my articles. Ask former ICRISAT Director General William Dar if you want to check. I was then a Writer From Home (WFH) writing about an institution thousands of kilometers away! How was that physically and/or mentally possible? The Internet came to the Philippines in 1991. Internet. Thank God for the Internet!

Note: I have been a self-taught creative writer, since Innocents Day, 1985. I have blogged at least 40,000 essays since 1991 (WordPress.com–Blogger.com), and I am happy to continue until today, 34 years later!

And yes, I am a self-taught digital editor and desktop publisher. How did I do that? Being a teacher (UP Los Baños 1965), no other background, I taught myself all the digital knowledge I have right now! The ilocanos like me will do anything if you tell them it’s impossible!

Yes – if the CMC asked for professional help at 84, I am ready anytime! Nota bene: All self-taught, if I could go digital at 40 years of age, 1985, I am challenging the CMC to go digital at 60 years! Age doesn’t matter as gray matter doesn’t age!@517