By Ivan Anthony D. Sapio, BA Comm-4 OJT

The students who will undergo their virtual OJT had an orientation with their teachers and the Director of the Office of Communications.

Central Philippine University’s (CPU) Department of Languages, Mass Communication, and Humanities (DLMCH), in partnership with the CPU Office of Communications, launches its first virtual practicum for the Bachelor of Arts in Communication (BACOMM) and Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies (BAELS) degree programs on Tuesday, March 7.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the implemented health protocols in the new normal, the DLMCH under the College of Arts and Sciences will be conducting the internship course online with 11 4th year students from the BA COMM and two from the BA ELS. As interns, these 13 students will be under the supervision of Rev. Francis Neil G. Jalando-on, CPU Office of Communications Director, and Prof. Sharlene Gotico and Prof. Leilani Fatimah Trompeta, Com 4224 (Internship) and ELS Prac 1 (Internship) teachers, respectively.

Prof. Gotico said that on-site internship is still not encouraged given the threat of the pandemic, but the need for students to learn and be trained should continue, so they opted for online/virtual internship.

Nicola Bangsil, a 4th year BACOMM student who finds it hard to travel from Roxas City to Iloilo City due to travel restrictions and personal concerns emphasized that conducting the internship virtually is not any less important as the face-to-face practicum and that being healthy in times of pandemic should always come first.

“I think working virtually is efficient as organization is quite established. I believe that virtual practicum can be as beneficial as face-to-face practicum. It really contends your range of skills and how well-prepared you are to adapt to various situations,” Bangsil added.

The students’ internship under the CPU Office of Communications will mainly focus journalism-related activities including writing articles about CPU events which will be later published in The Centralian Link. Student interns will also have the opportunity to work on book editing and other communication-related activities.