RACG reps, ISS study photography, publishing

By Niño Manaog and Cora Navarra

On July 1–3, 2009, 12 representatives of Regional Applied Communications Group (RACG), and 25 Information Service Specialists (ISS) from among the 34 Farmers Information and Technology Services (FITS) Centers across the Western Visayas participated in the Basic Photography and Desktop Publishing Workshop sponsored by the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC).

The three-day study workshop held in the Training Rooms 1 and 2 of University of the Philippines (UP) Visayas lent the expertise of WESVARRDEC Staff. Regional Management Information System Group (RMISG) Staff Bill Willard Gange, himself a member of the Photo Artists League of Iloilo (PALI), lectured on basic concepts in photography. Participants were taught the basic handling of digital cameras, and took pictures in the UP Visayas City campus.

RACG Staff Niño Manaog led the lecture on desktop publishing, basic layouting skills and principles of design. For the publishing workshop, participants critiqued their own and other fellow participants’ programs, certificates, IDs and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials including brochures and posters.

Outstanding outputs from these workshops were chosen by RACG Coordinator Cora Navarra of the Capiz State University (CapSU) and WESVARRDEC Director Joseph Edward Idemne. The winning works were later posted on the consortium’s social networking website, wesvarrdec.ning.com. Navarra said the workshop yielded a good number of materials which will see publication through the WESVARRDEC RACG.

Jethro Dagunan, RACG representative of Carlos Hilado Memorial State College (CHMSC) based in Talisay City said the learning was important because of the “nice and practical information” provided by the lecturers. Dagunan hopes that “many IEC materials may be realized” after the workshop.

Vishia Mae Dominic Tolcidas, ISS of Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) Negros Occidental also commended the team, and requested an echo seminar for their base office on July 16–17, 2009.

Other participants like Marietta Benedicto, an ISS from FITS Buenavista in Guimaras extended gratitude for the learning and the sense of belongingness she witnessed in the “WESVARRDEC family.”

The three-day study also drew participation from non-RACG and non-ISS members of WESVARRDEC’s partner member agencies, namely: DA-RFU 6 and other LGUs.