Module 12 - Development Communication and Policy

Policy:
The major consumer groups in the Philippines have bonded together to lobby for a policy that prohibits the advertising of tobacco products on radio and television.

Activity 12.1 Conduct a stakeholder analysis of the policy.
Stakeholders:
1. Tobacco companies in the Philippines
2. Tobacco companies that want to enter the Philippine market
3. Tobacco consumers
4. Tobacco non-smokers
5. Tobacco advertising companies (radio)
6. Tobacco advertising companies (television)
7. Government
8. Radio stations
9. Television stations
10. Script writers for advertisements
11. Medical field practitioners
12. Tobacco Retailers
13. Tobacco stores
14. Tobacco shipment companies
15. Religious and social groups

Activity 12.2 Use any of the enumerated methods to do a short analysis of this policy.
Problematique Analysis



Legend:


Activity 12.3 Prepare a one-paged policy brief enumerating: your stakeholders; the results of your policy analysis; and your recommendations.

Background
It is common knowledge that the tobacco smoking causes more hard than good (if any) to the smoker as well as to the people around him. Despite the warnings from health workers for public awareness, the number of smokers seems to be in the up trend.
According to Asia Times, in its March 2, 2005 issue (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/GC02Ae01.html), the trend of smoking is increasing, and it is estimated that “nearly 5 million people die annually due to tobacco-related illnesses, a number that could rise to 10 million deaths every year by 2020 if prevailing smoking trends continue.”

Policy:
To help achieve a healthier work force in our country, a policy to prohibit the advertising of tobacco products on radio and television is discussed briefly here onwards.

Stakeholders:
1. Tobacco companies in the Philippines
2. Tobacco companies that want to enter the Philippine market
3. Tobacco consumers
4. Tobacco non-smokers
5. Tobacco advertising companies (radio)
6. Tobacco advertising companies (television)
7. Government
8. Radio stations
9. Television stations
10. Script writers for advertisements
11. Medical field practitioners
12. Tobacco Retailers
13. Tobacco stores
14. Tobacco shipment companies
15. Religious and social groups

Problematique Analysis
From the problematique map below, we see that one of the root causes of an unhealthy workforce is the proliferation of advertisement on radio and television to promote the consumption of tobacco products.



Legend:


Recommendation:
If we eliminate the tobacco advertisement over radio and television, we may achieve a healthier working population.

Module 11 - Development Communication Practice

Area of Development Communication practice I would like to specialize in?

After reading the different areas of practice of Development Communication, I think I would like to specialize in Educational Communication. The reason being in my current job as a systems analyst, I use the same methods and communication principles to facilitate the learning process of my user community. This implies that while honing my skills in Educational Communication, I am also becoming a better systems analyst.

Module 10 - Foundations of Development Communication

Argument from Economics
According to many theorists, many developed economies are information-based. This only shows that the information and communication resources bring economic and social strength.

Argument from Psychology
In the transpersonal psychology, Abraham Maslow considers self-actualization as the goal of all human beings. To achieve self-actualization, one must fulfill higher needs like service to others. Communication is needed to serve others. Thus in the eyes of transpersonal psychology, development communication is what communication need to be.

Argument from Physics
Quantum Physics sees the universe as an interconnected web of relations. Matter is comprised by sub-atomic particles which are sets of interconnections, links and relationships.

Argument from Biology
According to Bio scientists Gautier and Kingdon, in certain species Evolution is prompted by an increase in the efficiency in communication rather than natural selection such as predation and food supply.

Argument from Cybernetics
The systems concept of Cybernetics applied to the societal level shows the critical role of communication for maintenance, survival and developmental purposes.

Module 9 - Development Communication

Quebral's Definition of Development Communication
Development Communication is a communication for planned social change.

I think that the social change referred to here is a change to improve the condition of the people, community, nation or society as a whole. Such kind of change and improvement in the lives of the people does not happen without any planning involved. Communication of the plan and its execution to make sure that the improvement occurs in the social conditions of the people is what Development Communication is about.

Own Definition of Development Communication
Development Communication is communication of useful information with a purpose of improving the lives of an individual, group and community.

Module 8 - Communication Concepts

Five Concepts related to Development Communication that I find most intriguing:
1. Memetics
http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MEMES.html
http://www.aleph.se/Trans/Cultural/Memetics/
http://users.lycaeum.org/~sputnik/Memetics/

2. Cybernetics
http://www.cybernetics.com/
http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/CYBSYSTH.html
http://www.pangaro.com/published/cyber-macmillan.html

3. Knowledge Management
http://www.kmresource.com/
http://www.brint.com/km/
http://www.cio.com/research/knowledge/

4. The Net
http://www.ipl.org/
http://www.isoc.org/
http://www.internetworld.com/

5. Social Mobilization
http://www.southbound.com.my/behaviour/smsm-cn.htm
http://www.mnh.jhpiego.org/global/socmobl.asp
www.comminit.com/strategicthinking/stsilviocomm/sld-1785.html

Fascinated With Memes
The webpage http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MEMES.html discusses about memes. A meme is what is referred to the basic cultural unit. What makes me fascinated about the meme is that there is actually a term that refers to this truth on cultural behavior. This meme actually replicates, spread and evolves like any living organism. It is also a behavioral pattern that can be transmitted from one person to another. Once transmitted, the individual that carries the meme, and has the capacity to transmit it to another person. Thus, this causes spread and replication.

Module 7 - Barriers to Effective Communication

Make list of noise:
At home:
1. Sound of the train and other vehicles
2. Children playing outside
3. Dogs barking
4. Sound of electric fan rotating


In the office:
1. Phone ringing
2. People talking
3. Sound of printer
4. Door opening/closing

Module 6 - Communication Media

6.1 Comparison between Interpersonal Media and Mass Media

6.2 Based on personal knowledge and experience
1. Which medium do households all over the Philippines most commonly own? RADIO

2. Which medium do households least commonly own over the Philippines? COMPUTER

3. Which medium are most Filipinos exposed to? RADIO

4. Which medium are they least exposed to? COMPUTER

5. Which medium do they depend on most for information on current events/issues?
WORD OF MOUTH/RADIO

6.3 Statements that explain some of the impact of new communicating technology on development

Module 5 - Overview and Process of Communication

5.1 Common to all the examples given: MESSAGE



5.2 Self-Definition of Communication:
COMMUNICATION is a process where in an information is transmitted from the originator to the target via a certain channel.

In comparison with the definition given by Black and Bryant, I should say my definition is similar.

5.3 Reason for calling communication as a process
A process is defined as a particular course of action intended to achieve a result. Like a process, I think communication is involves a course of action from the originator of the message to get the information sent to the target audience in order to achieve information sharing.

Module 4 - Of Blind Men and Paradigms

Module 3 - What is Development?

Module 2 - The Underdevelopment Problematique

Problem of Poor Garbage Disposal in the town of Funabori, Tokyo

Module 1 - Societal Problems

COMMENT ON MODULE 1

Poverty, high population growth, unemployment/underemployment, nutrition problems, depletion of the natural resources, inequality and ethnic conflict are but a few words that describe the current state of the Philippines. Poverty and high unemployment/underemployment rate force many to seek refuge in the greener pasture offered abroad - causing a high rate in brain drain. High population growth is a problem in developing countries. This means that more jobs have to be generated, as well as, more mouths to feed. In this case, the quality of food may least matter as long as there is food to fill a hungry stomach. Hence, this may lead to health problems.Many lives had been claimed due to the depletion of natural resources. Inequality in wealth and opportunities is prevalent in developing countries. The gap between the rich and poor is so huge - the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer.Ethnic conflicts have always caused political instability that damages the country's image and hurts the country's tourism.

ACTIVITY 1.1NEDA UNEMPLOYMENT INFORMATION

I got the unemployment information from NEDA site: LINK
Unemployment is increasing. Please see the link for the Graph

ACTIVITY 1.2 Graph of Low Food Production, Illiteracy and Spiraling National Debt