Ugly Duckling Graduated from College…as a Goddess & a Cum Laude!

Latin Honors – CUM LAUDE
AB Media & Entertainment Management

4 years. I waited for four long & tough years for this dream. Pinakapangarap ko sa kolehiyo ang makitang proud at masaya ang mga magulang ko habang sinasabitan nila ako ng Medalya pang-CumLaude sa entablado ng PICC. Naiimagine ko iyon noong Freshman pa lang ako at kumapit ako sa vision na iyon. Sabi nila, dapat malinaw sa iyo ang tatahakin mong daan. Dapat alam mo sa sarili mo kung ano ang kahulugan MO ng tagumpay — dahil madaling makalinlang ang mundo.

I started out as a shy & timid commoner in 2014, w/ baduy clothes & not-fluent-in-English tongue. I was afraid. Iba na dapat ang branding ko dito. People will have to know me as the ugly, GenMath-perfect-scorer & nothing else. Hindi na pwedeng Sisa from HS or Ankortiz from elementary. I hid. I hid from the eye of most rich kids in my school. I hid my packed lunch or baon in the cafeteria. I hid my insecurities in ALB Library washroom where I am allowed to be me: someone with nothing to prove. 

After 3 bittersweet audition rejections from Dulaang ROC theatre org, 2 embarrassing debate tryouts in Agora, 1 year of repeated disappointments and failures here and there, I decided to stop. To stop holding myself back. What I did after is audition to as many plays, orgs, events, volunteer works that I can join. Working w/ passionate people makes me happy. Making myself grow as a person is my success. 

Thank You Lord at ginabayan Ninyo kaming malagpasan ang mga pagsubok sa aming pamilya. Salamat sa panibagong buhay na Inyong handog sa aking ina mula sa pangalawa niyang kidney operation. Hindi man kinaya ni Mama na siyang umakyat sa stage; ang laking blessing na pinahintulutan Ninyo kaming magsama-samang magkakapatid muli. Ito ang tagumpay na walang kapantay.

 

Thank you to my block 4MEM, 4SCM, all my professors, friends, orgs SABIO, ROC, PEER, KASANGGA, JNS, outside families AFLBS, APYE, Spikes Singapore.

The self-branded shy & ugly during 1st yr became Goddess of Droids ’15, Shakespeare’s Juliet ’16, Orange Amazona ’16, Champion Debater ’17, Pecha Kucha Battle ’18 Champion as MEMflayer. I allowed myself to fail. I allowed myself to learn. I realized if I’ve got nothing to prove, I’ve got nothing to lose. And sometimes, you at your humblest is you at your happiest.

Kulang ang mga salita (at ubos na ang mga luha ko) para sabihing SALAMAT sa paghubog sa Diana/Diyosa na nakilala nyo.

Hanggang sa muli – UA&P, PCSHS, & DCES! To God be all the Glory! 

Watch my Graduation Vlog here: https://youtu.be/fmhQT5X9rnU

JANUARY 2018

“Diana Balingit is constantly in pursuit of becoming the multi-talented artist of today. She is an actress in theatre arts while also being a vlogger; tutored for Korean exchange students and a Peer Facilitator for campus freshmen; performed civic duties as a community volunteer and holding herself as a socio-political activist.

She has explored different roles and opportunities that her university life was able to provide.

Above all else, she is a daughter who strives to make her parents proud, and a friend to everyone – a “Dyosa” to them, as she fondly called.

Her persistence to hit grade targets due to her scholarship inspired her to never settle for less.

She one day dreams to be a broadcaster, casting renowned news anchor Jessica Soho as her role model.

She believes that by being so, she will be able to balance her knack for woke comedy and vlogs with her passion for public service and civic progress, all in the name of creating positive social change.”

 Thank you for my Yearbook Writeup, Andrei Cabangon!!! 

MARCH 2018
“There are things that you really have to say NO to, but there are things that you have to PURSUE because maybe that’s for YOU. Make sure that what you pursue will really add to your development as a person; because if not, it’s time to let go.”

As a Merit scholar juggling 8 organizations, she claims that at some point, she was not able to balance all of it. As much as she wants to be involved in a lot of organizations, she emphasized that one must be humble enough to realize one’s limits as well.

“Know yourself and know your limits. Know where you are good at — start from there.”

She also reminds us to “Never stop surprising yourself. You are capable of so many other things if you just try.”

Even at her last year, she upholds her passion, grit and drive for learning. Together with her perseverance, she strives to have a holistic formation with a liberal and integral education.

Interview by: Shauna Aduca
Write-up by: Nicole Valte

[Graduating AB Media and Entertainment Management (MEM) student, Diana Rose S. Balingit, tells us more about herself beyond how we know her as a Merit scholar, Pecha Kucha 2018 Champion, and a part of eight (8) organizations in UA&P and in her community in Barangay Sta. Lucia, Pasig City.]

Thank you for the feature as one of the Faces of Unitas, MMC!   #RoadToPICC

UA&P, Here Be Dragons. Stay Gold. UNITAS! ✨#GreatnessInTheOrdinary #offeritup

Watch my Graduation Vlog here: https://youtu.be/fmhQT5X9rnU

For more VLOGS, please SUBSCRIBE to my YOUTUBE Channel: Extra Diyosa! 💖
Let me know if you have any request for my next vlog! 🙌 #ExtraDiyosa 🌹 New VIDEO every 4PM 🎉

 

 

The Hustlers: Being Media Journalists for a Day at #MIAS2018

It is not my first time covering an event as jam-packed as the Manila International Auto Show 2018 (or MIAS) but I must admit, the event shattered every expectation I had before stepping into the World Trade Center. It was way more overwhelming than what I have seen on videos and articles posted online. All the teasers and highlights video from the past years excited me but none of these research from social media prepared me enough for the intensity of today’s MIAS. Truly, it is not an event one can enjoy sitting pretty on his/her couch watching from a little screen. Yes, the sweat and headache are going to be a part of it, but people definitely have to go there to see for themselves and indulge in the full experience.

Photo from: Hannah Pangilinan

Our Multi-platform Journalism class had a daunting task to deliver press releases as professional as the real journalists coming in the event. Entering the halls not as a students or a mere spectators, but “media people,” I was taken aback by the weight of the job we were sent to do. I thought how I will be experiencing the same if I pursue broadcast media in a few months for internship, so I took a deep breath and geared up as much confidence as I could.

Photo from: Jason Cotaoco

Not only did each of the car brands lined up in the venue amazed me with their own shine and glamour, but the technological innovations intertwined with the connection to the human had me thinking this is more than a car show. The MIAS’ theme for 2018: “Work and Play” has been felt in the venue and I saw how attendees were actually so engaged. In a crowded event like that, I was even surprised that families brought their kids to enjoy the show. Now, I can understand how one cannot help but come back to MIAS every year because of how this industry never ceases to offer the best of the best to their loyalists and fans.

The best part of my experience is having the opportunity to get up close with the big-time professionals and businessmen in the auto industry. We were competing with the other press release (PR) firms and journalists to get even a minute of airtime with the Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors of these multi-million companies. Every second counts; that is why we certainly had to think through our one ultimate question to come up with a unique story for our feature. Our group, amidst being neophytes in the auto world, tried our best to gather as much valuable data as we can while capturing the cool scenes and uproars inside the venue.

Photo from: Jason Cotaoco

Indeed, there is a huge gap between “Expectation” versus “Reality” and I have encountered a whole new different definition of that in the kickoff of MIAS 2018. It has been more than an event for me – I have started contemplating about my future career and life decisions particularly if I really want to venture in this part of media and entertainment industry. I tried my best to maximize my experience. It has been a lot to take in – not just the size of the venue, the thickness of attendees, or the huge offerings of cars but the hustle to learn, experiment, and explore my potential as a student and a future media practitioner.

Post by: Diana Balingit

Featured Image from: Mique Watson

Respecting the Mould Amidst New Media: A Photojournalism Talk by ABS-CBN News’ Mr. Fernando Sepe, Jr.

Photo by Mr. Ardie Lopez

Many of my friends consider photography as their passion and while I envy their Instagram feeds and Facebook profile pictures, I never really had the will to learn the intricacies behind the said mode of expression. Photos are everywhere – advertising, promotions, media – I see one when I open my eyes in the morning and one before I go to sleep. I did not pay attention as to how great its impact truly is when telling a story or even delivering the news to the nation. Our block, MEM, had the privilege to listen to a talk by a veteran photojournalist, Mr. Fernando “Jun” Sepe, Jr. last Wednesday, February 7, 2018. It did not only give me a fresher perspective on the discipline behind this interesting craft, but I was also able to get tips on how to make it out in the industry and cut through the clutter where anyone with a smart phone can be a “journalist.”

Now that I am thinking about it, the thumbnail or the photo cover of a news article online is one of the vital factors when I am deciding if I should click on the post or not. I learned in this talk that this medium is indeed more than what meets the eye. A photojournalist has a duty to tell a compelling story to the audience about a news-worthy event through his camera. Photography can be treated as an artwork of visual language but more importantly, the better shot, according to Mr. Sepe, is the one when each of the elements in the picture lead to the subject of the captivating narrative. I did not know that a single photograph can even be more powerful than a ten-minute video coverage at times. The timing has just got to be perfect.

Photo by: Mr. Ardie Lopez

As someone who had a long career in photojournalism way back from his college days, I admire Mr. Sepe’s conviction in advocating that one must start in tracing the discipline from their Kodak’s and changing films that may sound ancient today. I remember lining up to develop the negative scrolls of films containing our family Sunday get-togethers but aside from that, I did not have other camera tools to play with when I was young. He did not elaborate much about exposure, aperture, shutter, ISO as well as signature shots in photo essays – but his point was clear: respect the fundamentals of the craft if one wants to be able to go anywhere, especially multimedia in the existing digital technology. Amplified by the quote from Paul Strand, he shares how much passion and perseverance one has to exert in order to sharpen his/her “mould.” It does not make one traditional; instead, a true classic and an exceptional in this media.

Photo posted: December 8, 2013 A rainbow appears over the ruins of the church in Guiuan, Samar. Photo by Fernando Sepe, Jr. forABS-CBNnews.com — in Tacloban City 

Photojournalism is definitely not an easy job where one can turn a switch off and then go back to his/her own reality. After all, the task deals with non-fiction and it may not affect one personally, a news story is the reality of other people, and in Mr. Sepe’s case, of his fellow Filipinos. Above is one of his photographs from the slideshow he made regarding the month after Typhoon Yolanda posted in ABS-CBN News media sites. This particular one struck me because of the irony it illustrates in the image. Open to different interpretations, this can spark opposite emotions depending on the angle one chooses to look at – anger or sadness to those whose lives and properties were taken; or maybe a renewed sense of hope to those believing that they can always rise against this unfortunate event. It may be intentional but the left side of the picture (rainbow in the sky and the religious statue) seems brighter against the right side which portrays the ruins of the church after the disaster. This photo may be implying the narrative that challenges may come to test one’s faith and character, but it is up to the person which side of the reality he/she will want to accept and embrace.

Mr. Sepe said that several people in his field had undergone post-traumatic depression after covering news like this. This is where I agree that post-processing is not only for pictures but also for the people behind the camera lenses. Debriefing with the relevant support system helps them understand the devastating reality and incur as less damage as possible.

A picture can definitely speak louder than words and while one can take a snapshot in a smartphone and be viral containing a critical news story, I learned from Mr. Sepe how it takes mastering the craft to say something, invoke emotion, drive action, and inspire a nation. With great shots complementing a real-time news story, the people offline or online shares a moment with the bereaved or the triumphant; a tragedy or a success. While digital natives can post Instagrammable-worthy photos with the aid of the more convenient technology, it serves as a challenge now as to how one can manage to be most effective in propagating quality content and crucial information to the mass – using pictures.

 

Photo source from “Slideshow: A month after Yolanda” :

https://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS/