Written by Chloe Pauline Reyes Gelera

Since my youth, I have always been immersed in literature and public speaking.

As a competitive 7-year-old girl who often joins declamation and storytelling contests, older people would tell me that I should take a communication-related course when I enter college. So, I did consider taking a communication-related course to maybe become a news reporter or a public speaker after graduating. As cliché as it sounds, they told me to “Dream big.”… and dream big I did.

However, when I got accepted in the University of the Philippines Manila, a whole new world opened to me. I got admitted to BA Philippine Arts (Major in Arts Management and Cultural Heritage). One thing that bothered me was that I have never been inclined towards the arts, for I was≤ and will always be, a frustrated artist. But halfway through my first year in college, I found myself slowly falling in love with the masses and wanting to serve the nation through a different approach.

I developed an interest in the arts and decided to use the knowledge that I have learned to serve my country – through communication. I want to raise awareness about social, political and cultural issues. So I decided to shift out of the Philippine Arts program and enter into BA Organizational Communication. I wanted to be knowledgeable enough to be able to analyze and criticize communication within small units in order to provide a different perspective on every political issue. Change happens from the smallest of units – say an organization such as a family. So I tried Orcom and gave it a shot.

Months later — either out of luck or a thousand prayers — I am now a bona fide Organizational Communication student. I did not find it hard to adjust to my new OrCom classmates because they are warm and really genial. They helped me face my inhibitions and provided me with a sense of belonging. As for the course itself, Organizational Communication has been continuously helping me improve my communication skills and overcome my diffidence.

I’ve applied the systems theory’s property of equifinality – which states that there are several ways to achieve a certain goal; my goal is to serve the people. I have realized that I can serve the people through arts and I can also serve them through words. Shifting paradigms: from a paintbrush to a pen; from arts to words. A pen is a mighty political tool, and I plan to use it in such a way that will promote social awareness, nationalism, Philippine arts, and the history embedded in the Filipino culture.