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A benchmarking meeting between the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) was held on 19 May 2025, at the Sandbox, UPOU Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna. The visit focused on potential collaborations in immersive learning primarily for the expansion of educational opportunities, with the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) leading the discussions.The UPOU delegation was led by Dean Roberto Figueroa Jr., accompanied by Dr. Melinda Bandalaria, who heads the program development of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies’ (FICS) initiatives on massive open online courses (MOOCs) and microcredential programs. Joining them [...]

Baguio City, Philippines – Dr. Benigno Agapito, Jr., Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and current Program Chair of the Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS), was invited by the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to serve as Resource Speaker and Evaluator for a specialized training course aimed at enhancing digital literacy, social media engagement, and policy advocacy in the agriculture sector.The training, conducted under the Capstone Project “Social Media for Sustainable Agriculture: Enhancing Youth Engagement and [...]

Dr. Emely Amoloza (2nd row, 3rd from right) during a group photo with the rest of the ACSS2025 participants. Dr. Emely M. Amoloza, a faculty member of the UP Open University Faculty of Information and Communication Studies participated in the 16th Asian Conference on the Social Sciences (ACSS2025) held from 11-16 May 2025, at the Toshi Center Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. Organized by the International Academic Forum (IAFOR), ACSS2025 gathered 570 scholars and experts from 51 countries around the world to explore critical issues under the theme “Social Sciences for a Sustainable Future.” The conference featured sessions on peace [...]

Two alumni of the Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS) program of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), Ms. Patricia Martillano and Mr. James Daryl Alcaraz, presented a redesigned version of the BAMS Planner on  9 May 2025, via Zoom. The project was part of their MMS 200 Special Project/Capstone, completed under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Diego S. Maranan.The presentation was initiated by Dr. Maranan to explore the potential adoption of the redesigned planner as the official academic planning tool for BAMS students moving forward. The event was attended by individuals who either currently use, benefit [...]

Students from the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) gathered on 8 May 2025–both onsite at the Multimedia Center Theater, UPOU-DICT Building, Diliman, Quezon City, and online via Zoom, to celebrate the Metaverse Festival—a two-day event that showcased student-led virtual cultural exhibits in an immersive digital environment. Hosted by FICS Dean Roberto B. Figueroa Jr. with the assistance of Assistant Professor Margaret J. Suarez, the festival was organized by students of MMS 198 to serve as a dynamic platform to present their projects hosted in Frame VR, a web-based virtual space. These exhibits were shared with fellow students [...]

Headed by Dean Roberto B. Figueroa Jr., the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) held its first alignment meeting on 5 May 2025 at the Academic Residences, UPOU Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna. This meeting forms part of UPOU’s Strategic Planning Workshop, which supports the university’s vision of becoming a “Transformative University of the Future.” The initial phase of the planning process focused on assessing current activities and future plans at the unit level to establish a clear baseline for strategic directions. The session began with a review and discussion of the 10 Flagship Programs (FPs) outlined in the [...]

In Photo: Dr. Diego S. Maranan and Dr. Ria Mae H. Borromeo (center), Associate Professors of the Faculty of Information and Communications Studies, UP Open University, together with (from left to right) Dr. Miguel Francisco M. Remolona – Director of the Interactive Learning Center, UP Diliman; Dr. Maria Vanessa P. Lusung-Oyzon, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, UPD; Dr. Ivy DC. Suan, Director of the Office for the Advancement of Teaching (OAT); and Ms. Kristina V. Dizon-Dela Cruz also from the OAT.Dr. Diego S. Maranan and Dr. Ria Mae H. Borromeo, both associate professors at the University of the Philippines Open [...]

Asst. Prof. Katrina Joy Abriol-Santos (center in light pants) with the PSBR Team from UPLB (photo by UPLB Institute of Animal Science) Asst. Prof. Katrina Joy Abriol-Santos of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) continues to demonstrate the impact of ICT in agriculture and public service through her role as Web Application Development Consultant in a DOST-PCAARRD-funded project titled “Operationalization of the Swine Breed Registry System in the Philippines.” The project, implemented by the Institute of Animal Science (IAS) at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) led by Dr. Elpidio M. Agbisit, Jr., in partnership with [...]

Dr. Reinald Pugoy and Dr. Ria Mae Borromeo, faculty members of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) at the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), actively participated in the "Gen AI at Work APAC 2025" event hosted by Google Workspace. Held at the Google Manila Office on 23 April 2025, this event showcased the transformative capabilities of Gemini with Google Workspace, emphasizing the future of AI-powered collaboration in professional settings. ​ The event featured immersive experiences such as the 'Prompt Challenge', Gemini-powered Photo Booth, and 'NotebookLM Studio', allowing attendees to interact firsthand with cutting-edge AI tools [...]

(In photo L-R) Dr. Francis Raymond Calbay, Dr. Evelyn Perez, and Mr. Lee Troy Calimlim at the QRM Conference. Two graduates of the Doctor of Communication (DComm) program—Dr. Francis Raymond Calbay and Dr. Evelyn Perez—and one graduate of the Master of Development Communication (MDC) program—Mr. Lee Troy Calimlim—presented their graduate research at the 2025 Qualitative Research in Management and Organization (QRM) Conference. The conference took place from 15-17 April 2025, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. All three researchers were mentored and co-authored by Dr. Jean Saludadez, Professor and Chair of the DComm Program at the Faculty of Information and Communication [...]