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Dr. Shari Eunice San Pablo, a faculty member at the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) at the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), was selected to participate in the 100 images. mq. mm. exhibition held at Spazio Magma in Rome, Italy, from May 28–29. Her photograph was among 100 selected from global submissions via Instagram and printed and displayed as a single mosaic. Photo of the exhibition space at Spazio Magma courtesy of Fr. Kasmir Nema, SV The project explored how images can circulate and connect people outside traditional art spaces. Inspired by the [...]

Four Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS) students from the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), participated in a three-week laboratory internship at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. The internship was conducted under the mentorship of Professor Lunchakorn Wuttisittikulkij from the Faculty of Engineering. Held from 13 to 31 May 2025, the internship was part of the international academic collaboration under the Metaverse Academic Nexus for Global Opportunities (MANGOs) initiative. The project aims to expand the use of immersive technologies, particularly within educational and research settings. The participating students were: [...]

Three students of the Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS) Program under the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) secure an initial grant of Php 120,000 as one of the first-round recipients of the prestigious Gawad Pangulo sa Natatanging Inobasyon ng Mag-aaral. The team is led by Rajan Joaquin Llaguno, with Anna Porsche Gutierrez, Jordan Rae Costanilla–all from the UPOU BAMS Program, alongside Erickson Llaguno. They are mentored by Dr. Dave Centeno, PhD Program Director at the UP Diliman Virata School of Business.The project, Watch! Tap! Shop! is a [...]

The UP ISC Research Project ISRGA2024-22: Interrogating Higher-Order Impacts of Disruptive Technologies on Quality Education (SDG4): A UP Community-Wide Anticipatory Study in Complexity under the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) held a series of meetings and research workshops on 22 to 24 May 2025 in Cebu. Principal Investigator Dr. Alexander G. Flor leads the Third Project Coordination Meeting. On 23 May 2025, the research team, composed of the eight UP constituent universities, convened for their Third Project Coordination Meeting. Each CU Lead Collaborator shared updates on their ongoing research efforts in their respective campus unit. [...]

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 [...]