Programs

As part of the research mentoring process, Professor Jean A. Saludadez of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) of the University of the Philippines Open University, together with Dr. Christine Faith Avila of the Ateneo de Davao University, a Doctor of Communication (DComm) dissertation mentee of Professor Saludadez, participated at the 41st Annual Qualitative Analysis Conference held from 18 to 20 June 2025 at the Delta Hotels Quebec, Old Quebec City, Canada. With the theme The Temporality of Lived Experience and Everyday Lives, the conference brought together scholars and practitioners from around the world to share insights [...]

The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), in partnership with the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) and UPOU University Student Council, celebrated the 117th founding anniversary of the University of the Philippines with a hybrid community art and cinema experience entitled: “Panahon, Panoorin, Paggunita” on 18 June 2025 at the Centennial Center for Digital Learning (CCDL) Auditorium. Headed by FICS Asst. Prof. Shari Eunice T. San Pablo, Program Development Associate for Culture and the Arts, the participatory drawing event aims to engage students, faculty, and staff to watch a Philippine film selection and create illustrations in [...]

Hannah Gabriella Macaldo, a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS) student from the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), is the first UP student to participate in the Training Program for Trans-Pacific Bridge Persons (TP-BRIDGE) student exchange program at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS). Selected through the Mobility for Vigor and Excellence – University of the Philippines (MOVE-UP) Program, Macaldo is currently enrolled at TUFS for the Spring 2025 term, from 1 April 1 to July 21, 2025. Her participation reflects the growing involvement of UPOU students in international academic exchanges as part of the University’s [...]

Eight alumni of the Doctor of Communication (DComm) Program and an alumna of the Master of Development Communication (MDC) Program, all mentored by DComm Chair and Professor, Dr. Jean A. Saludadez, as part of the mentoring process, presented their graduate research at the Communication as Constitutive of Organization (CCO) Preconference of the 75th Annual International Communication Association (ICA) Conference. The preconference, themed “Disrupting and Consolidating CCO Research: Moving Together in Different Directions” was held on 12 June 2025 in Denver, Colorado, USA.The papers  were organized under two thematic panels, one focusing on general explorations of the CCO framework, and the [...]

Associate Professor Reinald Adrian Pugoy and Assistant Professor Blancaflor Arada from the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), served as resource speakers during the AI Summit organized by the College of Computer and Information Science (CCIS) of Mapua Malayan Colleges Laguna (MMCL) on 11 June 2025. The summit, titled “Redefining Intelligence: What It Means to Be Human in an AI World,” was held as part of the institution’s CCIS Month 2025 celebration, which carried the theme “Celebrating Computational Innovations and Sustainability.” Dr. Pugoy (in blue coat) poses with the MCL [...]

The Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) conducted a two-day hybrid Proposal Revision Workshop last 10-11 June 2025 at the UP Open University Oblation Hall. The workshop was done to refine the proposed curriculum for a new graduate program: the Master of Data Science (Sustainability). Associate Professor Dr. Ria Mae Borromeo, the MIS Program Chair, led the workshop, which was actively participated in by faculty members Associate Professor Diego Maranan, Associate Professor Reinald Adrian Pugoy, Assistant Professor Katrina Joy Abriol-Santos, Assistant Professor Cecille Moldez, Assistant Professor Mary Kristene Clariño, and Assistant Professor Lei Kristoffer Lactuan. The team carefully [...]

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 [...]