BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Arts and Letters

ON-THE-JOB
TRAINING
PORTFOLIO

BULATLAT
#60 Kamuning Road, Quezon City

Trainee: Marck Raymond V. De Castro

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

To all who helped me complete this internship, I would want to express my

gratitude.
I want to start by thanking Bulatlat for the warm welcome and wonderful
experience that enabled me to learn things I can use in the future.
I'm happy to report that with your assistance, I developed my ability to write
and interact with others. Despite the short amount of time I spent working for your
organization, I didn't let it stop me from learning new things and stopping
publishing articles.
Furthermore, as a result of this on-the-job training, I understood that this is
my field. Despite the fact that my output contains some errors, I had the impression
of being a real journalist as I worked on the task at hand.
In addition, Ma'am Janess Ellao, the editor and internship coordinator of
Bulatlat, who is always available to help if we are unsure of what to do, is a crucial
component that I could not have completed on my own. Sincerely, I appreciate
your efforts to follow up with us to see if we have any new insights or queries.
Thank you, Bulacan State University, for providing me with this chance and
program that helps me grow into a more capable person and prepares us for the
path and career we will choose.
Also to Ma'am Ma, my dearest advisor. Ethel C. Jovito for directing us
despite her busy schedule. She is really involved with her students and is always
there for our issues, thus I will never forget her.
I also want to express my gratitude to my family and friends for their help. I
wouldn't have been able to successfully complete this on-the-job training without
that support.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRUDUCTION

I.1 Background of the Company

I.2 Mission and Vision of Company
I.3 Organization Structure Chart

II. BODY
II.1Summary of Activities
II.2Company Problems

III. SUMMARY /CONCLUSION

3. Things learned during OJT

IV. RECOMMENDATIONS
4. Comments and Suggestions
 INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE COMPANY

Bulatlat.com is a product of the times. It was born right after the ouster of
the Estrada administration in 2001 by a politicized and empowered citizenry who
were tired of the blatant corruption by those who claimed to work for the interests
of the Filipino people. The people rose in outrage because they felt betrayed by the
same traditional leadership that took over after People Power 1 — an élite rule that
quashed the democratic interests and aspirations of the many and used the state
machinery in the service of the powers that be, local and foreign.

But the Estrada administration was replaced by a government far worse than
the one it succeeded. A year after taking over, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
was forced to declare that she would no longer run during the 2004 elections to
deflect the simmering anger of the people over the corruption scandals hounding
Malacanang and the sellout of national patrimony with the government’s support to
the US war on terror, despite the fact that majority of the peoples of the world were
against it.

The Arroyo government blamed the media for its woes. But the issues that
continue to hound the Arroyo government — the “Hello Garci” tapes, the ever-
increasing list of corruption scandals involving it, the spate of extrajudicial killings
and enforced disappearances, and its proclivity for constricting civil liberties —
these are its own making.

BULATLAT’S MISSION AND VISION

 The media’s role has always been to inform the public about these issues and
to provide a vehicle where these are discussed. More importantly, alternative
media organizations such as Bulatlat.com seek to reflect the people’s views and
stand on issues that affect their lives and their future — human rights and civil
liberties, national patrimony, workers and peasant rights and interests, migrant
rights and welfare, the rights and status of women, indigenous people’s rights, the
environment, among others.

Bulatlat.com aims to contribute to the advocacy for these rights and to the
struggle for change. As an alternative news agency, it seeks to contribute to:

 The fight for truth and justice. It will dig out facts buried by censorship
and corruption and lay them out for public scrutiny, without fear or favor. It
will denounce media repression and uphold the responsibility of journalists’
— for that matter, every Filipino’s — to assert the people’s right to know
and to freedom of expression. It will interpret events from the perspective of
the people and not from the subjectivism and biases of media monopolies.

 The fight for freedom. We will contribute to the crusade for freedom in all
its aspects — not only freedom from hunger and social injustice but also
freedom to chart the nation’s destiny independently. Freedom must be
advanced by information, ideas and theories that shall liberate one’s mind
from neocolonial demagoguery that glorifies globalization, as well as from
conservatism that venerates elitist rule. The task of propagating patriotism
and love for freedom remains an enduring part of the people’s broad struggle
for freedom and democracy.

 The fight against all forms of oppression. We will contribute toward the
struggle to uphold the rights of the oppressed and to expose all forms of
oppression. We will give space to propagating the issues affecting majority
of the Filipino people and to the issues and struggles of the oppressed.

 The fight against the abuse and misuse of power by the country’s top
political leaders. The series of administrations from martial law onward
brought to a new high the level of corruption, cronyism and abuse of
 authority to amass wealth. A system that is in crisis begets crisis in the scale
of the increasingly blatant scandals confronting the government.
Bulatlat.com will do its share in exposing lies, wrongdoings and other
misdeeds that have been committed to advance not only corruption and
cronyism but also repression and tyranny.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART OF BULATLAT

Editor in chief
Benjie Oliveros
Associate Editor Managing Editor
Danilo A. Arao Ronalyn V. Olea
Reporters
Janess Ann J. Ellao
Marya Salamat
Anne Marxze D. Umil
Pom Cahilog-Villanueva
Raymund B. Villanueva
Ronalyn V. Olea

Columnists
Mong Palatino
Sarah Raymundo
Roland B. Tolentino
Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment
Agham – Scientists for the People

Editorial Cartoonists
Renan Ortiz
Tilde Acuna
Dee Ayroso
 Poetry Section Editor
Mark Angeles

Street Shooter
Raymund B. Villanueva

Contributors
Ima Ariate
Owen Bayog
Amihan Malabay Cornista
Fred Dabu
Noel Godinez
CJ Kuizon
Zofia Leal
Carlo Manalansan
Barry Ohaylan
Arnold Padilla
Philip Paraan
Amihan Malabay Cornista
Executive Director
Benjie Oliveros
Deputy Executive Director
Danilo Arao
Managing Director
Bedette Libres
Training Director
Yanni Roxas
Staff
Mimay Geronimo
Ipe Soco
 BODY

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES

I - Activities

Date and Time Activity

June 27, 2022

Orientation/Interview
8:00am - 9:15am

June 27, 2022

News Monitoring
10:00am - 3:00pm

June 27, 2022

Issue Planning
1:30pm - 3:30pm

June 28, 2022 

Research: GAA Database 2016-2021
7:00pm - 11:00pm

June 29, 2022

12:00am - 5:00am Research: GAA Database 2016-2021
8:00am - 5:00pm

June 30, 2022 

2:00am - 5:00am Research: GAA Database 2016-2021
10:00am - 11:00am

June 30, 2022

News Monitoring
11:00am - 4:00pm

July 4, 2022 
Issue Planning
1:30pm - 3:30pm

July 4, 2022 News Monitoring

4:00pm - 7:00pm

July 4, 2022
9:00pm - 2:00am Writing: Martial Law films List

July 6, 2022
2:00pm – 4:00pm Extra urgent request (ML Films)

July 6, 2022
News Monitoring
5:00pm - 9:00pm

July 7, 2022 Data Visualization training

2:00pm - 4:11pm

July 7, 2022
News Monitoring
4:00pm - 9:00pm

July 11, 2022

Issue planning
1:30pm - 3:34pm

July 11, 2022

News Monitoring
4:00pm - 8:00pm

July 12, 2022

Book Project initial meeting
10:30am - 11:30am

July 12, 2022

News Monitoring
1:00pm - 5:00pm

July 12, 2022 Formulating questions for Book Project of

7:30pm - 11:30pm Bulatlat

July 13, 2022

News Monitoring
8:00am - 12:00nn

July 13, 2022

Research for Book Project's Timeline
4:30pm - 8:30pm

July 14, 2022

News monitoring
8:00am - 1:00am

July 14, 2022

News Monitoring
3:00pm - 6:00pm

July 15, 2022

News Monitoring
8:00am - 11:00am

July 15, 2022 Transferring of excerpts to timeline of Book

6:00pm - 11:00pm Project of Bulatlat
 July 16, 2022
Making of an article regards TRAMM Bill
3:00 pm - 8:00pm

July 17, 2022

Follow ups for TRAMM Bill
8:00am - 10:00am

July 17, 2022

News Monitoring
3:00pm - 5:00pm

July 18, 2022

News Monitoring
8:00am - 10:00am

July 18, 2022

Issue Planning
1:30pm - 3:30pm

July 18, 2022 Writing an article regards TRAMM Bill:

4:00pm - 11:35pm Making case studies

July 19, 2022

News Monitoring
8:00am - 10:00am

July 19, 2022

News Monitoring
5:00pm - 7:00pm

July 20, 2022

News Monitoring
8:00am - 10:00am

July 20, 2022

Interviewing for Case study of TRAMM Bill
7:00pm - 11:00pm

July 21, 2022

News Monitoring
8:00am - 11:00am

July 21, 2022 Transferring of excerpts in Bulatlat Book

8:00pm - 9:30pm Projects timeline

July 21, 2022

Follow ups for TRAMM bill
9:30pm - 11:00pm

July 22, 2022

News Monitoring
8:00am - 10:00am

July 22, 2022

Follow up case study for TRAMM Bill
2:20pm - 7:00pm

July 23, 2022

News Monitoring
8:00am - 10:00am

July 24, 2022 Sending emails and finding the contacts of

 8am - 11am interviewees for Book Project

July 24, 2022

News Monitoring
7:00pm - 9:00pm

Ju;y 25, 2022

News Monitoring
10:00am - 3:00pm

July 26, 2022

News Monitoring
3:00pm - 8:00pm

July 27, 2022

News Monitoring
8:00am - 11:00am

July 28, 2022

Interviewed Mr Bobby Tuazon
4:20pm - 5:00pm

July 29, 2022 Working in transcription of interview from Mr

2:00pm - 8:00pm Bobby

July 30, 2022

News Monitoring
8:00am - 12:00nn

August 01, 2022

Issue Planning
1:00pm - 3:00pm

August 01, 2022

Interviewed Sir Francis Gealogo
3:00pm - 3:50pm

August 01, 2022

News Monitoring
4:00pm - 7:00pm

August 02, 2022

News Monitoring
9:00am - 1:00pm

August 02, 2022

Working in transcription of interview
6:00pm - 11:00pm

August 03, 2022

News Monitoring
10:00am - 3:00pm

August 03, 2022

Continuation of transcribing
7:00pm - 12:00mn

August 04, 2022

News Monitoring
10:00am - 2:00pm

August 05, 2022

News Monitoring
3:00pm - 8:00pm
II - Outputs

Date published Title and URL

Unpublished Martial Law films list

July 16, 2022 Tax Reform Act for the Masses and the
Middle class article:
https://www.bulatlat.org/2022/07/16/law
maker-pushes-for-tax-exemptions-
breaks-for-ordinary-folk/

Unpublished Follow up for TRAMM bill: Case

studies

Bulatlat 21st Anniversary Book Project

COMPANY PROBLEMS

I can't recall not handling those issues before I started working as an intern
at Bulatlat. Ma’am Janess Ellao is very personable, and if I have a query regarding
the assignment that has been given to me, he will educate you how to handle that
difficulty without pressure.
 SUMMARY/CONCLUSION

THINGS I LEARNED DURING MY INTERNSHIP IN BULATLAT.

I immediately felt at ease as the orientation began and everyone had to

introduce themselves. The atmosphere is nice since everyone around me is friendly
and approachable. Working with Ma’am Janess Ellao is simple. I was anxious
when she gave the tasks to everyone because I had no idea what kind of
assignment would be given to me.
I discovered that when interacting with my fellow interns, I must be careful
and watchful. I always pay close attention to my work because I want to turn in a
quality product because it also represents me and the university. I developed my
interpersonal and time management skills during my internship.
I'm having trouble figuring out how to do this duty in my first essay. Ma’am
Janess advised me to read regional articles so that I might get ideas for my own
pieces. Then she reviewed my work, and surprisingly, Ma’am Ja found it to be
admirable. However, there had been a mistake, so he had to amend it. Then, having
done my job successfully this time, I penned another article, which made me
extremely delighted.
Additionally, I learned how to draw readers' attention because Ma’am Ja
assigned me to the crowdsourcing project, which required that I understand how to
relate to readers. I've come to love this field thanks to this internship, and it has
also given me more confidence.
RECOMMENDATIONS

SUGGESTIONS/ COMMENTS

I had an unforgettable experience at Bulatlat but I notice something.

 I would like to suggest that they should hire extra staff members.
 They must improve and pay attention to the grammar, spelling and others.

Also, to Bulacan State University especially the College of Arts and Letters.

 Much better if you will give the requirements ahead of time.

 300 hours is good but please extend the deadline for the submission of the
requirements.