XU DevCom Alum in Focus: Former Regional Capacity Building Specialist Divorrah Estrada-Meneses

IN THIS SERIES OF BLOG POSTINGS, WE FEATURE OUR ALUMNI AS THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE BEING IN THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS THEIR UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS AS FORMER XU DEVCOM STUDENTS. Why did you choose DevCom? To be honest, my first choice was actually journalism then creative writing. I passed the UPCAT exam and had…

xudevcom

February 16, 2019

2–3 minutes

IN THIS SERIES OF BLOG POSTINGS, WE FEATURE OUR ALUMNI AS THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE BEING IN THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS THEIR UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS AS FORMER XU DEVCOM STUDENTS.

didat — Divorrah Estrada Meneses with her lovely family. Her husband is a fellow Aggie alumnus.

Why did you choose DevCom?

To be honest, my first choice was actually journalism then creative writing. I passed the UPCAT exam and had a scholarship slot in UP Diliman. However, my mother decided not to allow me since she was worried that I will be studying in Manila. She cannot imagine myself being independent. It was only by she end of may that I decided to pursue DevCom because my mother brought me to the XU guidance for course counseling. (hehe). The counselor presented to me the courses which fit my skills and interests.the nearest to it was DevCom since I consider writing as my passion. What made me drawn to DevCom was that I will be able to apply my skills not only to the general audience but also including the grassroots.

Tell us about your experience in the program.

What I like in DevCom was that it gave me the opportunity to hone my skills in writing. This is the main reason why I chose journalism as my major. But more importantly, DevCom taught me to be a critical thinker especially in my major subjects. It taught me to be more sensitive and aware of what is happening around me, the community in general. It broadened my horizons and made me appreciate on what I can contribute to development. It also taught me to be creative thus, during my days, we didn’t settle for less.

What is your current engagement?

I just ended my contract last December 31 but since 2014-2018, I was the Regional Capacity Building Specialist for a poverty reduction program. I was hired as a consultant by World Bank to provide technical assistance on capacity building efforts.

Are you using what you learned in college?

Yes definitely. My previous jobs was a news writer for two local papers here in the city then I landed with a research job funded by USAID, UNDP and other funding donors. Before I became a consultant, I was then a project development officer and monitoring and evaluation officer for poverty reduction programs also.

Will you recommend studying DevCom?

Yes definitely. As long as development efforts are still a concern then we are always needed. DevCom practitioners can always find themselves in the provision of technical assistance, program management, and even as frontliners.