By: Zaira Dehing

Choices may make you or break you, this is why we have to make the best decisions.

High school days were the time when I got involved with various activities inside and outside school. There were seminars, trainings, camping, contests and competitions to get myself busy with. Towards the end of the academic year 2014-2015, an invitation letter was sent to our school to participate on VEST-Valuing Ecosystem Services Together essay writing and trivia night contest. I was very excited when I was chosen as one of the participants to represent Kauswagan National High School.

VEST was a social marketing campaign of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan. It was a campaign that focused on environmental movements with involvements from the Miarayon-Lapok-Lirongan-Tinaytayan Talaandig Association (MILALITTRA). These are communities from highlands of Talakag, Bukidnon.

The purpose of VEST was to address the terrible devastation brought by typhoon Sendong in 2011. It campaigns for sustainable ways so that heartbreaking happenings and damaging disaster would never happen again in the city. Well, this was only one example of the many reasons why one should be in loved with the advocacy of VEST.

On the other hand, I did not imagined VEST as the answer to the turmoil that’s been running in my mind way back when I was a graduating high school student. Being in the senior year of a student’s high school life was one of the happiest yet a very demanding stage. Many people would asked me on what program would I took up in college. So I thought of it as a requirement that before I graduate I must already have an answer to that very hard question. Then VEST came, on the three-day event I learned about Development Communication. The advocacy was in partnership with the DevCom Department of Xavier University. I saw great students dealing with the project, organizing the event and putting up a jaw-dropping exhibit. I was so amazed on the kind of training given to the students.

From that day on, I made a firm decision that DevCom was the answer to people’s constant question. But before deriving to that decision, I clearly assessed myself and came up with the realization that “this is what I want.” I wanted myself to get involved with great projects and advocacies. I wanted to work in the community to be with the people and use my voice for a good cause. Then I figured out that what I’m longing for was working in the development sector.

I was 15 years old when I entered college with no hesitation of enrolling to DevCom. In that early age, I’d already seen the great need of our society which is development and sustainability. On my first year as a DevCom student I went to an immersion in Miarayon, Talakag Bukidnon. I was the most thrilled and hyped up student when I knew about the details of the immersion. Miarayon, was one of the communities that was involved in the project of VEST. I did not imagine going into the places that I once knew from the pamphlets and exhibit presented before by VEST. And there were many immersions and outside school activities came on the way. I’ve been to Cabanglasan and Talakag Bukidnon, bringing home wonderful stories of the people and the place; stories of hope, joy and love.

With DevCom, I learned to develop my skills in writing, photography, multimedia arts, radio and TV production and had the chance to put up a social marketing campaign.

Together with my groupmates we came up with “MindanaJuan”. It was a peace movement that targets the Senior high school students. We put up an exhibit in one of the schools in Cagayan de Oro City. The exhibit was composed of posters about peace. We also gave pamphlets to students and presented a radio forum all dealing with peace. The team won the best campaign and branding, best radio magazine and I was chosen to be the best radio magazine host.

With all of these, I knew this is what I love doing!

And that’s not all. I had my internship at Payatas, Quezon City which made me think that the country needs more DevCom graduates. There were many areas in the society where we should address development.

In my four years stay in college, DevCom made me passionate with my course every single day. I experienced organizing events, made photography exhibit, campaigns, and more. It opened my eyes to see the bigger picture of the real world that made me go beyond the four corners of the room. Learning was never limited, what I’ve learned in the classroom was made into reality by engaging to the community. It allowed me to meet enthusiastic people, with incredible professors and friends for keeps.

Now, I am a proud, honored and dignified Development Communication graduate and my eagerness in helping achieved development will never end. Even if I already graduated, I still joined volunteer works showcasing the beauty of Mindanao.

It’s a call for everybody to change focus. It is time to be part of something great and get involved in big things that aims not just for development but also for sustainability. I have to say this, “You will never go wrong if you will choose DevCom.” Special thanks to VEST for introducing me to this wonderful program. Choosing this track was one of the “VEST” choice I made in my entire life.