History of the PUP College of Communication

From "This is How We Started: The College of

Communication History"

A Year after the proclamation of Presidential Decree 1081 or

Martial Law (1973), the Philippine College of Commerce conceived
Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication (ABMC). It was a degree
program initiated by Mr. Antonio Uy, who was then the
Administrative Assistant to the President and Prof. Isabelo T.
Crisostomo.

In the mid 70’s, development communication was on its peak

thus, then PCC President Pablo T. Mate, Jr. formed a group of
educators to design a commerce-based AB Development
Communication Program.

When PCC was converted into Polytechnic University of the

Philippines in 1978, a ladderized curriculum was designed by the
Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS).

In 1979, Prof. Samuel Fernandez, Mr. Leonardo Garcia and Mrs.

Norma Martinez designed Bachelor in Business Journalism
Curriculum (BbuJ) under the Deanship of FAS Dean Dr. Fe M. Duque.
Further curriculum studies were conducted by the committee
composed of Prof. Segundo Dizon, Prof. Fe Lina M. Salting, Prof. Ma.
Victoria G. Red and Film Director Maryo J. Delos Reyes. The said
committee proposed Bachelor in Broadcast Journalism (BBrJ), a
separate curriculum program for broadcasting.

In the same year, BBRJ was renamed Bachelor in Broadcast

Communication or BBRC when FAS turned into the College of Arts
and Sciences (CAS).

Bachelor in Business Journalism became Bachelor in Journalism or

BJ in 1984 during the term of CAS Dean Dr. Zenaida A. Olonan, who
was then the chair of the communication program.

Dr. Nemesio Prudente made a University-wide reorganization

upon his assumption of office as the University President in 1986.
The Department of Mass Communication together with the
Department of Filipino and Department of English and Foreign
Languages were pulled out from the College of Arts and Sciences.
The three departments were housed in a separate College after the
PUP Board of Regents approved the creation of the College of
Languages and Mass Communication or CLMC in 1987. Dr. Rustica C.
Carpio became the first chairperson of the Department of Mass
Communication. She also initiated the revision of the DMC
curriculum program.

In 1988, Dr. Carpio proposed the establishment of the National

Mass Communication Center and spearheaded the conversion of
DMC to an institute of Mass Communication. Dr. Carpio’s position
paper was submitted to then Senator Orlando Mercado and the
latter authored Senate Bill Number 583 or “An Act Creating the
Mass Communication Center of the Philippines.”

Dr. Carpio was designated as the first Dean of the CLMC and
concurrently served as DMC Chairperson in 1989. She likewise
started Master in Mass Communication Program in the PUP
Graduate School and became the chairperson for a decade. She also
instituted the Non-Traditional Study Program of the DMC.

Prof. Ma. Victoria G. Red became Dr. Carpio’s successor as chair

of the DMC in May 1991. After a year, Dr. Leonida N. Tuazon was
designated as the third DMC chair under the Deanship of Dr.
Wilfredo L. Alberca. Dr. Tuazon created the Curriculum
Enhancement Committee to review the DMC curriculum.

On April 25, 1991, Senate Bill No. 583 was changed into Senate
Bill No. 1791 by the Senate Committee on Public Information and
Mass Media chaired by the Senator Agapito Aquino. Without
amendment with Senator Mercado as author, SB 1791 was
approved. Thus, an edifice was put up at the NDC Compound in
Anonas Street, Sta. Mesa, Manila to serve as the Mass
Communication Center which is also attached to PUP for
administrative purposes.

On October 1993, the Department moved to its new home, the

Mass Communication Center. It was inaugurated and blessed on
December 13, 1993 with then PUP President Zenaida A. Olonan.

The First Level Accreditation status was achieved by the Bachelor

in Broadcast Communication and Bachelor in Journalism programs
as recommended by the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges
and Universities in the Philippines (AACUP) during the second term
of Prof. Ma. Victoria G. Red as chair in 1996.

On that same year, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

recognized the PUP Department of Mass Communication as Center
of Excellence in the discipline of communication as Center of
Excellence in the discipline of communication for Expanded Tertiary
Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program or ETEEAP.

PUP-DMC created various affiliations with other communication

agencies and organizations. Two training institutes were launched
in 1996 through the collaborated efforts of PUP, International
Organization Journalists (IOJ), National Union of Journalist
Philippines (NUJP) and International Institute of Journalism-
Berlin(IIB). The said training institutes were the Willie Vicoy
Institute of Photojournalism for Asia (VIPA) and Asian Center for
Broadcast Journalism (ACBJ). PUP-CLMC hosted the training while
NUJP and IIB provided the professional and technical expertise, and
the IOJ supported the training program through its equipment and
other resources.

In November 1997, Prof. Maria Lourdes DP Garcia was appointed

as the fourth Chairperson of the Department of Mass
Communication while Prof. Wilhelmina N. Cayanan was designated
as the CLMC Dean in 1998.

Through the initiative of Prof. Jose Reuben Q. Alagaran II, faculty

of DMC and president of the Faculty Club, the PUP Open University
offered Bachelor in Broadcast Communication and Master in Mass
Communication in partnership with the Philippine Information
Agency (PIA) and the Public Relations Organization of the
Philippines (PROP). Prof. Alagaran was appointed as the chairperson
for both programs in the PUP-OU System.

In May 1999, Dr. Divina T. Pasumbal became the successor of Dr.

Carpio as chair of the Master in Mass Communication Program at the
PUP Graduate School.

The turn of the century ushered in significant changes and

development in the history of the Department of Mass
Communication.

DMC Chairperson Maria Lourdes DP Garcia revived the proposed

conversion of DMC into an Institute of Mass Communication. PUP
President Dr. Ofelia M. Carague instructed the Vice President for
Academic Affairs Dr. Samuel M. Salvador to create a committee.
Thus, in October 1999, a 5-man working committee was
commissioned to develop a proposal. The committee was composed
of CLMC Dean Wilhelmina Cayanan as chair, Prof. Maria Lourdes DP
Garcia and Prof. Divina T. Pasumbal as co-chairs, and Prof. Ma.
Victoria G. Red with Prof. Joey Alagaran as members. Dr. Rustica C.
Carpio, who is the original proponent, was also involved in the
preparation of the position paper for the separation of DMC from
CLMC.

After a month, in November 1999, the BBRC and BJ programs

were granted the Level II status by the AACUP. With its
performance, AACUP strongly recommended the conversion of DMC
not into an Institute but into a College of Mass Communication.
Consequently, the proposed separation of the Department of Mass
Communication from CLMC was pushed through and submitted to
PUP Administration. During the process of PUP Administration’s
study on the proposal, Dr. Robert F. Soriano was designated as
Chairperson of the Department of Mass Communication in November
2000.

It was on May 2001 when the Department of Mass Communication

realized its dream to stand as one College. The PUP Board of
Regents approved the separation of DMC from CLMC and the College
of Communication was born.

Dr. Divina T. Pasumbal became the first Dean of the College with Dr.
Maria Lourdes DP Garcia as Chairperson of the Department of
Broadcast Communication and Dr. Robert F. Soriano as Chairperson
of the Department of Journalism. A year after, Dr. Soriano resigned
from his position thus, Dr. Pasumbal concurrently served as the
Chairperson of the DOJ. On January 2003, Prof. Filemon V. Viduya
was assigned as Chairperson of the Department of Journalism.

In 2004, Dr. Pasumbal was permanently appointed as Director of

the University’s Public Affairs Office. Hence, the Chairperson of the
Department of Broadcast Communication Dr. Maria Lourdes DP
Garcia was installed as the Acting Dean of the College and
concurrently served as DBC Chair.

On July 2004, Prof. Edna T. Bernabe was designated as the new

Chairperson of the Department of Broadcast Communication while
Prof. Angelina E. Borican was assigned as Head of the Research,
Extension and Linkages Office of the College who later on appointed
as Chairperson of the Department of Journalism replacing Prof.
Filemon V. Viduya who was appointed Faculty Assistant in the
PublicAffairs Office. Prof. Racidon P. Bernarted then designated as
Head of the Research, Extension and Linkages Office as the same
time the Accreditation Coordinator of the College.

Before the end of the term of Dr. Lourdes DP. Garcia as dean of
the College, new program Bachelor in Communication Research was
approved and offered in the College making the curricular offerings
of the College into three programs—Bachelor in Broadcast
Communication, Bachelor in Journalism and Bachelor in
Communication Research.

On April 2006, Dr. Robert F. Soriano was appointed as the 3rd

Dean of COC. During his term the College successfully passed the
3rd Level Accreditation on the same year.

The College of Communication mirrors the “Poor Man’s

University” vision towards competence and excellence. Being one of
the biggest communication schools in the Philippines, the COC will
uphold its commitment in providing quality communication
education to a large number of economically challenged Filipinos.
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