DFA, DOLE assistant secretaries speak at CMC Balik-Talent Event
Silliman University College of Mass Communication (SU CMC) alumni who are now assistant secretaries of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) shared their experiences in high-level government service during the CMC Balik-Talent Lectures, August 26, 2022 at the Audio-Visual Theatre 1.
DOLE Asst. Secretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay highlighted the joys and travails of working for the bureaucracy, while DFA Asst. Secretary Kira Christianne Dañganan-Azucena shared with CMC students, faculty, alumni, and guests why a Bachelor of Mass Communication (BMC) degree is a good foundation for public service.
Navigating bureaucracy
As assistant secretary for the Workers’ Welfare and Protection Cluster of DOLE, Asec. Tutay shared that she has witnessed “the fight between good and evil in public service.”
Despite the negativity that is linked to government bureaucracy, Tutay said living a “modest life” and serving the people with humility remains to be the core of her duty.
“Even if we hold high positions in government, the higher you go up the ladder, the humbler you should be. So that clients, regardless of their status in life, can still feel the sincerity of public service and know that government is there to help them, especially during difficult times,” she said. Tutay can count two decades in government service, having joined the government after graduating cum laude from the BMC program in 1993. In her scope of work, Tutay said she has witnessed the gap between the creation of policies and their actual implementation. “This is where my integrity was tested. I met a lot of clients wanting to circumvent laws and policies, but I also gained the trust of many who benefited from the speedy and efficient service delivery by being compliant with the rules and regulations,” she added. She also emphasized how the future workforce should navigate bureaucracy with the discipline instilled by SU’s “Via, Veritas, Vita,” (the Way, the Truth, and the Life). “There could be lots of obstacles and roadblocks, as most of them are already systemic in the bureaucracy, but don’t lose sight of where God is leading your reins,” she advised the BMC students and young alumni present.
Skills from CMC
Meanwhile, Asec. Azucena of the Office of the United Nations and International Organizations of the DFA, shared three skills she acquired from CMC that benefited her work as a foreign service officer.
The BMC batch 1994 magna cum laude graduate started off by mentioning how CMC gave her the foundation for good writing. From writing political reports to crafting national statements at the UN General Assembly, she said the skills she had developed as a news writer in her college years had spared her from difficulties in discharging her writing duties.
“In the diplomatic trade, language plays a central role, whether spoken or written, and it covers the whole spectrum. And because of my CMC training, I delivered quality products in this part of my work,” she said.
Second, she utilized the same strategy she learned in CMC—finding and cultivating sources that would provide her with information for the news articles she was writing—when practicing diplomacy.
“There is this saying that diplomacy is the patriotic art of lying for one’s country. In my experience, there is nothing further from the truth. On the contrary, trust is a core essential of diplomacy, and diplomats spend a lot of time and effort, and sometimes money, building it,” she added.
Third, said Azucena, CMC introduced her to working for the welfare of society. Although she was unable to pursue a career as a reporter, she was still able to make a difference in people’s lives as a diplomat.
“I wanted to have that capacity and I thought the only way was to become a reporter. Fortunately, joining the DFA, and in the bigger context, the civil service, fulfilled that goal,” she added.
Both CMC alumni came home to SU during the celebration of its 121st Founders Day.
This year’s CMC Balik-Talent theme was on government service as a crossover career for BMC graduates.
CMC convenes the Balik-Talent Lectures every year as a Founders Day event to feature alumni who wish to share their knowledge and experience as communication professionals and entrepreneurs to equip students with current information and inspire them toward a successful communication or allied career after graduating from SU.
(Story by Sophia Angelique R. Garzon, Mass Communication student)
