Letran Manila's Institute of Communication - COMM3A Holds the first day of SPECTRUM: The In-Betweens, Beyond, and Behind the Screens of COMMents

Jayleen Avila

PUBMAT | Mikaela Arcos

PHOTOS | Colegio de San Juan de Letran

April 18, 2023 (Tuesday) - Waves of laughter and information filled St. Thomas Hall from around 3 PM to 6 PM last Tuesday, April 18, as Letranites from various programs attended the first part of the two-day event titled "SPECTRUM: The In-Betweens, Beyond, and Behind the Screens of COMMents." It was initiated by Performance Media Professor Chino Liu, commonly known as Tita Krissy Achino, and the class of COMM3A as the event is part of their academic activity on the subject.

The first speaker, Agsunta's Jireh Singson, shared in his talk proper how it took him over ten years before blooming in the music industry with the help of social media. He narrated how he started by posting song covers on YouTube, which was unknown in the Philippines then. He says it becomes an edge if you are the first to do something. However, more is needed to ensure immediate success as it depends on one's diskarte. He then advised aspiring content creators to be original and creative as one has the freedom to do anything as long as it brings happiness to them. He highlighted that a dreamer needs to enjoy what they are doing; with this mindset, they can handle pressure and move forward. He persuaded the audience not to quit even when other people have negative opinions as the only person a dreamer must prove their capabilities to is themself. He concluded his talk by singing his band's songs, Kung 'Di Na Ako and 'Di Man Lang Nagsabi, which figuratively broke the participants' hearts with its tearjerker lyrics.

Before introducing Drag Den Director Rod Singh as the next speaker, a raffle was conducted with the three winners receiving ViyLine Skincare each. In Direk Rod’s talk, she asserted that messaging is the essential thing that must be focused on when it comes to content creation, as storytelling is not about what one wants to say but how one says it. According to her, many may have the same idea and deliver the same style, but only one will shine, which is why like Jireh, she prompted the audience to think outside the box, be unique, and dumiskarte. For her, when a dreamer knows what they want but not how it should be done, it will result in those dreams just staying as dreams. She deepened the discussion by admitting that creating one's messaging is hard, but to succeed, one must persevere. “If you want your space out there, make your path,” she said, adding that finding the right path is not a race as everyone has their momentum. She then claimed that knowing the audience is essential to maintain relevance as the algorithm rapidly changes. An aspiring content creator must be able to keep up with that to survive. She ended her talk by advising the audience that when dealing with politics, “Learn when to give in and learn when to give up.”

The third speaker was Christian Antolin, dressed as Kadenang Ginto's Marga Mondragon, a Filipino teleserye, as one of his most famous character portrayals. He shared that content creation was not his initial plan, as he studied architecture and expected to work in the field. According to him, the shift in his path was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as he still needed to think practically to eat three meals daily. For him, creating content is easy as his videos, such as his Nanay series in TikTok, reflect his life experiences. And because of this authenticity, the number of his viewers increased with the trust they gave him as they continuously suggested content ideas they believed Christian would nail. Like Direk Rod's statement, he also claimed that the audience must be classified to know what content types are more likely to bloom. Another round of raffle with the same number of winners and prizes was held after his talk proper.

Mima Sassa Gurl was the last yet most awaited speaker of the SPECTRUM Day 1. She started her talk with her jokes and games, which hyped the audience and made everyone's cheeks hurt from laughing. Similar to the claims of the previous speakers, she advised the aspirants to be distinct and know their branding, as most of the content within social media is alike. She believes that being true to oneself and their platform plays a crucial role in achieving success, as pretending leads to the audience feeling off to the content, thus decreasing viewership. She claimed that it is unique when personal. According to her, the mass's preferences are different and dynamic, making it preferable to monitor how relatable the contents are to the target audience—amidst Sassa's talk, an iconic moment between her and Letran's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Darwin Rungduin happened as she cursed in front of the latter which made the entire Thomas Hall crazy. After everyone had calmed down, she concluded her talk by saying that advocacies are essential because social media personalities can influence others' thoughts and opinions. "Know what you stand for," Mima emphasized. 

As all speakers had already finished talks, Maica Valdez performed an intermission number wherein she sang Beyonce’s Halo. The Discussion and Open Mic part then followed; the participants could ask questions to any of the four speakers, making the event more engaging for the audience. Through this portion, the guests could also deepen what they have discussed as some questions were based on their talk propers. Afterward, the certificates were awarded by Tita Krissy to the speakers: Agsunta’s Jireh Singson, Direk Rod Singh, Christian Antolin, and Sassa Gurl. He then announced reminders for his class and invitations for the audience to attend AdSpeak 2023 and SPECTRUM Day 2 with the speakers: Direk Titus Cee, Matthaios, Team Payaman’s Burong, and Yow. The Photo Op concluded the event with everyone smiling wide as they got pictures with the influencers they love.