FICS Theses and Dissertations
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Theses and dissertations by graduate students from the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies.
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ItemTeleacting an Authority in A Communicative Practice: Compliance Certificate as a Non-human Agent in Solid Waste Management(University of the Philippines Open University, 2024)This study is anchored on the Non-Human Agency Framework advanced by Francois Cooren (2006), which attempts to explain ‘how one can act from a distance’ or ‘teleact’ or the act of making present or presentifying something or someone in communicative practices. Teleaction can happen in a manner that non-humans represent other entities. By examining a compliance certificate used by a government regulatory body in solid waste management, the study sought to answer the research questions: 1) what figures appeared in the solid waste management compliance certificate that ventriloquized its authority; 2) what does the compliance certificate perform in solid waste management? Using Cooren’s (2010) Ventriloquial Analysis Approach, this study analyzed the Municipal Solid Waste Management Compliance Certificate (MSWMCC), a document issued by the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), a local government regulatory body in solid waste management in a municipality in the Province of (Name of the Province). From the analysis, it was revealed that there is a total of ten (10) figures explicitly invoked in the certificate – 1) official logo, 2) letterhead, 3) certificate number, 4) RA 9003, 5) declaration of compliance, 6) date of issuance, 7) place of issuance, 8) date of inspection, 9) signatory, and 10) QR code. These explicit figures that appeared in the compliance certificate implicitly convey significant messages relative to environmental protection and sustainability. Also found in the analysis are six (6) acts that the compliance certificate performs in accomplishing solid waste management – 1) representing the government, 2) regulating business operations in accordance with solid waste management practices, 3) affirming business entity’s compliance, 4) informing the general public of the business entity’s participation in solid waste management, 5) authorizing business operations in consideration with solid waste management, and 6) documenting business entity’s participation in solid waste management. From the findings of this study, the researcher advances the Ventriloquized- Animated Authority Theory. Non-human agents, like the compliance certificate, possess ventriloquized and animated authority. Ventriloquized-Animated Authority is that kind of authority that the non-human agents derive from their being ventriloquized (given voices to speak) and animated (acted upon to act) by some higher unseen principals. The voices given to non-human agents by more powerful unseen principals grant them the strength and the power to speak about influential messages that move human agents to act. Likewise, the force of persuasion exerted on the non-human agents by a more powerful unseen principal also pushes the human actors to perform something geared toward the accomplishment of organizational goals. Thus, as a textual agent, the compliance certificate possesses this authority that compels business entities to participate in solid waste management, contributing to the accomplishment of organizational goals and the national vision. With this, this study contributes this concept that non-human agents, like the compliance certificate which is a textual agent, really exert influences on and contribute to organizational dynamics and accomplishment as they participate in various communicative practices that shape and define organizations, as emphasized by the concept of CCO (Communication as Constitutive of Organization) under the Montreal School of Organizational Communication.
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ItemAn Autoethnographic Analysis of Social Enterprise's Advocacy Communication( 2024)This comprehensive study on Autoethnographic Analysis of Social Enterprise’s Advocacy Communication explored my journey as a social entrepreneur and a communication scholar, showcasing the evolving motivations, transformative shifts in purpose, challenges, through my life’s experiences and exposures. In this research, I utilized vignettes, immersion, and reflection guided by theories and principles of ontology, epistemology, teleology, and praxeological positions. These key findings and contributions created knowledge that challenges some traditional research standards unmuting my voice to integrate personal narratives and empower the study through personal experiences as primary values of autoethnography to contribute to the field of social entrepreneurship and its context of advocacy communication. Valuable insights in the research denotes silent empowerment as a fundamental factor in advocacy communication, as it centers its role on credibility, lasting impact, and authenticity especially in the digital landscape. Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) in this said context uncovers positive workplace behavior as a crucial aspect in the success of an advocacy and of an any organization. Moreover, this study also concluded that digital platforms are fundamental for advocacy communication. It recognizes the paramount significance of technology in identifying markets, reaching broader audience, and effectively communicating an advocacy of a social enterprise. Storytelling and leadership are also remarkable results that this research was able to unveil. The importance of both signified a positive reception of advocacy from the audiences and considered key tools that affect insights, behavior, and culture of a market or an organization especially in the field of social entrepreneurship Through my social interactions and reflections in social entrepreneurship and past journeys leading to it—in this comprehensive delved of knowledge and experiences, I was able to gain insightful and remarkable definition of what social entrepreneurship specifically is: Social entrepreneurship refers to pursuing purposeful and socially driven business process with equal prioritization to its profitability. It surpasses traditional corporate social responsibility approaches, as it is not merely an auxiliary business afterthought but centers its conception and existence on its social causes. This research concludes a reflection on personal growth and overcoming doubts and overall challenges in business, furthering the role of being an advocating and integrating it with entrepreneurship. Silent empowerment in this study affirmed as a powerful conduit that places value on actions and behavior as an essential consideration in advocacy communication in the field of social entrepreneurship. This autoethnographic study enriches knowledge of the intricate relationship between social entrepreneurship and advocacy communication. This research did not only address research questions but also provided practical insights for those piloting the dynamic landscape of social impact through advocacy communication in a social enterprise.
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ItemVulnerability to Fake News: The Case of the Overseas Filipino Workers in Taiwan(University of the Philippines Open University, 2025)This study examines the vulnerability of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Taiwan to fake news circulating on social media. Using a qualitative, thematic analysis grounded in the Uses and Gratifications framework and elements of Grounded Theory, the research explores OFWs’ information‐seeking behavior, levels of awareness and understanding of fake news, social media habits, and cues that shape truth judgments. Data were gathered through semi‐structured interviews and analyzed via iterative coding, theme development, and constant comparison. Findings point to the roles of habitual social media use, heuristic processing, media trust, and confirmation bias in misperception. The study proposes a communication model and programmatic recommendations for MECO and partner agencies that emphasize digital/media literacy, lateral reading, fact‐checking routines, and transparent communication. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
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ItemFinancial Inclusion in the Digital Era: Communicative Practices in Organizing Facebook Live Transactions(University of the Philippines Open University, 2025)This study investigates the communicative practices that characterize Facebook Live selling and buying transactions—commonly referred to as Facebook Live selling—and examines their role in advancing digital financial inclusion. Grounded in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, the research explores how sellers and buyers engage in patterned, real-time interactions—such as item claiming, product descriptions, transaction confirmations, and payment verification—to facilitate online commercial exchanges. By attending to the sequential organization of talk and turn-taking, the study demonstrates how social actions in live selling are organized, interpreted, and made intelligible to participants. These communicative practices not only enable smooth transaction processes but also serve as mechanisms for fostering trust, enhancing accessibility, and promoting financial participation in digitally mediated settings. The findings suggest that financial inclusion is not merely the outcome of technological access but is actively achieved through structured communicative routines that orient users to informal financial engagement. In doing so, the study offers a communication-centered understanding of how digital financial inclusion is constructed in everyday interactions within emerging online marketplaces. This aligns closely with the goals of development communication, which emphasizes the strategic use of communication processes and media to promote social and economic development. By highlighting how communication itself serves as infrastructure for participation, trust, and digital engagement, the study affirms that development efforts must go beyond technological solutions to consider how people use talk and interaction to navigate and reshape financial realities in marginalized or informal contexts.
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ItemExploring Radyo DZLB's 'PAK!' as an Edutainment Program for Agriculture and the Environment(University of the Philippines Open University, 2025)With Radyo DZLB's move to the online space, various information and knowledge products are now transformed to cater to audiences from the legacy format and digital media. The station's online equivalent, DZLB Online! continues its advocacy in providing participatory broadcasting through engaging communities and organizations as partners in producing various programs. Adding to DZLB Online's roster of programs is PAK! Para sa Agrikultura at Kalikasan. Or PAK!. PAK!, is a program that uses the Teleradyonet format to popularize and deliver scientific concepts, research projects, and advocacies about agriculture and the environment to the common audience. The episodes tackled various topics such as sustainable agriculture, agricultural modernization, permaculture, environmental protection and conservation, ridge-to-reef ecological frameworks, One Health, sustainable freshwater ecosystems, agriecotourism/naturetainment, the role of individuals and groups as a driver of change for the environment, and community farming as a social enterprise. Through the use of narrative structural analysis, the study looked at the presence of various storytelling elements within the program and how they fit with the program’s learning/education process via broadcast. These processes include (1) looking at PAK!’s narrative structure, (2) analyzing how the program facilitates learning and engagement, (3) visiting the various technical elements present in the program when it comes to the production process, and (4) exploring how such technical elements aid in how educational content is delivered.