Nora C. Quebral

Last updated
Nora C. Quebral
BornSeptember 5, 1926
Manila, Philippine Islands
DiedOctober 24, 2020(2020-10-24) (aged 94)
Quezon City, Philippines
Alma mater University of the Philippines Diliman
University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Known forpioneering the discipline of Development Communication in Asia
Development Communication in the Agricultural Context
Relatives Flerida Ruth Pineda-Romero (cousin)
AwardsHildegard Award for Women in Media and Communication in 2007. [1]
Scientific career
Fields Development Communication
Institutions University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Development Communication

Nora Cruz Quebral was a pioneer in the discipline of development communication in Asia and is often referred to as the "mother of development communication", giving birth to an academic discipline and training many scholars in that field. [1] Among her students were internationally known devcom educators and practitioners such as Felix Librero, Pedro Bueno, Antonio Moran, Alexander Flor, Rex Navaro and Maria Celeste Cadiz. Her landmark 1971 paper entitled Development Communication in the Agricultural Context and her leadership of what was then the UP College of Agriculture's Department of Agricultural Communication, paved the way for academic programs in development communication at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). That institution later became the UPLB College of Development Communication (CDC), where Quebral served as Professor Emeritus. [2]

Contents

In three separate terms spanning 17 years, from 1966 to 1985, Quebral served as the chairperson of the various earlier incarnations of what later became the CDC, where her colleagues referred to her by her initials, "NCQ". [2]

She also served as a consultant and founded the Nora C. Quebral Development Communication Centre, Inc., which conducts development communication projects in health, the environment, and agriculture.

She received the first Hildegard Award for Women in Media and Communication in 2007. [1]

Educational background

Quebral graduated magna cum laude with a BA in English from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1950. She then earned her MS in agricultural journalism at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as US International Cooperation Agency and Philippine National Economic Council scholar in 1956-57, and then received her PhD in communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign as Rockefeller Foundation scholar in 1963-66.

Early career

While a student, Quebral worked as secretary at the Claims Service of the US Army. When she graduated in 1950, she served as a debate stenographer of the Labor Management Advisory Board.

In 1952, she became a copy editor of the journal Philippine Agriculturist, starting her career in what was then the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (UPCA), now the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

In October 1954 UPCA, then 45 years old, instituted the Office of Extension and Publications (UPCA-OEP) with Quebral was one of its three Filipino staff members, adding an extension component to its mission, in addition to instruction and research. This office became an academic department in 1960, founding Quebral's career as a faculty member.

Pioneering the field of development communication

In 1971, she delivered her paper Development Communication in the Agricultural Context at a UPCA symposium in honor of its outgoing dean, Dioscoro L. Umali. Drawing from the works of Alan Chalkley, Wilbur Schramm, and Daniel Lerner, among others, she coined a definition of the field outlining its basic theory and practice. [3]

In that paper she noted that:

The reason for my having to coin my own definition is that development communication is still very much in the evolutionary stage so that no one is quite prepared to be pinned down to an exact definition of it.

The UP College of Agriculture was declared an autonomous unit of the University of the Philippines system the following year, 1972, and was reborn as the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).

Quebral's department was renamed the Department of Development Communication the following year, 1973, and opened the Master of Science in development communication program — the Philippines' first academic degree program in Communication. The next year, UPLB's university council approved the bachelor's program in development communication.

When the PhD program in development communication received approval in 1976, the DDC became the first in the world to offer degree courses in development communication at the undergraduate, masters, and doctorate levels.

She also founded a development communication program in Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan in the late 60's.

Development communication

The former dean of the UPLB College of Development Communication, noted that:

The history of the UPLB College of Development Communication is in a large part the history of Nora’s career in the academe, along with that of the development communication program and its practice at Los Baños. [2]

— Dr. Maria Celeste H. Cadiz

Quebral has, time and again, redefined development communication over the years, rethinking its basic tenets and reorienting her definition to fit the evolving challenge of development. These revisions to her definition of the field have served as guides towards new directions for the numerous scholars and practitioners of the field.

While she first gave a definition for the development communication in 1971, her latest revision, presented in 2001, delineates the field as:

the art and science of human communication linked to a society's planned transformation from a state of poverty to one of dynamic socio-economic growth that makes for greater equity and the larger unfolding of individual potential.

Retirement

The DDC was elevated into the Institute of Development Communication in 1987, and Quebral took an early retirement the following year, after 28 years in the academe. She set up the Nora C. Quebral Development Communication Center, Inc. (NCQDCCI) and focused on professional practice and research.

She was later named Professor Emeritus at UPLB CDC, where she consulted with experts and scholars in development communication. [2] She was awarded an LSE honorary doctorate in 2011. In 2013, she was given the UP Alumni Association’s Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Baños, Laguna</span> Municipality in Laguna, Philippines

Los Baños, officially the Municipality of Los Baños, colloquialy 'elbi' or simply LB, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 115,353 people.

Development communication refers to the use of communication to facilitate social development. Development communication engages stakeholders and policy makers, establishes conducive environments, assesses risks and opportunities and promotes information exchange to create positive social change via sustainable development. Development communication techniques include information dissemination and education, behavior change, social marketing, social mobilization, media advocacy, communication for social change, and community participation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of the Philippines Los Baños</span> Public university in Laguna, Philippines

The University of the Philippines Los Baños, also referred to as UP Los Baños or colloquially as Elbi, is a public research university primarily located in the towns of Los Baños and Bay in the province of Laguna, some 65 kilometers southeast of Manila. It traces its roots to the UP College of Agriculture (UPCA), which was founded in 1909 by the American colonial government to promote agricultural education and research in the Philippines. American botanist Edwin Copeland served as its first dean. UPLB was formally established in 1972 following the union of UPCA with four other Los Baños and Diliman-based University of the Philippines (UP) units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Makiling</span> Inactive volcano in the Philippines

Mount Makiling is an inactive stratovolcano located in the provinces of Laguna and Batangas on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The mountain rises to an elevation of 1,090 meters (3,580 ft) above mean sea level and is the highest feature of the Laguna Volcanic Field. The volcano has no recorded historic eruption but volcanism is still evident through geothermal features like mud spring and hot springs. South of the mountain is the Makiling–Banahaw Geothermal Plant. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) classifies the volcano as "Inactive".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of the Philippines Rural High School</span> Public high school in Laguna, Philippines

The University of the Philippines Rural High School was established as a subsidiary of the Department of Agricultural Education of the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture, pursuant to Sec.4 of Act 3377 of the Philippine Legislature which was approved on December 3, 1927. The school, with a vocational curriculum, served as a practice school for the training of teachers, provided secondary education in agriculture for those preparing for college, and trained intermediate school graduates in agriculture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emil Q. Javier</span> Filipino plant geneticist and agronomist

Emil Q. Javier is a Filipino plant geneticist and agronomist best known for having served as the 17th President of the University of the Philippines between 1993 and 1999. He was conferred the rank of National Scientist of the Philippines for contributions in Agriculture in August 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources</span> Forestry school of the University of the Philippines Los Baños

The University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources is one of the 11 degree-granting units of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). It started as the Forest School under the UP College of Agriculture in 1910, making it the oldest forestry school in the Philippines. It is one of the five founding units of UPLB upon its establishment in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Development Communication</span>

The College of Development Communication (CDC) is the ninth college established under the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). It is recognized worldwide as a pioneer of development communication as an academic field. It offered the Philippines' first communication course in 1960, as a major under the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture curriculum. In 1974, it became the first to offer academic degree programs in development communication. To date, it is the only academic institution in the world offering degree programs in development communication at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree levels. In 1999, the College was named as one of two national centers of excellence in communication by the Philippines' Commission on Higher Education CHED. The College was awarded a KBP Golden Dove Award for best AM station in 1994 and a Catholic Mass Media Award for Best Educational Radio Program in 2010. In December 2012, the College of Development Communication once again became a Center of Excellence for Development Communication.

DZLB-FM is a radio station owned and operated by the University of the Philippines Los Baños - College of Development Communication. Its studio and transmitters are located in the DZLB Broadcast Studio of UP Los Baños College, Los Baños, Laguna. It is the premiere college radio station in the Philippines. It started operation in the early-90s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campus of University of the Philippines Los Baños</span> University Campus in Laguna, Philippines

The main campus of University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) is located in the towns of Los Baños and Bay in the province of Laguna, 64 km (40 mi) southeast of Manila. The complex covers 5,445 ha of land encompassing the entire Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR) and surrounding areas. Its land grants in the provinces of Laguna, Negros Occidental, and Quezon have a combined area of 9,760 ha. The Total Campus Area (Rural) 15,205 hectares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Agriculture and Food Science</span> Agricultural school in Los Baños, Philippines

The University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Agriculture and Food Science, formerly named University of the Philippines College of Agriculture or UPLB CA, is one of the 11 degree-granting units of the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Founded in 1909 as the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture, it is the oldest constituent of UPLB, and is one of the four founding units of the university upon its establishment in 1972.

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is one of the eleven degree-granting units of the University of the Philippines Los Baños. It is the largest college in University of the Philippines System which offers most of the general education subjects required of UPLB students, as well as the highest number of degree programs in the University. The Philippines' Commission on Higher Education has recognized CAS as a Center of Excellence in Biology, Chemistry, Information Technology and Mathematics, as well as a Center of Development in Physics and Statistics.

The College of Economics and Management (CEM) is one of the eleven degree-granting units of the University of the Philippines Los Baños. It is the first in Asia to offer degree programs in Agricultural Economics and has trained agricultural, resource and environmental economists from all over the continent.

Ethnovideography is a methodology of using video in the study of peoples, communities, groups or sub-groups. It espouses the use of video to document reality instead of "creating" realities. Hence, ethnovideographic presentations are unscripted. Narrations, background music, sound effects and special effects are not employed. The use of artificial lighting, obtrusive hardware, production crews and all but the simplest camera technique are discouraged.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology</span>

The College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology is one of the eleven degree-granting units of the University of the Philippines Los Baños. It began as the Department of Agricultural Engineering under the College of Agriculture in 1912. It was then elevated into the Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Technology in 1976 and eventually became a full-fledged college in 1983.

Laguna State Polytechnic University is a state university in the province of Laguna, Philippines, with four regular campuses and several auxiliary sites. It is currently classified as SUC Level III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arsenio Balisacan</span> Filipino economist, academic, and government official

Arsenio Molina Balisacan is a Filipino economist and academician currently serving as the Secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). Balisacan first served as the NEDA Secretary from May 2012 to January 2016 under the Benigno Aquino III administration. He then served under the Duterte administration as the Chairperson of the Philippine Competition Commission from February 1, 2016, to June 30, 2022. He was again appointed as NEDA Secretary under the Bongbong Marcos administration. During his first term in 2012, he concurrently served as NEDA Secretary and as Chairman of the Boards of the Philippine Statistics Authority, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Philippine Center for Economic Development, and Public-Private Partnership Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker Memorial Hall</span> Educational Building in Laguna, Philippines

The Charles Fuller Baker Memorial Hall, also known as Baker Memorial Hall or simply Baker Hall, is one of the oldest buildings on the campus of University of the Philippines Los Baños and the oldest building of the College of Arts and Sciences. Built from 1927 to 1938, it is named after Charles Fuller Baker, the second and longest-serving dean, University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Agriculture.

Leticia "Letty" E. Afuang is a Filipina biologist and wildlife conservationist currently working as a professor under the Animal Biology Division of the Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS) at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), located in the Philippine province of Laguna. She is also one of the main curators for the Zoological and Wildlife Collection at the UPLB Museum of Natural History. While known as the "Snake Lady," her research as a herpetologist also focuses on other reptiles, amphibians and a wide array of herpetofauna across the Philippine islands. As an advocate for environmental sustainability, she has founded multiple organizations such as the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation and the Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Garcia, Angelo G (2007-05-01). "St. Scholastica's College-Manila: Putting Women on the Pedestal". Manila Bulletin Online. Archived from the original on 2007-10-27. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cadiz, Maria Celeste H. "Nora Cruz Quebral: Writer and Thinker Par Excellence" . Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  3. ↑ Quebral, Nora C. in Jamias, Juan F. (1975). "Development Communication:Readings in Development Communication". UPLB Department of Development Communication.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ "In Memoriam: Dr. Nora Cruz Quebral (5 September 1926 - 24 October 2020)". November 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.