Budding journos experience ABS-CBN docu caravan
Hundreds of aspiring journalists and documentarists from Far Eastern University (FEU), University of Santo Tomas (UST) and Holy Angel University (HAU) in Pampanga were able to hone their skills further on the second year of ABSCBN’s Docu Caravan that featured talks and workshops from awardwinning journalists Korina RoxasSanchez, Jeff Canoy and producers from ABS-CBN DocuCentral.
On the first leg of the caravan at FEU, Korina discussed the backbone of a good documentary and highlighted the value of hard work, especially when following stories on sensitive topics and pressing issues.
“The foundation of a good story is strong research,” said the anchor of the long-running news magazine
Rated K. “You choose topics that are close to your heart and then put the human element. Put a face to the issue to reach more audiences and make audiences take notice,” she added.
She also reminded them not to be afraid of following their passion, staying true to themselves and working hard to spark change.
“If you are powerful enough to inform, you are powerful enough to make the solution happen,” she said. “Spread the word, change your behavior and spark change in other people.”
The first leg of the Docu Caravan also featured a sneak preview of the upcoming Delikado Tayo documentary on HIV and AIDS in the Philippines produced by Korina and the ABS-CBN DocuCentral team.
Meanwhile, at UST and HAU, students participated in workshops led by the DocuCentral. The sessions covered important aspects of making a documentary, how to pitch a good story based on good research, acquiring the skills to produce stories from the field and telling stories through the lens, and creating engaging content for web and social media to support a documentary.
Jeff, who spoke to UST students, reminded the participants to stay true to the stories of the subjects of their documentaries.
“You’re a witness to the stories of these people. They trusted you with their voice, so you have to write a story that reflects what they need, what they feel and how the country can help them,” said Jeff.
The Docu Caravan, a project of the Knowledge Channel and Philippine Advocates for Communication Education Association, Inc. (PACE), aims to empower students to use their talents and skills in telling informative and relevant stories through documentaries. It also serves as preparation for the students, who were invited to join Knowledge Channel’s Class Project: Intercollegiate Mini-Documentary Competition, also in partnership with ABS-CBN and PACE. For updates on the Docu Caravan, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For more information on the rules, mechanics and prizes for the Class Project: Intercollegiate Mini-Documentary Competition, visit or e-mail classproject@knowledgechannel.org.