Summer is normally the time for me to accommodate requests for research, training and lectures.

Since I haven’t gone around to apologizing to some inviting organizations (the most recent of which was for a journalism workshop in Mindanao), I take this opportunity not only to say “I am sorry” (definitely with more finesse than you-know-who) but also to explain why I may not be able to accept “time-demanding” jobs anymore from now until May.

First, I am currently the overall coordinator of the Bicol University In-Company Training (BU ICT) 2007 where 36 journalism students spend one month in the National Capitol Region (NCR) to learn more about their chosen profession through lectures at University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) and internship to selected media organizations. The opening ceremonies, in fact, happened just this morning and I am now taking a break as the BU students apply the HTML codes they learned in my seminar-workshop on Online Journalism.

Second, I am coordinating the time-keeping group (composed mostly of journalism students from UP CMC) for six television news programs being monitored by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) as part of its study on the news coverage of the 2007 elections. I have already written three Time Allotment Analyses for weeks 1 to 7 of the senatorial campaign. It’s good to know that our reports are being picked up by media organizations like the Philippine Daily Inquirer and ABS-CBN News. I still need to write three more time allotment analyses until the end of the electoral campaign, as well as submit two consolidated reports (i.e., midterm and final).

Third, I am helping the CMFR publish the first-ever refereed journal on journalism. We hope to launch the first issue in June. In line with this, I was assigned by the executive editor to write a film review for its first issue. This is on top of a commentary that I already submitted to him. I’m sorry if I cannot give any more details on the refereed journal for now.

Fourth, I am writing a review of an English high school textbook for a reputable publishing company, the details of which I opt not to divulge.

Fifth, I am editing the proceedings of the First National Conference of Journalism Educators which happened last December. If you may recall, I was lead organizer of this activity which was funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Sixth, I am raising funds for the founding congress of the Association of Journalism Educators of the Philippines (AJEP) which we hope to organize within the year. (I hope that the organizations we approached for funding will support our worthy endeavor to organize journalism educators nationwide.)

Seventh, I might give a three-day seminar-workshop on Technical Writing in the third week of May, subject to the confirmation of the inviting organization.

Fortunately, I have already finished writing my assigned chapters for two books on the elections and on neoliberal education which will be out in May and June, respectively. The editors told me that I do not need to revise the chapters I wrote. This means that I can more or less focus on the seven (!) aforementioned tasks.

Of course, there is the weekly presswork for Bulatlat Online Magazine and the column that I regularly write for Pinoy Weekly. I also need to spend more time at the UP CMC since I was just appointed head of the Office of Research and Publication (ORP) once again and there are a lot of administrative concerns that require my attention. And, lest I forget, I still need to prepare for the three Journalism courses I will handle in the first semester of Academic Year 2007-2008.

Will I have time to sleep from now until May? I’d like to think so…