Final Practicum Case Report

POLSCI Practicum
Political Science Department

I. Gerard Paulo C. Perez

ID number : 11337052
II. Nature of the Institution, Company or Agency
The nature of the institution that we are engaged in is to critical in related political and
social issues that is happening in the country. We are also tasked to explore the discipline to
learn new ways of research methods and the aim of the institution is to make us public
intellectuals after the whole On-the-job training. It is about understanding phenomenon
about politics and to be able to scrutinize issues by being critical with the supervision of Dr.
Contreras. Another nature of this training is that you are not constrained to a single method
or running errands to complete ours but rather to become more aware of the reality we are
facing in the political spectrum. It is flexible in terms that you are requiring of different task
every time you meet with your adviser. New realities are always being showed though the
institution. It is progressive them on how we approach issues, which stretches our
experience and knowledge on the field of Political Science. Furthermore, the aim of this
training is not just making us public intellectual but also a responsible citizen of this country.
It is just about researching and submitting report but also having the opportunity to help the
people and educate them on certain political issues. The significance of this mission is in
order to encourage people to become more active in participating in political issues and to
have the awareness of the politics that is happening around them. It also helps us into
deepening the understanding of politics as students of Political Science majors. The hands-
on approach where you are sent to the field to inquire and acquire data what also makes it
unique because you are always on the move while you are doing your research that tasked.
This term we have attended the Philippine Political Science Association International
Conference 2016. This if for us, to experience how academics discourse on issues and
researches that has been made. The nature of this trip was to let us understand the
importance of Political Science in Theory and in Application. So far, ideas are flowing for 2
days and we met academics and learned from their researches. This makes me intellectually
curious to delve myself more in understanding politics in different research areas. The tasks
what Dr. Contreras made us do is to observe and make analysis on the researches that were
presented. The purpose of the conference was to point out that politics matters in everyday
life and in a larger arena of understanding. It is dealt with everyday and we cannot ignore
the fact that conferences like this are important in order to discover new knowledge that
might improve our understanding and significance of politics. Then another task that is soon
to be at tackled would be the interviewing of Indigenous people in Nueva Vizcaya that will
help us deepen our understanding of qualitative research. It is also about emerging
ourselves in research in the field that is not all about theories that we learn in the
classroom.
III. Description of major tasks and assignments
This part describes the major tasks, activities, assignments and outputs of the practicum
student. Please refer to the sample table below:
 Major Tasks & Description Outputs & Outcomes
Assignments
Philippine Political Science We will have to report to our Reflection Paper
Association International supervisor about academic papers
Conference 2016 presented in the conference
F
including our reflections and
u
critical analysis.
r
Research assistants in for We are task to be research Data collections
t
Dr. Contreras in Nueva assistants for Dr. Contreras in
h
Vizcaya Nueva Vizcaya through
e
interviewing Indigenous people.
r
explanation of the table items can be included in this section.

IV. Reflection
My reflection would be that so far what we have learned in out practicum is to be
able to understand researches and not just read them but also find the weak points
of the research. I believe it is important because it will help us discover ways that
can help other people when it comes to conflict resolution. It is about learning new
things and applying them in reality. I believe this kind of practicum is an perfect
method into understanding politics and society.
V. Attachments/Appendices

Reflection Paper

The first conference day, we are tasked to attend different kinds of researches that
are presented. I attended three different topics. The first presentation that I attended is
all about democratic transitions. I believe the significance of such researches where the
first presenter presented the Understanding of Protest Action. This was explained that
how the rational of protesters and how the behave. Where it was pointed that the more
trust people get there is less likely, to protest. Then for low trust in government there is
more likely protest in government. Then Power variations were studied in the Philippines
and Indonesia, where the data suggests that elite cohesion is in important in order to stay
in power.

These are just few of the researches that I heard and attended but the important
realization of the day would be the relevance of such researches, when they do not affect
society. But one research that day would be the research about Check My Barangay
because it showed how citizens in small community reacted in the research of having an
app in order to increase participation. I think the research was good because it helped
people in understanding the important of participation in the community. Though the
presenters themselves said that there are short comings with the application they used
and what appropriate technology that is more easy to use. But at the end of the day it
showed that political science is an important form of discipline that affects our daily lives.

It is proven in these researches that such presentations are necessary, but I believe
even though it is a membership based organization. They should publicize more where the
common man will understand it and Jargons should be avoided in order to be understood.
This might also encourage other people in understanding politics and letting them know
what can do and develop. It is ideas that change situation and resolve it. They should be
felt more in the public sphere not only within the intellectual sphere. After all, majority of
the people that will benefit from such ideas not intellectuals alone but also the common
man.

II. Nueva Vizcaya Research

Since we assisted in the research here are the photos of who we interviewed for the Data
Collection in Imugan, Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya.