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by Ike Suarez, Correspondent
This is the message the
Department of Science and Technology intends to deliver to young
Filipinos in a comic book series and music video it has produced.
In doing so, it seeks to interest
more children and adolescents interested in science and technology
and even pursue careers in these fields as adults with the use of
comic books and music videos (the latter popularized by networks
like the MTV channel): types of media that are now a part of current
youth culture, as announced on Wednesday at a press briefing in
Manila. The event formally launched the yearlong celebrations to
mark the DOST’s 50th anniversary as a government agency, which
began on June 13, 1958, as the National Science and Development
Board.
Central character in the comic
book and music video is Tron, the DOST mascot who is an android and
superhero. The pilot issue of the Adventures of Tron comic books and
the MTV-type music video were presented to the media during the
briefing.
At the briefing, Science
Education Institute Director Ester Ogena told reporters that the
Tron comic books and music video are intended to make more Filipino
youth interested in science. She added that the comic books had been
created in cooperation with the Yonzon Entertainment Syndicate
(YES), the same comic book publishing house that created Lastik Man
and which now also publishes the Darna series.
Ogena, director of a unit under
the DOST, added that the music video is a production that talks to
adolescent Filipinos about science and technology in the language of
youth culture, which includes pop music.
At the briefing, Ogena said the
Tron comic books would be published quarterly and distributed on a
pilot basis to public schools beginning this July. These comic
books and the music video would put a human face to science
subjects, according to her.
After the briefing, YES President
Hugo Yanzon 3rd said their company had volunteered their services to
create and publish the comic book series at no expense to the DOST.
He added that the intellectual property for the comic books would
still be retained by the said government agency.
According to Yanzon, funding for
the publications would be done mostly by foundations, whose names he
said could not be revealed just yet. Initial print run would be
5,000 copies and distributed to pilot areas in Luzon.
“We will test the reactions of
the readers and refine the concept based on these,” Yanzon said.
He also added that the
distribution would be done in coordination with the Department of
Education, and the comic books would be supplementary education
materials. In line with the government’s thrust to improve English
proficiency, The Adventures of Tron would initially be printed in
English text.
But Yanzon said it was possible
that it would also be printed in Filipino language texts in the
future.
He added that the thrust of the
comic book content would be to lessen resistance by young Filipinos
to studying science by showing that it would be fun to learn more
about science. The illustrations would be in full color and printed
on high-grade book paper.
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