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THE VALUE OF MATANGLAWIN
The Value of Matanglawin as an Educational Tool
Jane Pearl B. Gemino
Saint Louis University
Communication Research (Comm 19)
ABSTRACT
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Title: The Value of Matanglawin as an Educational Tool
Number of Pages: 42
Author: Jane Pearl B. Gemino
Type of Document: Undergraduate Thesis9o1
Type of Publication: Unpublished Thesis
Accrediting Institutions: Saint Louis University
Bonifacio Street
Baguio City
This is a study on the “Value of Matanglawin as an Educational
Tool”. This study includes the results on how helpful ‘Matanglawin’ is
on its contribution to the general knowledge of the viewers and the
effectiveness of the styles of presentations of the topics. In general, the
study found out the ‘Matanglawin’ is an effective educational tool
which passed the standard of the selected experts.
On the contribution of ‘Matanglawin’ to the general knowledge of
the viewers, the researcher found out that it is helpful as it presents
updated facts, timeless science topics that are helpful in everyday
living and uses easier words to cater to its Filipino young audience.
Also, the findings of this study say that, ‘Matanglawin’ can be
regarded as one of the few educational shows that must be maintained
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to provide supplementary education to the viewers. This is supported
through the use of Filipino language as the medium of communication
which is found out to be very effective as it caters to the Filipino
viewers.
Background of the Study
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Television has become one of the most accessible sources of
information for viewers especially the young ones. Nowadays, children
prefer to sit down in front of the television than to read books or attend
summer workshops or even go out with friends to play.
Since education has been more accessible through television, the
media industries have come up with many shows to supplement
education. One of the earliest educational shows in the Philippines is
Batibot (1984), which is based on Sesame Street. It was first named,
Sesame! and eventually became Batibot which means “small, but
strong and robust“. As Sesame!, the program used both English and
Filipino as the media of communication, but after evolving into Batibot,
the show became a completely Filipino language children’s educational
show.
The show jumped into four different stations until the year 2000
when GMA Network discontinued producing the series because it did not
succeed. However, in the year 1994, ABS-CBN came up with ETV
(Educational Television) which showed some educational shows to
children. Sineskwela which is a Science show was about the young gang
traveling anywhere in order to discover about Science. Then, another
ETV show that debuted was Hiraya Manawari which was about different
characters with different moral values in every episode. Bayani is also
shown about two kids travel is in time from the old woman's ancient
book that contains the details about the different Philippine heroes like
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the famous Jose Rizal, Bonifacio, Lapu-lapu and others. This is followed
by another ETV show Math Tinik which was about a woman who is the
owner of a laboratory, teacher and has magic about Math in order to
help kids with their Math problems in every episode. Lastly, Epol Apple
which was about learning English with the help of the man portrayed by
Bodjie Pascua, the man who worked in Batibot.
Due to the emergence of many animation shows and telenovelas
which almost occupy the entire network’s time slot, producing
educational shows decreased. This concern was resolved by ABS-CBN by
coming up with another educational show like the earlier shows they
produced under ETV.
One of these is ABS-CBN’s Matanglawin which is shown every
Sunday at 11 AM Philippine time. It also airs over ANC every Saturdays
at 8:30 PM Philippine time. ‘Matanglawin’ ("Hawkeye") is a weekly
science-environmental show hosted by Kim Atienza. The show premiered
on March 24, 2008 as a late-night program before it was moved to its
current time schedule.
Host Kim Atienza goes around the Philippines in search of new,
interesting adventures to demystify legends, unveil nature’s mystery
and showcase vast cultural and natural resources. Also Matanglawin
shows various topics especially science and technology and nature.
Matanglawin won several awards already which included the Best
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Magazine Program and 2008 Anak TV Seal Awards. (http://www.abs-
cbn.com, 2009) Recently, the show garnered the Most Well Liked TV
Program (2009) by the Anak TV Seal Awards and Best Educational
Program (2009) for PMPC Star Awards for Television.
With this regard, the study aims to analyze the program through a
sample of selected videos of the episodes in order to determine whether
the program has values to be classified as a quality educational tool for
Filipino viewers. Also since it has been awarded by different award-
winning bodies already, the study also aims to determine the features of
Matanglawin which are effective in educating the viewers about the
topics presented.
Statement of the General Problem:
This study aims to analyze the content of the selected episodes of
‘Matanglawin’ as an Educational Tool.
Specific Problems:
1. How helpful is ‘Matanglawin’ in terms of its contribution to the
general knowledge of viewers?
2. How effective is ‘Matanglawin’ in terms of:
a. Style of Presentation
b. Words Used
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c. Educational Quality Criteria
Scope and Delimitation
This study aims to analyze the educational values of the show
Matanglawin through its content. The timeframe of the study is from
November 2009 to February 2010. This study covers the recorded 10
selected episodes of the show Matanglawin from June 2009 to November
2009. The coverage of this study focuses only on the 10 recorded
materials to identify how valuable is ‘Matanglawin in terms of its
contribution to the general knowledge of the viewers. This includes the
assessment of the different styles of presentations used in the show.
This also includes a discussion on features of ‘Matanglawin’ that needs
to be improved, if there is any and other related features which makes
the show not valuable to the viewers.
Theoretical Framework
Television has more than thirty different functions for children but
it is often said that it has two main functions: to inform and to educate.
(Sparks: 2002:208) It is further elaborated on the Theories of Media
Effects. With these theories, the researcher determines the function/s of
Matanglawin as an educational tool through its influence to the viewers.
One of these theories is the Uses and Gratification Theory. This
theory is concerned with how people use the media for the gratification
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of their needs. (Watson: 2008:73) This helps to determine the reasons
and purposes why viewers watch Matanglawin.
Along with these theory of media effects is the Hypodermic Needle
Theory which states that media has a direct, immediate and powerful
effect on its audience. Young viewers tend to perceive everything that
they see on television as true and right. Since most educational
program’s target audience are young viewers, this study determines the
effect of watching Matanglawin on them. (Watson: 2002:254)
Meanwhile, watching educational programs is not really an
assurance that children are viewing shows which have educational
values only. Some also show violence which is now related to
Information Processing Theory. This theory states that the mind has a
limited capacity for the information it can process. (Baran,
Davis:2000:270) In this regard, the researcher evaluates the features of
Matanglawin to determine whether the show is really worthy to be
watched. Also, the researcher finds out on aspects of the show the
parents/guardians must give emphasis on for the benefit of their
children/ward.
Review of Related Literature
In Sauer’s study, “What are your children watching?”, he found out
that the reason children watch educational shows is because they are
entertaining. (Sauer:2009:3) The researcher determines whether
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Matanglawin is only being watched for its entertainment or for its
educational value.
Meanwhile, in “Educational Effectiveness of Sesame Street: A
Review of the First Twenty Years of Research”, Murphy found out that
Sesame Street has a positive impact on pre-reading and school-
readiness skills of children in the United States. (Murphy:2009:2) In this
regard, this research evaluates whether Matanglawin has also a
significant positive impact on their viewers like Sesame Street.
Despite the growing number of studies on the effectiveness of
programs on children, a survey found out that only 1 in 8 educational
programs in the United States meet the quality standard. (Wilson et
al:2009:3) An educational tool is said to meet the quality standard if: it
has a positive effect to the viewers, it caters to their intellect and
imagination, no violence of any form presented and provides an
interactive way of educating the viewers. Using this theory, the study
finds out whether Matanglawin meets the quality standard as an
educational tool.
Significance of the Study
This study is designed to contribute to the educational value of
educational television shows for children. This is to enhance the
educational content of what must be shown in a high quality educational
show in the Philippines. Since television is an inevitable part of most
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children's lives, this will guide the TV producers to come up with high
quality educational programs for children to be aired. This study will also
help the school administrators to come up with a better way in
presenting the lessons to be discussed in an interesting manner through
the perceptions of the respondents. Also, this study will further help the
viewers, especially the young ones, to have the best out of the shows
they are watching knowing that the educational shows that they watch
are of educational value and duly approved by the parents and
guardians.
Research Methodology
There are two set of questionnaires given based on the 10
recorded videos of the episodes of Matanglawin. The first set of
questionnaires is given to 393 Saint Louis University students as
respondents based on the total number of population in School Year
2009-2010, 1st semester. This number of respondents is computed using
the Slovin’s Formula:
n = N / ( 1 + (N*e^2))
Where:
n = number of samples
N = total population
e = margin of error; let e be equal to 0.05 or 5%
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Another set of the questionnaire is given to 5 representatives from
the fields of Psychology, Education and Media. The panelists must be
having at least 5 years of experience in their respective fields. For the
field of Psychology, the panelist must have the knowledge in Education
Psychology. For the field of Education, the panelist must be a science
teacher(may be former) or has a background on Science-related
subjects. Meanwhile, for media experts, they must have the knowledge
in time slot, animation and sound effects. These 5 panelists who are
qualified to talk about the topic are well selected by the researcher. They
watched each episode at least twice and could replay segments as often
as needed to clarify their answers. An additional follow up interview with
the panelists is conducted.
From the formula above, here is the distribution of the respondents
among the nine (9) colleges of SLU:
College Total # of Population Computed # of
Respondents
College of Accountancy
and Commerce(CAC)
7,569 125
College of Engineering
and Architecture(CEA)
5,864 96
College of
Education(COE)
1,126 20
College of Human
Sciences(CHS)
1,906 32
College of Information
and Computing
Sciences(CICS)
1,372 22
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College of Law (COL) 222 3
College of Medicine(COM) 337 5
College of Nursing(CON) 3,212 55
College of Natural
Sciences(CNS)
2,144 35
TOTAL 23,842 393
The Researcher will be using the closed-ended type of
questionnaires for the viewers and panelists. On both questionnaires, the
researcher allows multiple answers for some questions. She then ranked
the answers according to the frequency or mean of the result. This will
further be interpreted to give the readers more information about the
results based on the 10 recorded videos as the materials. This is to help
the researcher easily and accurately measure the results given by the
selected respondents and provide in-depth explanations on certain
questions answered by the panelists.
Findings and Results
Findings and Results based on the Survey Conductedto Saint Louis University Students
Question No. 1 : Are you watching “Matanglawin”?
Table 1. The Percentage of Respondents Watching Matanglawin
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Answer Number of Respondents Percentage (%)
YES 182 46.31
NO 211 53.69
Total 393
Interpretation: Table 1 shows that there are more than 50% of the
total numbers of respondents are not watching Matanglawin. From this
table, it implies that there are more Louisians who are not watching
Matanglawin compared to those who are. The researcher will now find
out the reason why ‘Matanglawin’ is not watched by many of the
Louisians. The reasons of these respondents on watching or not
watching the show will be identified on the succeeding findings.
Question No. 2: How many times in a month are you watching
Matanglawin?
Table 2. Number of Times Respondents Watch Matanglawin in a
Month
Viewing Habit Number of Respondents
Percentage (%)
Once a month 87 47.80
Twice a month 52 28.57
Thrice a month 10 2.75
Weekly 33 18.13
Total 182
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***There are 182 over 393 valid respondents in this table because only 182 of them are watching the show Matanglawin.
Interpretation: This table shows the frequency of the viewing habit for
those who answered ‘Yes’ in Question No. 1. Almost half of the 182 valid
respondents which is 47.80%, are watching only once in a month. About
28.57% are watching the show twice in a month, 2.75% thrice in a
month and 18.13% are watching weekly or four times in a month. The
researcher randomly asked the 182 respondents on what factors affect
their answers in this question. Most of them say that in most cases, they
are able to watch Matanglawin when switching channels and not really
planning to watch the show. There were also who answered that their
families are watching it which leave them no choice but to watch it too.
For those who are watching weekly, most of them say that they find it
really interesting so it becomes their weekly habit.
The viewing habit of the respondents could also be affected by
their class schedules and extra-curricular activities. Since they are
students, most of them would likely be very busy during weekends in
finishing their projects, attending seminars and talent workshops. Also,
the emergence of many fully animated shows e.g Manga series, could
also affect on their viewing habits. Young viewers would more likely be
interested to those shows, which for them cater their search for action
and suspense.
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Question No. 3: Why are you watching “Matanglawin”?
Table 3. Respondents’ Reasons for Watching Matanglawin
Reasons for Watching Matanglawin
Number of Respondents Rank
Topics shown are interesting
112 1st
Topics presented are appealing
83 2nd
Topics presented are educational
60 3rd
Time slot is not convenient for me
7 8th
Just to kill time 8 7th
Host is very interesting 11 6th
Host is very credible 20 5th
The show in general amazes me
22 4th
Others 0 9th
***Note: In this part of the questionnaire, the respondents are allowed to select
multiple answers.
Interpretation: Among the 9 choices given in this question, the top 3
reasons why the respondents watch Matanglawin are: Topics shown are
interesting, Topics presented are appealing and Topics presented are
educational, which ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. With regards to
the Uses and Gratifications theory, this table implies that the
respondents watch Matanglawin for the purpose of its entertainment
value more than the educational value or social integration. This also
supports Sauer’s study, “What are your children watching?”, where he
found out that the reason children watch educational shows is because
they are entertaining.
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Among the 10 recorded episodes of Matanglawin, host Kim Atienza
sees to it that he renders a good joke through his actions and speech
with people he meets along the way to the place he goes. He, at some
point, builds a rapport with those people by doing an experiment with
them. This is an entertaining way of Kim Atienza to show how sociable
he is and not merely a very knowledgeable host of the show.
Four among of the 5 experts the researcher interviewed, Mrs.
Evelina Arcano, Mr. Santiago Brioso, Mr. Joselito Cobarrubial and Mr. CJ
Amadeo say that the presentation is visually stimulated which makes it
more catchy and entertaining. This is for them the main reason why
‘Matanglawin’ is being watched in the first place. However, according to
Dr. Federico Martin, Assistant Divisions Superintendent of Department of
Education- Cordillera Administrative Region (DepEd-CAR), an
educational program is most likely to be watched not because of its
entertainment value but of the topics presented in the show which
catches the interest of the viewers regardless of how it is presented.
All of the 10 recorded episodes in Matanglawin, the topics
presented have a wide range of subtopics which are interesting and they
visually stimulating because of the use of animation, sound effects and
topics not usually tackled inside the classroom setting. In the episode,
‘Taal Volcano’, Kim Atienza also tackles about the extinction of
Stegodons because of the eruption of Taal Volcano. Many students most
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likely know about the volcano but the extinction of an animal because of
it may not be already discussed on an ordinary class discussion.
Question No. 4: What factor(s) made you pick your answer in question 3?
Table 4. Factors considered by Repondents for Watching
Matanglawin
Factors for watching Matanglawin
Number of Respondents
Rank
Updated facts 82 1st
Topics presented are very helpful in everyday living
45 3rd
Graphics and animation are effective in catching viewer’s attention and interest
25 6th
Facts presented are comprehensive
29 5th
Host’s delivery is entertaining
44 4th
Facts are clear and easily understood
45 3rd
Topics are very helpful in… 21 7th
Topics are very helpful in my studies especially in Science and Technology
61 2nd
Others 0 8th
***Note: In this part of the questionnaire, the respondents are allowed to select
multiple answers.
Interpretation: Among the 9 choices of the factors considered by
respondents on watching ‘Matanglawin’, the top 3 main factors are:
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Updated Facts(1st), Topics are very helpful in my studies especially in
Science and Technology (2nd), and Topics
presented are very helpful in everyday living and Facts are clear and
easily understood (3rd). In this result, we can say that ‘Matanglawin’ also
has a positive impact to its viewers like the show ‘Sesame Street in
Murphy’s’ “Educational Effectiveness of Sesame Street: A Review of the
First Twenty Years of Research”.
Moreover, according to Mrs. Evelina Arcano, Editor in Science for
SIBS Publishing House, the use of updated science topic of ‘Matanglawin’
is really effective because young individuals considered science and
technology as a hot topic which no one could not afford to be ignorant
of. Moreover, Mr. Santiago Brioso, Production Staff of Filipino Cable
Corporation, also points out that the use of Filipino language as the
medium of instruction in ‘Matanglawin’ makes it clearer more
understandable.
In the view of Information Processing Theory, the use of easily
understood words to present science topics in ‘Matanglawin’ is effective
since a child can perform a particular task when it is presented in a
simple form. However, if extra or misleading information is added to the
same task, the child may become confused and be unable to perform it.
In the episode. “Fairytales”, archives from the first Cinderalla story
in 1697 up to the latest version among over 1500 versions of it were
stated. The facts were also updated in the episode “Calamities” where
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information about the US, Georgia's damages of tornadoes were defined
and compared to the storms that the Philippines have just experienced.
Also, in the episode “Calamities”, Kim Atienza pointed out
many different and possible effects to health due to the natural
calamities that the Philippines are experiencing. These would be very
helpful to the everyday living of the viewers since these information are
really basic and everyone can not afford not to know it. Also, Kim Atienza
conveyed a very good message to the viewers at the end of the episode
which says: “Hindi na biro ang sunod sunod na kalamidad sa bawat sulok
ng mundo. Nakakkilabot at nakasisindak ang pangyayaring nagaganap.
Tila may pinapahiwatig ang ating kalikasan. Marahil panahon na para
mag isip at suriin ang ating mga sarili kung bakit ang kalikasan ay
patuloy na naghihinagpis. Ano ba ang nararapat nating gawin? Isa lang
ang ating mundo iisa lang din ang buhay ng tao.” This is very clear and
easy to understand but this could leave an impact to the people and
could give them a space for realization.
Question No. 5: Do you think Matanglawin time slot is effective to
attract viewers to watch it? (Sunday 11:00-11:30)
Table 5 Respondents View of the Effectiveness of Matanglawin’s
Timeslot
Answer Number of Respondents Percentage (%)
YES 114 62.64
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NO 68 37.62
Total 182
***There are 182 over 393 valid respondents in this table because only 182 of them are watching the show Matanglawin.
Interpretation: Among the 182 viewers of ‘Matanglawin’, 62.64% say
that the time slot of the show is effective while 37.62% say that it is not
effective. According to Mr. CJ Amadeo, an educational show time slot
must be placed when the children are home and their minds are ready to
absorb information, especially during morning time. This is also
supported by Mr. Joselito Cobarrubial who says the timeslot is good
because the children are able to watch the show with their parents, who
are in those times having their day offs. On the other hand, Dr. Federico
Martin and Mrs. Evelina Arcano say that Sunday is not really a good day
for the show because the producers must also take into consideration
the religious obligations of the children or their other activities like talent
workshops.
Question No. 5a. If YES, What do you think is the main reason why it is effective?
Table 5.1 Main Reason of Effectiveness of Matanglawin’s Time
Slot
Reasons of Effectiveness of
time slot
Number of Respondent
s
Percentage (%)
Rank
Since it is shown on weekend, students are usually at home and are able to watch the show
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69 60.53 1st
Since it is shown on weekend, parents especially those working have the time to guide their children to watch educational shows like Matanglawin. 20 17.54 2nd
Airing time starts at 11:00 which is suited for children and teenagers who usually wake up before midday 10 8.77 4th
All of the above 15 13.16 3rd
Total 114
***There are 114 over 182 valid respondents in this table because only 114 of them are watching the show Matanglawin.
Interpretation: Around 60.53% of the total valid respondents say that
‘Matanglawin’s’ time slot is effective since it is shown on weekend and
students are usually at home and are able to watch the show. Mr.
Joselito Cobarrubial, Technical
Operation Staff of Filipino Cable Corporations, say that the time slot is
effective because of the same reason above. Mr. Santiago Brioso also
adds that there is no definite time slot for educational television shows
because the time slot is based on the company’s prerogative about this.
Most of the time, the company would most likely place a show in a time
slot where the advertisers would want it to be placed or based on the
ratings of the show.
Matanglawin started as a late night program after the “Primetime
Bida” shows of ABS-CBN. However, it was eventually moved to its
current timeslot after several months of airing. Since Matanglawin is an
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educational show, and it caters more of the school-age viewers, the late
time slot was not very effective. At this time, most of the target
audience are already sleeping right after finishing some projects and
homeworks. Also, many parents would not allow their children to spend
more time watching television especially during weekdays. The decision
of the network in moving the time slot of the show in an earlier time and
during weekends could be an effective way to attract more audience.
Question No. 5b. If YES, What do you think is the main reason why it is not effective? (Choose only one)
Table 5.2 Main Reason of Ineffectiveness of Matanglawin’s Time Slot
Reasons of Ineffectivenessof timeslot
Number of Respondents
Percentage (%)
Rank
since it is shown on Sunday, the whole family is out for family day
30 44.18 1st
since it is shown on Sunday, most of the students are out for their group school projects and assignments
10 14.71 4th
since it is shown on weekend, most of the students prefer to sleep rather than watch TV
12 17.65 2nd
since it is shown on weekend, most of the students do not like to deal with anything about school (educational programs) because it is rest day
5 7.35 5th
all of the above11 16.18 3rd
Total 68
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***There are 68 over 182 valid respondents in this table because only 68 of them are not watching the show Matanglawin.
Interpretation: About 44.18 % of the total number of valid respondents
says that the time slot of ‘Matanglawin’ is not effective primarily because
Sunday is considered as family day and most of the families are out on
that day. This is also supported by all of the 5 experts except for Mr.
Joselito Cobarrubial. One of the other reasons they included is that some
families are devoting their times on Sunday for their religious revival and
other religious activities and this time slot will not be good for them.
Question 6-11: (For questions 6-11 rate the questions using the following scale :) 1-very effective2-effective3-not effective at all
Scale:VE – 1-1.75E – 1.76-2.50NE – 2.51-3.25
Table 6. Effectiveness of Matanglawin’s Style of Presentation
Matanglawin’s Style of Presentation
1Very
Effective
2 effectiv
e
3Not
effective
Mean Interpretation
Matanglawin includes audience participation in the activities presented.
61 105 16 1.76 Effective
Matanglawin use role playing to present the topic of the week
54 111 17 1.79 Effective
Matanglawin goes to the actual place to show legends and prove the claims first hand.
113 67 2 1.39 Very Effective
Matanglawin makes use of 64 99 19 1.75 Very Effective
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animation
Matanglawin seeks the opinion of the experts to support their claims
108 69 5 1.43 Very Effective
Matanglawin use sound effects to accompany the presentation of the show
71 100 12 1.69 Very Effective
***There are 182 over 393 valid respondents in this table because only 182 of them are watching the show Matanglawin.
Interpretation: Four out of the six styles of presentations enumerated
are considered very effective by the respondents. These are:
Matanglawin goes to the actual place to show legends and prove the
claims first hand; Matanglawin makes use of animation; Matanglawin
seeks the opinion of the experts to support their claims and Matanglawin
use sound effects to accompany the presentation of the show. The
remaining two styles of presentation, Matanglawin includes audience
participation in the activities presented and Matanglawin use role
playing to present the topic of the week are meanwhile considered as
effective. According to the experts, these styles of presentation are also
effective as used in the classroom setting to increase the interest and
maintain the attention throughout the show as compared to reading an
information book only.
In the view of Hypodermic Needle Theory, the intended message is
directly received and wholly accepted by the receiver or the viewers for
that matter because the host Kim Atienza goes to actual place where the
information come form or proven. In this case, the viewers would likely
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to perceive the information as more credible and reliable. Also, this
would make them think and comprehend to the situation more.
In the episode “Wild Animals”, the show incorporated some of the
views of the experts regarding the animals presented in the show like
the Philippine Eagle, crocodile, bats, tarsier, bats, Philippine fying lemur
and butterflies. Christy Burlese, Animal Conservation Officer for Bohol
tarsiers talked about the present conditions of tarsiers in Bohol.
Moreover, Ana Mae Sumaya, zoologist of the Philippine Eagle Center in
Davao City explained how crocodiles are being affected by the human
intervention to their habitat. This made the presentation of the topics
more reliable and credible because of these interviews of the experts.
These have given in-depth explanations about the real situations of the
wild animals in the Philippines.
Also, in episodes, “Wild Animals”, “Sports”, “Lapu-Lapu”, “Taal
Volcano”, host Kim Atienza went to the actual place where the
information could be verified. He had first hand experiences with the
crocodiles, tarsiers, tarantulas, butterflies and a lot more. He visited
Davao City for the Philippines Eagle, Bohol for the tarsiers, Boxing Gyms
and Basketball Courts for the Sports, Taal Volcano for the episode Taal
Volcano and Mactan, Cebu for the episode, “Lapu-lapu”.
Meanwhile, in the episode, “Fairytales”, Matanglawin made use of
both story telling, Kim Atienza as the narrator, and role playing of the
actual characters of the stories Cinderella, Pinocchio, Peter Pan and
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Sleeping Beauty. In all of these stories, Kim Atienza also portrayed
cameo roles to establish connection with the characters.
In the use of sound effects and animation, Matanglawin is noted to
use various kinds of sound effects to intensify the situations portrayed.
In the episode “Lapu-lapu”, 2D animation in the spread and transfer of
lice from one person to another was incorporated. Also 2D animation in
history of 'suyod" in early Egyptian life was shown. This is actually an
effective way to maintain the interest of the viewers to watch the show
until the end. Surprisingly, in the episode of the Stegons, Matanglawin
made use of 3D animation where a smaller versions of stegons came out
from a box as Kim Atienza opened it. Another 3D animation was shown
as stegon, in its actual size walks around the forest while the host is
telling about the history of the extinctions of stegons in the Philippines.
This is actually a good improvement of the show in terms of its
animation. However, that was the first and the only 3D animation in all
of the 10 recorded episodes.
Question No. 12: How would you rate Matanglawin in affecting your perspective about life?
Table 7. Matanglawin’s Effect in the Respondent’s Perspective about Life
Effect to Life’s Perspective
Number of Respondents
Mean Interpretation
Powerful 131
Very Powerful 39
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2.15 Powerful
Not Powerful at all 12
Total 182
***There are 182 over 393 valid respondents in this table because only 182 of them are watching the show Matanglawin.
Interpretation: About 71.98% of the total valid respondents say that
‘Matanglawin’ has a powerful effect on their perspective about life.
Roughly around
21.43 percent say that it is very powerful and the remaining 21.43 say
that it is not powerful at all. This can be supported by the Hypodermic
Needle Theory says that media has a powerful effect in our life. Since
‘Matanglawin’ is also focused on environmental and wildlife concern,
their way of presentation makes way to affect the behaviour of the
viewers watching true stories of the natural phenomena and the effects
of these phenomena to them. The show provides a space of realization
to viewers by suspending the climax of the episode to the succeeding
episode for the next week. In all of the 10 episodes of ‘Matanglawin’, the
opinions and views of the host Kim Atienza are included to emphasize
moral lessons that the episode tries to point out. In the episode “Wild
Animals”, Kim Atienza says, “Ngunit kahit gaano man ito kaganda, ang
Philippine eagle ay nanganganib na... lahat na rin ay dahil sa kagagawan
ng tao…” This is having great power, authority, or influence being
Atienza as the host since he is really known for being an
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environmentalist and animal-lover. In the same episode, personal
opinions of the hosts were given emphasis through interview-like camera
shots of the hosts and not the typical shots as he hosts the show:
“Dependent kasi ang ating mga kababayan na kapag may lumilipad
kelangang barilin o kelangang patayin. Hindi nila alam na ang Philippine
eagle ay napakatanyag tlga sa buong mundo...Si Pag-asa ay talagang
nagpapakita ng pag-asa...Hope nga eh. Pero kung wala ng pag-asang
mabuhay pa ang Philippine Eeagle sa pamamagitan ng intevention ng
tao. ang masama nyan, nangyari na naman.”
Question No. 13: How would you rate Matanglawin in terms of its contribution to your general knowledge?
Table 8. Matanglawin’s Contribution to the Respondent’s General Knowledge
Contribution to General Knowledge
Number of Respondents
Mean Interpretation
Helpful 93
2.26 HelpfulVery helpful 68
Not helpful at all 21
Total 182
***There are 182 over 393 valid respondents in this table because only 182 of them are watching the show Matanglawin.
Interpretation: 60.44 percent of the total respondents say that
‘Matanglawin’ is helpful in its contribution to general knowledge. 37.36
percent say that it is very helpful and only 11.54 say that it is not helpful
at all. This result goes back to the effectiveness of the styles of
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presentation of ‘Matanglawin’. These factors affect how the respondents
answer the question.
According to Dr. Federico Martin, though ‘Matanglawin’ is helpful in
the learning process of the viewers, the Department of Education
recommends it as only a supplementary ICT-assisted learning program
because it does not discuss by themes and comprehensive details about
the main topics.
Question No. 14: Why are you not watching “Matanglawin”?
Table 9. Respondents’ Reasons for Not Watching the Matanglawin
Reasons for not watching Matanglawin
Number of Respondents
Rank
Time slot is not convenient for me
121 1st
I don’t find it interesting. 29 4th
I don’t find it appealing. 17 6th
I don’t find it educational. 5 10th
Facts are not updated 2 11th
Facts are not clear 9 8th
There are many facts in just one episode.
33 3rd
The show is no different from other shows
14 7th
The host is not believable 6 9th
The animation is boring 35 2nd
Sound effects are poor 25 5th
Others 17 6th
Interpretation: The top 3 reasons why the 211 out of 182 respondents
are not watching ‘Matanglawin’ are: time slot is not convenient for the
respondent, the animation is boring and there are many facts in just one
episode which ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. This shows that the
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time slot of ‘Matanglawin’ is not effective for most of those who are not
watching it. Mr Santiago Brioso says that since we are now in the age of
technological advancements, ‘Matanglawin’ should cope up with it
especially in the animation and sound effects to cater the changing
needs of the young viewers.
Meanwhile, Mr. CJ Amadeo says that ‘Matanglawin’ having a
very integrated topics and fast paced presentation are considered as the
nature of the show. These are actually good but he added that the show
must moderate the number of sub topics presented in one episode so as
not to confuse the audience. This is also true in the case of Information
Processing Theory. The mind has only a limited capacity to absorb all the
information so limiting the amount of information in an episode and that
distributed practice of learning will be better.
This table is evaluated by the 5 panelists mentioned in the first part of the study:
Additional Question: What is the level of Effectiveness of the Words
Used in Matanglawin?
Table 10. Effectiveness of the Words Used in Matanglawin
Words used in Matanglawin
1Very
Effective
2 effecti
ve
3Not
effective
Mean Interpretation
Matanglawin uses simple language which is understood by the viewers
2 3 0 1.6Very
effective
Matanglawin uses Effective
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words with educational value appropriate to the young viewers
0 5 0 2
Matanglawin uses words that appeal to the imagination and intellect of the viewers
2 3 0 1.6Very
effective
Matanglawin uses scientific terms and names
1 4 0 1.8Effective
Matanglawin uses Filipino words for English words or other Foreign languages
2 3 0 1.6Very
effective
According to the 5 panelists in the study, the researcher found out
that the use of the simple language of ‘Matanglawin’ in presenting their
topics is very effective. In the view of the Information Processing Theory
in the theories of media affects, the use of simple language in an
educational show makes it easier for the viewers to absorb the
information that the show would want to convey. Moreover, this is
supported by the shoe Batibot which became more popular because of
the shift from the use of both English and Filipino language to pure
Filipino language only. Also, the use of translated foreign words to
Filipino language is also seen as a
very effective way of the show to convey the message that they want to
impart. The viewers, specifically the Filipino viewers, tend to have the
sense of belongingness with the use of Filipino language. This in return,
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makes it more interesting for them to watch the show since they are
able to relate with it.
Meanwhile, the use of scientific terms and names of Matanglawin
is seen to be effective by the experts. Its just that according to Mrs.
Evelyn Arcano, some of the scientific terms used are not well defined by
the host throughout the episode.This is seen in the episode, “Fairytales”
where scientific terms for crocodiles, are not well defined and the
running time of the exposure of the spelling of the word is very short. In
this case, the viewers will not understand the word very well and the
tendency for retention will be very low.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Conclusions:
The researcher has formed these problems: First, “What is the
effect of ‘Matanglawin’ in view of its contribution to the general
knowledge of viewers?” The researcher found out that the show is
helpful in terms of its contribution to the general knowledge of the
students.
Next, on the problem: How effective is ‘Matanglawin’ in terms
of: Style of Presentation, Words Used in ‘Matanglawin’, Educational
Quality Criteria, Delivery of Message by the Host, the following
conclusions can be derived:
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a. Style of Presentation – Most of the styles of presentation of
‘Matanglawin’ are found to be very effective which
includes: going to the actual place to show legends and
prove the claims first hand; making use of animation;
seeking the opinion of the experts to support their claims
and making use of sound effects to accompany the
presentation of the show.
b. Words Used in ‘Matanglawin’ – Using simple language
especially the use of Filipino language is found out to
be very effective in the learning process of the viewer.
Scientific terms and other foreign language used are
effective.
c. Educational Quality Criteria – The 5 experts evaluated
‘Matanglawin” as having high lesson applicability and
integration. Meanwhile, lesson involvement,
importance and clarity must be improved by the
producers of the show.
Recommendations:
Having known the overall result on this study, the researcher
recommends the following:
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1. The study recommends Louisians to watch ‘Matanglawin’ since it is
found out to be a good educational supplement.
2. ‘Matanglawin’ should continue airing episodes with science
subjects as the main topic and updated existing knowledge on this
field since these are proven to be very effective for the viewers.
3. ‘Matanglawin’ could also try to air other timely topics which would
arouse the curiosity of the viewers.
4. ‘Matanglawin’ could change its time slot to primetime time slot as
recommended by the experts.
5. Saint Louis University faculty could also come up with other
strategies to make the class discussions more appealing and more
interesting since the study found out that SLU students are most
likely to maintain their interest in the discussions with a very
appealing and interesting way of topic presentation.
6. The researcher also recommends the next researcher to come up
with a comparative study on how the students vary in the impact
of such educational shows in terms of their age bracket.
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References:
Christian Joseph AmadeoGuidance Counsellor, Saint Louis University
Dr. Federico MartinAssistant Schools Division Superintendent- Department of Education Cordillera Administrative Region
Mrs. Evelina ArcanoEditor in ScienceSIBS Publishing House
Science Coordinator/Physics and Chemistry Teacher and AdviserFairview Baptist AcademyFairview Park, Quezon City
MA(complete units in Science Teaching), 1994Philippine Normal UniversityTaft Avenue, Manila
Mr. Joselito CobarrubialTechnical Operations;Production StaffPhilippine Cable CorporationsBaguio City
Mr. Santiago Brioso Jr.Production Staff/Technical Director/Cameraman/News EditorPhilippine Cable CorporationsBaguio City
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
Belrnha de Abreu, Teaching Media Literacy (New York: Neal-Schumann Publishers Inc.,2007)p.131
Ester Albano Garcia, Education as Catalyst in Preparing Filipino Learning Community for the 21st century (Philippines: SMC Management Training Center, 2007) p. 68
Glenn Sparks, Media Effects Research (Canada: Wadsworth Group, 2002) p. 208
Geoff Sauer, What are Your Children Watching?,
Laurel Hughes, Paving Pathways (USA: University Press, 2007) p. 377
Manuel Luis Quezon III, Education Goals: Distant Horizon (Philippines: Philippine Free Press, 2009) p. 34
Raynel Philip, Stephen Kguherm, Peter Wall, Media Studues: The Essential Introduction ( USA: TJ International Ltd., 2001) p. 139
Robert Larose, Joseph Straubhaar, Media Now: Communication in the Information Age ( USA: Thompson Learning, 2000) p. 231
Internet Sources
Barbara J. Wilson, Dale Kunkel, Kristin L. Drogos, Educationally/Insufficient? An Analysis of the Availability & Educational Quality of Children’s E/I Programming (Oakland, CA: Children Now Org., 2008) www.childrennow.org/eireport, September 1, 2009
Robin Buss, TV and Radio(http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s8h&AN=...)http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/altss/printstory/frontpage/102421, September 1, 2009
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http://www.abs-cbn.com
http://www.childrennow.org/newsroom/press_releases/pr_081112.html, September 1, 2009