Written by: Arjay L. Dalubatan, Melmar Joy T. Bas-awan, Azy D. Dio-as
One of the goals of the SEMCON (Seminars and Conferences. With field trip) class is the conduct of seminars and trainings to prepare the future graduates for professional life. On September 12, 2025, the graduating class organized two essential activities to supplement their knowledge, aptly titled “HR Compliance with Labor Code and Employment Law for Political Science Graduates” and “The Researcher’s Voice: Conducting Interviews and Focus Group Discussions”
The morning session on human resources included topics on employee rights, employer responsibilities, and the practical effects of the Labor Code in the workplace. Mr. Marco C. Ballesteros, an expert in labor law, provided a clear overview of key labor standards and employment regulations important for political science students entering the field. He stressed the need to understand legal compliance to handle human resource challenges in both public and private sectors.
This seminar focused on participants’ understanding of the importance of labor law compliance, securing the relevance of compliance to their professional development, and real-world employment readiness. The collaboration between students, faculty, and legal practitioners was most rewarding and emphasized the value of interdisciplinary approaches to learning for students of political science. Participants actively engaged in the seminar and learned how political science graduates can use HR legal frameworks in their careers. This is especially relevant for those aiming for roles in governance, policymaking, and organizational leadership.
The afternoon session on conducting interviews and focus group discussion (FGD) enhanced the students’ research skills as they had their actual practice in conducting interviews and FGDs. The facilitators, Ms Matyline Camfili-Talastas of the Benguet State University research division and Ms Emma Dacquigan, a seasoned researcher and development worker, guided the third and fourth year participants in recognizing the significance of proper and skillful questioning, and following ethical considerations in the conduct of research. As they shared their personal stories and the learning lessons they gained from their experiences, it provided real and relevant knowledge for the students, an experience beyond what a textbook could offer.
“As one of the Senior Political Science students who helped organize this workshop, it was amazing to see everything come together. We wanted to create an event that was not just another lecture. We wanted our fellow students to actually ‘do’ things and learn in a hands-on way. Seeing our fellow Senior Political Science students and Junior Political Science students get so involved and ask so many thoughtful questions made all our hard work worthwhile”. – Azy Dio-as, Organizer.
The actual practice of interviewing and conducting FGDs was the highlight of the event. The A-HA moments of the participants were evident as their expressions brightened-up when they realize how to ask a good question and why it’s important to be respectful and ethical when talking to interviewees and respondents.
Overall, this is a collaborative effort with the active support of the Politis, the official organization of the Political Science program and the support of the BAPS faculty, at the same time promoting SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals
