VALUE OF MATANGLAWIN |1

THE VALUE OF MATANGLAWIN

The Value of Matanglawin as an Educational Tool

Jane Pearl B. Gemino

Saint Louis University

Communication Research (Comm 19)

ABSTRACT
 VALUE OF MATANGLAWIN |2

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Type of Publication: Unpublished Thesis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

 VALUE OF MATANGLAWIN |3

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

 VALUE OF MATANGLAWIN |4

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
 VALUE OF MATANGLAWIN |5

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

 VALUE OF MATANGLAWIN |6

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
 VALUE OF MATANGLAWIN |8

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

 VALUE OF MATANGLAWIN |9

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%
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 11

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 7,569 125
and Commerce(CAC)
College of Engineering 5,864 96
and Architecture(CEA)
College of 1,126 20
Education(COE)
College of Human 1,906 32
Sciences(CHS)
College of Information 1,372 22
and Computing
Sciences(CICS)
College of Law (COL) 222 3
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College of Medicine(COM) 337 5

College of Nursing(CON) 3,212 55
College of Natural 2,144 35
Sciences(CNS)
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 Conducted

to Saint Louis University Students

Question No. 1 : Are you watching “Matanglawin”?

Table 1. The Percentage of Respondents Watching Matanglawin

Answer Number of Respondents Percentage (%)

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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 Percentage (%)

Respondents
Once a month 87 47.80
Twice a month 52 28.57
Thrice a month 10 2.75
Weekly 33 18.13
Total 182
***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

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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.

Question No. 3: Why are you watching “Matanglawin”?

Table 3. Respondents’ Reasons for Watching Matanglawin

Reasons for Watching Number of Respondents Rank

Matanglawin
Topics shown are 112 1st
interesting
Topics presented are 83 2nd
appealing
Topics presented are 60 3rd
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educational
Time slot is not 7 8th
convenient for me
Just to kill time 8 7th
Host is very interesting 11 6th
Host is very credible 20 5th
The show in general 22 4th
amazes me
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.

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.

 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 16

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

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
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Factors for watching Number of Rank

Matanglawin Respondents
Updated facts 82 1st
Topics presented are very 45 3rd
helpful in everyday living

Graphics and animation are 25 6th

effective in catching
viewer’s attention and
interest
Facts presented are 29 5th
comprehensive
Host’s delivery is 44 4th
entertaining
Facts are clear and easily 45 3rd
understood
Topics are very helpful in… 21 7th
Topics are very helpful in 61 2nd
my studies especially in
Science and Technology

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:

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

 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 18

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

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

 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 19

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

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
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 20

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 Number of Percentag Rank

Respondent e (%)
time slot s
Since it is shown on weekend,
students are usually at home and
are able to watch the show 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
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 21

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

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 Ineffectiveness Number of Percentage Rank

of timeslot Respondents (%)

since it is shown on Sunday, the 30 44.18 1st

whole family is out for family
day

since it is shown on Sunday, 10 14.71 4th

most of the students are out for
their group school projects and
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 22

assignments

since it is shown on weekend, 12 17.65 2nd

most of the students prefer to
sleep rather than watch TV

since it is shown on weekend, 5 7.35 5th

most of the students do not like
to deal with anything about
school (educational programs)
because it is rest day
11 16.18 3rd
all of the above
Total 68

***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 effective
2-effective
3-not effective at all

Scale:
VE – 1-1.75
E – 1.76-2.50
NE – 2.51-3.25
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 23

Table 6. Effectiveness of Matanglawin’s Style of Presentation

Matanglawin’s Style of 1 2 3 Mean Interpretation

Presentation Very effectiv Not
Effectiv e effectiv
e e
Matanglawin includes 61 105 16 1.76 Effective
audience participation in the
activities presented.

Matanglawin use role playing 54 111 17 1.79 Effective

to present the topic of the
week

Matanglawin goes to the 113 67 2 1.39 Very Effective

actual place to show legends
and prove the claims first
hand.

Matanglawin makes use of 64 99 19 1.75 Very Effective

animation

Matanglawin seeks the 108 69 5 1.43 Very Effective

opinion of the experts to
support their claims
Matanglawin use sound 71 100 12 1.69 Very Effective
effects to accompany the
presentation of the show

***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

 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 24

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

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
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 25

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

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

 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 26

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 Number of Mean Interpretation

Perspective Respondents
Powerful 131
Very Powerful 39
Not Powerful at all 12 2.15 Powerful
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
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 27

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

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 Number of Mean Interpretation

General Knowledge Respondents

Helpful 93
Very helpful 68
Not helpful at all 21 2.26 Helpful
Total 182
***There are 182 over 393 valid respondents in this table because only 182 of them are
watching the show Matanglawin.
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 28

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

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 Number of Rank

watching Matanglawin Respondents
Time slot is not convenient 121 1st
for me
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 33 3rd
one episode.
The show is no different 14 7th
from other shows
The host is not believable 6 9th
The animation is boring 35 2nd
Sound effects are poor 25 5th
Others 17 6th
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 29

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

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 1 2 3
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 30

Matanglawin Very effecti Not Mean Interpretati

Effectiv ve effectiv on
e e
Matanglawin uses Very
simple language 2 3 0 1.6 effective
which is understood
by the viewers
Matanglawin uses Effective
words with 0 5 0 2
educational value
appropriate to the
young viewers
Matanglawin uses Very
words that appeal to 2 3 0 1.6 effective
the imagination and
intellect of the
viewers
Matanglawin uses Effective
scientific terms and 1 4 0 1.8
names
Matanglawin uses Very
Filipino words for 2 3 0 1.6 effective
English words or
other Foreign
languages

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
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 31

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,

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.
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 32

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:

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:
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 33

Having known the overall result on this study, the researcher

recommends the following:

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.

 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 34

References:

Christian Joseph Amadeo

Guidance Counsellor, Saint Louis University

Dr. Federico Martin

Assistant Schools Division Superintendent- Department of Education
Cordillera Administrative Region

Mrs. Evelina Arcano

Editor in Science
SIBS Publishing House

Science Coordinator/Physics and Chemistry Teacher and Adviser

Fairview Baptist Academy
Fairview Park, Quezon City

MA(complete units in Science Teaching), 1994

Philippine Normal University
Taft Avenue, Manila

Mr. Joselito Cobarrubial

Technical Operations;Production Staff
Philippine Cable Corporations
Baguio City

Mr. Santiago Brioso Jr.

Production Staff/Technical Director/Cameraman/News Editor
Philippine Cable Corporations
Baguio City
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 35

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
 V A L U E O F M A T A N G L A W I N | 36

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

http://www.abs-cbn.com

http://www.childrennow.org/newsroom/press_releases/pr_081112.html,
September 1, 2009