democracy discourse fellow

Oya Arriola

Oya Arriola is the communication strategist of WiseOwl. She is a co-host of Give A Hoot, the first crowd-funded podcast about communication in the Philippines. Oya has worked in government, business, diplomatic and non-profit sectors. She was the Managing Director of the social marketing unit and public relations unit of Grey Group Philippines (formerly Campaigns & Grey) and served as a head of communication in the Senate of the Philippines.

Country

Philippines

Categories

Multimedia
Youth Engagement

Oya is a co-convener of the Hope Project, a group of Filipino advocates and communicators championing hope-based communication for human rights campaigning. She is the chairperson of the Bread of Salt Initiative – Multiplied, a group of advocates who respond to needs of poor communities during the pandemic lockdown. During her time with the British Embassy, Oya held the Democracy and Human Rights portfolio. She has an MSc in Social Psychology, with Distinction, from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Oya is a certified hope-based communications trainer.

WiseOwl Project: Habilin Season 2

Habilin, meaning “to entrust” in Filipino, is WiseOwl’s storytelling initiative to help young people navigate the country’s problems today. Habilin is a series of animated stories featuring the heroism of young people from the Martial Law years—a reminder that our freedoms are hard-won but, also, that every one of us has the ability to shine a light in the darkest of times.

The project aims to reclaim the narrative by reframing one of the darkest periods of Philippine history. Through a hope-based approach, the project veers away from fear-based frames that typically characterize stories about Martial Law. It instead focuses on stories about how we, as a people, persist and prevail despite seemingly insurmountable challenges.

YouTube Playlist: Habilin | Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines
YouTube Playlist: Habilin with English subtitles
Teacher’s Guide: Habilin: The Light in Each of Us | Martial Law Museum

WiseOwl specializes in communication for social change, with expertise in strategic communication, branding, social marketing, development communication, and social behavior change communication. We want to contribute to positive social change through effective and strategic communication. Our goal is to build, strengthen, and enhance the ability of communities and organizations to advance the common good by equipping and training them to become better communicators.