MAYOR AND MEDIAMAN

MAYOR AND MEDIAMAN

American Muslim minister Malcolm X said:  "The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.

I was an Associate Editor of our school organ The Josephinian in my Alma Mater Saint Joseph
 College from 1981 to 1984.  It was my first taste of writing for a publication.  I would have been editor-in-chief in 1983-84 but I waived it because of an existing academic scholarship and the vice presidency in the College Students Supreme Council.

When I was in the fifth year college, I tried out for a slot in the Philippine Information Agency through examinations by written essays.  I passed handily the writing tests.  But when I was orally interviewed, I was informed that they would want a graduate.  Nonetheless, I experienced a good passing grade in my writings.    

When Radio Station DYDM opened on January 6, 1991, it was the first time Maasin had its own radio broadcasting from within its area.  I joined the DYDM broadcast in March 30, 1991 with my program entitled “Sports Roundup.”  At first it was a block time program and went on air every Saturday at 10:30 A.M.  Later it became station produced and I went on board at the station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1:00 P.M. 

I admitted that the radio exposure helped me a lot in my joining the politics in 1992.  Although a media ban is imposed on candidates 45 days prior to the election as mandated by the Omnibus Election Code.  

When I became Municipal Councilor, I reported as the Sportscaster for the sports segment of daily newscast “Pamahaw Balita.”  I delivered information every morning regarding basketball, boxing and other sports.  Most notable were my updates on the Philippine Basketball Association
 (PBA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) where I had many followers. 

There was no internet in Maasin yet and there were not enough sports information on TV so my sports news gave the opportunity for sports buffs to be updated on what's going on in the sports world.

The span of the broadcast was from 1993 to 1998 when I became Municipal Vice Mayor.  Then I went back to every Saturday broadcast at 8:00 A.M. because of my pressing schedule as number two man of Maasin.

I had also other broadcasts which were not about sports.  I had a program “Public Affairs Bureau” and “Kalamboan” but both were short lived.  

Tony Reyes approached me when the Southern Leyte Times (SLT) was at the planning stage and I readily accepted the offer to write a column on sports.  I missed writing in print media and it so happened that the subject was my forte.  I had been buying and reading Sports Weekly Magazine and other sports magazines since I was an elementary student until at present. 

SLT printed its maiden issue on August 1998 and I became a pioneer editorial staff, as Sports Editor and as columnist.  My column was entitled “Sports Roundup” similar to that of my DYDM broadcast.  Every week my sports stories would be printed. 

My first column was about the Sporting Greats of Southern Leyte.  In the succeeding issues I wrote about Ramon Fernandez, Joaquin Rojas, Ringo Navarrosa, Tacy Macalos and Rod Sequinan.  

I met Manny Pacquiao with Quinito Henson at Bayside Restaurant in Manila.  I congratulated him on his win.  He was still a budding Philippine champion at that time and was still unknown in the entire country and I wrote about him in the SLT.  Henson, the Philippine Star sports columnist is really my idol as a sports writer.        

At the height of the cityhood movement for Maasin, I had a program over Maasin Cable Television called “Alagad sa Katawhan - Aksyon Solusyon Inisyatibo.”  At first it was called “Kapihan sa Maasin” where other mediamen were invited to be panellists. It was also simultaneously broadcasted over DYDM.  It reported the accomplishments of the Mercado administration.  It was also our media for the campaign for the cityhood of Maasin.  It was aired every Wednesday.  

In 2001, I resigned from the SLT.  I transferred my Sports Roundup column to the Maasin Mail owned by Congressman Aniceto Saludo, Jr.  I was also the Sports Editor where I was allotted one whole page for my sports column and other sports news.  The reason was political, the Mercado camp was allied with the Saludo camp, while Southern Leyte Times was associated with the Lerias camp.

The Maasin Mail was edited by former Provincial Board Member Dodong Herrera, a seasoned journalist-politician.  I learned from him many tips about journalism and so many rules about publications.  

When the Mercados parted with then Cong. Saludo in the 2004 elections, I resigned from the Maasin Mail.  After the elections, I went back went back writing at SLT from 2005 to 2008 until there
 was a media ban already for candidates.

I had also a brief stint at the Leyte-Samar Daily Express Southern Leyte Edition with my column “Sportsman” until the edition was disbanded.  I also wrote the same column “Sportsman” for the ANS or AMSL News Service.  I also had a brief writing stint with Southern Leyte Balita, the vernacular version of the news.      

I also had a column at the thereporteronline.com called “Missions And Sights And Motions.”  It stopped when there was a media ban for candidates nearing the 2010 elections. 

When I became City Mayor, I stopped writing for any newspaper but I began to write for the website philboxing.com which is also covered by the website mannypacquiao.ph also called “Pacland” and now pinoygreats.com.  I became a contributor along with such great sportswriters as Ronnie Nathanielsz, Manny Pinol, Sev Sarmienta, Recah Trinidad, Ed Picson, Salven Lagumbay, Dr. Rene Bonsubre, Jr.  Even Manny Pacquiao and Gerry Penalosa were also columnists of Philboxing.

It was The Freeman Cebu sports editor Emmanuel Villaruel who introduced me to philboxing.com through web editor Dong Secuya.  I met Villaruel when they were covering an Alex Aroy fight in Maasin.  My first column was about the PBF light-flyweight champion entitled “Aroy Deserves a Rematch” on September 30, 2007.  Until now, I kept writing for the website if I had time.  

I was also given a chance by Villaruel to contribute articles to the Sports Section of The Freeman Cebu where I wrote sporting news from Southern Leyte.

Since I became City Mayor, I had also a regular radio program paid by the city government called “Maasin City in Action.”  The Tuesday edition is anchored by Zaldy Olita and it is usually where I was interviewed on my accomplishments and programs.  The Thursday schedule was anchored by Royen Segovia and the Saturday edition was anchored again by Zaldy Olita where I also reported.  

We were also publishing a monthly report at the Southern Leyte Balita (SLB) called “Maasin City in Action.” It was a newsletter before but we decided to print it in the newspaper so that other municipalities can read about the programs of the city.  I had a message every month on our publication at SLB.  

I am also a founding member of the Associated Media of Southern Leyte (AMSL).  We organized it at the old Philippine Information Agency (PIA) office at the Lim Building in the commercial area.  Jani Arnaiz of The Reporter and Philippine Daily Inquirer was the first and only President until now.  Jani is the son of the legend of journalism Gus Arnaiz, the dean of journalists in Eastern Visayas and publisher of The Reporter, the first Leyte-Samar weekly. 

AMSL is composed of newspaper writers, radio reporters of DYDM and DYSL-Sogod, and the PIA staff.  I joined their Christmas Party every year.  I also called on them whenever we had important events for media coverage in the city.                

I had all these experiences in the newspaper, radio, television and internet media.  And I am honored to be given this rare opportunity to serve the quadri-media.