An evening with media

Had I not gone to the Saturday evening awards night of the Bacolod Rotary Club-East jointly with the Negros Press Club, I would have missed a night of nostalgia.

For what affair can gather the multi-media lights - radio, TV and print? In attendance was Rep. Bing Leonardia (himself a former president of the Negros Press Club responsible for the NPC memorial for fallen pressmen in the Bacolod Plaza ) and I glimpsed the figure of Councilor El Cid Familiaran going around, shaking hands and of course, tabled and huddled together in groups, the media lights, awardees for the night.

But before I continue, permit me to recite the names of the NPC Media excellence awards (awarded by the Negros Press Club) to: Lelani Salem-Alba, Carla Gomez, Harold Limbo, Vic Mercado, Fred Salanga.

I don’t have to describe the activities of these people. The reader probably has heard their voices, seen their images over the airlaines, and in the case of Carla Gomez read her lines in this paper.

On the other hand, the Rotary Club of Bacolod - East gave the following Media Achievement Awards to: Jun Julita, Ninfa Leonardia, Modi Sa-onoy, Ed de La Fuente, Edgar Cadagat Edmund Aspero, Ely de Los Santos, Rolly Espina, Henry Doble Wm. Estregan, Joe Gubuat, Vic Mercado, Pert Toga, this columnist.

Again, most of you must have heard the voice of Joe Gubuat, Vic Mercado, Edmund Aspero, and Ed de la Fuente over the radio. Ninfa and Modi don’t need elaboration, having been on the journalistic horizon these many years. The same goes for Ely de los Santos, Edgar Cadagat who have scribbled with much passion. Of course, who could omit to mention the still frisky journalist Rolly Espina, who scoffs at the tentacles of Father Time.

Why do people write, wear out their vocal chords over the air? In case of investigative reporters, especially if they report and excoriate the activities of drug dealers, they risk a bullet in the brain. Questions like that has no common answer. Each individual will have, in an ambling way, his own reasons: Truth? The maintenance of a tolerable body politic? To inform the public about what’s happening on the national scene, the local scene. Who is doing What? Where and when. And maybe the most important question -- Why?

I’m sure that the Negros Press Club (supposedly the oldest in the country) and the Bacolod Rotary-East have decided to illustrate their view of the significance and the importance of media to the country. Without the media (and sometimes even with an albeit timid media) corruption flourishes and rogues have a field day.

This is the bottom line of the awards given to newsmen by the NPC and Bacolod Rotary East. Thanks.

***

By happenstance, 2 days ago I chanced on the Essentialist sitting alone on a bench in the public plaza. I haven’t seen him for ages.

“Where have you been, my friend?” I asked. “Still climbing mountains?”

“I’ve been living in an island, Balicasag, for sometime now. There’s nothing like living alone in a hut by the sea, snorkeling and watching all those colored fishes go by you…..” said the Essentialist.

“Where the hell is Balicasag?“ I asked

“It’s a small island near Bohol. In any event, when I was there, I heard over the radio of the award to Negros newsmen. I scribbled a prayer, a Newsman’s Prayer - and I’m here to give it to you.”

The Essentialist gave me a rumpled paper with almost undecipherable hand-writing entitled a Newsman’s prayer.

A Newsman Prayer

Lord of the heaven (and earth)

we beg thy indulgence in the way we

do our task;

Our task is to see clearly, and to

to report even more clearly, the facts

and the dimensions of the events that

is our duty to report to the public;

Grant us the understanding of

human motives and weaknesses,

always conscious that individuals,

even groups have their own agenda in

stating what happened;

Give us wisdom to ferret out the

falsities, the fabrications of those who

have motives to modify the truth, to

further their own ends;

Invest in us the neutrality of

impartial investigators, not favoring

any party, and just report the facts to

the public which we trust to decide;

And Lord, in the matter of the

Ampatuan Massacre case that took the

lives of scores of newsmen, may we,

pray that the long delayed case be finally

resolved to give justice and closure to

grieving families.

I had to thank the Essentialist for his prayer. I’m also praying that he does not break a bone, climbing mountains at his age.*

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