inqsider_july2010

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By Kristine Felisse Mangunay

If you happen to see a lot of special features thatare coming out in the Inquirer beginning lastmonth, dont be surprised. They are products of

the revitalized Supplements section and would mostprobably be a daily staple now for our newspaperreaders.

This new Supplement section is actually anoffshoot of the reorganization of the three departmentsin the sales and marketing division which the Inquirermanagement has approved in May. Its primary goalis to create new revenue stream for the company andto boost revenues as well as to ensure the companysdominance in the print industry.

In a memo signed by sales and marketing seniorvice president Renato Reinoso and circulatedamongst Inquirer employees, the advertising,marketing and digital pre-press departmentswere directed to undergo a series of realignmentsthat took effect on the first day of this month.

REORGANIZATIONSALES AND MARKETING

boost revenuesNew setup expected

toThe reorganization aims to ensure the growthof revenues of the newspaper, capitalize on thestrength of the Inquirers sales force; and to preparethe Inquirer sales team for the next decade, Reinososaid in his memo.

Among the approved changes are the expansionof the digital pre-press unit to provide support to theadvertising sales group, the transfer of the corporate

affairs department to the Office of the President, andthe redirection of the selling efforts in the advertisingdivision.

Newly appointed Advertising manager Lita Pascualwill head the display sales, Aries Espinosa is nowSupplements manager while Advertising assistantvice president Kenny Nuyda, along with Advertisingmanager Mylene de Jesus will take on the digital,magazine, Masa publications, CDN and Radiogroups, under the new reorganization. The sales andmarketing division is headed by senior vice presidentReinoso and vice president for Advertising and IGCdirector Felipe Olarte.

VOL. X N0. 2 JULY 2010


2/12

2

Joel V. NigosEditor

hito San Mateo/ Mundi Ocampo /Kenneth del Rosario/ Vanessa Hidalgo

Annelle Tayao / Kristine Felisse MangunayStaff Writers

Joel S. Paradeza Eugene Araneta Editorial Assistant Photographer

enie Lagmanraphic Artist

A quarterly newsletter of the

hilippine Daily Inquirer Inc.

By Kristine Felisse Mangunay

The newsroom has a new look.To integrate the newspapers editorial team with some of the Inquirer Groupof Companies editorial groups, a physical transformation of the Inquirerbuildings third floor took place between March 11 to April 2 of this year.

The new editorial space continues to lump together the Inquirer editorsand editorial assistants of each newspaper section, but the inclusion ofother representatives from other departments (the research department,for example) has rendered a different appearance for the once-crowdednewsroom.

The new newsroom setup is as follows:

The Business section, which was once located near the restrooms, hasbeen moved near the pantry nearest the Learning section.

The Entertainment section retained its former location. The sameeditorial space has also now been allotted to both the INS and layout artists ofthe newspaper.

ight in front of the DPU unit is the Lifestyle section, which was relocatedfrom its initial location near the restrooms to the other end of the newsroom.

The Metro section can now be found in front of the line of editorialproduction assistants, which begins in front of the Entertainment sectionand ends in front of the Arts section.

The new newsroom setup, aside from incorporating some of the IGCseditorial groups, is expected to maximize space and work efficiency.

Editorial newsrooms

new look

By Joel S. Paradeza

T

he Inquirer management and the PDI EmployeesUnion have finally agreed to a new Collective

Bargaining Agreement that will cover the years 2010-2013 last July 28.

Highlights of the new CBA as are follows:Wage increaseJuly 11, 2010 - P 1,000July 11, 2011 - 2,400July 11, 2012 - 2,600

Rice SubsidyJuly 11, 2010 - P 14,000July 11, 2011 - 14,000July 11, 2012 - 14,000

Signing Bonus - P 53,000Eyecare Subsidy - P 4,000Longevity Pay - P 200

(for less than10 years of service)

- P 250(for more than10 years of service)

PDI management, Union ink new CBA

The management and Union panels have alsoagreed on several side agreements namely the five-day

workweek, compensation for breaking stories and photos,emporary transfer and assignment, and additional Unionleaves.

The union panel is represented by its president,Michael Ubac as panel chair, with members Ernie Sambo,Norman Bordadora, Noemi Melican, Christian Esguerra,TJ Burgonio and Abigail Ho.

The management panel is headed by Mr. Reneeinoso, chair, and members Rolando Suarez, Nilo

Paurom, Evelyn Escueta, Jesse Rebustillo, ManuelChanco IV and Neyla Espinosa.

The Union presented its proposal last May 15.Management submitted its counter proposal last June 8and negotiations began last June 16. On the first day of

negotiation, the management panel immediately agreedo the Unions proposal on longevity pay and eye caresubsidy.

The subsidy was also expanded to cover not onlyeyeglasses and contact lenses but also contact lenssolutions as well. Eyeglass subsidy is hereby called eyecare subsidy.


3/12

ts back to school for some Inquirer employeeshis new school year.

Armed with their pens, notebooks andothing less than their penchant for learning,

hese working students are obviously all set for thetressful months ahead. Its a deadly combinationfter all, work and school (not in the most literalense of the word, of course), and without the

back at sc oTheyre also

ourses at the University of Santo Tond Philippine School of Interior DePSID), respectively.

I ha(d) no time for myself, latudent Emman Cena of the Opinioection said.

I havent had enough sleep,Joel Nigos, who is currently finishin

is Masters in Media Studies majorn Journalism at the University of th

mplaimer

mayrten

wishfootsteps. If theresg a person wouldive up after all, itss why strategizingnagement are aing students, soe of having longerest can come ever-t least once in the

irst place and saveffort?go back to school torning never stops.e to make time forit can be done.postgraduate, shareeditor ofis also tDilimaates

class.ernt,, whoitiallyp

hopow-how.esign, is

likes of Dean Raul Pangalangan, Justices ArtemioPanganiban and Isagani Cruz who could write andpractice law at the same time, Emman, confides.

I wish to mentor the youth who want topursue the same career, shares Joel who plansto teach when he completes his Masters degree.Studying also provides me a breath of fresh air(new environment, got to know new people) at thesame time Im able to update myself especially

with the rapid changes in the mass media

landscape.Its a whole range of purposes for these

back-to-school Inquirer employees, but the natureof these goals aside, the fact is they all have apurpose which they will hopefully achieve a few(or many?) years from now.

In the meantime, the sleepless nights will


4/12

4

Jack of all tradesBy Kristine Felisse Mangunay

He is, as what some people would say, a jack of all trades.Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot, or sir Gani as he is fondly called,

began teaching in the late 1970s after the Asian Institute of Journalism wasestablished. From news editing, copyreading to news writ ing, newspaperlayout and design, you name itProfessor Gani teaches it all. His are morethan 20 years in the newspaper industry, and when anybody has spent thatmuch time in one field, theres no question that he can be deemed as good asthe gods when teaching it.

Interacting with students can be an exciting activity, sir Gani said in ane-mail interview. You have to constantly study, learn new things, and keep up

with new developments in the subject youre teaching.Working for the No. 1 newspaper in the country has helped him to do just

that. In fact, sir Gani acknowledged that this is one of the advantages of teachingand working for the newspaper at the same time. To teach, you are forced to

study. In the Inquirer, you are also expected to learn new things about the field.And the downside? I dont know of any disadvantage, except that (teaching) takes away from you five to six hours

a week that you could devote to other activities, he said.Well, if its five to six hours less of bird-watching then maybe thats not so bad.

GANI YAMBOT

Teachers are often viewed traditionally as someone who dispenses knowledge, someone who tells, feeds or disseminates subject matter to students. In ourmidst are also mentorsPDI employees who happen to be also teaching at our countrys top universities. Lets get to know more about them as well as how

hey shape the nations journalism future as well.

Personal vocationBy Joel V. Nigos

Teaching is my personal vocation. This is my mission, so shares Chito SanMateo about his other love the other one being as marketing officer of thenquirers Marketing department.

Teaching actually runs in his blood. His mother, who has a degree inducation has never seen any other profession other than teaching. Some of

is cousins, aunts and uncles are also teachers.Chito currently teaches at the De La Salle University Graduate School ofusiness where he handles the MBA Program.

Hes now working on his Doctor in Business Administration degree at Saneda College. I hope to finish my dissertation this school year, he shares.

He had also a chance to teach overseasin Jakarta, Indonesia.I learned an entirely new culture. I was able to know also a new

anguage, Bahasa. I had to. No one spoke English outside the school so I wasforced to study and learn the language, Chito smiles.

Asked why he cant just take away teaching in his life, he says, I believe this is my vocation. Though the rewardsin terms of monetary benefits are not that much, the fulfillment that it provides me is enormous.

CHITO SAN MATEO

entors in our midst


5/12

Opinion journalistBy Vanessa Hidalgo

John Nery currently teaches opinion journalism at the College of Massommunication in UP Diliman. He shares that he was able to get the teaching

job when the universitys department chair learned that he maintains acolumn at PDI and that hes also a blogger.

Im an opinion journalist, and I believe it will be better for me if Ill havehe chance to reflect on it and share it with others, says Nery when asked whats his inspiration to teach others.

e cites the discovery of talent among his students as his most rewardingexperience as a teacher. He will also never forget the time when he sought theelp of his students to lend a hand on the first-ever Inquirer sponsored debate.

Theyre very helpful. After the elections, a student even sent me an SMS, justto say thank you for the experience, he adds.

When asked how he manages his time as a PDI employee and a part-time

professor, he shares: Once the groundwork is done, in conceptualizing the course and so on, the time requirementis actually quite minimal. I teach a three-hour course once a week, and spend probably another three hours eachweek preparing for it, or recovering from it! (I mean, for checking papers and reading our class blog and so on.)

And since he has always taught the how-to subjects, Nery now wants to teach the what- and-why subjects.Perhaps political science and Philippine history, he says.John Nery majored in Philosophy in Ateneo de Manila. When asked if he has a Masters degree, he replied in jest, Idont have one, only a pre-PhD from the chool of hard knocks

JOHN NERY

CHRISTIAN ESGUERRA

A breath of fresh airBy Annelle S. Tayao

A breath of fresh air is how reporter Christian V. Esguerra describes histeaching stint at the University of Santo Tomas, especially when he startsfeeling the stress of newspaper work.

(Teaching) allows me to keep in touch with the younger generation, andprovides me the opportunity to help facilitate their learning, says Christian.He handles Journalism subjects at UST every Saturday, his day off, to minimize

the conflict with his work here at the Inquirer. If an important coverage comesp, Christian puts his reporter duties first. I need to sacrifice my classesometimes.

Some of Christians former students are now his co-employees, and thoughthey dont really get to work together too muchas he is always out onfieldworkChristian says there is a sense of affinity among them.

As a teacher who shares his journalistic knowledge to aspiring practitioners,Christian finds that he, too, is still learning a lot. There is always that challengeand opportunityto keep

tudying and learning myself, he says. Every day, every coverage, is a learning experience for me.


6/12

6

EDSON TANDOC

A sense of fulfilmentBy Vanessa Hidalgo

Immediately after completing his Master of Mass Communication degree fromNanyang Technological University in Singapore, Inquirer reporter Edson Tandocbegan his part-time teaching career. He started with communication research,and after a few semesters he included thesis proposal, news writing andintroduction to journalism as the other courses that he handles. He teaches atthe countrys three top universities at the same timeat UP, Ateneo and DLSU.

He credits his fascination with teaching to his former professors and

mentors. I am fortunate to have had many teachers who had a great impactin what I have become and in what I believe in, he says. He believes that to beable to produce an excellent journalist, it begins with moulding their young minds. I believe that education is

very important. I want others to experience the inspiration and encouragement I got from my mentors, he adds.e finds covering with his former students who are now professional journalists as his most rewarding

experience as a teacher. When I read the papers and articles of my students, I feel fulfilled, he says.tarting August, he will be taking up his PhD. When asked why he would want to pursue further studies he

replied, I would like to be of better service to my community. And he would like to teach journalism ethics in thefuture. I believe journalists should have a solid college background about edia ethics, he adds.

LITO ZULUETA

Philosophical perspicuityBy Annelle S. Tayao

How Lifestyle Arts and Books editor Lito Zulueta juggles a full teaching loadand his daily newspaper duties is enough to baffle anyone. As faculty memberof UST AB Journalism program, Lito handles classes on literary journalismand Catholic media. He also teaches modern Catholic writing under USTs ABLiterature program (where he got his Masters degree), as well as a film theorysubject under the AB Communication Arts program. On top of all that, hes alsobeen adviser of the student publication Varsitarian for almost 10 years.

The truth is I hardly manage at all; I literally crawl through the twopreoccupations. I try to juggle the two, but Im not really adept at juggling.

Although his busy schedule causes him stress and pharyngitis (I lecturethree to six hours a week), Lito believes that a journalism teacher should alsobe a practitioner.

I think, by and large, as shown by the students evaluation of their professors, journalism practitioners who are

part-time teachers of journalism are better teachers of the craft than full-time academics, he says.Just some of Litos former students, and now co-employees, include Volt Contreras, TJ Burgonio, Charles Buban,Christian Esguerra, Irene Perez, Ruth Navarra and Miko Morelos, among others.

ito continues to enjoy what he is able to impart to the younger generation of aspiring journalists: thephilosophy that goes behind certain aspects of journalism. To articulate journalistic practices with philosophicalperspicuity and sophisticationthats what teaching has afforded a journalism pedagogue like me.


7/12

ds

mbrac

omp e y oe . gos

n to his first 100 days in office, PreBenigno Noynoy Aquino III seemwarm ng up we n s new ro e as

countrys top executive. Faced with a gartask of putting the country in order, the Prnow enjoys the support of the majority ofcountrymen as t e atest oc a eat ersurvey shows that he has a trust rating ofpercent. This is even higher than her latePresident Corazon Aquinos score during

ays n o ce. ecent y, nqs er as

to know what some employees thought ofPresident, their hopes and wishes, as welt ey wou wante m to so ve t e nat on

I hope he quits smoking, becomes avegetarian and convinces 90 millionPinoys to o t e same. Tessa Salazar,reporter

I hope that he swords during theHindi ako magnagood luck! Darnewspaper produ

I wish thatis eloquence

translates intoaction. Marlet

alazar, writer

That Noynoy must really be honest in his resolve thathe will wipe out corruption in the government consideringthat corruption has become part of Filipino culture; thathe must think things many times over before he opens hismouth because sometimes theres a need to double check

the facts; and that he must come forward why he is sonegative about GMA to the extent that he doesnt wantto live in Malacanang, and when he would, on his terms. Babes Good, branch manager

ecome a ro e mo e o a

Filipinos. Marc Cortezano,anagement assistant

I wish that President Noy will be ableo so ve gra t an corruption as eromised during the campaign. Peter

Pormento, video editor

promises ... aka kasi matuladlang sa mga dating presidente... panay ang pangako peronapapako naman! NoliNavarro, IT section ea

Patu o sya nguhok at mag-sawa na paraumpleto ang firstami y. Arneantos, salesssistant

I hope he will onlylisten to his consciencean not to t e peop earound him. I hopethat he will alsofulfill all his campaignromises. Grace

Pagulayan, secretary

I hope he will stand true to hisromises an e ie s especia y

to his statement aboutreconciliation with justice. Aggie Pinili, account manager

I hope he will stay strongin pursuing is p ans or t eenefit of the Filipino people.

I hope he also succeeds inalleviating poverty and ine ping up i t t e con ition o

the poor. Eve Bacani, tradeofficer

NEW EMPLOYEESeah M. Babadilla Treasury Assistant/Treasuryervacio M. Bro la Business Development Officer/Circulationaricar Ann P. Cinco Chief of Correspondents/Southern Luzon Bureauima Jessamine M. Granali Editorial Admin Assistant/Day Deskonika Tarra V. Quismundo Reporter 2/Day Desk

Jacqueline Lyla F. Sanchez Collection Assistant/Finance

HR Corner

Movement From Toary Ann M. Ayos Editorial Production Assistant Asst. Head/

Editorial SystemsAries B. Espinosa Special Projects

Supplement Editor/Ad Manager

dna A. Garcia Secretary to the Exec. VP Account Executiveargarita Ivy R. Garcia Corporate Relations Associate Account Executive

Andrea Isobelle O. Ocampo Corporate Affairs Associate Mktg. ServicesCoordinator

iko Morelos Editorial Admin Assistant Reporter 1erlita Pascual Account Executive Sales Managerarlon D. Ramos Reporter 1 Reporter 2


8/12

Delightful, bright ideas capturedLEICA CARPO

Strong direction, leadershipBy Annelle S. Tayao

Aweekly glossy needs strong direction and leadership, and SIM gets plenty of both from publisher Leica Carpo. In 2006, she wasby PDI president Sandy Prieto-Romualdez and editor in chief Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc to revamp the magazine. They had fameas I had come from the corporate or advertisers side.

Her entry into SIM as publisher is actually a return to PDI for Leica. From 1995-1999, she had already worked for the company as corelations officer and 2bU contributing editor. She left PDI in 1999 and worked for a US software company, studied law and dabbled in maLeica has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Arts (TV emphasis) from Sta. Clara University in California.

When she isnt busy with SIM, Leica likes to keep active. Im currently into triathlons and marathons. (I like) fashion, food and travelsays. Also, yoga and golf, when I get the chance.

Exciting developments can be expected from PDIs Sunday glossy, as Leica still has a lot of plans and ideas. Id like to have a strononline presence, she says. (Also, have) top photographers shooting our covers in experimental ways. (We can also) feature upcomingillustrators works, create an annual event where we meet our readers to get feedback and thank them for their patronage.

PENNIE AZARCON DELA CRUZ

When work becomes playBy Vanessa Hidalgo

For Josefina Azarcon Dela Cruz or Pennie, Sunday Inquirer Magazines executive editor, being with PDI for the last 20 years has mademore challenging and rewarding.

After being a part of the Mosquito Press in 1986, s he decided that she can truly make a difthis world. When Cory took over, people including me felt we could really change the world es

we worked with NGOs. I did, for a womans NGO (tackling the image of women and giving sethe New Family Code) for several years, she says. But after having her second baby, she

that she needed a more stable source of income and so she went on to become the maneditor of Mr. & Ms. Magazine in 1989

In April 1990, Pennie felt that she was ready to take a m ore challenging job. She toodesk editor for Inquirer.

She recounts that great earthquake of 1990 as her most unforgettable experience hThey were having their regular editors story conference in Port Area when everything shaking. Then right before our eyes, cracks started traveling down the walls from ceiliWe immediately ducked under the table, holding hands and praying aloud. I thought thend because the violent shaking went on and on.

When asked what are the most important lessons that PDI has taught her the impoof deadlines and that teamwork is required when one works for a newspaper. I fou

deadline somehow greases all rusty mental gears. You cannot afford a writers

over the years, you develop the discipline to produce stories on demand, sheBeing the executive editor is still a constant challenge for her. My plan

keep SIM interestingTheyd keep reading the issue because the storieswritten, substantial, diverse and entertaining. We must offer something neirresistible every time, she replied.Pennie loves to cook, eat good food and do workouts. But above everythshe is a book worm for both fiction and non-fiction. My favorite SIM themtime is our summer reading issue because I get to read at least 12 booksstretch and get to write about them, she says. But most of all, Inquirer h

her that work can truly become an enjoyable task.


9/12

10

Delightful, bright ideas captured

RUEL DE VERA

Soft spot for writersBy Annelle S. Tayao

Even before he joined PDI, SIM associate editor Ruel de VeraRuey to mostwas already part of the Inquirer family. In 1993,while still an undergrad taking up AB Communication at the Ateneode Manila University, Ruey became part of the first batch of PDIsJournalism scholars. The following year, he entered the Inquirer asreporter, then became staff writer for SIM in 1995. Ruey becameassociate editor in 2000.

In his 16 years with PDI, Ruey has enjoyed two things about thecompany. First is the people, he says. Committed and devoted, thepeople at PDI are simply the best in the industry. We believe in thecompany and in each other.

Second, the Inquirer gives writers the biggest audience and propergravitas, Ruey adds. He enjoys the attention and significance his workreceives, which he attributes to the respectable name the Inquirer has

built for itself.When he isnt working on SIM, Ruey teaches Journalism at his

alma mater, where he got his MA in the same course. Hes been in theacademe for 15 years, but what Ruey enjoys most is writing and editingbooks. He has a soft spot for writers and authors as subjects in hisarticles. He also likes to write about people who manage to do amazingand unexpected thingspeople dedicated to a dream, no matter howfar-fetched. One of his award-winning stories, for instance, is on JosephNathan Cruz, a squatter who became valedictorian at UP. It won him theCatholic Mass Media Award.

ERIC CARUNCHO

A part of a wholeBy Vanessa Hidalgo

Working in a newspaper is being part of a whole that is greater thanthe sum of its partsbut the parts still have to be pretty good, saysEric Caruncho when asked what is the most important lesson theInquirer has taught him.

Eric is SIMs staff writer. He is in charge of coming up with interestingfeature stories and to help with envisioning and planning for futureissues.

When asked about his most unforgettable experience in PDI, heshares, In my first year I was in Basilan on assignment for the magazinewhen a firefight broke out near the capitol, where I was waiting tointerview the governor. Thankfully its the closest Ive come to gunfire.

After working for nearly 19 years with PDI, Eric has come to concludethat SIM is the best weekly magazine. Not only does he cite thepeople he works as gems but the experience he has gathered with themagazine truly makes it the best there is. Every issue is a collaborationwhere ideas are welcomed. Not that every idea pans out, but everymember has the opportunity to contribute to the finished product, hesays.

When he is not busy stringing words or ideas together, Eric enjoyswatching DVDs at home or goes sightseeing while riding his bike.

And for the future, he is currently working on his fourth book (thatsnot counting collaborations and contributions).

SHARON M. FELIPE

Travel bugBy Annelle S. Tayao

If youre the type who likes to hang out and go on DVD-watchingmarathons, then youd be wise to tag along with SIM editorial assistantSharon Felipe. When she isnt combing through SIMs pages, makingsure not to miss any errors, Sharon likes to maximize her free time tojust relax.She also uses her spare time to keep in touch with friends who are nowoverseas, usually through chatting. I like traveling, too, Sharon says.She has been to Scandinavia, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, Russia,Australia, Egypt, the United States, among others.Sharon has been with the company for 20 years. She entered theInquirer Jan. 15, 1990. I responded to an ad I saw on Inquirers

classifieds. There was an opening for proofreader and I applied for theposition.Before working for PDI, Sharon was employed in a travel agency for onemonth. She graduated with an AB Communication Arts degree from UPLos Baos. In her stay here in the Inquirer, Sharon says what she enjoysmost is the camaraderie among PDI employees.

JERITO DELA CRUZ

The right choiceBy Vanessa Hidalgo

It was in 2005 when Jerito dela Cruz started his journey with theInquirer. He saw an advertisement at the Classifieds section anddecided to give it a try. After e-mailing his resume, the long wait began.Sa sobrang haba ng proseso, nag-apply na ako sa ibang broadsheet,he says. Just when he was about to start with the other broadsheet, hereceived a call from the Inquirers HR Department to inform him that hehas been accepted. Risk iyon na kinuha ko. Kasi sigurado na ako sa isapero mas pinili ko ang Inquirer.

Jerito had a short stint as graphic artist for the now defunct CompactAnd he recalls that his first impressions of his boss were that they wereunapproachable and slave drivers. But he was proven wrong in the end.Mababait naman sila atcool silang kasama,he adds.

After Compact, he was then transferred to the Art Department. He

now does the layout of SIM. When asked how he responded to the dailypressure that his job has, he said: Natuto akong mag-prioritize dito.Kung ano ang may unang deadline, iyon muna ang inuuna ko.

He says that the Inquirer taught him the ropes of time managementand how to prioritize his work. And as an artist, Jerry says that the dailyconstruction of layout for the broadsheet and for SIM sharpens his skillsas an artist.

After five years of being with PDI, Jerry can only smile and say,Mabuti na lang ito ang pinili ko.


10/12

,seeing the enormous butgentle butandings and thethousands of bright fireflies isan experience theyd neversoon forget.

And why would they? Formany of the participantscomposed of Inquireremployees, their friends andfamiliesits like being inPandora, that fictional planetwhere the movie Avatarwas set in.

In a convoy of eightToyota vehicles, the

opportunities along the way.Organized by

Supplements Manager AriesEspinosa and Motoringreporter Tessa Salazar, the

trip brought the participantsdiving into the waters tosee the butandings (spermwhales) upclose. For manyof the participants, it wastheir first time to see the bus-sized creature of the water

just a few feet away fromthem.

The butandings werentshy at all, with participantsreported seeing some fourof these calm creatures.For them, it was a surrealexperience being in the

presence of an animalwhich they only used toread about back at home.Its almost too funny to thinkthat the butanding, for all itshumungous size, only eatsthe micro-sized planktons.

Still enchanted with thebutandingencounter, theparticipants prepared fora magical night with thefireflies.

Boat by boat, the

extinguished the darkness.It was an almost fairytale

experience watching themfrom the boat, which the local

journey back to the Inquireroffice. Who cares if theytravelled another 17 hours togo home? It was well worth it.


11/12

y Mundi Ocampo

obranghassle nitongtripto Eds buti na lang

mama tayo!Big black waves crashedainst the hull of the MB

arry, which carried usom Caramoan to Sabangort. It was the low tided the ferry could not pullelf any further from the

ater to dock. So we foundrselves standing on therk beach, watching hardy,irtless locals carry one

ssenger after another oneir shoulders from boat toore.Not one of the 13 Inquirer

hoto Club members thoughte trip would come to anclusion as dramatic asw it began. Three dayso a number of us sat forurs in a Jollibee store in

aga City, wondering how earth will we arrive atr destination, when six of

CaramoanCrashinto

the group were stuck on thehighway along Ragay, tryingto piece one ravaged pick-uptruck togetherthe biggestcasualty of a harrowing roadaccident that same morning.

It was around 4 a.m. onApril 16, and most of us inthe vehicle going to Nagawere already asleep. Photo

lub chief Gerry Jano wastailing the pick-up, which

ad in it Boy Abing, Adelaendoza, Aileen Garcia andel and Naty Cayubit. Our

AUV suddenly screechedto a halt, tossing me, Edna

arcia and Erwin Reyes upgainst the roof and crashing

on top of each other,breaking the middle seatwhich woke Babes Good,Ruth Navarra and FrancesKatigbak.

I looked up and caughta glimpse of the pick-upthrough the windshield. Boywas standing beside it andsurveying the tire which burstwhen he hurtled into a wideexcavation more than a footdeep, which had none of thewarning signs to distinguishit from the rest of thedesolate, pitch-black road.

Gerry, who tailed him closelyin the dark, had not realizedwhat happened to the pick-up until too late.

By then I could barelyhear the commotion thatfollowed. So this is whatit feels like, I thought,imagining how people inwar movies lose their sightand hearing at the blast ofgunfire. Erw in scrambledto straighten me out, as I

was completely immobilized,and turned to Edna, whohad just raised her head,blood spurting from thecorner of her left eye. Sheshook as she tried to move,crying out in pain comingfrom her left foot, which wasstuck underneath one of thebroken seats.

The menErwin,Gerry, Mel, Boy and EdwinBacasmastried to movethe both of us to a clinicnearby, which did not haveanyone to administer firstaid. Fearing concussionand the possibility that Imight not see my familyanymore (rememberNatasha Richardson?), Ifeverishly demanded for usto be brought to the nearest

hospital, which the localssaid was two hours away.With Boy, Mel, Naty, Adela

and Aileen left to take careof the ravaged truck, therest of us set out for MotherSeton Hospital in NagaCity. Nobody thought aboutthe islands that we were allchirping excitedly about justa few hours before. Thedrive to town was bleak;the vehicle creaked andreminded every one that notonly will our adventure haveto be cut short, but thereare three girlsFrancesalso sustained a tiny cutabove her right eyewhomight have sustained worseinjuries than the obvious.

The doctor decided at thehospital that one, I was not

oing to die, and two, Ednaeeded about six stitchesver her eye and a bandageround her swollen foot.omeone from the other

team sent word that Adeland Aileen rode with onef our forwarders to get theroper tools to fix the pick-p.

After having fun with thethought of the two ladies

who, hours ago, wereancing outside a gas station

n Quezon para magkasyaami sa mga swimsuitaminin a containeran speeding through theighway, the crew at theospital talked about where

the day should end. Whilethe doctor sewed throughEdnas eyelid, we all decided

that it would be a wasteto head back home whenobody seemed to be inarms way after all.

o there we waited atthe Jollibee store in Naga

six hours after, gettifrom the other teamthe pick-up would hae brought to a shop

Ragay. It was late awere anxiously wishwe were already in where Raffy Esturasword to his mother ts, and to please prs a meal that was ot fast food.

The day ended oopeful note, thanks

Esturas wonderful Bfare and Raffys preittle nephew and nieooked back on the events, while sippineer at the Sabang

where we stopped tfor the early morningtrip to Caramoan Isl

Camarines Sur. Weucky 13 of the InquPhoto Club, imaginet could only get so metter once we set o

our real adventure.

Blurb: the quick

brown fox jump over

the lazy dog

the quick brown fox

jump over the lazydog the quick brown

fox jump over the

lazy dog


12/12

By Chito San Mateo

Lucban, Quezon is aroundthree hours drive fromManila. The place has beenfamous for its food like thelongganisa and pancit hab

a .

owever, every 15th dayof May, the colorful

a yasFestivalta es t ecenterstage nLucban,

Quezon. heest va raws

attention to thousands ofpeop e rom etro an a annearby provinces to witnesst e co or u est v t es anunique celebration.

he festival is in honor ofthe patron saint of farmers,San Isidro Labrador. ousesalong the selected streetsare decorated with colorfulkipings.

he decorations bring outt e oca res ents ngenu ty,creativity and artistry. Asiderom p ngs, vegeta es were

also used as decorations.our sts, oca an ore gn,

grabbed the opportunity to

ave t e r p otos ta en w tthe colorful decorations of the

ouses as t e r ac groun .he highlight of the festival

was t e para e.his years parade

we come t e pp n e a yInquirers Guyito in the Gayak

aragos segment or t e so-called carabao parade. Thecara aos pu we - ecorateand colorful cart. At a certainpoint of the parade,cara aos nee n ront

14

of an amau ence. sgesture is a sign ofrespect to San IsidroLabrador.

Other segments of theparade include a pageantrynative costumes made of

local materials and carrozasecorate n a very

co or u as on.he heat of

summernot prevent

e peop e tocelebrate and

watc t eparade that

passe n ront o t erow of decorated houses.

e nqu rer amera ualso stood on the challengeto capture t e e othe festivities.

colorfulkipings

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