To be a journalist is to act like a "tribune" that essays the truthful "journal" of every story of our "times", big or small, front page or inside page, "BIG NEWS" or even the last story before the closing credits roll;
To be a journalist is to hold a "mirror" in front of you to regularly and faithfully check the convictions and principles of what a "free press" truly stands for;
To be a journalist is to sometimes embrace your own celebrity and be a "star" that sets and upholds the "standards" of what the Filipinos of " today " are fighting for;
Ang maging mamamahayag ay tulad ng isang "bulgar" na pahina na hindi puwedeng maging sisidlan ng anumang pagbaluktot sa katotohanan, bagkus siya pa ngang lagusan upang ito ay mai-"bandera" at mai-"balita" ang mga kuwentong dapat na marining at ma-"tiktikan."
Ang maging mamamahayag ay ang pagsisiguro ng pananatili at pagsulong ng isang "malaya" at walang kinikilingang pag-"PAPATROL" , sa bawat araw, "24-0ras" dahil ang bawat kuwento ay kailangang pulsuhan, may buhay, tila isang "NEWSBEAT" na kailangang ma-"CAPTURED" dahil walang take two sa isang breaking news, walang cut, walang re-take;
Ang maging mamamahayag ay maging "SAKSI" sa "SENTRO" ng bawat pahina ng kasaysayan upang ito ang mai-"BANDILA" sa sambayanan;
Ang maging mamamahayag ay DAPAT laging sa NGALAN NG KATOTOHANAN AT TUNAY NA PAGLILINGKOD.
Missing Stella
January 23, 2008
"Everything about Stella is big!" — No —let me make a quick correction. "Big" is not the appropriate word, not even huge. Grand sounds better, gigantic is another word that comes close.
The other day I received an e-mail from Stella Inamiti of Nigeria asking if I miss her as much as she misses me and my answer to that is…"Girl—I do, I do! If only I have the resources to send you guys plane tickets I would and show you all the wonderful island resorts that we have in the Philippines!"
Nigeria is a place that is always mentioned and printed in media reports in the Philippines because of kidnapping cases there were victims are mostly Filipinos working for multi-national oil companies there.
In fact when Stella and I were still in Germany for a 7-week class on Science Journalism sponsored by DW-Akademie, one Filipino was taken hostage but was freed two days before the class graduation. Stella told me then, it was economics, just for money why these kidnappings take place. This is her way of assuring me that a fellow Filipino kidnapped in Nigeria will go home safe and unharmed.
The deployment of overseas Filipino workers in Nigeria is actually banned but this is not strictly implemented. Just talk, just for press release, just a policy—for if some Nigerians kidnap Filipinos working for oil companies there for money, the very same reason lures Filipinos to work there, even if it could endanger their lives—being kidnapped always a possibility, part of the risk of venturing into the rich oil fields of Nigeria.
What many of us, Filipinos, doesn’t know is that we have a lot of things in common about Nigerians. Let me just share one passion that Nigerians and Filipinos share—-the love for tele-novelas and drama series on television. And guess what—ABS-CBN’s "Pangako sa Iyo" the first hit drama series of the loveteam of Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa and the same series that reinvigorated the acting careers of Jean Garcia and Eula Valdez–have a huge following in Nigeria as well as other African countries!
Oh yes, my Nigerian friend Stella knows the character of Amor Powers and Madame Claudia so well that she even essayed an impromtu portrayal of the two characters in one of our many bonding moments especially after class.
I did have time then to watch some episodes of Pangako sa Iyo but Stella did watch the entire series—up to the very last episode!
Writing about Stella brings back fond memories of real friendship that crosses borders and transcends cultural differences.
I miss Stella, I miss everyone from that class—hoping that one day—DW Akademie will bring us back together again for another class—he-he! (end)
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