Madrigalejo: Week #2 at Manila Times

List down all the tasks that you performed during this period. Describe each in detail.

1.) I forgot to mention this on my previous entry, but since we we started going to the office, we were encouraged to attend and observe the story conference at 2:30 PM everyday (this sometimes changes, depending on the section editors). During the story conference, we sit along with the editors and they discuss the different stories that will be published for the next day. Every editor has his/ her turn to speak and each one can comment on the different issues raised. With this, duplication of stories can be avoided. Also, the other editors can check on the newsworthiness of the stories being presented in the other sections. This story con also becomes a venue for the editors to air out their suggestions, as to how they can improve the stories in the paper as a whole.

2.) During the break out of the death of the wife of Ted Failon, an assignment was given to me. Since it was previously assumed by a lot of the people that Ted was the one who shot his wife, our Executive Editor Sir Klink did not dismiss that angle as well. He asked me to research about the background of Ted-- where he grew up, what schools he went to, and when he entered the media industry among others. He did not tell me why, but I think it’s because he wants to take a study on the backround of Ted. I can remember when we did this on the feature stories that we had the last time. In a story, we have to be well-researched so we could establish some connections, if there are.

Once the assignment was given, I worked on it immediately and surfed the net. I found all the things that I have been looking for in two websites—the online database of the Twelfth Congress of the Philippines (since I found out earlier that Ted Failon used to be a House Representative). In this process, I was able to apply the lessons that we had on website credibility. I made sure that the websites I would be searching are credible enough to be cited in the newspaper. Also, since the information that I have were not taken first-hand, I made sure to properly attribute all the facts to their respective sources. This profile on Mario Teodoro Failon Etong was published the next day.

3.) This had been my most exciting assignment by far. One, because I personally suggested to write on the topic. And two, because I have been personally touched by the group when I first saw them on TV. I have mentioned on my previous report that I will be doing a feature story about the Dynamic Teen Company. DTC is a group of teenagers in Cavite City who were determined to make a difference in the world, despite their young age. The group pushes (literally) education forward by using their wooden pushcarts or K4 (Kariton Klasrum, Klink, at Kantin) as they call it. They go to the depressed areas in their city including the public market, the dumpsite, the cemetery, and a Badjao village to teach the children there who have no access to education.

I have also read the other articles that came out about them—one from ABS CBNnews.com, another from Manila Bulletin, and another from the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I noticed that almost all of them gave the limelight to Kuya Ef, so in my article, I plan to take it on another angle. I wanted it to come out as a collaborative effort, from Kuya Ef and all the other volunteers because I feel that it is how it must be. In my article, which I outlined in the Wall Street Journal format, I would like to begin and end with an account of one life that has been transformed by the DTC.

So, I looked up the internet in search of more information about the group because aside from wanting to have a pretty good background on them, I really did not have their contact numbers. Fortunately, I happen to have dropped by their site, so I left a message telling them who I was and what I had to do. I left them with my contact information hoping that they would take time to respond. It was a good thing that they did, aside from giving me the address; they gave me the contact number of Kuya Ef (the founder of the group). I tried to contact Kuya Ef and asked for his available time, where and when we could possibly have the interview. He responded and told us to come to the DTC office, on a particular date and time.

Kamille and I left way ahead of the scheduled time because we were not that familiar of the place yet. We still had to look for it. We rode at least 3 modes of transportation, only to realize later on that we could have gone there riding only one. In our first interview, Kuya Ef discussed how their group has been living up to being the change that they want to see in the world. It was very amazing to have this talk with him, because aside from being very down to earth (he is nominated as one of the 2009 CNN Heroes, you might want to visit their sight ma’am, it’s cnn.com/heroes and you can read on their story), he is also very humorous that I instantly felt comfortable talking to him.

I also talked to Emmanuel Bagual, a former gang member who is now the Chief Executive Officer of DTC. He mentioned one thing that really struck me and led me to pondering about how I have been living my life. In Emman’s words, “Walang pinipiling edad o kasarian ang pagiging instrumento ng pagbabago.” It was truly a very inspiring encounter for me. I felt that I wasn’t a journalist that time, I felt that I was also a young person who could do something.. someone who could bring about change in the world through my craft.

When we returned to Cavite City last Saturday for a follow-up interview and to take some photos, I was able to talk to Kesz while we were doing the outreach program. Kesz is another child whose life has been touched by the DTC in a very special way. It was his story that I used to begin and end my feature article about the DTC. Kamille and I went out with them, walking under the scorching heat of the sun for roughly 2km. to go to the public market and to the cemetery to teach the unschooled children there.

The volunteers’ desire to help and the children’s desire to learn were all beyond compare. To describe this group, inspiring would simply be an understatement. At noon, we went back to Manila, I think Kamille went home already. But I went to East Avenue Medical Center to pursue another story assignment.

4.) The assignment that I was tasked to do was still in connection with the death of Ted Failon’s wife. Two days before I went to Cavite for the DTC story, I was asked to interview medical professionals about the head gunshots. Sir Klink asked me to write an article discussing the survival chances of people who get shot in the head, the possible case scenarios, and if there are any survivors. I was excited to work on this topic, because of course, I used to be a Nursing student and walking along hospital corridors just bring back a lot of memories for me.

After the assignment was given (it was around 8pm already), I immediately looked for contact numbers of people or institutions I can come to for an interview. But later that night, the wife of Ted died so I did not know if I was still supposed to work on the story. But I still did. The next morning, I went to St. Luke’s Medical Center where the Philippine Neurological Association’s office is located. Unfortunately, the director is out of town and the secretary told me that they do no entertain walk-in interviews. She told me that I must set an appointment at least a week before, with that I thought that it is already impossible because by then, the story would have already lost its impact and timeliness. I said thank you and promptly left.

I went directly to the information desk at the lobby of the hospital where the room assignments of the doctors are located. I listed the name and room of every neurologist and neurosurgeon in the hospital, hoping that even one of them would entertain an interview. Most of the doctors were not on duty, were out of town, and some didn’t want to be interviewed. One doctor even scolded me in front of the people there and said, “Bakit ba kasi pinapakialaman niyo pa pati yung mga yon? Pati kaso nila Ted eh..” I just apologized for disturbing him, and thanked him for his time, then I left.

I went to the restroom after that incident and there I cried. I was already feeling the pressure taking its toll on me. I never realized that pursuing this article would be this hard. But after that, I met up with my friend who was in the Ateneo de Manila School of Medicine. She gave me some contact numbers of the doctors that she knew, but sadly, none of them can be contacted. It’s either they are very busy or they are out of town. The next morning was my appointment in Cavite, so after that, I went to East Ave. Again, none of the doctors wanted to be interviewed. I told all these to Sir Klink already, because I felt that I have already done everything. I was not able to submit this story, and I feel really bad about it. The next days, I tried my best to make up for that lapse. I wanted to show them that I can still be relied on.

5.) I monitored the email accounts where the field correspondents send their stories. I was tasked to write down any breaking story that comes in. I was monitoring two e-mail accounts (both were at manilatimes.net) at the same time so I was transferring from one computer to another every now and then.

6.) Ms. Anya, a senior reporter, asked me to help her by encoding some of the press releases. I was tasked to encode the PLDT Watcher story and the Manila Water’s dislodging project. I was surprised, because I didn’t know that press releases like these could be published as well. I thought that there must be balanced news, not supporting a single person or agency. I just did what I was tasked to do anyway.

7.) Yesterday, for the story con, Rianne and I were tasked to write freehand all the topics for the story con (around 3 pages) because the printers were not working. Time-pressured and with shaky hands, we copied everything as fast as we can. We just hope they could read what we wrote there.



Describe new skills you learned, or skills you improved upon as a result of these tasks. Be specific.

1.) Resourcefulness. It doesn’t mean that if something is not working, we can just
put aside the work. The printers failed but it doesn’t mean that the story con cannot go on just because of that. Exhaust all resources possible just to get the work done. I could remember Sir Klink during the night before my Tanjuatco interview, I still did not have my I.D. and the people from the M.I.S. keep on insisting that they cannot give me an I.D. because they ran out of ink. Sir Klink told me to tell the guy there to come to him, when the guy came, Sir Klink said, “Wala akong pakialam kung paano mo gagawin, basta gawan mo ng paraan. Kung kailangan mong i-drawing, i-drawing mo.”

2.) Keeping up to my feet and not forgetting to respect people at all cost. When
the doctor said all those things to me, if I wasn’t on my right mind, I could have answered him back. Like, DUH. I am doing my work and you have no idea how our work goes. But I know that I couldn’t, because I am carrying the name of the company, and also, it’s just not the right thing to do. Plain and simple. We have to be nice even if others aren’t.

3.) Have initiative. You don’t always have to wait for others to tell you what you have to do. It’s a bad feeling when others are working hard around you and you are just stupidly staring at them doing nothing.

4.) Yesterday, my tooth was hurting like hell. But since I came to the office, I am expected to work there. So despite the pain, I tried my best to be productive. Also, I had to remember that I still need to make up for the medical story that I failed to submit.

5.) I used the story outlining lesson that we had to write my DTC feature article. It made the work easier because I knew where to put the quotes and how I would arrange the entire thing.




Other thoughts regarding the OJT experience.

I am really passionate about my Dynamic Teen Company story. I am really hoping that it would get published because more than having another by line for myself, I really want more people to learn of the selfless endeavor of this young people. Children, and old people alike, can indeed make a difference. That I is what the DTC has just proven and that is the message that I would want to get across.

I want them to get inspired in the same way that I was.