Biscocho. How did you get into journalism?
Atencio. 1986…Yung taon na yon syempre nagkaroon ng Februrary Revolution diba? '86 so February revolution yung time na yon. Medyo parang nawalan ako ng gana. I got sort of bored kasi at that time. Parang medyo gusto ko munang mag-break from classes sa La Salle. I was (taking up) Engineering Technology. Eh nung at that time na yon, I've been joining mga student rallies. Tapos maya-maya I'm joining the NAMFREL , mga Operation Quick Count. Activism and NAMFREL naghalo during that time. It affected my studies nang konti. So sabi ko break muna ko. Mag-LOA muna ko. Nag-LOA nga ako. And during the course of my LOA yung brother ko was some working student writing for a weekly magazine.

Q. Ano po yung weekly magazine?
A. That's called Veritas Weekly Magazine. So yon. Suddenly days after the take over sa Channel 4 this was this opening called… They would call it trainees for the Philippine News Agency. And all of the writers were, nawala lahat ng writers nila. Nag-disappear lahat.

Q. Bakit po sila nag-disappear?
A. Siguro they closed down for a while. Temporarily closed down dahil nga nagkakagulo sa Channel 4 eh. So yun when they reopened I got in. I mean, my brother got in and decided to train for sports, sports-writing dahil bakante. Dahil their sports writers were being pirated by Philippine Star and other newspapers na nagbubukas like Manila Times. So yun. Pumasok ako, pumasok brother ko una. I followed. Sabi ko, "Could I come in also? 'Cause maybe I could try out the summer job for encoding while I'm out of school for a while." Sabi ko ganoon. So they (appointed) me for computer encoding parang summer job lang. Eh someone endorsed me to an opening for sports writing. (He said) "Do you want to train for…" Parang training lang. Pumasok ako sige kasi while in La Salle I was doing some work for newsletter ng Engineering Technology. Phase out na yung course na yon. And the rest is history.

Q. So sports-writing is not your personal choice?
A. It became an eventual choice meaning later on I learned to appreciate it as time went on.

Q. But when you first entered it (sports-writing) you just got into it because there's an opening there?
A. Hobby, ganoon. Just wanted to pass away my LOA. Magli-leave of absence gusto ko lang mag-.. tinker with yung mga (skills) ko (to) pass away the time.

Q. Have you written for other publications such as campus publications?
A. Have I written afterwards for campus publications? Nasubukan kong magsulat sa Bineldean.

Q. Also as a sports writer?
A. Yeah. Siguro twice lang, thrice.

Q. How did you get into Manila Standard?
A. Manila Standard. That was around '87. I was just… Sabihin natin na I was doing my rounds sa Rizal Memorial covering the Gintong Alay doing some stories on basketball and mga intervies din. I just hang around there. There was this newspaper na magbubukas. The newly opened Manila Standard. The editors came from Daily Express which just closed down. And he sort of greeted people. Ayon, he hired me. The name is Tony Siddayao.

Q. Right on the spot?
A. It took a while before he hired me. Siguro he was scouting me. I was being scouted once. He was scouting around. They took you in. He took me in.

Q. How did he approach you?
A. He approached me. He just told me casually, "Do you want a job?"

Q. What did you say?
A. "Ah sir, I'll see". You know in a very casual manner I accepted the offer verbally right there and then. Siguro a week later. I told them I was still working for (PNA). Siguro maybe I could just try out muna. While in PNA, I tried out. What I wanted was to go back to school na rin after one year. But it didn't materialize dahil I got this job offer already.

Q. How young were you then?
A. I was twenty. Twenty-one na ko after that. When I got into Manila Standard.

Q. Have you ever been a cub reporter?
A. Yes.

Q. How was it like?
A. Parang nobody knows you. There were times when nobody wants to talk to you. Even the elders. The older sportswriters will not talk to you if they see that you know that you don't know what you're doing.

Q. Are you one of those who had undergone training na sometimes the editors are making you do things or playing tricks on you?
A. The editors play tricks on me?

Q. Or making you go to some place and this place is non-existent?
A. It never happened to me.

Q. Who (is) your first editor?
A. My first editor (is) Gerry Carpio. He is now with Philippine Star.

Q. Can you describe him?
A. Tahimik. Quietly guides you along (on) what you're doing. Siguro later on he leads by example.

Q.(Was) he very strict in deadlines?
A. Nung time na yon hindi. Mas strikto sa deadlines si Tony Siddayao.

Q. Tony Sidayao (is)…?
A. My second editor. Siya yung nagbigay sa akin ng intensive training talaga.

Q. Paano sya mag-train?
A. Yung training na binibigay nya is… He lets you get into the results. Lets you interview. Gives you an hour's deadline to write your story.

Q. How long were you under him (his supervision)?
A. Mga nine to ten years.

Q. What was your first beat?
A. Under him? ( I nodded) Basketball.

Q. In?
A. PBL.

Q. Any important lessons from your first beat, unforgettable experiences?
A. Yung important lesson from (my) first beat is never ever give in to pressures of deadline.

Q. How did you arrive at this?
A. At this conclusion? Yung idea na yon? When I was a young person (when) I was writing a story , it took me an hour to do a story on golf. In the first hour I was only doing three paragraphs. They decided not to use my story and use a press release. Later on, they never gave me that assignment again. Another case, I was covering the PBL and the game ended at 7:00. The phone lines at Manila Standard (ay) medyo nasira. I was supposed to dictate my story or fax my story. I went up to another place and there was this young-looking person using the phone for a very long time- mga one hour. When I finally- Tumawag na ako ng storya, hindi na gagamitin ang storya ko. At hindi na rin ako i-a-assign sa PBL because I did not meet my deadline.

Q. So these cases happen often?
A. Yeah. You get suspended from that beat. They pull you out of the assignment.

Q. Are there any other journalist under that beat- basketball?
A. Marami. Yun ang mga worst na nangyayri sa sports-writer pag hindi nya nagagawa yung trabaho nya on time. He gets replaced as quickly as possible.

Q. Sino pa po yung ibang kasama nyo under that beat?
A. During that time. There was Bobby Rondes nung panahon na yun. Si Manny Angeles.

Q. Do you know where they are now?
A. Manny Angeles is now the Public Relations Officer of the MBA.

Q. And then the other one?
A. The other one Bobby Rondes is now working for Journal. We also had a writer named Vincent Santos from (The) LaSallian din. He was my substitute. Reliever ko sya sa UAAP noon. Back in '88.

Q. What was your first article published in The Manila Standard?
A. My first article published in The Manila Standard (pauses and thinks) Tagal na kasi eh. Siguro basketball, PBL. Atsaka National Student's Championship.

Q. When you saw your article on the paper did you recognize it?
A. I did not recognize it. It was heavily rewritten.

Q. So does that mean that sportswriting is very technical?
A. It is technical writing.

Q. Any difficulties learning the terminology, on the style of writing? What were the difficulties you've encountered?
A. Halimbawa, sa golf. How do you distinguish a birdie? Minsan when the hole is par 5. When a hole is par 4. How do you recognize a birdie and a bogie? Mga ganoon. Kasi before I used to have problems. I get confused on what a bogie is, what a birdie, or an eagle, or a hole-in-one.

Q. How did you prepare yourself for sportswriting? How did you improve on that?
A. How did I improve on sportswriting? One thing I did was read the Strunk and White. Alam mo yung Strunk and White: Elements of Style ? ( I shake my head). After coverage I sometimes make it a point to approach technical people- referees, table officials -and let them lecture me on the ins and outs of what they are doing. Talking to technical people helps a lot. For example, after a coverage, lalapit ako sa- for example, this referee made a controversial call. I talk to him explaining to him that I would not write this on my story. Explaining to him how do these things happen.

Q. Did you ever attempt to play the sport?
A. I did.

Q. Did it help?
A. Basketball?

Q. Yes.
A. Lagi akong natutulak eh.

Q. Eh sa golf?
A. Sa golf? Laging lumalampas sa puno ang bola.

Q. You have been with The Standard for 12 years. Any major changes?
A. Major changes? Style siguro.

Q. What particularly?
A. Medyo matigas ang style eh. I was very technical sa mga terminologies (before). Ngayon hindi na. It has to be a little smoother.

Q. What about Manila Standard itself? What is its location then? Was it still in Port Area before?
A. No, it started sa Makati. Yung dating Jaka Building. That's where it started. It started with Rod Reyes, the Press Secretary ngayon.

Q. When you came it was in Makati?
A. Yeah. It was in Makati. A small office na kasama Midday which is the, that was the afternoon paper of Malaya noong araw. Rod Reyes was still the editor-in-chief and the trouble-shooter of the paper. Under Elizalde pa sya. Tapos yung daughter nya, Teresa, was his personal secretary.

Q. When did Manila Standard transfer to Port Area? What year?
A. Around 1990. After it was bought by the-siguro-Sorianos.

Q. What about the facilities? The kind of computers you use?
A. We're using lowtech computers. Mga 286, 386 na LA ang systems.

Q. When you first entered Manila Standard?
A. We were using Macintosh for our layout, page layout.

Q. Submitting in floppy disks?
A. Hindi. Hindi. Reporters still use the typewriter. Typwriter pa kami until, say, 1995 or '94. Through typewriter lang.

Q. So you submit the hard copies to the editor?
A. Oo.

Q. Now?
A. You want to know how articles are submitted? (I nod) '87 phone in lang. Bantang 1990, nauso yung fax machine. That started yung magdadala ka ng typewriter- electronic typewriter, magfa-fax ka. Or lately since '94, '95 doon nauso yung laptop na magkakaroon ng modem ka. Pero kokonti lang gumagamit ng modem.

Q. Do you use (a modem)?
A. Ngayon, ako, hindi pa. Siguro by next year nakalap-top na 'ko.

Q. Who's the publisher of The Standard when you first entered?
A. The publisher was Elizalde. Manda Elizalde (of) the Elizalde Group of Companies.

Q. Other editors?
A. Si Rod Reyes nandoon sya. Andy del Rosario. Tapos nawala na. Ang daming nawala e.

Q. What about your contemporaries?
A. Contemporary reporters? Sino ba? Manny Angeles, Bobby Rondes nasa Journal. Tapos yung nga iba. There was one John Dodson. He's now an editor of Pinoy Times. Edwin Gabutina, now the sports editor of Today.

Q. Those you have mentioned, are they still on the paper?
A. Rocky Nazareno kasama doon. Inquirer na sya ngayon. Writes for Malacañang sa Inquirer. (Mr. Atencio later on added Jean Matanum of Manila Bulletin in his list of contemporaries.)

Q. A news reporter na?
A. Yeah. Oo.

Q. But he was a sportswriter?
A. Yes.

Q. Describe your working relationship.
A. With? With whom?

Q. With your editor first?
A. As a rookie medyo ako ah… sabihin natin… I was being asked to go to places. So there are times na, most of the times I was (boggling out) of the assignment. I was being pulled out of the assignment. There was a time in my life in my sportswriting career lagi akong sinususpend sa assignment, na pu-pull out sa assignment because I wasn't doing it right. I was asking the wrong questions. I was writing the wrong stories. I was getting misinformed. I was late in submitting stories. All those things.

Q. What about your working relationship with other reporter?
A. My working relationship with them is… In what way?

Q. Is there a friendly atmosphere among you?
A. There's a friendly atmosphere among sportswriters in all newspapers.

Q. Is that essential?
A. Yeah.

Q. Very? As in do you think it will reflect on the paper itself?
A. So long as it does not prejudice your job.

Q. Back then how many hours a week do you work?
A. Usually I leave the house at 12 noon and come home mga 8:00, 9:00 to 12 ganoon.

Q. Everyday?
A. Yeah. Usually ang working time ko, pagbasketball usually it starts at 3:00. Nage-end sya ng 8:00 siguro mga five hours lang. Ganoon. Usually less than pa nga eh. Kaya yon you have more time for lakwatsa.

Q. Do you take vacations?
A. I do take vacations. Vacations on weekends or weekdays?

Q. The occasional vacations. One week vacations.
A. Lately wala pa.

Q. Back then?
A. I had vacations siguro two days lang.

Q. What about pag-off season?
A. Siguro I take a one week vacation.

Q. But you don't write for other events?
A. I write other events aside form basketball. Chess, tennis, kahit ano, sari-sari.

Q. What about salary and other benefits?
A. Salary for correspondents, you earn per artcle. Then you get transportation allowance and you have SSS and the works. Pag-out of town ka, you get carpe diem allowance then a transportation allowance. If the organizer can't provide for a hotel you get your hotel allowance.

Q. Can you say that being a sports journalist, let's say, it would provide you a comfortable lifestyle?
A. What do you mean?

Q. You are compensated well.
A. Compensated well? Yeah. If you know how to manage your resources well.

Q. Any memorable editors?
A. Tony Sidayao.

Q. Why?
A. His reputation is… He is known as the dean of sporstwriters. A lot of people under sa kanya are now editors.

Q. So when will you have your turn?
A. When will I have my turn? Siguro five years pa. Ten years pa. I am not sure.

Q. How was Mr. Sidayao when it came to accuracy, ethics, grammar, aspects of sportswriting?
A. He's very, sabihin nating, mabusisi siya roon. Meticulous.

Q. Any memorable colleagues?
A. There's Aldrin Cardona. There's Jimdo Gulle. And then there's Raffy Japa- the late Raffy Japa. You know Raffy Japa Cup? (I shake my head) Sa PBA meron ngayong Raffy Japa Cup, (a) basketball tournament held in favor (of him) every year since he died.

Q. In memory of him?
A. He's one of the memorable persons, sportswriters na nakasama ko.

Q. Why is he so memorable?
A. Alam mo yung tibak diba? Yung ibig sabihin ng tibak? Aktibista. This guy came from UP, aktibista siya. Supposed to be mga beat nya on human rights and things like that. He chose to be a sportswriter. He is the first hippie sportswriter I've ever worked with. Coming to work in long hair, medyo hippie look. Looks hippie. Beard and all and writing sports. You wouldn't think he's a sportswriter. He is known for his writing style. I learned from him. Tapos he became an editor. Then he died. He was a founder. He made a lot of things (happen). He vote(d) for the benefits and rights of the Bulletin reporters nung nag-i-strike. Tapos when he went to Standard, he tried to teach me a lot of tennis, tennis writing. He developed my writing skills in a lot of things. He doesn't let me do light work. How to gather (information), how to do an interview fast and quick without your sources saying "No comment". Basically, he thought me that interview to avoid the "No comment" statement.

Q. How do you handle that?
A. How do I handle the "No comment" thing? To handle a "No comment" situation, so to avoid the "No comment" situation, kailangan nag-research ka na sa backgroung nung event. Sa background ng taong yon, yung kinakausap mong taong you who you will expect to say "No comment". By the time you interview him, he could never say "No comment" to you. You'll have enough background material to cover up with that "No comment" question.

Q. What were your best memories as a young reporter?
A. Best memories? My first assignment in the Palarong Pambansa. In Lucena City with Raffy Japa.

Q. Why is it the best?
A. Kasi ang expectation ko sa assignment na 'yon it would be a very tense coverage. We would be going everywhere trying to meet deadlines. That was the time I learned to manage a deadline. The do's and don'ts of managing a deadline.

Q. What event were you covering?
A. The Palaro in general. I was gathering all the result. Raffy was writing all the stories.

Q. Has your experience been enjoyable? Has it been enjoyable being a sportswriter?
A. Until now? Yeah. Right now I meet colorful people.

Q. I noticed that most of your beats are in basketball. Do you play it yourself?
A. No, hardly play it anymore.

Q. But you don't have difficulties on writing?
A. No difficulties. I get to avoid that. I interview. Nag-I-interview ako after the game. Even though wala na yon sa story ko yung event na yon. I make it a point to do an interview after every game. Parang for background lang. In future stories, you'd know what you're writing. And you'd avoid people saying "No comment" to you.

Q. You've been covering the UAAP for 12 years. Why that long? Anything special about it?
A. It's not that special, really. Siguro kasi I follow up on tips eh. School officials from a lot of schools would tip me and give me information that there is something happening in this sports event. I need a background information. Parang ginawa ko kasi I just needed to train myself. Ginawa ko sa UAAP, I was trying to train myself to cover different events. Parang sa akin, I felt that covering the UAAP would help me understand these different sports events better if in case I write, in case dumating yung time na kailangang magsulat ako, for example, tennis. There's a big international tennis competition and I don't know how to cover tennis. How would I learn to cover it? By covering a small tennis event the UAAP handled. UAAP had a lot of sports events na nakita ko hindi kino-cover ng ibang newspapers. My editor saw that also. He wanted to train me (on) how to handle these sports events. How to write chess, how to write volleyball properly, get to know the proper contacts for example- name me a sport- table tennis. So ang ginawa niya sa akin he let me cover UAAP for so many years. Parang he felt siguro (and) I felt also na magandang training ground din ito for bigger coverages. So hanggang ngayon nakatulong din naman siguro. It gave me the exposure. It also trained me on learning how to write different sports events. Kasi in UAAP , they also teach you and they also explain to you the technical aspects of certain events. I would have so many questions and they would entertain those questions.

Q. Don't you think you have enough training now. Why are you still covering UAAP?
A. At this point, there are people who call me or tell me that could invite me to that coverage. Paghindi ako available. Atsaka sa ngayon wala pa akong replacement eh. I mean nobody right now has (the skills), I haven't trained anyone yet to replace me (to make) these coverages. For the meantime, ako muna yung nagcocover. Siguro if we get (someone like) Trina Ibarle I'll let her cover it. (Trina Ibarle is a sportswriter for The LaSallian). If we can give her the right exposure. If we can have an opening for people like her, she'd probably be covering these things. Example lang yon ha.

Q. UAAP has been rocked by issues this year just like game fixing. What is your personal stand on how has this affected the reputation of UAAP?
A. The effect is zero effect actually. Almost zero. Why? Cause the earnings of the UAAP last year. The UAAP has earned so much last year. Earnings-wise the earning of the UAAP dipped to 7 percent. The dip is only 7 percent from last year despite the controversy.

Q. Zero talaga?
A. Almost zero effect. Kasi the officials of the UAAP themselves thought na baka raw maapektuhan ang liga. Baka daw bumagsak ang liga dahil don. Their fears were proven wrong later on. When they look at their earnings atsaka yung mga response nila. On how the crowd reacted to the games.

Q. You also covered about the discovery of EJ Feihl and Marlou Aquino. Diba mga rookie po sila non? How were they with reporter? Do they shy away from interviews, do they stammer?
A. Sino yung malaking tao sa Jughead? The big guy, Moose. EJ Feihl would start his sentence with "duh".

Q. What about Marlou Aquino?
A. Marlou Aquino would stammer. And eat by himself.

Q. Was it difficult to draw answers from them?
A. Not really. Cause they have a manager. It was their manager who speaks for them.

Q. Have you talked to them lately?
A. Not yet.

Q. I thought you could compare.
A. The last time I talk to him- si Marlou- was when he came from the PBL.

Q. Did he improve in his communication skills?
A. Communication skills? The same pa rin eh.

Q. Most people think that UAAP is all about basketball. There is this reputation that when you say UAAP, they immediately think of basketball. Do you think the media has to do with this? Do you think they expose basketball, they cover more basketball events other than other events?
A. The recent survey shows that basketball is the most popular sports in the Philippines. Siguro ang kailangan natin in Philippines sports now is a more diversified coverage. Yun ang kulang natin. There are some editors who get writers and (let them) stick to covering basketball. When these writers finally learn how to write basketball… Minsan, there is a tendency to forget that there are other sports events na kailangan nilang ma-train magsulat.

Q. Are the editors improving now? Are they letting their editors cover other events?
A. There are some writers that, there are writers who cover other events (other than basketball). Pero kokonti lang sila eh.

Q. Most are still cramped in basketball.
A. Most are stuck with basketball.

Q. The Bureau of Investigation I think nowadays are very hot on Fil-Am (basketball) players. So what is your personal stand on the issue? Is it fair that players who train from other countries would come here and then they would limit the chance of local talents to enter the league?
A. My stand in that area is dapat the agents and the people who hire them, first of all should take care of their papers before they let them (enter) into the country. Para walang discrimination.

Q. But is it okay that they were trained elsewhere but they came to the country. What about our local talents?
A. Siguro limited participation from the Fil-Ams is okay. Pero kailangan mas may-emphasis to build the Filipino players din. Tama yung naririnig ko dati sa isang opinion na there should be no direct hiring of Fil-Ams dapat they should go to the draft system. Doon nagkamali yung PBA officials siguro. They allowed the direct hiring system to come into play.

Q. What is the most significant story you've ever covered? Yung naging breakthrough ng career nyo?
A. Ang daming storya na eh.

Q. Just one.
A. Siguro the first articles on EJ Feihl and Marlou Aquino would be one.

Q. Why?
A. Because… One of the few articles, one of the few situations I myself had the personal satisfaction to see them grow into what they are right now. Knowing when they were younger nobody was… walang pumapansin sa kanila. They were just there playing basketball. They were just kids who were just too tall for their age moving around UST. Then yon, the fact that seeing them now all grown up. Giving you parang… (spreading his hands) You had an article diba? What was the most significant article you did? To you?

Q. The Drug Article (I am a reporter for The LaSallian and I made an article together with two of my staffmates pertaining to the use of drugs in DLSU and why the University made it into the Drug Watch List.)
A. What about that?

Q. It was scientific kasi we ran statistics eh. It was really well-written. And others were saying na "Ganito pala iyon." They were talking to us about that. Compared to the usual articles.
A. Parang walang pumapansin sa'yo. Yun na nga yon. The satisfaction that you get on writing those articles. Yun na nga. Yung napapa-… (gesturing with his hands). You mean people pinapansin ka. Your readers are saying are talking to you aside from your peers diba? Kasi the praises or the congratulations from your peers are different from the praises from your readers.

Q. Which is more important?
A. From your readers or from your sources. Dahil alam mo you're in the right direction. Sometimes kung ang peers mo lang ang nagpre-paraise sayo o the one commenting on your article, there must be something wrong on how you write your article, di ba? Kasi that was the time also na 'yung EJ Feihl story din that I realized na there are other things na there are many stories na hindi (nasusulat)… Maraming bagay na hindi that have been left, parang, unwritten. Mga unwritten stuff na dapat ma-expose. That was a breakthrough for me. That was the time that encouraged me to (cover) the UAAP more and more.

Q. Can you say that somehow Marlou Aquino's and EJ Feihl's status, they owe a little bit of that to you?
A. No.

Q. Why? But you exposed them to the public.
A. I don't give myself credit to that. In their own little way magaling din sila eh. I just did my part.

Q. Did they know that you covered it?
A. They know.

Q. Do they still recognize you? Any thanks? Did they express any gratitude?
A. Hindi . They have this boyish look when they see me.

Q. Really?
A. Yeah.

Q. Those big guys?
A. Yeah. They feel like little boys again.

Q. So how do you feel that they regard you like that?
A. Yon, okay lang. I mean, syempre, as a writer you are glad that they are there already. There was a time when Marlou Aquino would ask for money to buy a burger.

Q. Jollibee?
A. A Jollibee burger. Di ba may ad syang McDonald's diba?

Q. Hindi.
A. Ano ba yung ad nya?

Q. Jollibee.
A. Ay hindi. May ad syang Jollibee diba? He wasn't asking for a Jollibee burger. He was asking for a Big Mac. He was always asking for money to buy Big Mac something like that or cheese burger from McDonald's. Never Jollibee.

Q. Any burger would do?
A. No. He ask for a specific burger- McDonald's. Pero later lang. Ironic nga yon eh. Kinuha sya ng Jollibee.

Q. But he was saying to the public that when he first came to Manila, he was saying to the public that when he first came to Manila, he was looking for a Jollibee store.
A. (Shaking his head) He was looking for Big Mac.

Q. Oh no. Is sportswriting fun for you?
A. Medyo… Yeah I do. I have fun.

Q. Do you see yourself writing after ten years?
A. After ten years. I would be writing and probably back in La Salle.

Q. Back in La Salle? Why?
A. Studying and then teaching.

Q. Communication Arts?
A. Maybe. Kasi yon ang goal ko eh. I wanna go back to school again.

Q. Any future plans aside form going back to school?
A. Future plans so far is going to school and then teaching. Then basically they are the immediate plans ko eh.

Q. When do you plan to go back?
A. Hopefully, next year or the next two years. If not, I'll probably accept a standing scholarship in UP.