Tin: Good afternoon po, sir. I’m Kimberly Tin po and...

Estarija: And I’m Corinna Estarija.

Tin: OK. For the record po, sir, please state your name.

Bas: My name is Rene Q. Bas. B-A-S

Tin: OK. Now, our project po is about.. is an oral history po of journalists, of Filipino journalists. Tapos, our series of questions po are about your life- how you started as a journalist.

Bas: OK.

Tin: So yun po. First, what made you decide to work po for the media?

Bas: You know, like everything, many people do things without a real plan. In my case, my father was an editor, so I became interested in journalism. I would not even say interested. I grew up with- my father was an editor. I had two, an uncle and an auntie who were journalists. I was just exposed but what I really wanted to be was either a lawyer or a doctor. But in college, I found myself writing. And then I found myself being in the school paper, and being an editor. And then when I finished, I had friends who were already in the national newspapers, and I needed a fixed income immediately, and the only thing I knew I could do was write and be a journalist. That’s how I ended up being a journalist with The Manila Times before Martial Law, ganun.

Estarija: So, sir, you started, as in from the start Manila Times na?

Bas: Yeah yeah.

Estarija: Ah OK. Straight out of college?

Bas: Yeah, my first job was with the Manila Times, with the Sunday Times Magazine, not with the newspaper, ganun. And then, after a while, I left newspapering because I fell in love and got married and you need money, more income. Mahina lang ang salary ng mga journalists eh. And luckily, I was being offered a job by an American advertising company, J. Walter Thompson. At that time, it was the biggest advertising agency in this country. So, I took the job, was with J. Walter Thompson for some years. But, while being with J. Walter Thompson as a publicity writer first, and then finally I became the head of the PR department, all the while, I was contributing articles to the Free Press, the Graphic, and the Sunday Magazine of the Manila Times, my old newspaper. But, I really, in my blood, the newspapering profession was there. I wanted to be back in the newspaper industry. And then one day, my former boss in the Sunday Times Magazine was hired to edit The Asia Magazine in Hong Kong. At that time, we Filipino journalists were always being taken out of our country to open new newspapers in English around the region- Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia. So my former boss got the Asia Magazine editorship and, I think, after a year and a half there, he offered me a job in Hong Kong in The Asia magazine. So, I joined him and there I was still being a journalist again. I left J. Walter Thompson, went to Hong Kong. And then our company, The Asia Magazine was being asked to help open newspapers and magazines in Singapore. I was in Hong Kong but I went to Singapore also, and helped set up some publishing projects there. This boss of mine came back to Manila in 19 something, when was that. After Martial Law. Ah no no. Martial Law. 1976 or something like that. But I stayed on abroad. I only came back to the Philippines in 1990. So, ang tagal ko abroad. Ang tagal ko. Hong Kong, Singapore, a little bit in the States, you know, ganyan. Always with a newspaper group- a magazine or newspaper group. Ganun.

Tin: So yung first exposure niyo po, is yung nung college po, to print media. Dun po kayo nagstart?

Bas: Yes, yes. Well, even in high school. As I told you- when your father is an editor, yung auntie, yung uncle, mga writer sila. So even when I was a high school student, active yung school publishing, ano eh, I think even now may mga dyaryo lahat eh, even high school. So, hindi naman ako naging editor nung high school paper namin, Arellano High ako eh. But I was contributing. I was contributing to the Tagalog, dalawa yung newspapers namin eh, Tagalog and English. I was contributing pero wala sa mind ko na magiging katulad ako ng father ko na professional journalist. Kita ko ang hirap ng trabaho ng editor. Hindi naman mayaman, wala naman kami, you know; we were more or less, OK lang. Ganun, pero bakit wala kaming kotse? Parang ganun, bakit yung mga kaibigan ko may kotse yung iba? But we were better off than others. Like one of my best friends anak ng bumbero, pero yung isa anak ng may tindahan tsaka may puto- gumagawa ng puto. Minsan binibigyan ako ng puto. You know how it is, we sometimes we visit each other’s homes. Tuwang tuwa ako dun sa pamilya na gumagawa ng puto. Anyway. Ganun. Hindi naman negative yung journalism sa mind ko. I had… my mother’s eldest brother was a doctor, very successful, so I wanted to be a doctor. Tapos yung ninong ko naman, was a lawyer. Successful din naman, so lawyer ako or doctor, ganyan. But the reality, nung ga-graduate na ako, AB Political Science and Philosophy, gusto ko na magtrabaho. Eh ang nandyan lang, may offer sa’yo, gusto mo nang magtrabaho kagad- newspaper. So ayun.

Estarija: So, sir, when you came back from abroad nun 1990, did you come back straight to Manila Times, to work?

Bas: No, no. Ganito yan. Sarado pa bang ang Manila Times nun? Ah, ok. So when I came back, my old colleagues in the Manila Times, nasa iba ibang dyaryo na. Yung Manila Times then, yung editor was my friend Vergel Santos, who, in fact, joined me and Johnny Gatbonton in Hong Kong. Nakasama din naming si Vergel, then he came back earlier than me then naging editor siya ng Manila Times. Another ex-Manila Times man was the editor of the Manila Standard, Cip Roxas. When I came back home, Mr. dela Rosa, my boss now, the editor of The Manila Times, was writing a column for the Manila Standard. Eh mas kaibigan ko yun, so dun ako nagpunta when I came back as a columnist and as an editorial writer, nagsusulat ng editorial. Yun, then after 1999, si Cip Roxas became the editor of the Manila Times so, sama kami, sama kaming lahat sa kanya. That’s it, mula noon hanggang ngayon nasa Manila Times na. It’s not when I came back, Manila Times kagad. Kasi ibang grupo, although mga kaibigan ko din yun. Ganyan din ang mga dyaryo eh. It’s like a business firm. Maski old firm mo yan, pero iba na yung president ng kompanya, yung vice presidents, pero yung barkada mo sa kompanya na yan nandun na sa other company, dun ka magpupunta. That’s how. But it’s like a big fraternity or sorority. Dahil in the end, magkakilala kayo, noh? Very small ano ito eh, fraternity. Pag nawalan ka ng trabaho eh meron ka kagad. “Yung si Rene umalis ng Manila Times, kunin natin.” Ganun. Of course you have to be seen to be - magaling ka naman nang konti, and masipag ka. Dahil syempre kung mahina na napakatamad pa, then even old friends will not offer a job to me. Like any profession kailangan masipag, nag-iisip, disiplinado. Discipline is very important. You have to meet deadlines and you, araw araw may deadlines, and must write anything you are assigned to write. Yes. What else? Next question.

Estarija: Sir, let’s go to the newspaper.

Bas: You should also be in the picture. Bat ako lang? I will shoot you.

Estarija: Hindi na po kami kailangan dyan. So sir, when you came back to Manila Times.

Bas: The first time?

Estarija: Yes, sir. Was it already located here?

Bas: No. Of course you were not all born yet in those days. Noong araw, the Manila Times was in Santa Cruz, Manila. There’s a street there called Florentino Torres and noong araw, yung Recto was called Azcarraga. So you enter from Recto to Florentino Torres and the old Manila Times was in that place- had its own building. The presses were there, but then when Martial Law was declared, kasi independent paper yung Manila Times, was telling the truth, galit si Marcos sa Manila Times, sinara niya. He closed it down. The Roces family nawalan, na ng dyaryo and it was only re-opened nung dumating na si Cory, ’87.

Tin: Do you still remember sir, ano yung itsura nung office niyo?

Bas: Sa Manila Times? Noon?

Tin: Yung building?

Bas: Walang computer.

Tin: Typewriters?

Bas: Typewriters. Walang mga ganyan. Walang cubicles na ganyan. Maski naman dito, yung mga senior editors ay may mga cubicles. Doon yung open, mga deskmen, mga nasa labas. So, it was like everybody was in open space, wider, bigger. Kasi ngayon, ano, mas mahal ang property kaya mas compact. But basically, the same. The only difference is instead of the computer and monitor, the typewriter was in front of you. But I remember yung pinaka.. traffic- editor for traffic namin. Di ba, in charge of copy, kung ano na yung natapos niyo na stories, siya ang magbibigay sa copyeditor at magpapadala sa typesetting. Yung nakikita niyo sa mga cartoons or mga old movies ng journalism yung may sombrero pero parang ano lang para wag masilawan. Yung baseball hat na bukas ang tuktok.

Tin: Visor!

Bas: Visor! That’s the word. Our ano was a lady, si Pat Carrion ang pangalan niya. Very nice person but medyo tomboyish. Siya ang in charge sa lahat ng tapusin niyo storya, sa kanya mo dadalhin. Dahil she will be the one to send it to production, para ma-typeset. Typesetting pa nun eh, hot metal. So siya naka-visor siya. Ngayon wala nang ganyan. Controlled na nang konti yung lighting. Hindi naman masisira yung mata ko kung hindi ka naka-visor.

Estarija: Bigger spaces, sir? Bigger building?

Bas: Well, malaki yung Manila Times building. I think it was a 7-storey bilding. Noong unang panahon eh mataas na yung 7-storeys. The basement and the ground floor where the press was and ground floor, nandun yung mga tellers and mga pagtanggap ng ads, yon. The second floor was where the photographic department and yung mga production departments. The third floor yung the office of the main newspaper, the daily. Kami nasa fourth floor, yung magazines- the Sunday Times Magazine, the Mirror Magazine, the Weekly Women’s Magazine, the Progress Yearbook. Ang dami, and daming magazines dun. Ganun. Mas maluwag yung ano namin.

Tin: Air-conditioned na po ba kayo, sir, nun?

Bas: Oo, may air-condition na. Pero mahina. Mas gusto ko naman- kasi ginawin ako eh. Ngayon dito, pag pinaandar nang husto yung aircon, kaya you see I have a jacket. Pag malakas yung air-con kahit naka-barong ako, maski anong suot ko, lalagyan ko ng jacket sa ibabaw.

Tin: How about, sir, the people, the publisher- could you describe them for us. Your colleagues.

Bas: My colleagues? OK. Right now? Or before? OK, before. Talaga, up to now he is one of the most respected journalists in this country. Juan Gatbonton ang pangalan, Juan T. Gatbonton. He helped improve my writing. He helped improve my choice of books to read. Naging idolo ko siya talaga, noh. Then, He’s an expert in Asia. But he’s not only a journalist, he’s also a short story writer- a prize-winning short story writer. Beautiful short stories. Galing niya talaga. Galing, galing talaga. Napakabait, very caring, hindi mo pa sinasabi alam niya na may problema ka. “Bakit? Ganun ba?” If he has a solution he will help you solve it, or he will call up somebody who can help you with your problem. Yun, si Johnny Gat, very well-respected. Many presidents wanted him to be one of their advisers. But he doesn’t like it so much. But paminsan-minsan, pag ganun na ang level mo, you are pushed na eh. Wala ka nang.. more or less, all presidents have asked him to write something for them. Or yung mga secretaries of foreign affairs, pag may medyo importanteng kailangan closed door meeting, sasama siya sa pag-aanalyze ng problema because he’s an analyst. My boss now, si Fred, present editor and publisher, also parang ganung klaseng tao din eh. Really, I’m so lucky to have friends who are officemates and superior, one rank above me pero ang galing, galing talaga. Mabait na, magaling pa. And they trust me. Sabi ko bakit kaya? Because when I was in high school, I had an older friend also na maraming naturo sa akin. He was a boxer. Maliit ako-I was a small guy sa klase. I was much younger than the others. Mga kaklase ko were 7, or even 10 years older than me kasi na-promote ako. Pero ito, he was a Kapampangan. Johnny Gat is Kapampangan and Fred is also Kapampangan. So, baka ang karma ko magkaroon ng Kampampangan na bestfriend, kaibigan, boss, and mentor. Kasi ganun- high school, well, college hindi, pero professional life. Si Johnny, tapos si Fred. Bakit mga Kapampangan nagiging close sa akin? I’m not Kapampangan. Ganun. Tapos yung naman older than Johnny, bilib na bilib din ako, at napasama ako sa kanilan. Alam niyo ba yung LJC restaurant chain?

Tin: Adriatico? Café Adriatico?

Bas: Cafe Adriatico. Galing. The man who owns that, kasama ko sa Asia Magazine. Ma ano rin yan, hindi siya nag- Manila Times pero yung father niya was the editor-in-chief of the Daily Mirror which was the afternoon paper. Noong araw may afternoon paper ang Manila Times eh, afternoon paper of the Manila Times. In addition to being editor of the Daily Mirror, he was the chief editorial writer of the Manila Times newspaper. Kasi may ganun eh. Ang second editorial writer, si Johnny, yung boss ko. I joined him, kasi si Johnny Gat was with the Sunday Times Magazine. Ako, one of his assistants. Pero dahil magaling na writer and analyst si Johnny, he was the second editorial writer. Ako naman totoy, pero may kaunting ilalabas. Yung mga editorials na mga tungkol sa Red Cross, Community Chest, Boy Scouts, anniversary ng mga big institutions-pasa sa akin. “ ‘Yan, ‘yan, sulat mo na yan.” Pero yung mga totoong, seryosong editorials, sila. Yung tatay ni Larry Cruz, si Abe Cruz, Emilio Aguilar Cruz. Another giant, intellectual giant of this country. Namatay na yun, mga seven years ago or something. If you read books on media, journalism, ganun, mababasa niyo yung pangalan niya, Emilio Aguilar Cruz. Ano pa?

Estarija: Sir, how would you compare yung, the publishers, the editors, your colleagues of today to that of before?

Bas: Mas, ano, siguro. Maybe I am prejudiced because I sort of belong to the before. What you mean is yung ngayon. Estraija: Kung i-cocompare po sa before.

Bas: Noon, everybody was so patriotic. Ngayon, everybody claims to be a nationalist na matapang. Pero, there’s a difference eh between. Noong araw, maski medyo pro-American yung tao na yun, basically, mahal niya itong Pilipinas talaga. Ngayon, maraming talking, talking, talking, nationalism, pero in the end, the next thing you know, nagma-migrate palagi. Of course me, I worked abroad for so long but, you know, I never changed my passport. I’m always a Filipino. My advantage is nasa Hong Kong lang naman ako, 3, 4 times a year, on assignment from my newspaper, my magazine, pupunta ako sa Pilipinas. So parang hindi rin ako umalis. Pag may changes, naiiba, nakikita ko agad. Unlike those mga nag-migrate sa Europe o sa States, pagbalik dito after 3 or 4, 5 years, may culture shock na. Hindi na sanay magjeep or bus. Ako, 3, 4 times a year nandito, so wala naman. Buhay Hong Kong, Singapore, Maynila, OK pa rin. So, yun ang napansin ko. Secondly, a lot of young people in the trade, journalism, medyo ata deficient ang English kaysa sa amin. And even yung Tagalog. Even yung vocabulary sa Tagalog, atsaka to write well in Tagalog, medyo ano.. Bakit ganun, hindi ko maintindihan. Although maraming very brilliant, na magaling magsulat ng sine, nobela. I’m not saying nawala yun, pero sa amin noong araw, even the lowest reporter, pag naging reporter ka, ibig sabihin not a single grammatical error will appear in your report. No grammatical errors, maaring hindi ka gaanong magaling na writer, kaya lang the way you organize your story, it’s not so good. Pero hindi yung ma-mimix up mo yung grammar, yung tenses. Ngayon, hindi lang dito, ha, sa Times. But in all the newspapers, you find some people that have no mastery of either English or Tagalog. How can these people have been hired as reporters, noh? Merong marunong pumili ng, I mean, marunong mag-interview at least, nakakapagdala ng storya. Pero deficient. Kasi meron kaming Tagalog paper din ano, Kabayan, tsaka magazine. Tinitingan ko yung mga copy na pinadadala ng mga reporters. Tagalog- medyo saliwa. Medyo may diperensya yung sentence na ito. Tagalog na yan, so parang lagging kailangan i-copyedit.

Tin: Sir, would you say po yung working environment, same pa rin as before, friendly?

Bas: Ah yes. Hindi nagbabago yung working environment. Like in the case of our younger editors, staff members, sila. Ang friendship naming ganun na lang. Among them, the younger people, ganun din- biruan. Yung mga magkakabarkada.

Estarija: Sir, so, ganun din yung working environment, the same with the reporters naman. When you get together you can parang identify “Oy!”

Bas: Pareho, pareho kasi nasa tao na rin yan eh. Ano pa? Ah eto. Big difference is, in my day, pratically everybody was Church-going. Normal yung paniniwala sa Diyos, ganun. Sakaling may mga, karamihan sa amin medyo pilyo, but we all knew na “Bawal yan, bat natin ginagawa?” Ngayon, more and more people don’t seem to really care about those things. Sayang.

Estarija: Sir, what do you mean? Like Sundays, ganun?

Bas: Oo. Like your Sundays and holy days of obligation, and whether, you know. Even the belief in God, very tolerant na “Ah OK, eto bang si Rene, seryoso ba yang nagsisimba talaga? OK ka ah.” “Ah si sir Rene pala seryosong Katoliko pala yan.” Sa atin ang normal yung hindi, yung hindi seryoso yung paniniwala mo. He does not have to be a Catholic. He could be a Protestant, seryoso talaga sa faith na yan. Ngayon, more people have faith as a small part of their lives or thinking. It’s true. Nakakapanghinayang, pero ganyan din naman all over the world.

Tin: Sir, how about your working conditions po - like the number of hours in the office, salary?

Bas: Pareho din. Kasi may laws yan eh- kailangan bibigyan mo ng leave. Maaring ganun lang. Of course, ngayon mas maraming holidays na ganun. Siguro for normal people. Pero kami naman sa media, walang holidays. Maski i-declare ni Gloria holiday ang buong buwan eh..

Estarija: Even Holy Week?

Bas: We have one day sa Holy Week na.. dalawa yata. Dalawa yata this year. Oo, tama. Good Friday, walang issue. That means, Holy Thursday, wala kayong pasok. OK, OK. Holy Thursday and Good Friday walang pasok kasi Good Friday and Holy Saturday, walang issue. Pero, Saturday papasok ka na dahil Easter Sunday may issue na kayo, ganun.

Estarija: Even before?

Bas: Even before. Kaya lang, the whole Manila Times, mas mayaman. We were the number one newspaper, so mas maraming staff. So, maybe for the Christmas holidays, may skeleton crew that will work. Pero yung skeleton crew, marami-rami din yun. Eh ngayon kami talagang bilang na bilang ang personnel. I was telling you when you were here before. We’ve become a smaller newspaper compared to the Manila Bulletin and the Inquirer. Each one of us is doing the work of three to four persons. But compared to the old Manila Times, kami yung parang Inquirer nun eh. Ang dami eh. Mas komportable dahil mas mayaman na dyaryo eh.

Tin: Sir, for how long are your leaves? How long are you allowed in a year?

Bas: Supposedly, by law, everybody is supposed to have a two-week leave. But, in the end, we don’t take it, ‘cause you need to work. You get compensated by having a thirteen-month pay, mga ganun. Bonus, bonus. But, kasi, it’s also the same with TV stations. Lagi kang nandun eh. So ok, supposed to have two-weeks leave, you’re still working eh so sa bayad na lang, sweldo, I mean, bonus. Bonus kapalit nun.

Estarija: Sir, how about your salaries before?

Bas: Higher now. Compared to the average rate, ibig sabihin, minimum wage, government rate. Journalists are getting.. Ang salary level ng mga journalists ngayon, not only in the Manila Times, but Inquirer, Bulletin; parang ka-level na rin ng mga nagtatrabaho sa advertising agency na yung.. Iba-iba rin yung agency eh. You work, let’s say, for J. Walter Thompson or Dentsu. Na talagang malalaki, pag ganyan yung level talagang parang Stateside yung sweldo ng mga tao eh. Pero noong araw yung salaries ng mga reporter tsaka editors, talagang just a little bit better than government employees. Sakripisyo talaga. Kaya karamihan nagsa-sideline as writers for politicians, for businessmen, ganun. May sariling kita.

Tin: Sir, how about your deadlines, were they as demanding?

Bas: Pareho. Kasi at a certain time, everything you write must be ready kasi production time na. Gagawa na ng dyaryo, the printing must happen.

Estarija: Sir, were you ever a cub reporter?

Bas: Hindi, kasi my first job was as an editorial assistant kagad. Editorial assistant dahil sa magazine eh. Hindi ako nag-cub reporter. Tapos, for the magazine, nagrereport ka, ikot ng interview. That’s something I missed. But some, many people become cub reporters. Dito,‘pag uumpisahan niyo, magca-cub reporter.

Tin: Sir, were you ever at the field site po?

Estarija: Did you ever go out?

Bas: Yes.

Tin: What was your first beat?

Bas: It wasn’t a beat. Dahil magazine eh. Sa magazine, halo-halo, but my beat was politics and culture. So, I went out to Angono, ininterview ko si Carlos Francisco, yung muralist.

Estarija: Yung artist!

Bas: Bata pa siya. Photographer, kinunan siya. I wrote an article about him. Bago ako umalis, binigyan niya ako ng drawing. Carlos Francisco! Yun naman ang bonus ng nasa newspaper. So, nag-ganun ganun. Ano pa ba? I interviewed Oscar Yatco, yung conductor. Mga ganun. Sa mga pulitika, si Marcos, mga ganyan, mga politicians. But I was not writing for a beat na araw-araw manghihingi ka ng news, o may naamoy amoy ka. Magazine yun. At sa magazine gustong gusto nila dahil nagiging bida sila. Hindi naman pinupuntahan yung medyo pangit na tao, unless, unless. What’s the term for that? Unless, he’s an icon of criminality. Merong mga taong ganun eh.

Tin: Any memorable editors po from the past?

Bas: Yun nga, si Emilio Aguilar Cruz, nabanggit ko na kanina. Emilio Aguilar Cruz. Si Juan T. Gatmunton. May mga iba pa dyan. Marami eh. Primitivo Mauricio, who was my editor at the Sunday Times Magazine. There was an American editor of the Manila Times. Citizen na yun ng Pilipinas, David Boguslav. Narinig niyo na yung pangalan nay un? Marami eh. Joe Luna Castro, of course. Meron pa akong kumpareng, he’s in the States now, writing a book about, his memoirs, si Manuel Benitez. Marami eh, with the Daily Mirror, si Johnny Perez.

Estarija: How were they, sir, when it comes to grammar, accuracy?

Bas: Very, very good. Very, very good. Grammar. Accuracy.

Estarija: Very strict, sir?

Bas: Stricto. Yung present editors ng Times siempre strict din kami. Kailangan.. Tsaka, by the way, there’s something. Nowadays, everybody, even cub reporters get a byline. Just to encourage them, kailangan ngayon, lahat ng journalists you keep on encouraging everyday. Kami noong araw, the byline was something very precious. Ang dami mo nang pinagsusulat, tsaka pinaghirapan mong sulatin, ‘pag hindi bilib yung.. unless it’s really very outstanding; basta it will come out as a news story there. Pero ‘pag nakalagay na by Rene Bas or by Kimberly or anything, walang ganyan. Some people isang taon na, wala pang byline. May isang taon ka na, tsaka gumaganda na talaga yung stories na sinusulat mo, tsaka yung scoop. Yan. Byline. Yung real scoop, all the newspapers have the same story, iba lang yung pagkakasulat. Wala. Ngayon, maski na, it’s exactly the same thing, may byline.

Estarija: Sir, what was the attitude of the editors toward deadlines?

Bas: Very, very strict. You have to keep the deadline dahil kung hindi, mumurahin ka. Pagka hindi na-deliver yan dun sa.. pagka late ang printing, sa malalayong lugar- Baguio, Bicol, ganyan, hindi aabot yung.. dahil matatapos na. Dapat when the truck leaves, mga trinu-truck yan o di kaya yung flight, sa Cebu. Hindi na aabot. It has economic consequences. Advertisers, sasabihin “O, hindi naman dumating yung dyaryo sa Cebu.” Babawasan yung bayad sa inyo. Kasi palagay mo, example lang, 100,000 pesos isang page, but that means the whole country. “Eh, hindi naman kayo nakadating sa Visayas and Mindanao kagabi o kahapon eh.” So, percentage. Price cut.

Tin: Any memorable colleagues? Mentors?

Bas: Oh, yeah. Ang dami. Very, very memorable colleague, nawala na eh. He died two years ago. Si Noli, Noli Galang. He was not a writer, he was an artist. He was the art director of our magazine groups and he was one of the artists and art directors of the Sunday Times Magazine. Ang galing galing nun sa typography, mga ganyan. He would choose the type then, mag-iiba yung dating, ang dating magiging iba. There are very few art directors in the Philippines who are masters of typography. Alam niya talaga, kung gusto mong pa-gaanin or pa-bigatin yung itsura ng column na yan. Kung eto yung name ng column, pipiliin niya yung type na tama. Manuel Galang. Noli. Noli. Si Arnold Mors. He’s the best English copy editor in the Philippines – maybe in Southeast Asia.

Estarija: Sir, what were your, parang, best memories as a journalist when you were younger? As a young journalist?

Bas: Best memories? Coverage of China, yung Mao Tse Tung’s Cultural Revolution, mga ganun.

Estarija: When you were part of The Asia Magazine?

Bas: Asia magazine. May mga dyaryo din kami eh, the Asian. Mao Tse Tung, Zhou En Lai. Tsaka yung China nun eh bihira ang nakakapasok, so. Wow. Yun pala, in the end. Drama pala yun. Nung bumagsak na yung regime ni Mao. Kita mo, mahirap din pala katulad natin. Set-up pa la. Impressed na impressed ka. Mga red guards, ang ganda mag-martsa tsaka disiplinado lahat. Yun pala yung inintroduce sa ‘yo na isang commune, talagang model commune yon. Pero ang iba hindi ganoon. Afterwards pala magkakagulo din sila, hindi sumusunod sa disiplina.

Tin: Do you still have memories, sir, of World War II, or Martial Law?

Estarija: EDSA I, EDSA II?

Bas: Martial Law. Yung Magsaysay. Yung mga eleksyon noong araw. Noong araw, people will have their debates at Plaza Miranda. Yung maganda noon, people who ran for president, may pilosopiya. Puro statesmen. Recto never won but may ideas sila. Ngayon, paramihan ng pera at tsaka popularity tsaka walang laman yung mga ano. Yung nakaupo dyan ngayon parang medyo may laman nung lumabas siya. Nagbago. Panahon ni Marcos may laman yan, tatay din nito may laman yan, mga may laman sila. Ngayon, tingin ko pag meron kang mga 1 billion, you run for president, ikaw ako, 1 billion, 2 billion, tapos magaling sa use of media, mananalo siguro tayo. Siguro 10 billion, pambayad siguro sa boto.

Estarija: Sir, during the Martial Law ba, di ba, you were working for The Asia Magazine?

Bas: Yes, wala ako dito. But I was coming here, as I said, three, four times a year.

Estarija: So, once in a while you would see?

Bas: Yes. Yes. Lagi kaming nag-aaway nung taga-immigration, ninenerbyos ako, baka hindi na ako makaalis dahil Filipino passport. Natatakot kasi. “Bakit ka nasa abroad? Anong ginagawa mo sa abroad?” “Hindi mo ba nababasa yan? Newspaper sa abroad? Kaya ako umuuwi dito hindi para bantayan kayo apihin yung bansa natin. Inutusan ako ng dyaryo ko umuwi dito.” “Ano, mayaman ka?” Tapos, banding huli bumabait na din sila, nasanay na sila. Nagiging normal, pero nung first two years talagang nakakatakot eh.

Estarija: Were there articles about the Martial Law happening in the Philippines?

Bas: Abroad? Of course, yes.

Estarija: Mga negative in nature?

Bas: Ah yes, lalo na sa human rights. Pero mga ginamit na articles, talaga namang maraming magandang ginawa si Marcos sa infrastructure, building up industries. Up to now, nandyan pa rin yung some of the things that he did- Super Highway, even the Philippine Cultural Center, si Mrs. Marcos. Kaya lang syempre, may parte dyan na may mga namatay. Basically, kailangan naman talaga magkaroon ng cultural center. But, human rights palaging negative story yan. Madaming nakulong, mga journalists. Ang maganda dun, pag punta ko dito nabibista ko yung mga kaibigan nating nakakulong. Tuwang tuwa naman sila. Yun nga, some fellow journalists, para may kita, binibigyan naming ng assignments sa mga newspapers and magazines namin abroad. Pagka na-iidentify sila dun sa paper namin na abroad yun, napapakawalan kagad dahil natatakot sila pag lalagay namin sa ilalim. “So and so is still a prisoner in Fort Bonifacio.” Nahihiya na yung regime. “Uy, eto. Pakawalan mo na nga yan.” Writer ka, tapos nalagay ka, preso. Introduction to Print Oral History of Rene Q. Bas by Corinna Bianca A. Estarija and Kimberly Ann T. Tin Edited Transcript

Tin: Good afternoon po, sir. I’m Kimberly Tin po and...

Estarija: And I’m Corinna Estarija.

Tin: OK. For the record po, sir, please state your name.

Bas: My name is Rene Q. Bas. B-A-S

Tin: OK. Now, our project po is about.. is an oral history po of journalists, of Filipino journalists. Tapos, our series of questions po are about your life- how you started as a journalist.

Bas: OK.

Tin: So yun po. First, what made you decide to work po for the media?

Bas: You know, like everything, many people do things without a real plan. In my case, my father was an editor, so I became interested in journalism. I would not even say interested. I grew up with- my father was an editor. I had two, an uncle and an auntie who were journalists. I was just exposed but what I really wanted to be was either a lawyer or a doctor. But in college, I found myself writing. And then I found myself being in the school paper, and being an editor. And then when I finished, I had friends who were already in the national newspapers, and I needed a fixed income immediately, and the only thing I knew I could do was write and be a journalist. That’s how I ended up being a journalist with The Manila Times before Martial Law, ganun.

Estarija: So, sir, you started, as in from the start Manila Times na?

Bas: Yeah yeah.

Estarija: Ah OK. Straight out of college?

Bas: Yeah, my first job was with the Manila Times, with the Sunday Times Magazine, not with the newspaper, ganun. And then, after a while, I left newspapering because I fell in love and got married and you need money, more income. Mahina lang ang salary ng mga journalists eh. And luckily, I was being offered a job by an American advertising company, J. Walter Thompson. At that time, it was the biggest advertising agency in this country. So, I took the job, was with J. Walter Thompson for some years. But, while being with J. Walter Thompson as a publicity writer first, and then finally I became the head of the PR department, all the while, I was contributing articles to the Free Press, the Graphic, and the Sunday Magazine of the Manila Times, my old newspaper. But, I really, in my blood, the newspapering profession was there. I wanted to be back in the newspaper industry. And then one day, my former boss in the Sunday Times Magazine was hired to edit The Asia Magazine in Hong Kong. At that time, we Filipino journalists were always being taken out of our country to open new newspapers in English around the region- Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia. So my former boss got the Asia Magazine editorship and, I think, after a year and a half there, he offered me a job in Hong Kong in The Asia magazine. So, I joined him and there I was still being a journalist again. I left J. Walter Thompson, went to Hong Kong. And then our company, The Asia Magazine was being asked to help open newspapers and magazines in Singapore. I was in Hong Kong but I went to Singapore also, and helped set up some publishing projects there. This boss of mine came back to Manila in 19 something, when was that. After Martial Law. Ah no no. Martial Law. 1976 or something like that. But I stayed on abroad. I only came back to the Philippines in 1990. So, ang tagal ko abroad. Ang tagal ko. Hong Kong, Singapore, a little bit in the States, you know, ganyan. Always with a newspaper group- a magazine or newspaper group. Ganun.

Tin: So yung first exposure niyo po, is yung nung college po, to print media. Dun po kayo nagstart?

Bas: Yes, yes. Well, even in high school. As I told you- when your father is an editor, yung auntie, yung uncle, mga writer sila. So even when I was a high school student, active yung school publishing, ano eh, I think even now may mga dyaryo lahat eh, even high school. So, hindi naman ako naging editor nung high school paper namin, Arellano High ako eh. But I was contributing. I was contributing to the Tagalog, dalawa yung newspapers namin eh, Tagalog and English. I was contributing pero wala sa mind ko na magiging katulad ako ng father ko na professional journalist. Kita ko ang hirap ng trabaho ng editor. Hindi naman mayaman, wala naman kami, you know; we were more or less, OK lang. Ganun, pero bakit wala kaming kotse? Parang ganun, bakit yung mga kaibigan ko may kotse yung iba? But we were better off than others. Like one of my best friends anak ng bumbero, pero yung isa anak ng may tindahan tsaka may puto- gumagawa ng puto. Minsan binibigyan ako ng puto. You know how it is, we sometimes we visit each other’s homes. Tuwang tuwa ako dun sa pamilya na gumagawa ng puto. Anyway. Ganun. Hindi naman negative yung journalism sa mind ko. I had… my mother’s eldest brother was a doctor, very successful, so I wanted to be a doctor. Tapos yung ninong ko naman, was a lawyer. Successful din naman, so lawyer ako or doctor, ganyan. But the reality, nung ga-graduate na ako, AB Political Science and Philosophy, gusto ko na magtrabaho. Eh ang nandyan lang, may offer sa’yo, gusto mo nang magtrabaho kagad- newspaper. So ayun.

Estarija: So, sir, when you came back from abroad nun 1990, did you come back straight to Manila Times, to work?

Bas: No, no. Ganito yan. Sarado pa bang ang Manila Times nun? Ah, ok. So when I came back, my old colleagues in the Manila Times, nasa iba ibang dyaryo na. Yung Manila Times then, yung editor was my friend Vergel Santos, who, in fact, joined me and Johnny Gatbonton in Hong Kong. Nakasama din naming si Vergel, then he came back earlier than me then naging editor siya ng Manila Times. Another ex-Manila Times man was the editor of the Manila Standard, Cip Roxas. When I came back home, Mr. dela Rosa, my boss now, the editor of The Manila Times, was writing a column for the Manila Standard. Eh mas kaibigan ko yun, so dun ako nagpunta when I came back as a columnist and as an editorial writer, nagsusulat ng editorial. Yun, then after 1999, si Cip Roxas became the editor of the Manila Times so, sama kami, sama kaming lahat sa kanya. That’s it, mula noon hanggang ngayon nasa Manila Times na. It’s not when I came back, Manila Times kagad. Kasi ibang grupo, although mga kaibigan ko din yun. Ganyan din ang mga dyaryo eh. It’s like a business firm. Maski old firm mo yan, pero iba na yung president ng kompanya, yung vice presidents, pero yung barkada mo sa kompanya na yan nandun na sa other company, dun ka magpupunta. That’s how. But it’s like a big fraternity or sorority. Dahil in the end, magkakilala kayo, noh? Very small ano ito eh, fraternity. Pag nawalan ka ng trabaho eh meron ka kagad. “Yung si Rene umalis ng Manila Times, kunin natin.” Ganun. Of course you have to be seen to be - magaling ka naman nang konti, and masipag ka. Dahil syempre kung mahina na napakatamad pa, then even old friends will not offer a job to me. Like any profession kailangan masipag, nag-iisip, disiplinado. Discipline is very important. You have to meet deadlines and you, araw araw may deadlines, and must write anything you are assigned to write. Yes. What else? Next question.

Estarija: Sir, let’s go to the newspaper.

Bas: You should also be in the picture. Bat ako lang? I will shoot you.

Estarija: Hindi na po kami kailangan dyan. So sir, when you came back to Manila Times.

Bas: The first time?

Estarija: Yes, sir. Was it already located here?

Bas: No. Of course you were not all born yet in those days. Noong araw, the Manila Times was in Santa Cruz, Manila. There’s a street there called Florentino Torres and noong araw, yung Recto was called Azcarraga. So you enter from Recto to Florentino Torres and the old Manila Times was in that place- had its own building. The presses were there, but then when Martial Law was declared, kasi independent paper yung Manila Times, was telling the truth, galit si Marcos sa Manila Times, sinara niya. He closed it down. The Roces family nawalan, na ng dyaryo and it was only re-opened nung dumating na si Cory, ’87.

Tin: Do you still remember sir, ano yung itsura nung office niyo?

Bas: Sa Manila Times? Noon?

Tin: Yung building?

Bas: Walang computer.

Tin: Typewriters?

Bas: Typewriters. Walang mga ganyan. Walang cubicles na ganyan. Maski naman dito, yung mga senior editors ay may mga cubicles. Doon yung open, mga deskmen, mga nasa labas. So, it was like everybody was in open space, wider, bigger. Kasi ngayon, ano, mas mahal ang property kaya mas compact. But basically, the same. The only difference is instead of the computer and monitor, the typewriter was in front of you. But I remember yung pinaka.. traffic- editor for traffic namin. Di ba, in charge of copy, kung ano na yung natapos niyo na stories, siya ang magbibigay sa copyeditor at magpapadala sa typesetting. Yung nakikita niyo sa mga cartoons or mga old movies ng journalism yung may sombrero pero parang ano lang para wag masilawan. Yung baseball hat na bukas ang tuktok.

Tin: Visor!

Bas: Visor! That’s the word. Our ano was a lady, si Pat Carrion ang pangalan niya. Very nice person but medyo tomboyish. Siya ang in charge sa lahat ng tapusin niyo storya, sa kanya mo dadalhin. Dahil she will be the one to send it to production, para ma-typeset. Typesetting pa nun eh, hot metal. So siya naka-visor siya. Ngayon wala nang ganyan. Controlled na nang konti yung lighting. Hindi naman masisira yung mata ko kung hindi ka naka-visor.

Estarija: Bigger spaces, sir? Bigger building?

Bas: Well, malaki yung Manila Times building. I think it was a 7-storey bilding. Noong unang panahon eh mataas na yung 7-storeys. The basement and the ground floor where the press was and ground floor, nandun yung mga tellers and mga pagtanggap ng ads, yon. The second floor was where the photographic department and yung mga production departments. The third floor yung the office of the main newspaper, the daily. Kami nasa fourth floor, yung magazines- the Sunday Times Magazine, the Mirror Magazine, the Weekly Women’s Magazine, the Progress Yearbook. Ang dami, and daming magazines dun. Ganun. Mas maluwag yung ano namin.

Tin: Air-conditioned na po ba kayo, sir, nun?

Bas: Oo, may air-condition na. Pero mahina. Mas gusto ko naman- kasi ginawin ako eh. Ngayon dito, pag pinaandar nang husto yung aircon, kaya you see I have a jacket. Pag malakas yung air-con kahit naka-barong ako, maski anong suot ko, lalagyan ko ng jacket sa ibabaw.

Tin: How about, sir, the people, the publisher- could you describe them for us. Your colleagues.

Bas: My colleagues? OK. Right now? Or before? OK, before. Talaga, up to now he is one of the most respected journalists in this country. Juan Gatbonton ang pangalan, Juan T. Gatbonton. He helped improve my writing. He helped improve my choice of books to read. Naging idolo ko siya talaga, noh. Then, He’s an expert in Asia. But he’s not only a journalist, he’s also a short story writer- a prize-winning short story writer. Beautiful short stories. Galing niya talaga. Galing, galing talaga. Napakabait, very caring, hindi mo pa sinasabi alam niya na may problema ka. “Bakit? Ganun ba?” If he has a solution he will help you solve it, or he will call up somebody who can help you with your problem. Yun, si Johnny Gat, very well-respected. Many presidents wanted him to be one of their advisers. But he doesn’t like it so much. But paminsan-minsan, pag ganun na ang level mo, you are pushed na eh. Wala ka nang.. more or less, all presidents have asked him to write something for them. Or yung mga secretaries of foreign affairs, pag may medyo importanteng kailangan closed door meeting, sasama siya sa pag-aanalyze ng problema because he’s an analyst. My boss now, si Fred, present editor and publisher, also parang ganung klaseng tao din eh. Really, I’m so lucky to have friends who are officemates and superior, one rank above me pero ang galing, galing talaga. Mabait na, magaling pa. And they trust me. Sabi ko bakit kaya? Because when I was in high school, I had an older friend also na maraming naturo sa akin. He was a boxer. Maliit ako-I was a small guy sa klase. I was much younger than the others. Mga kaklase ko were 7, or even 10 years older than me kasi na-promote ako. Pero ito, he was a Kapampangan. Johnny Gat is Kapampangan and Fred is also Kapampangan. So, baka ang karma ko magkaroon ng Kampampangan na bestfriend, kaibigan, boss, and mentor. Kasi ganun- high school, well, college hindi, pero professional life. Si Johnny, tapos si Fred. Bakit mga Kapampangan nagiging close sa akin? I’m not Kapampangan. Ganun. Tapos yung naman older than Johnny, bilib na bilib din ako, at napasama ako sa kanilan. Alam niyo ba yung LJC restaurant chain?

Tin: Adriatico? Café Adriatico?

Bas: Cafe Adriatico. Galing. The man who owns that, kasama ko sa Asia Magazine. Ma ano rin yan, hindi siya nag- Manila Times pero yung father niya was the editor-in-chief of the Daily Mirror which was the afternoon paper. Noong araw may afternoon paper ang Manila Times eh, afternoon paper of the Manila Times. In addition to being editor of the Daily Mirror, he was the chief editorial writer of the Manila Times newspaper. Kasi may ganun eh. Ang second editorial writer, si Johnny, yung boss ko. I joined him, kasi si Johnny Gat was with the Sunday Times Magazine. Ako, one of his assistants. Pero dahil magaling na writer and analyst si Johnny, he was the second editorial writer. Ako naman totoy, pero may kaunting ilalabas. Yung mga editorials na mga tungkol sa Red Cross, Community Chest, Boy Scouts, anniversary ng mga big institutions-pasa sa akin. “ ‘Yan, ‘yan, sulat mo na yan.” Pero yung mga totoong, seryosong editorials, sila. Yung tatay ni Larry Cruz, si Abe Cruz, Emilio Aguilar Cruz. Another giant, intellectual giant of this country. Namatay na yun, mga seven years ago or something. If you read books on media, journalism, ganun, mababasa niyo yung pangalan niya, Emilio Aguilar Cruz. Ano pa?

Estarija: Sir, how would you compare yung, the publishers, the editors, your colleagues of today to that of before?

Bas: Mas, ano, siguro. Maybe I am prejudiced because I sort of belong to the before. What you mean is yung ngayon. Estraija: Kung i-cocompare po sa before.

Bas: Noon, everybody was so patriotic. Ngayon, everybody claims to be a nationalist na matapang. Pero, there’s a difference eh between. Noong araw, maski medyo pro-American yung tao na yun, basically, mahal niya itong Pilipinas talaga. Ngayon, maraming talking, talking, talking, nationalism, pero in the end, the next thing you know, nagma-migrate palagi. Of course me, I worked abroad for so long but, you know, I never changed my passport. I’m always a Filipino. My advantage is nasa Hong Kong lang naman ako, 3, 4 times a year, on assignment from my newspaper, my magazine, pupunta ako sa Pilipinas. So parang hindi rin ako umalis. Pag may changes, naiiba, nakikita ko agad. Unlike those mga nag-migrate sa Europe o sa States, pagbalik dito after 3 or 4, 5 years, may culture shock na. Hindi na sanay magjeep or bus. Ako, 3, 4 times a year nandito, so wala naman. Buhay Hong Kong, Singapore, Maynila, OK pa rin. So, yun ang napansin ko. Secondly, a lot of young people in the trade, journalism, medyo ata deficient ang English kaysa sa amin. And even yung Tagalog. Even yung vocabulary sa Tagalog, atsaka to write well in Tagalog, medyo ano.. Bakit ganun, hindi ko maintindihan. Although maraming very brilliant, na magaling magsulat ng sine, nobela. I’m not saying nawala yun, pero sa amin noong araw, even the lowest reporter, pag naging reporter ka, ibig sabihin not a single grammatical error will appear in your report. No grammatical errors, maaring hindi ka gaanong magaling na writer, kaya lang the way you organize your story, it’s not so good. Pero hindi yung ma-mimix up mo yung grammar, yung tenses. Ngayon, hindi lang dito, ha, sa Times. But in all the newspapers, you find some people that have no mastery of either English or Tagalog. How can these people have been hired as reporters, noh? Merong marunong pumili ng, I mean, marunong mag-interview at least, nakakapagdala ng storya. Pero deficient. Kasi meron kaming Tagalog paper din ano, Kabayan, tsaka magazine. Tinitingan ko yung mga copy na pinadadala ng mga reporters. Tagalog- medyo saliwa. Medyo may diperensya yung sentence na ito. Tagalog na yan, so parang lagging kailangan i-copyedit.

Tin: Sir, would you say po yung working environment, same pa rin as before, friendly?

Bas: Ah yes. Hindi nagbabago yung working environment. Like in the case of our younger editors, staff members, sila. Ang friendship naming ganun na lang. Among them, the younger people, ganun din- biruan. Yung mga magkakabarkada.

Estarija: Sir, so, ganun din yung working environment, the same with the reporters naman. When you get together you can parang identify “Oy!”

Bas: Pareho, pareho kasi nasa tao na rin yan eh. Ano pa? Ah eto. Big difference is, in my day, pratically everybody was Church-going. Normal yung paniniwala sa Diyos, ganun. Sakaling may mga, karamihan sa amin medyo pilyo, but we all knew na “Bawal yan, bat natin ginagawa?” Ngayon, more and more people don’t seem to really care about those things. Sayang.

Estarija: Sir, what do you mean? Like Sundays, ganun?

Bas: Oo. Like your Sundays and holy days of obligation, and whether, you know. Even the belief in God, very tolerant na “Ah OK, eto bang si Rene, seryoso ba yang nagsisimba talaga? OK ka ah.” “Ah si sir Rene pala seryosong Katoliko pala yan.” Sa atin ang normal yung hindi, yung hindi seryoso yung paniniwala mo. He does not have to be a Catholic. He could be a Protestant, seryoso talaga sa faith na yan. Ngayon, more people have faith as a small part of their lives or thinking. It’s true. Nakakapanghinayang, pero ganyan din naman all over the world.

Tin: Sir, how about your working conditions po - like the number of hours in the office, salary?

Bas: Pareho din. Kasi may laws yan eh- kailangan bibigyan mo ng leave. Maaring ganun lang. Of course, ngayon mas maraming holidays na ganun. Siguro for normal people. Pero kami naman sa media, walang holidays. Maski i-declare ni Gloria holiday ang buong buwan eh..

Estarija: Even Holy Week?

Bas: We have one day sa Holy Week na.. dalawa yata. Dalawa yata this year. Oo, tama. Good Friday, walang issue. That means, Holy Thursday, wala kayong pasok. OK, OK. Holy Thursday and Good Friday walang pasok kasi Good Friday and Holy Saturday, walang issue. Pero, Saturday papasok ka na dahil Easter Sunday may issue na.