Q: Good Morning we’re Jillian Menardo and Rina Ramos from La Salle. Um.. Sir, for the record, could you please state your name and your present employment?

A: My name is Cris Paraso and I’m the ‘City Editor’ of Businessworld Publishing Incorporation. What’s the other question, my position, my name and??

Q: employment..

A: Ah, ok.

Q: How did you decide or how did you become a newspaper journalist?

A: How did I become a journalist.. Ahhhmmm, I got the idea, I thought I would not be in this field because in high school, I was then involed in a school organ, so am, I took up Economics in college. Ahhh, thinking that ahh, tama na siguro ‘yung 4 years that I was involved in journalism, only to ah, end up ah, being in this field ah, the interest is there ah, meaning ah, because ever since I have been interested in reading which is very essential actually in the practice and umm, so when the opportunity rose, at that time, actually, I applied in the old Business Day, ah this was ah, before Businewssworld, it was businessday, which was set up in 19.. late 60s, tapos ahh, um, I came, nagexam ako, nagsara ung company that was in 1987, it was a labor problem, And then, my sister Telly, was in, in advertising circuit sabi niya, hindi, malaki un, nasa broadsheet. Tapos, then they called me and that’s when I got my break ah, in the industry and um, I started with that, basically, interest, ah, in me, to read and eventually to put the reading in to writing.

Q: Sir, why of all of the other possible professions, did you choose to become one, a journalist?

A: Why among all professions? Ah, its closely related to that first answer awhile ago, ah, because uhm, for, probably the first uhm, requirement for a journalist is this ah, interest in ah, reading almost anything ah, probably, crucial yun, because some would just want to read novels, fine. Ah some would want to deal with fiction or fictions but you don’t ah, limit yourself to that. You read ah, almost anything of general interest.

Q: Ah, Sir, were there any members of your family in the newspaper business before you, who may have inspired you?

A: I think there’s yes, to answer that, yes and yes. There are ah, I come from a line of a, uhm, newspaper men. My uhm, the brother of my mother ya, other, younger brother, uh, was formerly in the, he was with the, ah, with the old Chronicle. 19… probably, 60s and my uh, his brother with be, formerly with Manila Bulletin. Before he decided na umalis na siya dun. Nagkasama pa nga kami nyan eh. Nung nagcocover ako ng lower house, probably mga until my first week. And uhm, un, so, there was this line of ah… During that time, even my, I think my uncle was ah, were, a late publisher. We’re covering together in economic monitoring.

Q: Sir, at present do you have family members working for a newspaper?

A: Ah, at present, no. I think ah, the line ended with me, ah, the generation after me, ung pamangkin ko siguro, pero with my generation, I’m the only one in the broadsheet, working in the journalism.

Q: Sir, could you state the name of the newspaper that you were employed in and for how long were you working with it?

A: Uhm, for the longest time, I’ve been with Businessworld, after graduation I ah, I interned in a Research publication until I got real work ‘cos that isn’t a mainstream work and then after that I ahm, I had to go to Businessworld and ever since I’ve been with Businessworld. So pioneer ako ng Businessworld, it opened in ah 1987.

Q: Sir, so the first newspaper you worked in was Businessworld. Sir could you please describe its facilities starting with the building?

A: It has changed a lot. Our office was formerly along Ortigas Avenue, that building which is now is a… Before we only started with one level operations and a technology was just catching up at that time, so can you imaging our data transmission then from a typewriter came to, came to a computer. And green monitors pa nun. Hindi n’yo na siguro naabutan ‘yun ngayon. (Ahahaha!) Mga ano pa un, very simple software un ah, eh, we got the period of adjustment both for ah, newspaper and the development of the organization. And the facilities then were ah very , a transition, a point of transition. When technology was juts beginning to advance. So ah, that was our adjustment. Until we transferred in our own building here, now. And ah, we transferred in this building, which we owned right now. Here ah, we invested a lot in these technology. Do you believe that our printing presses is in Antipolo. So everything is processed here and we have a dedicated person who sends the files via modem. And a, when the newspaper is sent in, it’s a negative form. So everything, we can call paperless now. So, ah, everything is done and processed here.

Q: sir, how about the lighting and ventilation?

A: Ohhh, lighting and ventilation.. ahh. Very crucial.. ah, lighting, yes..umm we have very good lighting, I hope its good lighting for your uhhm.. your camera.. hehe. Ah.. ventilation is ahh pretty much closed to environment.. ahh with a few windows.. aahh.. but the aircondition is always up because that’s what the computers need.. umm cold conditioning to maintain them.. we work with air conditioning..

Q: Sir, the method of printing, was it letterpress or offset?

A: wala na yatang gumagamit ng ganun ngayon eh.. hehe.ahh, in the old bussinessday ahh its offset.. but now, its.. they call it web.. ahh., so if you go to the printing press, wala na rin gumagamit ng offset ngayon e.. nowadays.. probably the national printing office of the government which employing about how many hundreds of people nalang.. na hindi gumagalaw because nobody uses that anymore except probably for small printing but if youre into the newspaper business, web na..

Q: Umm.. sir, were you ever a “cub” reporter?

A: Ahh of course, everybody starts in that ano.. but in my case, siguro since we are only a few in that time, ahh we were only about about six reporters or seven.. covering almost everything that you could imagine.. ahh. As a cub reporter, malaki na mejo kaagad ung beat ko because I wasn’t limited to my power. so I was assigned to the lower house, house of the representatives at that time.. So that was my first experience as a cub reporter..

Q: sir, any memorable editors or colleagues?

A: memorable editors or colleagues?

Q: uh-huh..

A: umm.. probably the most memorable na editor is.. ahh our late publisher noh.. I was fortunate enough to be under his tutelage before he passed away kasi if uhhh.. ahh.. you know.. about almost all the business editors from all the newspapers now came from the businessday and they were under Raul Locsin.. um, they were trained under him.. ahh.. and uhh.. to his credit. before he passed away, he was offered the magsaysay award for journalism.. soo uhh. That’s how fortunate I am that I was able to be under him .. and.. umm.. that I was mentored by him..

Q: Sir, what were your best memories as a young journalist?

A: Ahh.. I could say that ahh.. when I won the ano.. when I was a runner-up for the Citibank journalism award.. umm that was in 1999.. ahh. it was a story on retail trade that I did. And uhh.. I was called by Citibank. I was told that.. uhh.. you are.. youre one of those chosen for the Citibank journalism award..

Q: How about the significant events you’ve covered or wrote about?

A: um.. significant events? Umm.. many.. there are a lot. Ahh. Probably thats one.. uhh.. privilege to have as a journalist, to rub elbows with the powers.. and you know how decision making works specially when I covered the.. uhh.. the senate also.. o diba.,I covered the central bank and president at that time.. umm.. there was one memorable coverage, the 1989 coup de etat, uhh.. led by.. hm.. oh si gringo yata yun.. Interviewee: honasan?

A: oo, si gringo yun.. uhuh.. I was covering the lower house then, and ahh.. we just saw the military contingent exiting congress.. uhh. Mga naka Baliktad na yung patch nila eh.. nag rebelde na sila.. so.. what was left in congress was uhh. Civilian security.. who were not really carrying guns.. suddenly they were lined up and they were given these weapons in front of them.. and.. ahh. I don’t know maybe youre older brother or sisters or your parents.. can remember it.. there was a famous picture of a congresswoman, which was Lorna Verano Yap of Pasay.. ahh.. nagsesession yung congress pero kinuhaan yung ilalim niya.. mayroong uzi dito sa ilalim o... haha. Sa ilalim ng kaniyang table.. ahh.. just in case na may mangyari na lusuban then that day .. kasi that’s one of the.. ahh.. in a coup, ahh.. that’s one of the things that you secure in.. yung mga vitals insulations, mga positions of power.. so congress felt,at least the lower house felt threatened at that time. They had to live up from the security.. we were just there.. waiting what will happen next..

Q: what would you advice to those who’d want to pursue a career in journalism?

A: ahh.. you have to have the interest to read noh.. ahh. Kasi.. ahh.. that starts in curiousity on almost everything.. and youll need it. That’s how you stock up on knowledge.. and umm.. you would be able to be conversative on almost anything.. and don’t afraid to ask why.. kasi.. thats what I notice with some people is.. they assume na alam na nila lahat.. parang natatakot na silang magtanong na bakit dun sa sources nila.. don’t afraid to ask.. but also be prepared to face your ahh topic with ahh atleast a knowledgeable umm working ahh.. idea of what youre going to talk, para naman you wont compete around before your resource person.. or before the denature(?) comment (?)..

Q: sir, thank you for your time!