ELIA SANTOS. Can you give us a brief background, educational and current status at work?
ANA SANTOS. I graduated from the University of Santo Tomas, AB-Journalism. Currently, I am the city editor of People's Journal Taliba, one of the publications of Philippine Journalist Incorporated. My office is in Port Area, Manila.

Q. So what does a city editor do in a newspaper?
A. My job's requirement is to supervise all the reporters at (of) Taliba. I have to be at the office early and to check on the day's paper and to see what stories we weren't able to get or if there are stories that needs follow-up. I'm required to get in touch with all our reporters and to check on what stories they are suppose to submit for the day. I make the story advisories for the day. Each reporter is required to submit to me a list of all the possible stories that they would be submitting for the day. Then I would have to file it and a printed copy one is given to the publisher, the other one I give to the desk. Because in the afternoon all the editors are required to attend a story conference wherein we have to choose what stories to use for a specific page and to study what story has all the elements to fit our banner story for the day. Basically that's it. It's more of the supervision of reporters.

Q. So, first of all, what inspired you to become a newspaper journalist? Or how were you able to become, or how you were able to come up being a journalist? A I graduated in 1985, August of 1985. And I guess that was the time when there were issues, particularly in politics, brought about by the Ninoy Aquino assassination, '83. I had a thesis about what we call then, institutionalized newspapers. 'Coz, back then, during the Marcos Regime. There was so much curtailment of the press because we were under Martial Law and during those years there were only a handful of what we may call "opposition" papers. Maybe that caught my attention of wanting to become a writer. And I also had a mentor back then.

Q. Who was your mentor?
A. Ms. Corinta Barranco. She's now deceased. She gave me the inspiration to write because she used to tell me that I had a talent in writing. She advised me to hone it and I finished the course. And right after graduation, graduating from UST, I asked my parent's permission to try to become a writer, to try the profession and at least my parents were supportive of me. So I ended up with the PJI. I underwent some tests and I passed it so I became a correspondent of People's Journal Taliba.

Q. Can you please describe the location of your press or your office?
A. It's situated in Port Area. Port Area is considered as what you call the Media Center because all of the newspaper, most of the offices of the newspapers, newspapers are in Port Area. Like we have the Philippine Star, wherein nearby Intramuros we have the Bulletin. The Inquirer offices used to be there also but… Yeah. A new office in Makati. There is Abante, Manila Standard, and there are others, which I can't recall right now.

Q. So is your present location of Taliba the same as it was before? Or did they move from another location?
A. I was informed that the original office was located at the Chronicle Building, in Ortigas. In the middle or late 70's, they were able to transfer to our present office in Port Area.

Q. So can you describe to us your offices? I heard that you're sharing offices with People's Journal and… How is your office divided into three separate newspapers, coming from, we know that they are connected to one another?
A. We regard People's Journal, People's Tonight, as our sister paper. We used to have the Philippine Journal, which used to be a broad sheet daily. As of now, it has ceased operations but the last thing I heard is that management is planning something with that particular newspaper. And in the near future they will be back on the streets. But as of now, People's Journal, People's Tonight, and People's Taliba are the three existing tabloids of the PJI. We also have a sister magazine, Women's Journal and the Insider. Now the three tabloids have a common office. You were able to go the office, right? It's a big space, but with three different desks. It used to have divisions but management decided to, you know, tear down those divisions. So we can have a, you know, it's like free movement and we consider ourselves as one family, here are times, although People's and Taliba have their own field reporters. There are times when, for example, a reporter of ours covering, a specific beat, gets sick, and we don't have anybody covering for the day, it's very easy for us to ask the editors of People's Journal for the story filed by their reporter on that specific beat. So all we have to do is translate the story and give the credit to their reporter.

Q. Do you have separate equipment for the three newspapers? Example, the computers, typewriters?
A. Yes. Each desk have their own computers. But it's only one system. From the desk, we can pass the story to the proofreaders. It's one whole system.

Q. So what about your printing equipment? Do you share, or do you have a separate equipment?
A. We have two big printing machines. I'm just not aware of what it's called.

Q. Do you know what type of printing machine they have? What they use? If it's offset or letterpress?
A. I don't have any idea right now so I can inform you. I can give you the information later.

Q. That's fine. Okay. So can we know who are the publishers? Who are your colleagues and other editors in your newspaper?
A. Right now we have a new management because our situation is… The PJI is, as of today, still sequestered by the government. So every time we have a new president, there is a change in management also. So right now, we have our president, Mr. Rudy Romero, and our chairman of the board is his brother, the director, Mr. Eddie Romero. And our new publisher now is Mr. Raymond Burgos, who used to be a brilliant reporter of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Q. So who are you other editors?
A. Other editors in Taliba. We have for our editor-in-chief, Mr. Matt Vicencio; our associate editor, Ms. Anne Tiangco; news editor is Kathrine Altollin; and I am the city editor.

Q. So how is your working condition? Do you have a regular time for your work? Or is it a 9 - 5 job? Or it doesn't follow that?
A. As I've said, being the city editor, I am required to be at the office earlier than the others because I supervise the reporters. You see, we have this system, I do the summaries, then by 2PM, that's the deadline I have given for them to submit their summaries. I have to print the summary and give a copy to the publisher. Usually the other editors come from 1PM to 3PM. And then we start work by that time. As soon as all the editors are there, each one is given a specific page to lay out. So from the list of the summaries of stories, we get the chance to pick whatever stories we want to use for our pages. Because we have the metro pages and the national pages, so each editor has the opportunity to choose whatever story they would want to use. Then as soon as the stories are picked out, the editor assigned to the page edits the stories submitted by or filed by the reporter.

Q. So how about holidays? Do you still work or there are certain holidays that you have the day off?
A. You know media publications usually don't follow holidays.

Q. Is there any particular holiday?
A. Holy Week. Although we only… We don't have work only on Maundy Thursday. Because we don't have a paper for Good Friday.

Q. Black Saturday? So it's only for…
A. Maundy Thursday.

Q. Maundy Thursday that you don't work?
A. Yes. But, I think this year, management is planning to give us two days.

Q. Two days off?
A. Two days vacation for the Holy Week.

Q. What about your salaries? Is it high? Is it okay? Can you tell us the amount?
A. Right now I was given an increase because from a reporter, I was promoted last year, to city editor. It's okay.

Q. But is it hard living as a journalist or is it not?
A. Sometimes. Because there are times when the work is so tasking. Like when I started out with the desk, you know, it's like you have to use your mind. 'Coz your mind's working and sometimes we work overtime. Personally, from my experience, I feel that it's more tiring than doing a job that requires you physical labor. I realized that it's more tiring to be, you know, using the mind. Thinking. So after work, you can really feel the fatigue. It's like your brain has been worn out for the day. Unlike, you know, physical labor. You just sleep and the next day you feel energized.

Q. So what about deadlines?
A. Deadlines, right now, we have set an early deadline. Reporters, as I've said, are required to file their summaries up to 2PM. The purpose of the summary is for the desk to have an idea of what stories we expect to receive for the day. Reporters have also up to 3PM to fax their stories, or to phone in their stories, or through the computers. Send through the inbox.

Q. How do the reporters know what stories they will… Who is the one who gives them their jobs?
A. The media in the Philippines is like… Every government office, every police district have their own set of reporters from the different media entities, both broadcast and print media. Like for example, Malacañang. The Malacañang Palace have what they call the Malacañang reporters. So Taliba has a Malacañang reporter, People's has a Malacañang reporter, like all the other papers, radio stations, and TV stations. Definitely the point of coverage is the president. Whatever the president says, whatever statement Malacañang comes out, that's the story that they get. Now with the others, like for example the police, whatever story happens within that police district, that's their coverage.

Q. Okay. Were you ever a "cub" reporter?
A. I started out actually as a correspondent. I covered the police beat. The Southern Police District. I used to stay at the police station and also cover court stories and the like.

Q. So how was it like being a "cub" reporter?
A. When I started out, I really felt the excitement 'coz as I have said that was 1985, fresh…

Q. Newly graduate?
A. Oo. Newly graduate. Yung conditions noon was like, medyo maiinit because a year later, '86. You know, we had a…

Q. EDSA revolution?
A. We had a presidential election, later on led to the revolution. So mapi-feel mo talga yung excitement.

Q. So how about… What was your first beat?
A. Yung SPD, although as a trainee, it was more of… I covered the police beat eh. Eastern. I had my training months at Eastern. Then I was transferred to the Southern. Southern Metro Manila Police.

Q. So what were the lessons you learned while… on being at the station? Or being at the Eastern Police District? What did you learn as a reporter there?
A. Usually kasi the police reporters, You have the blotter, right? The facts are there regarding a specific incident. You just don't have to rely on what is stated on the blotter. Like, for example, kasi there are stories like yung mga human interest. If you look at the blotter, it would seem like a simple stabbing incident or shooting incident, no motives. You have to be resourceful, responsible. You have to find ways to get to interview people who know what the story is all about or what was behind the incident, the stabbing. So you have to be resourceful. You have to talk to witnesses, if you can find witnesses and get the real meat of the story because you'll never know there might be a very interesting motive behind that which can give you the chance to come up with a human, you know, with a moving story.

Q. So were there other people, other colleagues in your newspaper? May mga kasama ka pa bang iba doon sa Eastern Police District noong first beat mo?
A. Yes, oo, when I started out. Kasi in '85 there were only, as I've said kasi we were still under the Marcos Regime then. After kasi noong Martial Law, madami silang pinashut-down na newspapers. So during that time, inabot ko pa yung handful lang na talagang newspapers. You can even count them. Yung mga Daily Express, Bulletin, Tempo. Kasi meroong Journal, yung Taliba, which was just starting out then and konti din yung mga news coverage then. I could say na back then, hindi talaga free. Like there wasn't, you know… Press freedom was curtailed. So it wasn't that easy to come up with a report against the government. So kung pwede tahimik ka langt. But back then ganoon din ang situation. Each paper, each radio station had a reporter assigned to cover a specific beat.

Q. So sa Taliba isang reporter lang ang naka-assign. Ilan kayo doon?
A. It depends. Kasi, like right now, in terms of reporters, kulang kami. But we have to make do with what we have, with the resources we have. So we assign a reporter, like for example, one covers… One reporter is assigned each to a different police district. And then in terms of government offices… Minsan there's a reporter, like we have a reporter covering the Elliptical. The Elliptical road sa Quezon City. Paikot siya eh. You have the Agrarian Reform, the Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources. All the government offices are located along the Elliptical road, that's her assignment. Then we have a reporter for all offices within the Manila area, the Intramuros, or Port Area. Like we have the Immigration, Dept. of Public Works, Customs… Bureau of Customs, iyon.

Q. So one is to one talaga?
A. Oo. One area, one reporter.

Q. So how about your editors? Who is the memorable editor you had?
A. Well our earlier editors, because right now, the editors we have in Taliba are what you might call the young breed. We all started as correspondents. But during those years we were starting out, we had an older set of editors.

Q. Who were they?
A. We had then Mr. Ben Esquievel, Mr. C.C. Marquez, and Ben Juan who were what you call very prolific in Tagalog. Most of them being Palanca awardees. And we learned a great deal from them. Right now, two of the guys mentioned are already deceased. But as I've said, we are the new breed. They may have, you know, their own style. We believe that, you know, as the years pass, dapat may changes din sa presentation ng news. Kasi medyo old-fashioned na yung style nila ng presentation. But anyway, we still use whatever we may have learned from them and then nag-i-inject kami ngayon noong mga ideas namin.

Q. So how are they when it comes accuracy, ethics, grammar? Were they really strict?
A. Yung mga editors namin?

Q. Yeah, or yung before pa. Kasi, 'di ba you said awhile ago that the previous editors were Palanca awardees. So I guess they might be strict in grammar.
A. Yes. Oo.

Q. So how are they? Do they really focus on the accuracy? I guess accuracy. Ethics and grammar of news writing?
A. All of them. All of those that you mentioned. Strict sila but hindi naman yung parang you get whipped 'pag hindi ka sumunod. Hindi naman. We also had that kind of relationship na 'pag dating sa work strict sila. Outside of work, they were also our friends.

Q. So what about yung deadlines nila, as editors. Are they strict din? Stricter than you?
A. Like then, ganoon din kami ngayon kasi we really have to follow deadlines dahil we (paper) have to be out on the streets early.. Because right now, you know, medyo for some years napabayaan ang mga publications ng PJI. As I've said we're sequestered. The people are assigned by the government to manage. And 'yan ang nagiging problema. 'Yon ang dilemma kasi if hindi privatized ang company, ang tendency is pwedeng may ma-appoint to handle the day to day affairs of the company, na walang malasakit. Parang gingawang "milking cow" yung company. Hindi na sila, kumbaga, they don't care kung kumita yung kompanya o hindi. So for some years, in the past administration, napabayaan yung papers. So right now, we're doing everything to regain yung status namin before, in terms of circulation. So we have talked to dealers and it's… it would help our paper a lot if you're in the streets early, earlier than the others because we have what you call the "night market". Yung mga from 10PM to 12. May mga tao na rin sa streets who look for papers carrying the news for, you know, the next day. Tomorrow's news. So we have to have an earlier deadline now. By 6 o' clock dapat camera-ready na.

Q. Morning?
A. Six in the evening camera-ready na yung mga pages namin. And the printing machines starts running. So by 7:30 or 8PM, we already have a copy of Taliba.

Q. So you print at night or in the morning?
A. At night because we have a morning paper. Ours is a morning paper.

Q. Okay. So are there any memorable colleagues that you had, that you think made a great impact on you?
A. Marami, kasi I believe… Ang media profession kasi is a learning experience. Madaming naging part ng career ko who have helped me, that I've learned from. I can't make a specific one, although I'm happy to know that there were reporters back then na kasa-kasama namin sa coverage tapos ngayon may lawyers na. May… meroon pang state prosecutor ngayon. Kumbaga they've gone a long way and yet when we see each other, they don't act as if ganoon na sila kataas.

Q. So, okay. What were your best memories as a young reporter?
A. One specific experience that I had was there was this coup d' etat in 1989, I think.

Q. Is this with Honasan?
A. Yeah. Yung group nina Honasan, '89. I was covering for the SPD then and we were informed there were government… The government troops were positioned at the corner of Roxas blvd. and MIA road. And they were expecting the group of Gringo, himself, to pass by that place. So the government troops were bracing up for a confrontation. So I, with a group of reporters, went there and we were interviewing the government troops. After a few minutes, we decided to leave the area, and we were just walking away from those soldiers that we have just interviewed. Which is just about 5 minutes, firefight erupted. So nagbabarilan yung mga soldiers at saka yung mga rebels. Then suddenly there was this guy, bigla akong hinatak. He turned out to be a reporter also. Si… family name niya is Caparas eh. He was with the Manila Times then. Siguro nakita niya na parang wala akong direksyon. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako tatakbo. Eh closed na yung mga establishments. So meroon, parang yung stairs na meroon siyang mabababng fence eh. Doon kani yumuko, behind that concrete fence para huwag kami tamaan noong mga bullets. Ngayon 'pagtigil noong putukan, may mga wounded na soldiers and some of them yung kausap pa namin. Then the official that we were interviewing, may mga tama din siya. But after that, although it was a scary experience, like yung calling ng job namin, we still had to go to rush to the hospital to interview again yung mga wounded. But the sorry state is that we had a very early deadline then. Although we had able editors, as I've said they were Palanca awardees, hindi naman sila naniniwala doon sa freshness ng storya. What was important to them back then, was to close the pages and have them printed. Kasi any way daw, mabibili din naman iyon dahil there were other stories involving the coup which were there already. So despite the fact of my having had a "brush with death", kahit ganoon natakot pa ako. When I was to file this story, sinabi nilang sarado na yung pahina. So balewala din. Pero okay na rin 'yon. At least I had that experience.

Q. Other reporters wouldn't have. So were there other coup attempts that you were able to cover?
A. Basically 'yon na 'yon. Isa pang magandang experience ko doon, the day the coup ended. Nag-ano… nagsurrender yung rebel soldiers. I, again with a handful of reporters, ano eh… Yung ano sa amin, masyadong adventurous…

Q. Free-spirit?
A. Free-spirited kami, adventurous. Ang Makati nga was sealed off. Tapos on top of the buildings may mga snipers, yung mga rebels. We walked through the Makati area carrying a stick with a white flag. Tapos wala ttalagang katau-tao doon. Then we approached a rebel soldier and then this guy leading our pack was from the Manila Times. Ang yabang niya pa eh. Nagpakilala siya from Manila Times. It turned out, galit yung mga sundalo sa kanya. Hindi daw accurate yung lumalabas. Tinitira daw sila. May nag-cock pa ng baril niya. So lalo namin winave yung flag namin. "We don't mean any harm." So we just walked away, until we reached EDSA. Then when we reached EDSA, 'yon na. Nagkaroon na ng briefing na the coup was over. Exciting din kasi dadaanan mo mga tanks. Tapos yung mga sundalo, it was scary because that time hindi pa ganoon talaga ka-sure na… The talks were still going on with regards to the surrender. 'Yon nga. Kaya after that may mga nagalit sa amin. Bakit daw ang lakas ng loob namin? Anything could have happened to us. But thank God! Wala namang nangyari. Pero yung time niya was really tense.

Q. So you mentioned that you started working at Taliba in 1985. So until now…
A. I'm still with the paper.

Q. So you had experienced working in a paper under the Martial Law? How was it working?
A. Actually kasi, 'di ko pa rin ma-feel yung difference. As I've said sequestered kami. Government paper kami. It's really hard because we, siyempre I mean. Given na 'yan eh. 'Pag government paper ka, dapat pa-pogiin mo yung president. You can't hit him. But at least I'm happy that there is press freedom now because if we can't come up with the stories. You know, the people really need to know, there are other papers that do come up with this and the readers have a choice. Unlike in the Martial Law times, most of the papers were government-run. Although sasabihin nila private paper iyan, pero behind the paper, may mga nakakahawak. Kumbaga ang mga may-ari private citizens pero crony ni Marcos, kamag-anak niya. So walang freedom iyon. Later on na lang naglabasan yung Inquirer, Mr. and Ms., at saka yung Malaya. These were the 3 papers that were really anti-government. At least unti-untii nagkakaroon ng choice yung mga tao what to read. Para ma-ascertain yung right nila to be informed of what is really happening. So ngayon, personally, siyempre minsan nakakainis din.

Q. … If you want to say something against them?
A. Yeah. Oo, you cannot or 'di mo pwedeng i-sulat. Tapos may mga, kasi ngayon siyempre present management kami, it's not that easy to, just be hitting people. Kasi baka mamaya tamaan mo kaibigan pala ng paper niyo. And you know, it's hard din. Pero at least, personally, happy ako dahil hindi lang kani ang diyaryo sa streets. Madaming iba pa. Ngayon ang dami-daming newspapers at least maraming choices ang tao. I believe that the people are well informed of what's happening.

Q. Okay. So last question na. What can you tell us about journalism? What lesson you learned or what advise you can give to aspiring journalists?
A. When I was starting, siguro mga 4 years pa lang ako, I used to be president of the different press corps. I handled a group in Pasay, I handled the WPD press corps. Every time there are new reporters around, the only advise I give them, is when you enter the profession, siyempre idealistic ka. Don't lose that idealism because along the way you should learn to be flexible also. Kasi 'pag masyado kang moralist, idealist… Kasi hindi ganyan… hindi din pwede. Kasi some rules have to be, hindi naman broken, but you have to bend it. Huwag ka lang padadala. 'Yon nga, kaya kailangan hawak mo yung principles mo, yung ideals mo. Kasi siyempre i-re-respect mo yung mga peers mo, 'di ba, for what they believe in. Yon lang, maging flexible ka pero don't lose your self. Halimbawa, 'wag ka padadala sa agos. Tapos always be accurate in reporting. Kasi the power of the pen is really powerful. You can make or break a person. Halimbawa, meroon kang sinulat na storya against somebody. Yung reputation niya pwedeng masira mo. Well you have to be accurate with your facts because hindi pu-pwede yung chismis lang pala iyon, sinulat mo, sinira mo yung reputation ng isang tao. 'Di mo na pwedeng ibalik 'yon eh, 'di ba? Hindi naman tape 'yon na pwede mong i-rewind. "Okay it's not true", ganyan. "All of you who have read the story. It's not true." 'di ganoon eh. Kasi kahit na maglabas ka ng rejoinder, yung denial, not all the people who have read the initial story, na panira, will be able to read the 'yung rejoinder mo. So 'yon, be accurate and always have documents to support whatever your story is about. At saka you have to learn about the libel law. Para armed ka. Kasi madami ngayon, sa dami ng newspapers, ang daming reporters, na hindi naman sa pag-aano, yung tinatawag na "pinabili lang ng suka, pag-uwi sa bahay may dala na siya isang boteng suka, reporter na, may ID pa siya ng press". Naging reporter na siya. 'Yon nga ang sorry state. We should be called the fourth estate, ang media. The problem is, madami ngang newspapers, madami yung radio stations, ang dami ng mga reporters na hindi naman nag-undergo ng proper training. Hindi naman nag-tapos ng proper course. Although may mga reporters na hindi naman nag-take up ng journalism or communication arts. But they're good in writing. At least they finished a course. Kahit hindi naman magtapos basta at least maging responsible ka lang sa… sa job mo. Okay na rin 'yon. But meroon, ang dami kasi na irresponsible eh. So 'yon lang ang wish ko, na eventually, ma-weed out yung mga 'yon for the profession to gain the respect that… Has to gain the respect from the people. 'Yon basta be accurate, be responsible in writing, at saka learn to evade temptation. Yung temptation na pwedeng maka-sira sa pagiging responsible journalist mo.