CHUGANI. So, How old na po kayo?
SARMIENTO. I'm 41

Q. You're working here in the Inquirer, how long na po?
A. 9 years

Q. Was this your first job?
A. No..this is my fourth job

Q. Saan po yung mga job nyo before?
A. First job ko, advertising photographer, Free lance. Tapos Newspaper na.

Q. Saang newspaper po yun Sir?
A. Times Journal and then dito na.

Q. Diba sa Photography po kayo? Kayo po ba yung nag-dedevelop ng sarili ninyong pictures?
A. Before.Before kasi we're using black and white so we take the photo, process it, print it, and submit it to the editor. Ngayon, iba na. Digitalized na kami. Take picture in color, process it in a commercial laboratory, and then scan the negatives or use the digital camera.

Q. When you were starting as a journalist, what was it like?
A. As a photo journalist?

Q. Yes
A. Ever since kasi gusto ko nang maging journalist. I was a campus photo journalist sa UST. So wala na yung excitement. Pero on a national level na yun kasi yung sa campus, hanggang campus wide ka lang. Shempre rin excited na makikita mo yung pangalan mo sa newspaper.

Q. So when you were new, how naman did the seniors treat you? Did they play pranks on you or ok naman yung treatment nila sa iyo.
A. Sa umpisa, lolokohin ka nila like yung processing the prints. Pagpapalitpalitin nila yung chemicals, so sira yung kuha mo. Or in getting the name of your subjects like in sports. Like in golf halimbawa, May mga moves dyan na yung Par, Boogie, tapos sinabi nila yung isang shot daw ay yung Cha-Cha. So I wrote Cha-Cha..yung mga ganon.

Q. How about ur editor? Is he very strict with deadlines?
A. Of course. All newspapers are very strict on deadlines.

Q. So what does he do if your late? A: Throw your pictures on the wastebasket. Even if it's a very good photo, an award winning one, its past deadline. Wala na yon. Tapon na yon.

Q. Anong year kay nag start sa Times Journal?
A. 1986

Q. Yung mga equipment ninyo, as advanced ba as now? How was it before?
A. Ano..talagang completely manual. Kung sa standards ngayon, parang malayo. Crude pa yung nung araw.

Q. Where there any special assingments that you went on na talagang hindi nyo makakalimutan?
A. Marami! I covered the gulf war, the olympic games. And pinaka memorable ay yung edsa revolution and the series of coup d' etat. Yon.

Q. You dod the Gulf War? How was it?
A. Exciting

Q. Hindi po kayo natakot?
A. Nasa safe side naman kami. Nasa may Jordan kami.

Q. Likewise, were there any special people who helped you before like your editor or just someone who helped you attain this position?
A. Of course some people that you meet on your journey. Tutulungan ka nila. Mga ganon.

Q. Some people say that the newspapers will eventually vanish with the birth of the internet. Ano pong masasabi nyo doon?
A. May study sa US na it's the other way around eh. Ang newspaper mageevolve siguro but it will always be newspaper. Ang internet is another form on newspapering diba?

Q. Kasi before they say that you print it and then you distribute it. But now its come around. You first distribute it and depende na sa person whether he wants to print or not. That's why they say that maybe one day, print journalism will be a thing of the past. Everybody will just be relying on the internet because its faster, it costs less. Is there a possibility of that?
A. But you cannot bring the internet on the bus, or when your travelling on when you're driving a car.I read somewhere na yung newspapers will. Parang any yan eh no..part ng progress yan diba? Parang yung 135 camera, of course sabi nila na pag dating ng camera matatanggal na yung conventional form. Hindi naman eh.

Q. Ya I know kasi ginagawa pa namin yon ngayon eh. Yung mga developer, photoflo.
A. Yes. Not in my lifetime siguro.

Q. Pero enjoy nyo na talaga yung mag dark room, yung mag enlarge?
A. Oh yes…Oo

Q. Do you still go out to take pictures?
A. Yes.. I just came back from a coverage.

Q. Saan po?
A. Sa senate

Q. Ah so talagang everyday you have to go somewhere
A. Kung wala na akong mautusang photographer, wala akong magagawa kundi to do that coverage.

Q. We have a Photography class now and if the pictures come out with a little dust or scratch, the teacher throws it away and we have to make a new one. Ganon din po ba sa newspapers?
A. Of course. You wouldn't like hundreds of people see your photo with smudges. So kailangan, gandahan mo na. Make it perfect.

Q. So ngayon. Colored na lahat ng pictures ninyo.
A. Yung front page, sports colored. Pero inside black and white. Pero we shoot in color.

Q. Ok po thank you po