Q: Good Morning po.

A: Good Morning din.

Q: Ah, Sir, what’s your full name po?

A: Ricardo Trinidad

Q: And you are popularly known as?

A: Recah

Q: Sir when did you start writing?

A: Since college

Q: Was it your interest?

A: Yes

Q: Sir are there any influences

A: Ha?

Q: Are there any influences that you know, you had when you start, before you started writing, when did you get into writing?

A: Well I got into writing because ah, -- Pero may father was a writer and ah--- --Walang masyado basta alam mo usually after high school you have to choose your career. In my case I just ah, didn’t go straight to college, I stopped for a year I went to -- -- -But ah more or less maski nung high school I was ah, mas gusto ko yung literature kaysa sa mga numbers, kaysa sa may, hindi ako masyado mahilig sa mga numbers and I love reading. Minsan the---

Q: Wow! Sir where did you start working when in terms of writing?

A: In terms of writing?

Q: First publication

A: First publication

Q: Where you were before

A: ---After one year sa radio I went to Philippines Herald as a reporter, a sports reporter and ah, after one year I turned to Manila Times, yung magazine. Yung talaga and aking -- --lead by--- Nick Joaquin we put up a magazine and then ah nung Martial Law nagsara yung magazine naming--- and ah one of my –Marcos---

Q: Sir I’m more familiar with Malaya

A: They closed -- .And then in 1984 we decided to ah republish it and I was working as the editor at the same time I was working--- in Malaya. After Marcos ah was driven out--- -February noh? The next month ah I joined ah Inquirer --

Q: Sir in the past can you describe the ano, can you describe the kind of equipment that you use in writing because now we have the computer

A: Ah basically typewriter. –I was ah the ano last --

Q: Sir are you still more comfortable using the typewriter

A: No---I still -- typewriter pero only in emergency. But ah basically all my ah -- --writing years I’ve been using the typewriter parang mas maganda yung -- - ko sa typewriter. Ngayon with a laptop it’s more convenient, mas mabilis. Mukhang mahirap nang bumalik sa typewriter. Natatandaan ko si Nick Joaquin talagang hindi siya nagcocomputer. He was using his own ah----Si Nick kasi kung magsulat siya minsan nilo-long hand niya minsan at saka niya nililipat.

Q: Sir yung sa ano po working conditions, -- o yung working hours, how was that?

A: Working hours siyempre if you want to--- you have to wake up early, sit down long and the secret I think is the remain seated. Kapag tayo ka ng tayo--- at saka you prepare, you research--- pero ngayon finafavore ko ngayon yung clarity ah to communicate--- - kasi ang tendency ng mga young writer is to write for themselves -- -larity ng ah--- and ah you avoid pompous and--- .If you want to say your ah you say about something---

Q: No getting around the bush

A: Hindi at least ah,-- kasi parang I believe that writing is like cooking. Know what dish you want to ano you want to have, a sour dish, a sweet dish, and you have to get the proper ingredients kasi yung writing and cooking,kasi ang cooking hindi naman--- study—you need the special recipe. So how do you become a successful cook? First you have to -- the editor-in-chief of what good food is, kung anong masarap--- ganon din sa writing. You get to know what good writing is as trying to be as good as Nick Joaquin--- -ganon din yun--- -.

Q: Yes Sir. Sir do you get days off?

A: Well ah, ngayon before ah I hardly day off depende—when I was the editor of ah -- grabe kasi I have to wake up at three in the morning, -- --pupunta dun sa highway—kasi yun ang morning—na sinasabi. Everyday yun but ah, when I also –when I put up the---of the Inquirer dati walang day off pero ngayon as a columnist before I used to own some three columns a week, then I would go there on Fridays and evaluate the section and the planning----almost---

Q: Sir if you don’t mind me asking, what about the salary?

A: Salary?

Q: Yes sir.

A: Well ah just enough to ah to keep -- -Kung gusto ko kasing yumaman hindi journalism o writing ang kukunin kong -- -business or take up other--- -dedication. Kung iisipin mo yung kikitain mo siguro ---halos ah----walang magiging journalist dito sa--- --May mga case na---writers--- selling their---.Pero kapagka may mga issues—mahirap ata yun----hindi ka yayaman pero siguro pag dating ng panahon pag sinabi yung pangalang--- -siguro naman eh---

Q: Sir you are actually pretty popular in my class.

A: Ha?

Q: In my class sir, in my journalism class, we actually know you

A: I wonder why?

Q: Because you write –sports----But I was the first one to get you for my interview

A: -- --Madali nalang kasi yung column -- -Kailangan talagang, I’m not saying that you have to fight everybody. The idea kasi -- is proper journalism ---to help--- seek change for everybody in providing a better politics -- -and seek for better governance. Sports maybe ---reasons to development -- still a commitment to the common good. Pinaglalaban ko din--- - I don’t consider it as a profession in a way that professions are—as high paying job, trend--- -- - because you are good---

Q: Sir do you have any memorable experiences, memorable experiences in writing? Mga big events that you covered

A: ---Usually—Minsan nasa—Usually mga foreign. My first big assignment was the Olympic games in Barcelona

Q: Wow!

A: --So—the other one is--- really work hard. Nung unang araw medyo para kang bagong ano--- Yun ang memorable dun pero ang pinaka memorable dun you really have to strive, to work hard, parang hindi ka na halos matulog kasi hindi lang yung detalye, the manner you would write it---Hindi naman problema yun dahil unang-una, makinilya palang ang gamit namin--- . Ang nakakatuwa lang dun pagdating mo dito sasalubungin ka ng editor mo ---thank you for a job well done, we have the best coverage, yun ang mga memorable line. Pag sumusulat ka kasi parang, hindi ka na halos makakain, aral ng aral. But you have to do prepare for it. You should be very proficient ---because writing is a specialized field -- . After that I went to cover--- Olympiad---. Actually my first Olympic was on 1972--- . I was ah, I was still ah sophomore, neophyte. So I just ventured----pamasahe—pumunta lang dun--. After that I went to, mayroon din dung coverage ng 84--- and ah 92, 96 Atlanta and then ah--Sydney—I was there---. Siguro—senior writers--- covered the--- -It’s the matter of learning and being able to sell a good story. Pero ang malaking mga coverage talaga yung kay Manny Pacquiao yung kay Morales, yung last time

Q: Have you, sir have you covered all of Manny Pacquiao’s matches?

A: Practically--- .It’s not just a matter of being there, minsan aalis ka sa kwarto mo, makikitulog ka, minsan sa sahig. Kagaya nung istorya about dun kay first gentleman----Kunwari--- .I ventured kasi—The thing is still ah don’t ever blink kung may mga---

Q: Just keep your ears open

A: ---Kasi alam mo nung kami kay Nick Joaquin, sabi niya okay we’ll just go there, halimbawa may mga rally, just go there in one corner and -- --you will be able to say what you saw, what you smelled, what you heard. Talagang ah yan ang mga training niya.-- -Napakagaling ni Nick.-- -Pero napaka ano siya, magaling siyang kaibigan pero istrikto rin ang editor. Kapag oras na, kailangan ang deadline eksakto. At saka kapag ano eh, inuuwi ko yung ano, kasi nung araw typewritten ano, kinakamay niya yun ,iniisa-isa niya—dumadaan yung pencil niya para --

Q: So siya rin po yung editor na you didn’t forget, ever?

A: Eh ano siya eh, parang—pero pagka sulatan na talaga--- -. Bigay siya ng bigay sakin ng mga libro. Marami siyang tinuro sakin. ---Okay naman yung mga natutunan ko editor ako noon -- - Yung mga--- I will train them to be—compassion -- -.

Q: Sir your strict also as an editor?

A: In a way you have to be. At saka demanding siya kasi--- . siyempre deadline you have to be strict.—talagang -- . Hindi—You cannot afford to--.Yun nga ang mahirap sa sports-writing minsan and deadline mo 9:00 –yung iba---, 9:00, 9:10 hindi pa tapos yung ano mo, hindi pa tapos yung ano. So how do you provide it? Kailangan mayroon ka talagang facility kailangan. Kagaya nung nakaraan, yung laban ni--- dito sa ano, sa Bohol--- na ang deadline mo alas-siyete, naglalaban pa sila ng 7:30, natatakot ka -- --so tatawag sa telepono, telepono, minsan binabasa mo yung---ng palad mo. Kailangan talaga may proficiency ka, may mga mental notes ka. Ngayon ang ginawa ko nun, yung -- sa probinsya, major story, gumawa ako ng 6 paragraphs in-email ako--- -kung hindi umabot itong gagawin ko, yun ang tatapusin ko--- -. Parang--- , na ready na siya, eh nung natapos na yun sabi ko pwede pala, so nagtext ako ng panibago. ---kaya---Kaya kinabukasan, yung ibang dyaro wala, kami lang ang may istorya. Nagulat sila –kasi usually kapag ganong naglalaban na ng late, ang tawag dun overnight. Hindi nila gagawin, bukas na. Eh walan namang usapang ganon. Kaya kinabukasan, pagsakay naming lahat sa eroplano nagtaka sila---

Q: Sir text lang, ang haba nun!

A: Hindi, yung buong paragraph, ise-send mo talaga, diba? —.one paragraph

Q: I see. Sir uhm do you have any, are you particular in in any aspect in writing? Like for example your other editors are particular in deadlines. How are you particular in grammar?

A: Siyempre grammar it goes----medium, punctuation, lahat yan. Kaya nga minsan parang pagluluto diba? Mayroon ka ngang asin hindi mo naman alam gamitin. May sandok…

Q: Sir may napapagalitan kayo?

A: Hindi naman, pag hindi sila matuto. Siyempre ina-ano naman sila, little by little. Minsan nga naman kasi gaya noong araw, sa newspaper, the best reporters are just not necessarily writers. Ang mga reporter yung magagaling sumulat ng istorya. Minsan nga noong araw may kilala kami, si Teddy De Guzman, ah, number one reporter ng Manila Times. Ang tawag sa kanya is Teddy laway. Police reporter yun. Hindi naman siya maka-sulat halos ng straight sentence, pero puro laway niya ang ginagamit niya kadadal-dal dun, kinukuha niya yung ano diba. Pero mas maganda na siguro yung well-rounded ka, you have substance and you have style. Magaling ka gumawa ng istorya, magaling ka din magsulat. Yun ang magandang -- -. Ang pinaka ano is integrity and commitment---. Ang galling-galing mo nga pero ang puso mo naman is wala dun sa, in the right place.

Q: Sir, uhm, why sports? Why do you write for sports? Why don’t you write for any other columns?

A: Actually ang nangyari sa akin nung ano---when I joined the Sunday Times Magazine, basically sports din kaya lang natatapon ko sa lahat ng field. Siyemre human interest, history, a little economics. Maganda yung training na---sa Sunday Times pero bumabalik at bumabalik ka sa sports kasi yan yun pinaka field na nag specialize ka and as a kid I really love ah playing. I love basketball, I love boxing, I enjoyed ah--- everything. At saka very challenging.

Q: Yes. Are there any difficulties in writing sports?

A: Pinaka mahirap na talagang ano ng sports kapag hindi mo alam dahil specialized din yan, mga terminologies You’ve got to learn. You must have ah --–mastery but the complete knowledge in basketball, mga ganon. Kasi hindi lang, kagaya nga minsan, ang sinasabi ko dun sa mga bata ngayon, you’re not there just to report the sports. Tapos na yung panahon na ano, lumalabas na lahat sa television yan. Noong araw nung walang televison, okay lang yun sasabihin kung sino ang nanalo kinabukasan pero ito when you get up the next day iba na yung ano dahil nalaman na sa television. You should be able to say something na hindi nalaman, hindi lang the how, the why, hindi lang yung the what. So the secret of good sport writing, na hindi alam nung iba siguro is to be able to take the readers to places –the ticket---by the camera diba? You must be able to open doors ano. Sabi nga ni—sa paborito kong--- “always say something new” para maging interesting. Kasi alam mo yung pag humawak ka ng dyaryo, ang attention is para sa isang story minsan baka mahaba na yung three seconds eh kung--- -

Q: Sir minsan yung lead lang diba?

A: Yung lead at saka minsan yung topic. Halimbawa yung topic mo ordinary lang. You must give it a—na babasahin mo yung ano.Yung- diba---. Kumbaga sa pagluluto amoy palang ayaw mo na. Kaya sabi ko---

Q: You must always see if your readers are interesting

A: Oo yun talaga ang ano---

Q: Sir ano pong favorite sport niyo?

A: Ha?

Q: Yung favorite sports po na nai-cover?

A: Boxing siyempre. Kasibata pa kami, yung father ko television palang tinuturo na samin. Miski nung bata ako talaga parang gusto ko maging boxer, nagpupunta ako sa gym. Kaso hindi nagkaroon ng pagkakataon. Hanggang ngayon diyan----my first boy, nagt-train siya, dinadala ko siya----boxing, bilyar, kasi yung pinang-punta ko sa college, nagbabantay ako sa tindahan. Pag umaga nagtitinda ako sa palengke, tapos papasok ako sa hapon. Pagdating na ng mga 7 in the evening, magbabantay na ko ng bilyaran. Kasosyo kung father ko dun sa ano, may dalawang table doon. Nagbabantay kami dun hanggang umaga yun ang, para may pang punta kami sa iskwela. Kaya lang pag gabi dun pagdating ng 12:00 sinasabi ko sa mga naglalaro okay na, kayo na mag---By that time nagbabasa na ko---. At least nakakapag-basa ako ng dalawang oras, pagkatapos--- nagagamit ko--- -

Q: So na-cover niyo--- -?

A: Pag international ano gaya nung sa--- Yun na nagte-team-up kami ni Chino sa telebisyon. Kagaya ngayon I’ll be in Bacolod for----yung sinasabi ko sayo. I’ll be writing Boxing for Inquirer, at the same time, a column pero magco-commentary ako sa Boxing, ah analyst. Maganda rin, basa din ng basa, very colorful talaga ang Boxing. Basketball din pero iba na ang basketball ngayon sa Pilipinas, puro glamour nalang. Hindi kagaya noong araw na magagaling talaga yung mga, yung tinatawag na -- -. Alam mo ang sikreto noong mga Pilipino noong araw yung -- -- -- -- -. Other than athletes--- -

Q: Sir do you cover the UAAP?

A: Before, pero ngayon sa TV. -- -

Q: And you have a favorite team?

A: Dati sa UAAP, -- - Ya I think La Salle, I like La Salle. Pero walang particular school. Diba I graduated---. Peroo noong araw ang favorite ko talaga--- -kasi ang mga first idol ko noon sina -- --. These are mga Olympians talaga that will teach you values--- music ng boxing. Pag nag referee ka para kang musician. -- --. You must be there to help the game, to enhancethe game--- .

Q: Are there any are there certain rules that you follow in sports writing that other writers do not follow in their field because you said earlier that sports writing is unique and it is way different from other the styles of writing, are there any

A: I’m not going to be different but I always try to say something new. Yun nga yung sinasabi nating -- -- . I look for other angles in the same way na -- . Kagaya nung natalo na si Pacquiao noon, ah ano, lalagyan mo ng ibang ano. Hindi naman ibang anggulo but you try to put it on a national level---. After that pagod na pagod ka na biglang tatawag yung editor mo sasabihin I need another story. Ya because--- Hindi ka naman--- . Kaya yun wala nang oras eh! In-imagine ko nalang yung, -- -but their thinking---kunwari iniinterview ko na sila--- -- -. Kaya nangayri noon Pacquiao--- -Although hindi naman fiction yun dahil alam naman -- -- -- -- -.

Q: You just look at it in a different angle. Sir when you travel ba, when you travel to other places, inside the country or outside, does the inquirer pay for you?

A: Oo. Yes.

Q: They pay for everything?

A: They plane, sa eroplano na. Ayoko na kasi nung may--- . Kaya minsan, sige 2000 dollars--- . I hope for smaller money kasi ayoko ng liquidation eh. Basta -- -- -Bigyan niyo ko ng magkanong gusto niyo. Imbis na 5000 pati yung pag taxi mo, give me a -- 3500 wala na tayong pag-usapan. --

Q: Sir have you ever gotten into trouble?

A: Marami mga libel. Marami kagaya ng, marami kaming libel cases.

Q: About how many sir?

A: -- -.Hindi naman kasing rami ni Tulfo -- -Nagpunta ko sa Ninoy Aquino Stadium, may basketball tapos--- bumabaha sa loob tapos tumutulo. Nagtanong ako, 37 Million daw ang renovasion. Tapos -- -inano ko—yung pamamahala--- - tinitignan ko yung materyales habang ginagawa yung Ninoy Aquino stadium---condominium -- -. Hanggang nagkaroon ng complaint. Dinemanda nila ako ng libel--- kaya lang hindi ako nagdala ng abogado nagdala lang ako ng civil code, yund code, binabasa ko yung rights ko. Pumunta ako doon, hinarap ko yung hearing--- -sinusulat---. Nakakainis lang dun pinag -- -- -- . Maraming mga ganon pero wala naming danger.

Q: Sir is that one of your biggest libel cases?

A: Oo, isa yun, Yung isa naman yung sa ---yung isang----yung ---niya. -- -- -Siyempre at the same time ako rin ang sumusulat ng column--- -- .

Q: Sir don’t you perceive that what you are writing may be libelous?

A: -- Pag natakot ka na sa libel wala ka nang masusulat.

Q: Sir hindi ka na natatakot?

A: -- -Yung takot--- Wala--- Parang –minsan nga napipilitan ka---. Basta you’re doing the right thing-- . I don’t think they should be--- . Eh yun lang naman ang kaya nating gawing tama.--

Q: Sir do you have interns?

A: Before ah, as and editor-- Tempo I was the first editor in 1982. Kasi noong araw may tabloid, yung peoples. Nag-decide-- 6 moths, talagang dedication. Kaya lang after six months natanggal ako. Dahil ah.-- -Hindi naman--- maybe Maros is a good person ,erpo yung ginagawa niya ang unbelievable.

Q: Sir---

A: --kasi I was ah—ako ang—editor—publisher ng--- Inquirer at saka Malaya—dadalin kami sa isang island. --

Q: Sir if you were given a chance to write about something else, what will you--- ?

A: I’ll write a--- -

Q: Wow!-- --Sir you said nga earlier na--- -

A: Yun parin. ---Siguro ah I’ll be retiring mga 2008. Mayroon kaming maliit na bahay dun sa---. Actually last June I was there for ah -- --. I stil ah, yun ang---. Siguro anytime I’ll be writing ah--- . Yun ang pinakamahirap na trabaho kasi ah---pagdating niyo ng umaga magpeprepare na kayo ng 7:00 news----yung bang--- -- -. Pagkatapos nun, after the newscast kukunin mo yung maliit na -- --ganon kalaking tape recorder, pupunta ka sa senate--- -. Siguro ang trabaho mo nun--- -Lahat gagawin mo. Napakagandang training--- -. Pro ngayon pagpasok mo mayroong mga----AT saka ngayon may mga specialty na sa sports--- -. Magtatawagawn sa telepono—kaya maganda ditto, mas madali. I think yung mga reporter ngayon mga hindi na masyadong bugbog. Minsan nga makikita mo may basket ball na naglalaron dun--- -

Q: Sir as a senior writer, what are the differences, what were your differences compared to the new writers?

A: Well ah, it’s a more or less there are differences pero madami ring similarities kasi kahit gaano ka kasinop when you write stories--- hindi naman komo kayang-kaya mo--- -Mas maganda yung may kaunti kang---. Hindi ka sure kung ano yung---. Parang pagluluto hindi mo alam yung--- kailangan yung--- m parang nacha-challenge din. So we challenge those seniors. -- - Yun nga siguro pag nawala yung youthful enthusiasm mo sa ginagawa mo---

Q: For you, what should a good sports writer or any other news writer for that matter possess?

A: A good sportswriter must first of all be committed. If you’re there just to write, then ‘wag nalang. Your heart must be able to deliver the goods. Writing is like a calling. There must be dedication.