CEBU, Philippines – Filipinos, then and now, considered education as one of the important means for social mobility. The Freeman’s publisher was himself a shining example. Born of lower middle class parents, he rose in socio-economic stature due to education.
Expectedly, therefore, The Freeman devoted much of its space to promote education, not only indirectly – through the dissemination of general information, of news and opinions on important public issues – but also directly.
By “direct” attempts at education, were refer to its practice of publishing items which are subjects of formal education.
Issues in 1919 to 1921 contained “A Section for Students,” dealing with English grammar, poems, excerpts from speeches on education, and humor. Similar topics were treated in the “Students’ Galley” section, running through the years 1921-22.
“Educational Page,” which ran in 1921-1922, was authored by two well-known Cebu educators – Atty. Vicente Gullas and Julio E. Pongan. The former was Paul’s elder brother who founded and managed Visayan Institute, the fore-runner of the University of the Visayas. Vicente authored several books on various topics, Julio Pongan, holder of A.B. H.T.C. and B.S.E. degrees taught history and government at the UP Junior College in Lahug, Cebu.
“Educational Page” purported to acquaint both teachers and students with educational methods,” questions and problems and to publish valuable articles on education.” Subsequent issues contained write-ups on what history is, the library and the school, what literature is, mis-used nouns, how to study effectively, practical “English nouns and command errors, how to prepare the study of any given literary work, literary quotations and others.
Literary Efforts
Both educational and entertaining were literary pieces which found ready space in The Freeman. In the early years of publication, Visayan poems were published, with a sprinkling of some in English. Grouped under section heads entitled “Mga Awit sa Kasingkasing” or “Panid sa Garay,” as many as five poems could appear in one issue.
Many poems at that time bore the author’s name and address and the person, usually a maiden, to whom the poem was dedicated.
Short stories in Cebuano regularly appeared in The Freeman, sometimes two or more in one issue. This practice of stories appearing in newspaper was made popular by Vicente Sotto’s Ang Suga which first appeared in 1901.
Another format was the serialized novel. One of the most successful series was the “Ang Tres Musketeros sa Fransiya,” a Visayan translation by Flaviano Boquecosa (F. BOK) of the famous novel of Alexander Dumas.
The Freeman also sponsored literary contests on short stories, essays and poems. These contests attracted many contributors, and sharpened the talents of budding writers and poets. Other persons helped the newspaper in providing prizes.
One of the early winners was Rufino B. Noel for his essay entry entitled “Ang Babaye.” He later became a Visayan section editor of The Freeman.
Sports And Society
Then as today, readers keenly followed developments in sports. Sports news occupied regular sections like “Panid sa mga Kalingawan” by Guadencio D. Peña in the 1920s and “Panid sa mga Kalingawan,” by Cavabel and Malay in the 1930s. (the later two names were pseudonyms, then a prevalent practice among Cebuano writers. Paul Gullas himself sometime wrote under the pen name Paul Dantes or Paul Sunnymade.)
In the lighter side of life, humorous anecdotes and jokes regularly appeared. In the vernacular section, the column “Motuo Ka’g Dili” told of tall tales which were at the same time humorous. Piux Kabahar in the late 1920s has his regular column “Katawa”, the forerunner of his “Bertoldo ug Balodoy” which gained large readership years later.
Newspapers then included news on the social activities of the upper stratum of society, a practice still followed today. The Freeman contained regular write-ups on social activities. Its section title changing from time to time, like “Kinsa ug Naunsa ang mga Higala sa Freeman”, “Ang Lihok sa atong mga Kahigalaan sa Sugbo” and “Sa mga Kahigalaan sa Freeman.”
Contribution & Reprints
Besides regular sections and news items, The Freeman published articles written by nationally known journalists and reprinted articles from books widely circulated then.
In July 1921, Jose E. Romero started contributing regular to the Freeman. At that time, Romero, still a fourth year law student in Manila, had already projected his name as editor of the National Weekly. He later served as secretary of education under Pres. Magsaysay.
His articles were datelined Manila, dated usually more than a week before appearing in The Freeman. At that time, only two boats regularly plied the Manila-Cebu route weekly.
Among Romero’s articles were: “The National Civil League in Action” (An explanation of the purposes and activities of this civic organization, then attempting to expand its set-up nationwide, and of which Paul served at one time as president): “Great Men and Great Theories (one on Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity, as explained by Prof. Smith of the University of the Philippines): “A Significant Change” (On American Jesuits taking over the place of Spanish Jesuits at the Ateneo de Manila): “Speakers and Orators” and “On Writing,”.
In is article “The Pardon of Frank Burns” Romero castigated Acting Governor General Yeater for granting pardon to Burns, an American sentenced to prison by the Samar Court of First Instance for setting fire to the garage of a business competitor and causing the death of a boy sleeping there.
From time to time, The Freeman published the views of nationals figures on important issues affecting the country. A case in point was Juan Sumulong’s “Analysis of the Mission’s Report” published in 1922 where he discussed the merits and demerits of the activities of the Philippine Mission, a group of legislators sent to the United States to ask for Philippine Independence.
Also worthy of mention among the contributed articles - for its present relevance - was that of Arthur Fisher, the director of the Bureau of Mines. In the paper’s issue of 30 September 1931, Fisher sounded a call familiar today entitled” Kinahanglan Santaon ang Panga-ingon sa Sugbo.”
Reprinted in several issues of The Freeman in the 1920s were Dr. Crane’s “Essays” as Prima Teves Garson’s “The Discipline of Life and Character.” These were educational and moralistic in tone.
“Their Morning — Their Night”
In an editorial, Paul had written that “the path of newspaper and all publications is full of troubles and trials. All have their morning of youth, their noon of vigor, and then their night and death.”
The “afternoon” of The Freeman came when Paul got re-elected to Congress in 1928, signalling that the decreasing attention and industry which had started in 1925 when he was first elected to Congress, would continue.
The “late afternoon” was his election to the Constitutional Convention in 1934. Soon the “night” of The Freeman set in.
Likewise, in The Freeman’s maiden editorial, Paul wrote that “this country is at the turning of the ways, just as the world is emerging into a bright future, shedding all that is ugly, brutal and convetous in the commercial and militaristic spirit of the late half-century.”
He was right in his observation regarding our country, but later events proved him sadly wrong in his analysis regarding the world at large.
Little did he realize in 1919 that the “brutal” and “militaristic” spirit which he thought had passed would rear its ugly head again in the 1940s. And this brutal militarism claimed his life as one of its victims, dealing him the inevitable human “night”.
His remains lay unmarked, unknown, somewhere in the mountains of Cebu where the retreating Japanese forces had forcibly take him.
But his name evokes memories – known and respected among Cebuanos – for his legal career, for his service as Cebu legislator and for the newspaper he founded, The Freeman.