Making good news a trend

MANILA, Philippines - #iwantgoodnews. That’s the hash tag I created on Twitter, thinking that people might actually prefer to hear good news for a change. The banner story in all dailies was about the murder of Ramgen Revilla and Ricky Pempengco, relatives of well-known personalities. All of a sudden, people were shocked about the gruesome crime, but as observed by a Twitter user, why are people paying close attention only now, when this has been happening as far as anyone can remember?

A day never passes without a crime story, here’s a rundown of those that are just too graphic to forget this past month:

A woman jumps off the overpass and gets killed when the steel railings bore through her.

A man kills his own mother.

There’s the story of the man who kills his entire family, sparing only the 13-year-old daughter before killing himself.

Should I say more? Flip through the pages of this paper and tune in later to the weekend editions of TV Patrol, 24 Oras or whatever channel, and you’re bound to read or watch a crime story.

A Twitter user says that we in media always feature negative stories. I will have to agree with you, but it serves its purpose of informing and exposing irregularities and abuses.

Most producers want to deliver more good news but all networks are affected by the ratings. It’s a tough balancing act, made worse by network competition.

Madonna has been a vocal promoter of the benefits of buko juice. The Philippines has been exporting coconut water to the US, Europe, Middle East and South America.

So, I tweeted: “Who wants to hear good news?” I got a resounding yes!

A confession: Before I began writing this column, I had a title in mind: “Be Positive.” Even I was unsure if there would be enough material.

Log on to www.goodnewspilipinas.com and see that there are so many good things happening to our country.

•Coconut water exports soared at 315 percent in the first half of the year. Americans are raving about our coconut water. They get theirs commercially in a box, while we get ours fresh! I tried the commercial and repacked coconut water, selling at P100.

Because Hollywood stars like Madonna are drinking the coconut water, all of a sudden we appreciate even the buko juice sold in a jug filled with ice at the kanto (corner). A note to our vendors: Please don’t add sugar anymore. Buko juice is not only healthy, but is also a status symbol. I’m glad I can still buy an entire coconut, including its meat, at P15. “You just have to climb a tree,” my husband Orange reminds me. There are many coconut trees in Cavite, so we get ours for free.

Last year, the Philippines exported 1.8 million liters. This year, it went up to 7.5 million, according to the Philippine Coconut Authority. We also export to Europe, the Middle East and South America.

•The Philippines is voted top honeymoon destination at the China Travel and Meetings Industry Awards. Our country beat Indonesia and Thailand as the best honeymoon destination. Boracay and Palawan were among those featured in the exhibition. I just love Palawan. It’s been more than two years since my family visited Miniloc in El Nido Palawan. It was a magical experience. Next destination, hopefully, is Sagada in Mountain Province. Not only is the trip a chance to revisit my Igorot heritage, I also do not want to miss the Banawe Rice Terraces, a UNESCO world heritage site that is degrading fast.  

Other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Philippines are the Tubbataha Reef in Palawan, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River Water Park, the Historic City of Vigan in Ilocos Sur as well as the Baroque churches such as San Agustin in Intramuros in Manila, La Asuncion dela Nuestra Senyora in Ilocos Sur, St. Augustine Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte and the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church in Miag-ao, Iloilo.

Apart from our natural resources, a number of Filipinos have recently brought pride to the Philippines.

•Sec. Cesar Purisima was chosen Asia’s top finance minister, having been awarded Emerging Markets Finance Minister of the Year.

•Philippine Paintball Team retains its championship crown at the Asia Paintball Cup in Indonesia.

•Jonathan Eric Defante is named Citizen Ambassador to the UN through his ecobricks.

Social entrepreneur Chit Juan tweets: “We should have good news every day. It’s like a vitamin. It’s also like exercise, in order for positivism to be habit, you need discipline. It takes a conscious effort to focus on goodness. Start your day with ‘Thank you’.”

(E-mail me [email protected]. Follow me on Twitter @bernadette_ABS. For those who want to hear and share more good news, join #iwantgoodnews on Twitter. Let’s make good news a trend.)