EDITORIAL – Delournalism and Cuenco have journalism in their hearts

Reps. Raul del Mar and Antonio Cuenco, of Cebu City's north and south districts, respectively, recently donated two million pesos each in what is intended to become seed money for the Cebu Journalists Medical Aid Fund.

The donations were taken from the priority development assistance fund of each congressman, in effect making very wise, prudent and practical use of money that comes from the taxes of citizens.

But just because the money did not come from the personal pockets of the congressmen does not mean they are not as personally concerned and involved in the plight of poor journalists, especially our home-grown ones in Cebu.

Both del Mar and Cuenco may be politicians, a fact that may prompt those who do not know them to question their motives. But those who know will attest that their concern for journalists is genuine.

That is because both del Mar and Cuenco, even before they became politicians, already had their lives touched and perhaps shaped by journalism. Del Mar's father was one of the pioneering journalists in Cebu while the Cuenco family used to own one of Cebu's leading newspapers.

Both having journalism in their blood, it then comes quite naturally for them to understand the plight of journalists who, by and large, take great risks with their lives to pursue a profession that does not pay much economic dividends.

To be sure, there are those who have already made a name for themselves and now lead, as a consequence, a happy and stable life. And there are those who, by means that tend to tarnish the name of this noble calling, also secured for themselves and their families a life of ease.

But to the greater majority of journalists, life is always a constant struggle of trying to make ends meet. In such a situation, the commercial exhortation "bawal magkasakit" strikes the struggling journalist with grim and stark realism.

Having seen journalism up close, del Mar and Cuenco realized something has to be done to help ease the burden borne by journalists. Their donations will not solve the problem. But it can open many eyes to look at journalists with a little more kindness and understanding.