The FREEMAN: 92-years of fair and fearless news

For our special presentation on our talkshow Straight from the Sky, we bring you a serious discussion on Energy Efficiency with European Chamber of Commerce President Henry Schumacher in line with the up and coming 1st Philippine Energy Efficiency Forum 2011 at the Waterfront Hotel on July 26th next week that would tackle current raging issues like Global Warming or Climate Change and to search for ways on how to meet these challenges.

 The many people who’ve read or heard that solar energy is the cheapest source of energy because it is free or that wind power should be prioritized because the wind blows when it blows are the very people who ought to attend this very important forum so they would be educated on today’s realities that these so-called Green technology is very capital intensive and worse of all, it is highly unstable. The sun shines only when there are no clouds or rains, while the wind blows intermittently.

 These are the issues on the table with Mr. Henry Schumacher in an interview we did at the Radisson Blu Hotel and we are showing it at this time so people would be aware of this forum and join it. So watch it tonight on SkyCable’s channel 15 at 8:00 pm and be educated about energy efficiency.

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 Today, The FREEMAN celebrates its 92nd anniversary, making it the undisputed, longest running newspaper in Cebu and I would like to believe this is also true for the rest of the Philippines. Come August 4th, I will be on my 24th year as a columnist in The FREEMAN, although I did not begin my journalistic career in this newspaper, but with The Philippine Star, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary on July 28th. However, since The Philippine Star has partnered with The FREEMAN in the Star Group of Companies, let me say that I’m proud to be part of this very prestigious group of newspapers whose mastheads declare “Truth shall prevail” (The Philippine Star) and “Fair and Fearless” (The FREEMAN).

 As a journalist that learned the ropes from the late great Sir Max Soliven and the late Mrs. Betty-Go Belmonte, founders of The Philippine Star, we have strongly abided by the two principles that these publications proudly declare in its mastheads, principles inculcated by its founding fathers.

 On the maiden issue of The FREEMAN which began on May 10, 1919, its founding father Atty. Paulino Arandia Gullas wrote in the editorial, “In the hands of unscrupulous and unprincipled journalists, the press is the ugliest weapon of destruction, forged in the furnace of Satan. But committed to the hands of men who are true to the ethics of their profession, it is the greatest empire builder, the greatest educator, the greatest molder of public opinion - the best preserver of law and order, and the most faithful handmaid of private and public morals.”

 This was written in the years when Cebu City had so many newspapers like the La Revolucion of Felimon Sotto, the Nueva Fuerza of Don Vicente Rama, El Nuevo Dia of Don Sergio Osmeña, the El Nacional of Don Vicente Sotto, the El Precursor of Don Mariano Jesus Cuenco and later on, Cebu’s first English language daily, the Cebu Advertiser of my grandfather Don Jose Avila. The words of Don Paulino Gullas 92-years ago are still relevant today where we have different types of medium for journalists to use.

 Atty. Paulino Gullas no doubt realized that the newspaper then was the only way to polarize public opinion, while giving up-to-date news coverage of the day-to-day events in Cebu City and the Philippines, plus providing our readers with a wholesome sports, entertainment and lifestyle section. Ninety-two years later, the newspaper is not the only medium available for our people to use. Hence, certainly people are saying that the days of the newspaper are numbered because of the Digital Age.

 But I fully disagree with this thought. What good is your iTouch, iPad, Galaxy tablets or your iPhones if you what you read from those news report come from a very questionable source? Anyone can write a blog or Tweet and use this medium to destroy or malign people’s names? This brings us back to the stirring words of Atty. Paulino Gullas “In the hands of unscrupulous and unprincipled journalists, the press is the ugliest weapon of destruction, forged in the furnace of Satan.”

 Today, we even have the citizen reporter who uses a digital camera to make reports for television. This is very good for news reporting in areas where journalists are often barred from entering. But the problem is one of credibility because in this digital age, it is easy for anyone with a digital camera and a laptop to create scenarios where lies can be peddled as truth. This is why today; all the more we need newspapers like The FREEMAN that writes the truth in all fairness, but without fear from anyone. To the management and staff of The FREEMAN, may God always bless your work and keep your morals in line with God’s will! More power!

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