The Silent Revolution on the Streets

MANILA, Philippines - Over the years, newsboys have found themselves as unwitting accessories to countless historical events. From small-scale achievements to the biggest headlines and game-changing occurences that have made it to the annals of history, they have literally taken a multitude of voices to the streets, a dissent of opinions and a host of reportage that have all stood as a crucial standing point for mankind.

And in this era of diminishing attention spans and flickering interests, they play a role more crucial than ever.

In many ways, newsboys serve as a lifeline from the editorial room to each household. They are the ones responsible for bringing the news to doorsteps everyday, beckoning you to grab a copy of the day’s newspaper as you battle road rage in a concrete sea of traffic and exhaust fumes. They are the ones who brave the weather to deliver newspapers and in turn, put food on the tables of their families, who eagerly await their arrival after long hours of work that start at the crack of dawn.

Steady stream of support

Reynaldo Mayrina, 50, and Pedro Lanciso, 33, have been plying the trade for many years, with 20 and 14 years of experience as newsboys, respectively. Both of them, along with two other newsboys, man Dapitan Street in Manila, tending to their loyal customers and looking for more customers eager to read the day’s newspapers.

Both are members of The Philippine STAR’s “Batang STAR”, a program launched to care and cater to the needs of the newspaper’s loyal newsboys braving the thoroughfares of Metro Manila and the provinces. In Metro Manila alone, an estimated 1,000 newsboys are members, with their ranks numbering up to 5,000 all over the country.

Among other benefits, the program gives priority to newsboys in the STAR Group’s outreach programs, medical missions and scholarships.

Reynaldo and Pedro are both thankful for The STAR’s support for them throughout the years. “Marami na’ng naitulong sa amin ang STAR. Binigyan nila kami ng insurance, pati mga gift certificates at groceries,” Reynaldo said.

As a Bulacan resident, Reynaldo has to get up as early as three in the morning to get to Manila in time for the distribution of newspapers, which he sources from dealers. By 6 or 7 a.m., he is already hawking newspapers on busy Dapitan Street.

Reynaldo has been doing this since 1961 and has been tirelessly working ever since. “Mga bandang alas onse, uuwi na ako para magpahinga dahil gigising pa ako na’ng maaga kinabukasan.”

Pedro, on the other hand, has been working as a newsboy since he was in grade school. Taking on the job to help support his family, he continued working as a newsboy after he graduated from Ramon Magsaysay High School. His earnings from selling newspapers help pay the bills for his uncles apart from subsidizing the tuition fees of his cousins whenever possible. He does this as a symbol of gratitude to them for taking him in.

“Tinutulungan ko yung mga tiyuhin ko na umampon sa akin. Kinupkop nilaako at tinuring ko na silang parang magulang. Tapos nang high school yung isa, college na. Kaga-graduate lang nitong isang taon,” he shared.

Pedro was a magbobote before he became a newsboy. He admits that money from selling newspapers is easier to make, especially that he has accumulated a number of loyal patrons over the years. And as a “Batang STAR”, he is thankful for all the support and the help that the program has extended to him and his fellow newsboys.

“Marami na’ng naitulong ang STAR sa amin– insurance, raffle,’yung Olympics. Itong taon talagang pinilit naming makasali sa Olympics. Andyan din yung pag nagpapakain sila, yung groceries. Pag may problema sa kasama mo, pag may naaksidente, tinutulungan nila. –Wala akong masasabi sa suporta ng STAR,” Pedro said.

Dedicated newsboy

Pol “Mang Pol” Notarte, a newsboy for over 50 years, is highly respected by newspaper dealers, fellow newsboys and Philippine STAR employees for his loyalty and dedication to his line of work. On this particular day, he is wearing his Pilipino STAR Ngayon shirt and Pang Masa cap, two of his many tools that arm him for his daily travails in one of the corner streets on E. Rodriguez Avenue in Quezon City.

Mang Pol, 55, has been selling cigarettes and newspapers on this street since the 1960s. “Hindi pa si Marcos ang presidente nun, andito na ako.” Hailing from Leyte Province, Mang Pol took the chance to come to Manila to find his luck. His wife also makes a living from selling newspapers on a nearby street, while his daughter lives in Bicol with her husband.

Mang Pol managed to send his daughter to school by just selling newspapers, candies, and cigarettes and taking different side jobs when opportunities came.

He is also a “Batang STAR” and has been featured in the pages of the newspaper for his dedication and loyalty. “Marami na ring naitulong ang STAR. Medyo umangat kami at nakaraos na’ng konti. Nakabili kaming mga gamit,” he said.

Like Reynaldo and Pedro, Mang Pol and his wife wake up as early as two in the morning to get their newspapers from their dealers. They also help arrange each fold of the newspaper. Around 6am, they start to distribute newspapers, door-to-door, to their patrons. The remaining copies are sold in the couple’s makeshift newsstand. By two in the afternoon, they would have earned their keep. They head off to their house in Tatalon and await the next workday.

Vital links

In ensuring that The STAR hits the streets from day to day, also in the sidelines are the dealers, from whom the newsboys get their fresh supply of newspapers daily. Dealers work as a sort of distribution hub, providing people even in the most remote part of the country with the most relevant news.

Anna Liza Ty, one of The STAR’s prized dealers in Iloilo City, shares: “We were directly appointed because Gracie Go saw a copy of The STAR distributed in one of the furthest provinces in Panay, which is Nogas Island, Anini-y, Antique. It was a remote island and she was surprised to see copies of The STAR being sold in the area. She asked where the copies of the paper were coming from and the newsboy told her my name. When she came back to Manila, she found out that we were not direct distributors of The STAR and she had us appointed.”

Ty and her family have since worked closely with The STAR in a relationship that has been reinforced over the years of strong ties. “The STAR is the most supportive publication in our business. Many opportunities and privileges came in my family’s life because of them,” Ty says.

In Ty’s area, The STAR is the bestselling newspaper, and it is the first to be sold out. “We make the distribution of STAR a priority in our business. Our newsboys would come back to our satellite outlets to get additional copies because their supply runs out easily. Our subscribers prefer STAR because they get their money’s worth. They have more articles to read than in other newspapers.”

The same is also true with Bulacan dealer Mimi Valeriano. “Readers always look for The Philippine STAR. It is one of the daily newspapers that are usually sold out.”

Valeriano has fond memories of working with The STAR, especially during special events held especially for the dealers, giving dealers a chance to get to know each other, share competencies and forge stronger ties with the STAR management. “I joined the STAR Talentadong Dealers. My group won P10, 000, which we used for our Christmas gift-giving to the poor,” Bulacan’s top dealer shares.

As for Ty, her most unforgettable moment associated with the STAR would really have to be when they started distributing it exclusively. “Who would expect to see a national newspaper being sold in a remote island which 20 years ago wasn’t even visited by tourists?” she remarks.

Means to a better life

Mang Pol, Reynaldo and Pedro represent a fraction of our society who dreams of giving their families the best life by working tirelessly and relentlessly, unmindful of the harsh weather and other dangers on the streets.

They are a reflection of the aspirations of many Filipinos who work hard to achieve their goals, content in a simple life where they have food on the table, a roof over their heads and just enough to put their children or relatives through school.

Unwittingly, they serve as a lifeline for the newspaper to remain relevant in a world where the digital cataclysm is said to threaten its very existence. Thanks to these hardworking heroes of the printed word, newspapers can be just as ubiquitous as candy and cigarettes on the streets.