JOURNALISTS are some of the most hardworking, intelligent, analytical and talented individuals on the planet. That is a fact that cannot be disputed.
Sadly, our group is also one of the least compensated individuals in the Philippines. I do not know how it is abroad, but here in the country, we only receive pittance. That is also a fact that cannot be disputed.
The amount of work that we do seems to go unappreciated if we go by what we see in the pay slips. We have been very much undervalued. I know there are factors and circumstances that go into it, but sometimes, all we can do is just shake our heads.
Journalists exist to tell the story. And they go the extra mile to get the entire story. In general, we do not want to shortchange the readers.
We want them to be abreast of the times. We want them to learn new things. We want to create a healthy debate. We want to inspire them. We want them to make informed decisions.
I have seen journalists spend whatever small amount they have saved in their pockets on taxi fares just to make it on time to a news conference or an important event that needed to be covered.
There are a lot of journalists out there who goes on out of town coverages spending their own money just to get the story.
I know of journalists who, at some point, have to leave behind ailing family members at home or in the hospital all in the name of the work we do.
Journalists brave the floods, storms, and whatever natural calamities just to submit a story. They go through transport strikes, blackouts and zero Internet for a story to be told.
At the end of the day, happiness comes when we are satisfied with the work we did and believing that there are people out there that will appreciate the hard work put into it.
To a lot of journalists here in the country, what we do is not an occupation but rather a vocation that provides satisfaction and contentment that goes beyond the monetary numbers.
One of the things I really do appreciate about this work is that we get to meet people that impact lives and the directions countries take.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to seat in the same table with British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond in the morning and be in the same room with Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr. in the afternoon.
The BusinessMirror was one of only three media outfits invited to the morning meeting with Hammond at the Costa Coffee branch in Bonifacio Global City.
Here is a hint. Of the three, only two are newspapers with the other one not starting with the letter “B”.
Anyway, there were three tables set up during that morning get-together and I was clustered with top executives from British companies with operations in the Philippines.
It was an experience having conversations with company presidents from the banking, service and energy industries. It just affirmed my belief that no matter their positions, they still go through life’s many issues, just like you and me.
When Hammond went to our table, he asked everyone to introduce themselves and tell something about their company.
So, when it was my turn, I told him that the BusinessMirror has been around for 10 years and is the leading business publication in the country. I also told him that this section, Envoys & Expats, is responsible for making their stories known to the public.
Through it, Hammond was nodding in approval and afterward, he jokingly asked if the BusinessMirror comes out in English.
To which I quickly replied: “But of course. You would not want it any other way.” Everyone in our table had a laugh at that.
In the afternoon, I was at the Department of Tourism (DOT) office in Makati City to witness the oath taking of new Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) board of directors led by its President Rosanna Tuason-Fores.
For the record, Jimenez is one of the few people in the government that I truly admire. His work ethic is unquestionable and the results of the work they do for the country’s tourism is really unbelievable.
During the meeting, Jimenez told of the story about the time he asked people in the DOT to clear their tables of every item that are unnecessary. He told them that it is the New Year and it is an opportunity to be new again.
He said that 2016 is a year to be more cheerful while adding that these are also very exciting times.
Jimenez added that his time in the DOT has been filled with optimism and the tourism industry has not suffered a negative growth since the start of President Aquino’s term of office.
The DOT secretary then told the TCP board that optimism is still prevalent in the industry and that tourism remains a people’s business.
He said that his fingers are crossed that when the May general elections comes around, Filipinos will make the right choice.
So I had to ask Jimenez afterward why he was not running for the senate and then telling him that I would have voted for him. He just smiled and shrugged the question aside.
Whoever becomes the country’s next president, I do hope that person would be wise enough to keep Jimenez in the DOT. And I do hope the secretary would say yes to another six years of running country’s tourism.
I also hope the next president would also be wise enough to hold town hall-style meetings with our countrymen to really get the pulse of the people. The morning meeting with Hammond just showed how effective it could be.
It was just another day at work. But the days are all worth it because of the new things that I get to learn and experience, undervalued or not.
For comments, suggestions and reactions, I can be reached at raalzona@yahoo.com.