By MARK REY MONTEJO
Always grateful.
Those two words this article is all about. I never thought in my life I would be a sportswriter for Tempo – the tabloid of one of the country’s big three in print journalism – the Manila Bulletin.
As a college student, I was crazy about classic films and literature, especially poetry as I firmly believe that being poetic is vital in this fast-paced era.
Right now, I write for Tempo. I never thought that I would become part of this tabloid – in its sports section – where the great scribblers in the likes of Recah Trinidad, Ding Marcelo, Al Mendoza, Rudy Navarro, Tito Talao, Rey Bancod worked before, along with the late Beth Celis, Raffy Japa, Clyde Mariano, and many more.
I remember back in the day that I usually saw Tempo – not knowing what it is all about – on the streets, hotels, and convenience stores.
Later, I encountered Rey Virgilio Lachica, the current Tempo sports editor, a guy that I assumed a terror and stern man when I first stepped into the newsroom.
He’s strict, that’s given, but terror? Not even close.
It turned out that he’s a kind-hearted and generous man. Sir Rey, along with another impressive guy, MB sports head Ramon Bonilla, taught me how to write and they took me under their wings and flew me to the world of sports journalism – a field, as I mentioned earlier, I never even realized I would be in five years ago.
Those sportswriters that I mentioned instilled the essence of true journalism – which is to bring factual information and deliver ABCs in each article – the accuracy, brevity and clarity.
And with those principles, Tempo stands strong up to this day, keeping its lines connected to its readers, in spite of the popularity of online media.
Even though Tempo has its own online website, it didn’t let its print copy fade as it is aware of how every article in tabloids could help someone – an athlete, a family, a worker, or just an avid reader. Isn’t it magical how can a piece of paper touch human lives?
Because in reality, it is not only a piece of paper, it is about the duty and obligation of writers to their readers to move something, to make noises, to make something to be known, to record that it happened.
Tempo delivers the news that are essential not only in sports but in other aspects of society.
