Time flies…

February 20, 2010

COMMENTARY: By URIEL C. QUILINGUING

Not too long ago, the late Roger Muñez thought of venturing into the newspaper business. That was sometime in May 1988. His buddies then were his fellow salesmen who also took a crack in publishing local papers—Danny Masiba and Primo Montebon.

The maiden issue came out on May 16, 1988.

The editorial and business offices then was at the Muñez residence at Luna-Tiano streets. After three issues, Roger together with Danny approached this writer to assume as the editor since Gerry was then planning to put up his own paper, the defunct Morning Sun.

This writer was then connected with the Mindanao Extension Office of Senator Aquilino Pimentel at the ground-floor of Pelaez Sports Center.

Danny and Primo knew I had extensive experience in journalistic writings since I was admitted in as a regular member of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club in 1983.

By then, Golden Chronicle assumed a more presentable look, and this writer suggested the adoption of the slogan—Supremacy of Public Interest. We then rented a space at Carrasco building along Pabayo-Cruz Taal streets. From then on, Golden Chronicle emerged as the number one weekly paper in Cagayan de Oro and Northern Mindanao. There was no daily then.

The weeklies, aside from Ang Bagong Katarungan were the Cagayan de Oro News Express of the late Noli Olarte, Business Journal of Manny Quisumbing, Mindanao Post of Lorrie de la Serna, Mindanao Star of Bienvenido Cruz, and Mindanao Herald of Cynthia de Leon.

After six months, Golden Chronicle was coming out in at least 12 pages and as much as 16 pages. It had a circulation of over 2,000 copies and was all over Northern Mindanao, including the areas now within the Caraga region.

And guess who were with the Golden Chronicle at that time?

Perhaps unknown to the younger crop of media practitioners that Golden Chronicle had served as the training ground, if not the springboard of some successful journalists today. This includes those who had reaped successes—in their own right—who took time out in sharing their talents and experiences to the growth of Cagayan de Oro’s and Northern Mindanao Number 1 weekly newspaper.

Golden Chronicle’s phenomenal growth may have, in the past 10 years, have been overshadowed by the resurgence of local dailies. In fact, those, who organized the dailies saw to it that the dailies could survive by mentoring self-anointed publishers, were once with the Golden Chronicle.

The months and years that followed saw the changing of the guards as far as the editorial work is concerned, without them there would no newspaper at all.

Just imagine a newspaper full of ads and public notices, and if ever there are stories these come from press releases published in toto and would appear the same—including the heading, typographical errors and of varied journalistic styles, if there is any—as other newspapers. Just imagine a newspaper without photographs of major events, except of mug-shots of personalities whose photo files may have been taken 10 or 20 years ago. Just imagine a newspaper without any standard format and all materials are placed on paper’s spaces without due regard to the basic principles of lay-outing of the prescribed sectioning of the paper.

When Golden Chronicle started in May 1988, there were only four of us—Roger (publisher and manager), myself (editor), Al Balite (marketing head) and Flora Balistoy (office secretary).

Before we reached one year, the organization grew to more than 30 and from covering and circulating in Cagayan de Oro to the entire Northern Mindanao region, then including the provinces in the Caraga region.

Those who joined us later included Ms. Dolly Ilogon, who left then popular 99.9 RK FM, to handle the advertising work for the paper while Al Balite focused on circulation; Joe Felicilda, former station manager of RPN-DxKO, who contributed stories; Emil Corrales, who had just retired as regional director of then Office of Media Affairs (now Philippine Information Agency, who wrote off-and-on columns; Jay Valleser also contributed stories until he served as secretary of Mayor Pablo Magtajas and then to RMN TV 8; Froilan Gallardo, a student of Xavier University, who wrote entertainment columns; Bel Olano and Contante Cariaga of Bukidnon, who ran the editorial and business bureau in the province; Casiano Matela, head of our Surigao Bureau; Catalino “Butch’ Chan IV as head of the Camiguin Bureau. There were also representatives from Misamis Oriental based in Balingasag, Camiguin, Ozamis, Iligan, Butuan, Tandag (Surigao del Sur) and Prosperidad (Agusan del Sur. Several others who worked with Golden Chronicle as reporters and advertising representatives.

While we were doing well in terms of coverage, circulation and advertising, returns were not much since our production went to pay for printing cost at the Mindanao Editorial and Printing Services.

Golden Chronicle had its highs and lows the past 17 years but despite these, it continues to survive and maintain what it has been known for all these years—being the top weekly newspaper in Northern Mindanao.

Proof to that is its being the regional winner and finalist in annual Philippine Press Institute-Konrad Adenauer Foundation Community Press Awards since 2002.

Golden Chronicle is the undisputed Number One weekly newspaper in Northern Mindanao and one of the top four weekly newspapers nationwide.

In 2002, Golden Chronicle was regional winner and finalist, with two other weeklies, for Best in Business and Economics Reporting. The following year, it was finalist in three award categories—Best Edited Newspaper (together with two other finalists), Best Opinion Page (with another weekly), and Best in Business and Economics Reporting (with two other weeklies).

Finally, in April this year, Golden Chronicle won its first-ever national award—Best in Business and Economics Reporting—from the Annual Community Newspaper Awards given jointly by the Philippine Press Institute and Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Inc.

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Written by admin · Filed Under Columnists, Uriel Quilinguing

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One Response to “Time flies…”

Time flies… | Mindanao news, views, message board, travels, hotels … | My Hometown Butuan | Butuan City Philippines on February 20th, 2010 4:21 pm

[...] Leave a Comment Before we reached one year, the organization grew to more than 30 and from covering and circulating in Cagayan de Oro to the entire Northern Mindanao region, then including the provinces in the Caraga region . … Read more from the original source: Time flies… | Mindanao news, views, message board, travels, hotels … [...]

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