Philippine journalism's "editors' editor" EPR was assigned a 1,000-word essay (well, we nicely asked him to start the ball rolling)

ON THE 7TH of May, in the Year of our Lord Twenty-Thousand and Eleven, at his Fermin Street, Singalong, Manila residence - on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of the Philippines Daily Express Publishing Corporation - we formally requested, verbally and in writing, editors' editor ENRIQUE P ROMUALDEZ for his one thousand-word essay.

We enjoined him to contribute to our compilation of unforgettable experiences at the Daily Express during the Seventies through the Eighties, and beyond (because we recalled from a very reliable source whom we will name if he agreed to be named, otherwise, he will remain anonymous forever, that long after the Express had ceased to exist, after the First EDSA, "Pocholo Romualdez and Johnny Perez were seeing each other everyday exchanging coffee and breakfast treats, somewhere in Manila, as if they were on a daily grind, editing and publishing something of national and international import; well, "bad habits" are hard to break, isn't it?). We wrote EPR this way:

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"7^th of May 2011

Manila, The Philippines

"Our dear Mr Pocholo Romualdez, sir,

"GREETINGS of prosperity, good health and peace!

"We write to formally request the honor and the privilege of having your 1,000-word essay on 'My Daily Express Experience' (that you can never, ever forget all your life) by Enrique P Romualdez.

"Ma’am Mary Jane Ortega had scribbled her own mini-story over Facebook (that she will expound on and expand soon) and doctor Jeepy Perez will be asked to craft his own story as proofreader of the Express way back when and another (story, perhaps), in honor of his late dad, publisher Johnny Perez. Lilia 'Nene' Chua can probably ask any children of president DH Soriano to contribute, also. Neal Cruz, Dick Pascual, Diego Cagahastian, Fred Gabot, Rollie Fernandez, Ricky Lo, Millet Mananquil, Ching Alano et al will also be requested to keep theirs coming.

"Our official weblog will be the 'draft platform' for crafting, refining and enhancing all the Express stories. 

"We were thinking of compiling the first 100 stories in 1,000 words each story from any officer or staff of the Express in no time at all.

"Your obramaestra will serve as some kind of a 'Preamble' to all the Philippines Daily Express experience stories, together with 'stories' told by the good photographs and the good cartoons, illustrations and artworks of the artists. Even the pressmen and those in other departments will be asked to contribute, mixed-media and all… Your deadline was… yesterday po, sir! (he-he)

"THANK YOU, good health, God bless as we remain all yours with the one and only Daily Express family, worldwide…

"Faithfully,

EMMANUEL MARIO B SANTOS

aka Marc Guerrero

EDITORIAL (Proofreading) 1978."

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WE ATTACHED some copies of earlier exchanges and communiques to the foregoing effect, thus:

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http://expressexperiences.blogspot.com/2011/03/when-friends-were-friends-some-kind-of.html

Martes, Marso 22 2011

"When friends were friends" (some kind of a preamble) by EPR, courtesy of Marisu's thingamajig

by MARISU ROMUALDEZ ABELLAR

STOP THE PRESSES!!!

A message from my first employer:

Marisu: Please send this message to our friends:

Through Marisu’s thingamajig, Lita and I thank you all for your greetings on our 63rd wedding anniversary. I would have done this myself, on my own account, but sad to say, my level of IT competence leaves much to be desired. Anyway, it was nice to see and read messages from dearly loved friends from the days when friends were friends. It was heart-warming to know that the spirit of the Daily Express lives, and that you are all doing the best you can on what you do best. Again, many thanks, and as Eugene O’Neill says, same time next year.

about 2 weeks ago, 8th of March 2011

FACEBOOK COMMENTS

From Marc Guerrero: Mareng 'Su... big-boss Pocholo (sir) of one and only tita Lita, the late Mike, Tonyrom, Mon and all almost did a-Tweet (not with 140 characters of Twitter but), with a journalistic greeting in 101 words (444 characters without spaces, 544 chars with spaces, and five lines) of the editors' editor. He's so techie without being nerdy (tongue-in-cheek)! I, therefore, recommend that these notes of Mr Romualdez's be made the first entry (or a "preamble") to this Philippines Daily Express Experiences sourcebook (in the making)...

08 March at 17:43

Marisu's response: I'm probably not in the least bit impartial, and maybe even a little prejudiced, to agree with Pareng Mario to include Pocholo's quasi-tweet in the soon-to-be compilation of DE FB Friends' Excellent Adventures at the Philippines Daily Express. I think if we ask nicely, Pocholo can even give us his own excellent story.

09 March at 05:48

http://expressexperiences.blogspot.com/2011/03/on-sunday-at-705am-of-january-30th-2011.html

 

Lunes, Marso 21 2011

On Sunday at 7:05AM of January 30th, 2011, Manila time {a month after The MJO-hosted DE "Top-40 kitakits sa QC" (with an earlier La Union dryrun) after 30 years}... I posted this on Facebook

Earlier, I told this to amang Neal Cruz (our managing editor back in the 1970s, now power-columnist of Philippine Daily Inquirer) during ma'am Mary Jane Ortega's Christmas treat in Quezon City for the 40 Expresspeople who came and saw each other again after more than 30 years. "Kulang ang 1,000 words," Neal retorted.  

Fact is, it was at that Roces Avenue party where many of the 40 just grabbed the microphone and narrated to everyone anecdotes na hindi ko malilimutan noong ako ay nasa Express pa. 

Nakatutulig ang katahimikan as representatives from all departments told us histories and herstories that kept us all awake in the wee hours. It was deafening silence! However, no one was able to videotape the moments (sad, sob)...

But every word, every gesture remained in our minds and in our hearts.  

And so, therefore, a month after, I wrote this on the Facebook group Post space that Louie Guevarra (IBM Production) created for all Express friends North, East, West, South: 

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"Sa lahat ng mga ka-Philippines Daily Express batch ko:

"I strongly recommend... that we put on our 'must-do' agenda for everyone the writing of our individual My Daily Express Experiences, in 1000 words.

"Experiences could be the most significant, the worst, the best, the funniest, the wackiest, the most melodramatic, the gloomiest, the most daring, the greatest, the finest or even the 'wala lang' (maskipops, kahit ano puwede).

"It could be in English, in Filipino, in Taglish or Enggalog, in any Philippine regional languages or in any foreign languages (with appropriate English or Filipino translations).

"TIP: We are not doing an obramaestra or masterpiece here, so just do it. Think and write as you think, feel or speak and get the burador or the essay drafting over and done with.

"We welcome any form of 'writing,' i.e., prose or poetry; cartoons, illustrations or artworks for both artists and non-artists (but with the most creative and imaginative flair yet to be unleashed); mixed-media, letters; mementos that you still keep and cherish, but not necessarily photographs only (like the press ID, T-shirts, pins, caps, commendations); and what-have-you.

"For those who will say 'I cannot write,' for some reasons, ask your husbands and wives or GFs and BFs, sons or daughters or grandchildren, and BFFs (best friends forever) to taperecord your one thousand words and you or have them transcribe your hablars. We have all the best editors around – then, now and henceforth, to enhance or refine (y)our pieces!

"Videotape what you want to express about your Express, if you may?

"'Have a better idea? Let’s talk about it and do the WRITE WORDS. Now na, as in…!

"Thank you and I shall be all yours...

"Faithfully,

Emmanuel Mario Santos

Editorial
1978

"Nota Bene. We are 72 in the FB house now. We are targeting 100 or more by May 7th. It will be a hundred stories in one thousand words each!"

http://expressexperiences.blogspot.com/

The Philippines Daily Express Experience

Some 500 officers and staff of Editorial, Art, Photography, Production, Printing Press, Circulation, Advertising, Marketing, Accounting, Finance, Human Resource, and other administrative, operations and support personnel of the Philippines Daily Express Publishing Corporation and Philippines Daily Express Employees Union from the 1970s thru the 1980s are coming together from North-East-West-South of the world as ONE EXPRESS FAMILY to retell our stories.

Huwebes, Mayo 05 2011

All roads, airstrips, sealanes lead to Fermin Street in Singalong, Manila

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I HANDED two other copies of our formal communique to EPR to Vir Lumicao and Jeepy Perez. Ma'am Lita read the invitation of the DE FB Group after sir Pocholo Romualdez was through reading and digesting the fine print.