Roces: A Tradition in Philippine Print Media|Archives|Interviews|Teresita B. Roces

Teresita "Chit" Roces: …the copy I don't know where it is eh, I, all that time I thought these were the ones that were outside that's why I didn't even bother to prepare for your coming 'cause I was so sure I have it, eh. These are all the raw materials, they're for printing, see we had, um, we got an ad from Goldilocks and a commitment with, from them, you know, what issue was this, February 2. The best was ano…

A: Yes, this is…….there…..that's more or less how it looks. I think this was a, our first issue, a Special Place (referring to a section on the community paper), this is the one and, um, yeah, this is, this is it's not…. but this, because this is very blurred, this was a, like a proof, huh, you see our motto was "News you can use."

A: This is the first issue, launched November 3, it's just a teaser issue, regular publication……and, and we had this beautiful, um, picture, ah, by Cesar Maganto, so, Tomambo, Cesar Tomambo, yes he is ano, see he explained about cremation and then we, we, um, we put here your all night drugstores, drugstores that are open all night in the area, um, shopping for a driver, Mang Ed is your man, you know, ah, this is the, the person where you can get…

A: Yes, ah, huh. (continuing to the parts of their community paper)… Lopez Museum moving up here, ah, but don't worry because they will relocate, noh, then mayroon kami dito, in case you didn't know, in case you didn't know, the information we give, this is a small paper but the research that went on, (stating an example) Ortigas Center is nearly 50 banks within its 93 hectare, the number includes Asian Development Bank, more, more plan to come in, there are 740 hotel rooms, 140 fast food outlets, 60 restaurants, etcetera. This is very good information…

A: …Or, Ortigas Center Association collects 92… of garbage daily already then we were already ano ha, at the cost of 25,000 weekly, SM Megamall alone generates over 100 cubic meters of garbage daily which they remove on their own, here over 250,000 people walk the 3 main malls daily, 40%, etcetera, etcetera, see, illegal parking will cost you, carparks make 500,000 daily for the 3 malls. You see this, this is the kind of service we wanted, eh, and, um, so this, this is a…

A: …delicate touch of a child's barber, this is the first haircut of this child and this is the man who can do it, my grandson went also to him and it, it's nice, it's, um, the ramp car delivers batteries now, yeah, and the, this is, this is, ah, late night video shops and all the, so it was, um, we talked about a special place because we thought it was the area that was growing the fastest, this particular area, we, we had a map, here, here, here this is a map but it's wrong…

A: …oo, eh, medyo ano, noh, ayaw yata niyan dito, anyway the three cities, where three cities and one historic town meet, so this is the area that we covered, part of Quezon City, part like that, part like that, San Juan, etcetera, we didn't put Manila or ganyan, hit this area where real estate is, as really growing at that time, noh.

Q: So, how, how did you come up with the idea of putting up a paper like this one?

A: We've been wanting to put up a paper, where, ah, well, see I, um, my new partner in life is an ed, former editor, okay, so he edited all of these and I wrote some of the pieces, so the two of us, 'cause I'm a journalism graduate but I never really practice except for some articles for magazines and interviews, 'cause I like to do interviews, um, so the idea was we saw the area, we saw the community paper and my, I, I freely call him my husband, um, he is of the idea that from major newspapers we're going to go back to the community because who cares what's happening in, in the whole country, I wanna know who my neighbor is, I wanna know what my village, what's happening in my village here, they will not report that my neighbor was robbed in the main paper, they won't do that but I wanna know that because that's relevant to me, how many dogs are here, are they vaccinated, are they ano, ah, what do we do with them when, when they are making so much noise, where do we address this problems, you know, so we were very excited over the idea that it was the best way to serve the community and that would give us not only San Juan, it had to be a bigger but not any bigger, since Makati already had Village Voice, the moment we said were opening here they start, eh, also open, they brought Village Voice here, those are my cousins…

A: …yeah, but I don't like their paper, it's improved greatly but their, they're not serious kasi they're giving it away, eh…

A: …'pag pinamimigay mo wala kang responsibilidad, pangit ngayon, eh, ano libre naman, eh, pero kung binabayaran ka iba, iba, atsaka kung binibili yung paper mo hindi ginagamit pambalot ng isda, na hindi pa, ang Village Voice maraming beses binabagsak hindi naman, eh, pinapagbiling papel, eh, ako gusto ko yung paper namin talagang hihintayin, babasahin, we even had jokes, ah, imagine what we could have done with that EDSA, nowhere could it done so much, it's right here, this our, I mean, oo…

A: …so we wanted to say, how much are the rentals, how much are the houses for sale, how many are vacant, what was the last sale, how much was regular price, what do, how do the, eh, real estate agents move, ah, so we wanted a paper that addressed that…

A: …and bibili ka ng periyodiko, Inquirer, anong masabi na magagamit mo, anong nasabi, puro mga pulitika, puro ganyan, ako gusto kong malaman paano yung buhay ko afectado, san may nangyayari na gusto ko malaman, gusto kong malaman kung magkano na ba ngayon kung may kotse ako, saan ang pinakamurang bangko nagbibigay ng interest, hindi na ako maghahanap, kukunin ko yung periyodiko, hanapin ko kasi itong periyodiko serbisyo yan sa akin, eh, kung hindi mo ako masisilbihan bakit kita bibilin, anong, para ano ka, di ba, pero kung pinamimigay lang maski na bigay sa iyo kukunin mo na lang.

Q: 1996, ah, you, ah, you never thought of like collaborating or joining the Village Voice like…

A: …um, no, I don't think they'd buy it, eh, because they, we don't believe in the same things, eh. They want, ah, ads, they will, um, get by, by ads ang mahirap dun sa sosolicit ka ng ads tapos anong ginawa ng ads, sabi, o hindi na kami magbabayad ng ads, um, bigyan na lang namin kayo ng free lunch, coupons, bigyan ka namin ng coupons, mga reporter n'yo punta dito sa Texas chicken kakain lang kayo dito ng libre. Tumanggap sila, kami ayaw naming tumanggap, eh, mamamatay kami talaga kasi may prinsipyo kami, eh, ano kami pakain, hindi kami ganun (chuckles), bibigyan mo kong Texas chicken, ah, eh, that's, it's not professional but because they started doing that the Texas chicken or whoever, Mc Donalds or whatever…

A: …di siyempre ganun na rin sila, ayaw na nilang magbayad ng pera, bibigyan ka na lang, I don't care for libre ako kakain sa restaurant mo pano kita pupulaan, how will I write na your service is bad, binibigyan mo ko ng pagkain, di ba, bibili ka ng ad, lalagay kita diyan, pero 'pag masama ang serbisyo mo susulat kita, susulat kita, pano yung manok mo bulok yung ano, nasira ang tiyan ng lahat, susulat kita, pero pag pinakain mo ko ng libre, hindi kita masulat di ba.

A: …eh, di ba, that is the……that you never accept, in fact the journalist should never accept the free meal from anyone because it limits your freedom, what's your only power because you're free to say what you want, but if you take, give that away because you were given Kentucky chicken, ah, iha lumipat ka na ng trabaho di ba, walang mangyayari sa iyo because that's the only thing to make you go into journalism, so that you can say what you want but not without responsibility, re-research mo di ba, so ganun kami, ang ginagawa namin not so much yung publicity na about politics or whatever but we wanted to know in this community who are the people we're talking about. Sinong kapit bahay mo na hindi mo pala alam ay nag, rumiceive pala ng award iyan sa States ganyan, iyan pala ay may inimbentong ganito, living three streets away from you, in the other village, hindi mo alam di ba, tapos siyempre yung mga hindi rin maganda ang ginawa kailangan malaman mo rin na nakatira pala sa parehong village mo, may kaso, may ganito, ma, ang, ang gusto namin noon ipagbili ang paper, i, ibenta…

A: …kasi 'pag ibebenta mo, 'pag bibilin mo yung periyodiko babasahin mo, eh, atsaka mag, maghahanap ka ng standards, eh, oy, oy, binayaran ko ng bente pesos wala man lang akong makuha dito, di ko nga bibilin yan, that's the challenge we wanted to ano, now sila naman gusto nila mabubuhay sila sa ads which is if you think of money that's what you'll go, but kung pera ang pag-uusapan, ay bakit ka papasok sa periyodiko, mag-buy and sell ka na lang, eh, hindi pera ang ano ng periyodiko, eh, but if you want to be rich, you're in the wrong field, you will not be rich but you will earn a respectable living, that's what my husband does, he lectures, he teaches ano, journalism, he is called by banks to make the reports, etcetera, we, he would never be able to let's say, ah, travel around the world every year, hindi ganyan yung buhay na pinili niya eh, di ba, but 'pag mayroong, ah, judging sa competition ng, ano, siya ang kukunin na judge, noh, kasi nirerespeto siya, pero kung alam, eh, eto ang daming periyodista ngayon naku terible, ay talaga naman, lahat ng sinusulat ay dahil may nagbayad…

A: …oo, so, I belong to the Chino Roces Foundation and in the Chino Roces Foundation we will go from university to university and giving teachings about values. You know my uncle was a publisher who did not think of making money that's why in the family pinagtatawanan siya talaga, sabi, ano ka, lahat na ng pera mo naubos, yung kotse mo 19-forgotten nakakahiya ka, wala siyang pakialam sa pera, he was the perfect publisher. He only wanted to have a good paper…

A: …he's really galing about that, ano, but the family they all thought he was crazy…

A: …crazy, noh, yung damit niya, yung shirt jock na wala na sa panahon, yun at yun, hindi siya ano, eh, hindi siya naaano sa, but he didn't care about money, kumakain siya sa karinderya, kaibigan niya lahat yung mga tao dun, yung ayaw na ayaw niya sa buhay niya na mayaman siya, parang hindi siya nakatikim ng buhay na gusto niyang matikman, kasi hindi niya malaman, paano niya maiintindihan ang problema, hindi siya ganun lumaki, eh, so parang isip niya nawalan siya, na-deprive siya ng talagang…

A: …what life is about, so he wanted to connect, so, ah, when he had a paper he was really very, very, ah, aware of the needs of the people, he's very good to his journalists, he gave them opportunities to perfect their, you know, train, then to go abroad, give them scholarships and all that, naggawa siya ng Manila Times Village para magkaroon ng housing sila, kasi nakita niya, sa suweldo nyo paano kaya makakabili ng bahay itong mga ito, so ininclude niya yung package tapos nung sinaran siya ng Martial Law, I don't know for how many years tinuloy niya ang suweldo, wala ng periyodiko tinuloy niyang suweldo kasi sabi niya paano ko ititigil iyan paano itong mga tao, and the whole family was saying, my God hindi na nga tayo kumita ng ano (laughs), ipamimigay mo pa ito, ang concern niya dun sa tao, so tito Chino as far as journalism, he had, he was a really, ano, publisher, the Lopezes were good people but they're in business, so when you're in business kumuha ka lang ng periyodiko to protect your business, you know, para yung business nila hindi maano, it's like that, like every, all the publishers now are in it for the power, it's not making money, eh, bakit ka papasok sa periyodiko, hindi kumikita, eh, hindi kumikita talaga, now with the electronic they've been wanting sabi namin we can do this sa email, ano, pero according to my husband there is nothing like a paper na hahawakan mo, kaya kailangan hindi daily, hindi siya naniniwala sa daily, 'cause everyday wala ka namang panahong basahin araw-araw, wala namang nangyari, today sinabi ito the next day sabi hindi pala nangyari ito, aba, eh, nagbayad pa ako ng periyodiko sasabihin lang hindi pala ito nangyari, kasinungalingan pala itong first, naguluhan lang ang isip ko sa periyodiko, eh, but if you come up with a forth nightly, twice a month then you have an analysis of what happened, ano yung nangyari na ngayon nakadalawang linggo na tayo puwede ko ng ipagsama…

A: …pero, oo, yung impeachment araw-araw naman, maya't maya ay nasa, nasa TV din, ano ang sasabihin ko sa iyo, eh, yung hindi mo nakita doon, anong nangyari sa likod ng camera, anong nangyari doon sa mga opisina ng mga taong na, naghihintay na up to 9 o'clock, ano yung kani, anong nangyari sa buhay nila, di ba, eh, papaano sila, nagpalit yung buhay nila because they have to stay up 9 o'clock, 10 o'clock in congress, yun ang gusto kong malaman, eh, yung tao, hindi mo alam, hindi mo kailangan yung ideas, ang kailangan mo yung nangyari sa tao, kasi iyan ang interes natin, eh, human interest talaga, eh, kasi you can identify with that person, pareho itong kay, kay Estrada, my God hanapin mo lahat yung anak, hanapin mo yung ganun, sabihin mo lang ilan ang kotse nila, ha, ilan ang katulong sa bahay, ilan ang ano, di ba maganda 'pag nalaman mo 'yon, o anong sama nun, totoo, eh…

A: …but, but it's information, it gives you, you're not criticizing Estrada, you're just telling exactly how many helpers there are, how many cars they have, kaya yung ano, yung, yung this journalist who are investigating kanila Sheila ganyan, di ba they're doing an excellent job but do you have to have investigators, every newspaper should have reporters who are investigating, you don't rely on the PCIJ, you have your own, ganun naman talaga nung araw, eh, bakit ka nagiging, papano binabayaran kayo para hindi n'yo makita yung dapat tignan n'yo, it takes a group, na hindi puwedeng….like sina Sheila, they are not working for your paper so papaano mo sila ifi-fire, kasi 'pag nagsulat ka ng hindi delikado sasabihin, hoy, hoy paalisin na yan. The Inquirer ngayon there's somebody going to be kicked out because he did not agree with something, Inquirer they are my cousins, noh, but they married Romualdez, they married Romualdez, 'pag nag-marry ka ng Romualdez tagilid ka na, tagilid ka na, yun ang titignan mo ngayon….

A: …iba, nakita mo ba si Kokoy sa periyodiko, nung nag, kinasal sila ang liit-liit na ano na Kokoy, di nila sinasabi, eh bakit hindi di ba, pero maya't maya 'pag naka-receive sila mismo ng award that's a no-no. My tito Chino if he receives an award hindi makakaku, hindi lalabas sa periyodiko niya, pangit, ikaw ang nagreceive ng award nasa periyo, iyo yung periyodiko, ngayon ilabas ng iba, eh, you will not put in your paper what the other papers will not put, now if they put you, you can put yourself, if it's news worthy for all, but not if it's only news worthy for you di ba, so, you know, sayang itong paper namin, you know Sassy if you have a group of friends, you can put it together because we can give you directions, we can tell you how, how the format should run, kasi my, my husband……okay this issue, every issue has a theme, so lahat ng nandudun papasok related, hindi basta-basta, etong news may iba dito, may ganyan, no may theme, may theme, noh, so yung theme ganito, so lahat ng news related, tapos yung ibang section entertainment of course the, the ano, tapos we have recipes, health tips and we even have jokes, you know, and, um, we had cartoon, eh, and commentary in cartoon form…

A: Because it is, it's one week, ano, if you last, ah, two weeks you have to keep it so you can, you can read, for example yung how to clean silver without buying a cleaner that's mahal so we will teach you because we, we research, eh, we asked, noh, restaurant owners, paano n'yo nililinis yung silver n'yo, bumibili ba kayo ng kamahal-mahal na silver cleaner, hindi, sabi nila, di malulugi na kami, so they have a set special way just with salt, you know, they, they have a way of making babad a certain time, so we, we, we tell the housewives to, to do this para hindi na sila bibili ng silver na cleaner na mahal naman, noh, so, nag-aano kami, naghahanap kami talaga ng paraan by talking to housewives how do you run your house on, let's say this budget, noh, so tuwing babasahin mo yung periyodiko namin papasalamat ka na may paper na ganun, you know, parang buti na lang nalaman ko ganun pala kamahal ang parking sa ano, o kaya sabihin ko mas mahal pala sa Makati but na lang ako dito sa Greenhills, di ba, tapos you can also, um, comment on, comparing paano itong village na ito ina-address yung problem nila, paano yung village doon, tapos sasabihin mo kunyari mayroong maid na nagnakaw doon kailangan malalaman ng lahat ng village na may modus operandi na ganun at sino yung maid na yon, etcetera, tapos….nakakatulong talaga, nakakatulong talaga ang periyodiko, tapos wala siyempre sa amin na magpapalabas na, kung minsan mayroon kami naka, nakahalata na padala ng padala sa amin ng information, tinitignan namin bakit ba ito padala ng padala hindi naman natin siya hinihingi, eh, kakandidato pala, o maya't maya, sabi namin kung may sasabihin kang ganyan, yung sinisiraan mo diyan kailangan kausapin din namin ng malaman namin kung ano yon, so kakausapin namin naiinis naman siya dahil bakit kinausap daw, di pareho silang lumabas, tapos mayroong village na nagkakagulo sa election ng kanilang local, so yun inaano namin para yung mga iba hindi gumaya sa ganung klaseng pamamalakad tapos mga clubs, Club Filipino, Valle Verde, ano yung facilities na mayroon, magkanong share, bakit ganung kamahal ang share, ganun ang asking ano ang last sale, yung swimming pool nila paano, ilang beses chine-change yung water, yun tinatanong namin yun, saan kayo bumibili ng karne, ha, kung saan-saan, o baka hindi safe yung karne n'yo, ha, magkano yung kuha ninyo tapos makikita namin yung menu nila parang reasonable, nasubukan namin yung mga pagkain, pag kailangan, pag susubok ka hindi palilibre, kasi hindi mo nga masabi na pangit dahil libre di ba, maski drink bibigyan ka huwag ka, sasabihin mo, no, no, no, because we want to be able to say if your drink is lousy, di ba, so ganyan ang ginawa namin, really I was very excited about that because that's the new thing, eh, even in the States it's the community paper, community TV, mayroon na siyang TV station hindi yung general ABS-CBN, no, Cebu, ha, this is Cebu, puro Cebu lang ang balita namin, nagkasunog dun sa kanto ilalabas ba yan dito di hindi, eh, ito lahat ng pangyayari sa Cebu, kunyari dito lahat ng nangyayari sa San Juan, yung eto, etong Our Town na sinasabi namin yun ang lalabas dun, may interview pa lahat ng nakatira lang dito limited, yung mga eskuwela nandito sa area, what are the standard ba ng tuition…….tapos anong ginagawa ng mga eskuwela para sa mahihirap na estudyante, may ginagawa ba kayo, ah, wala, o wala, okay sasabihin namin iyan wala kayong ginagawa para sa mahirap, eh, teka muna, teka muna sabihin nila, ano….

A: …but you see it makes them think because somebody cares, you listen to a parent-teachers meeting, you find out anong klaseng mga parents, ilan ang parents dumating, there are 50 students, 10 lang ang dumating bakit ganun, tatanungin mo ngayon, ganun ba talaga ang dami, nakita mong parents and, and children hindi na masyadong concern yung mga, yung mga, mga parents, noh, dun sa, sa eskuwela ng mga bata, tapos ganun ang dami, eh, di ba, did you think about it?

Q: Na-experience ko nga kasi in Hawaii, ah, they boil, ah, dalawa na lang yung national paper nila, like the State paper… yeah…

A: Um, yeah, here in the Philippines we can only support two national papers, we cannot support more, lugi na lahat yan, dalawa lang mabubuhay…

Q: 'Cause they are like saying the same thing di ba (chuckles), minsan nagkokopiyahan pa…

A: Atsaka bakit sila nag, bakit sila nagperiyodiko, bakit, o Mark Jimenez, bakit maglalagay ng periyodiko si Mark Jimenez di para kay Erap, ba't tayo bibili ng periyodiko puro, ah, eh, ah, puro para sa kanya iyan, eh, 'wag na di ba, so pakita mo sino yung publisher, sinong mga publisher, kasi 'pag okay sa publisher ang kasinungalingan lahat ng reporter nun…magbebenta na……wala naman nobody cares about the truth, eh, ang truth ang pinaka kailangan natin, eh, that's why naghahanap tayo ng TV, lahat na hinahanap natin katotohanan, eh, kung bobolahin tayo 'wag na di ba, 'wag na, tignan mo maganda sa impeachment, nakita natin how it is, walang interruption, nobody telling, 'pag nag-comment na dun ako nabubuwisit, eh, sabi ko buti na lang nakita ko hindi ganun ang nangyari, eh, hindi ganun, eh, marami kang sinabi na hindi naman nangyari dun, eh, nagko-conclusion siya, nag-oopinion siya, you don't give me your opinion, unless you warn me, this is my personal opinion then I know, but if you're telling it to me like news like Korina Sanchez, she's masking as news her own opinion, nag-iintriga, lahat ng intriga, sabihin niya, hindi pinalipad yung eroplano ni Estrada, aba, hindi dapat iyon na, hindi pala pinalipad, sumagot ngayon yung ano, sabi nagkakaroon ng maneuvers, army were, the army was having maneuvers, so for his own safety he was told not to take off yet, kasi nagkakaroon ng maneuvers, eh, ay pinalaki ng pinalaki parang sinasabi na api si Erap believe me if there's somebody who is not api it's Erap, you cannot imagine the money that guy have, ah, kanina nakikinig ako kay Panfilo Lacson, madden as a cow, ang lakas, ang kapal ng mukha at sinasabi yun daw mga poster niya ay hindi daw niya alam kung sinong nagbigay nun sa kanya at siguro daw yung mga Intsik na natulungan niya sa kidnapping, sinabi na ni Rosebud, totoong sinasabi ni Rosebud, ni Mary Ong, saan ka kukuha ng pera, ng kidnapping…

A: …oo, ransom, kaya yung si Teresa Ang Sy tumalikod na sa kanya kasi naano, eh, na, nakita niya kung kanino pupunta yung pera, the only one you can believe there, kasi nga 'pag walang Singson, ngayon kasama mo sa kasabihan, ay walang magsa, magkakanta, hindi malalaman, tayo ordinaryong tao, paano natin maalam, kasalbahihan ginagawa, Diyos ko kung hindi sinabi ni Singson we cannot imagine na ganun ang gagawin, presidente, Diyos ko kakakilabot. So, you know the newspapers have really a definite, definite role, 'pag wala 'yan, fourth estate iyan di ba, 'pag wala iyan tabinge tayong lahat, kaya ang gobiyerno may paraan tayo, si Erap natanggal natin sa People Power, yung periyodista natanggal mo, yung periyodiko nasara mo, paano, wala tayong laban sa periyodista, nawalang ginagawa kundi kasinungalingan, yung mga kay Erap, si Ro, alam mo si Roni Puno, anong specialty ni Roni Puno ganito yan, si Erap magkakaroon ng meeting, noh, ha, hahanda na silang lahat, camera, lahat, bayad na raw yung lahat, eh, bayad na silang lahat, dadaan, dito dadaan si Erap papunta sa stage, okay nakapuwesto na, lahat ito bayad, lahat, sino yung iiyak, sinong aakap, sino yung hahalik, sino yung ganyan, naka, nakaano na yan, script yan, ngayon yung camera naman, mga ano naman nanood, hoy, o, okay 'to, ah, nag-iiyakan, o, ay, this is what Roni Puno does, ang galing niya, ini-ispot niya yung ano, eh, dito dadaan…

A: …oo, sasabihin niya ngayon sa mga cameraman dito dadaan si Erap, then naka-focus na sila, yun namang kanyang mga artista lahat nakaganyan na, kaya ito aakap sa iyo, ito gaganyan, kasi hindi basta-basta baka may magsak, may sumak, magsakit sa kanya di ba, so talagang alam niya, safe siya, lahat yung nakaano doon ano na yun, paano laban natin sa ganun na niloloko tayo sa TV, di ba nanood tayo ngayon wala tayong kamalay-malay…

A: …nagluluto tayo, naghihiwa-hiwa ka ng, baka talagang mahal pa si Erap ng tao, tapos papakita si Gloria binoo, sasabihin mo si Gloria hindi gusto ng tao, di ba, kasi binayaran na yung mga periyodista, eh, huwag n'yo palalabas itong maganda, pakita n'yo yung kokonti lang ang tao, yung umaga pa, remember sa EDSA pinakita yung wala, walang tao, eh, nag-uwian na kami noon dahil hindi na kami makatiis, 'pag uwi namin saka nagkukuha yung mga, yung mga station ng TV, noh, eh, siyempre sabihin, ah, wala na namang tao, but that's not true, di ba, kaya nakakaano talaga ang, we're helpless if the press is rotten, really rotten.

Q: Does it ever occur to you na bilin n'yo yung Manila Times by any chance considering na…

Q: …ah, with the Gokongweis, di ba, from the Gokongweis tapos nagkaroon ng….

A: …they sold it because, 'cause tito Chino's dead already, none of those alive want to put any money that will, they will lose. The only one is Marixi who is married to Prieto, Prieto yung kamag-anak namin, Marixi is a Rufino, she's a business woman, she doesn't know anything about publishing, hindi niya alam ano ang mission ng publisher, wala, si Marixi she's a very good person but she's a business woman, she wants profit, you show me the profit, you're with, I'm with you. So, if the Inquirer's like a tabloid and, eh, ano, very irresponsible ang, ang Inquirer, very irresponsible, they kill one story, they, Angara's diary, huh, there are many names there did they go to those people before publishing the diary, dapat kasabay ng sinasabi-sabi ni ganito, ganyan, yung sinabi ni ganito, chineck, eto ba totoo sinabi mo, ah, hindi yan ganito ang sabi, okay, lalagay ko yung kay Angara, pero lalagay ko din yung sa iyo, yung ang responsible journalism, you get the two sides at the same time, if you put one ahead of the other, you're, you're already unjust di ba to the one because today I read the paper, I read this, tomorrow I will not have time to read the paper, I will never know na dineny pala iyon, so you must at the same time say the two sides if you wait that's justice delay, justice denied, wala na, tapos ng boxing, sinabi na dito magnanakaw ka….

A: …the next day kinausap ka sabi mo hindi, eh, too late, eh, ito na nabasa, eh, o atsaka yung pangalan niya siguro mas matindi kaysa sa iyo, then, o eh, di ikaw ang, ito ang paniniwalaan, ikaw wala ka ng chance, miski pa lumabas ka ilang, maya't maya, tapos na, na conclude na ng tao, eh, so yung diary ni Angara, the beauty of it all is that it's being used to show that he res, he resigned, kasi do, do they have to tell you that you don't have to use the word resign, to resign, you go out of the door, anong ibig sabihin noon, yung, yung maid mo, yung asawa mo, nag, nag-ano…(SIDE B)…

A: …point is he, he'd no longer accepts the responsibility of his position and he's running away from this responsibility and going out the back door to save his skin, you don't save your skin, if you're president you go up to the…., I am president you get out of here, o kung hindi mo kaya yon di ka na presidente, kaya maliwanag sa akin yon, eh, ah, you're, you're no longer president as a matter of fact in my mind you never was, from day 1 ang inasikaso niya ang, ang jueteng, yan ang main concern ni Erap paano kikita.

Q: So, ah, pagka, nung, when sir Chino died, so binenta po din sa Gokongweis na napunta?

A: No it, it went, it was, um, no longer Chino the resurrected ManilaTimes, it was already Ramon…

Q: Ah, yeah, then Chi, he, ah, what I've heard is that he, Chino joined the Chronicle and then for sometime he was invited back by his brother Ramon…

A: Um, no wait, Ramon and Chino will never see eye to eye, Ramon is a typical, ano, she, he is, um, he is there for the money, so only business, business ang kanyang ano, he was in publication but he was for, um, money-making magazines, ang magandang nagawa ng tito Ramon yung binigyan niya ng opportunity ang mga Tagalog writers, kasi nung araw saan mo ilalagay kung ang, ikaw manunulat ka sa Tagalog, eh, atsaka yung mga gustong magbasa ng Tagalog hindi nila alam saan sila hahanap ng publication, tapos yung mga nag, gumagawa ng cartoons, yung mga artists binigyan niya ng trabaho lahat, talagang binigyan niya ng, they, they became famous and they had the very mean, they had the place where they could write, English, Tagalog…

Q: So after, ah, Don Ramon it was passed on to the Gokongweis or how, how is it…

A: Yeah, from, from I think it was already, when it was already, went down ano, talagang na, na, na-minimalize na yung, yung paper then, ah, the Gokongweis, not right away, but they picked it up, they wanted to buy the name, when they decided maybe they needed a paper also since Robina was interested in, ah, having a, she looked at herself as a writer, publisher ganyan, noh, gusto ng bata, eh, noh, so she, she went into it and like a good father naman si Gokongwei binili naman niya ngayon for her, tapos picked up a lot of the good people of the old Manila Times and they had a very good, ah, crew, they have a good staff but nung si Erap could not ano, kasi John Gokongwei just allowed them, eh, to ano, Robina was there, he never probably meddle at all, noh, Robina was running it, oo, and it was doing okay tapos mga nag, masama na yung, ayaw na ni Erap ng mga negative, ah, ano, hindi naman alam ni Robina kung anong gagawin, eto namang mga taong 'to they are writing only the truth, they are trying to make it a good newspaper, eh, pag, naano na siya, natatakot na siya because she will have to go against her people and these are not, you know, when you get these good newspaper people, sina Malou Mangahas, mga….

A: Estrella, Estella, pagkatapos sina Chay Hofileña, ay ang bubuti niyan, tapos sina Booma Cruz, ah, they were all there, noh, so, ay diretso yan, so talagang their paper lumalaban talaga sa ano, pero…

Q: But it was like, um, Katrina, Atty. Katrina Legarda got involved with the…

A: Yes, that was, um, that muddled the issue because Katrina, this is already trying to get it from the Gokongwei, noh, when, ah, Mark Jimenez, I think he was ordered, now he's talking already, he was ordered to silence that paper the only way you can silence the paper without massive…..is to buy it, noh, since it was not really profitable, none of these papers are making money except Inquirer and maybe the Bulletin, so they, um, what you call this, they, um, ah, what happened was, Mark Jimenez now was, was it Mark but it was Reghis, eh, that other one….

A: …oo, siya yung nag-fro-front muna tapos nakita rin yung connection, eh, may connection din somehow, although medyo malayo pagkatapos nag-surface na parang mayroon ng balita na si Mark Jimenez was behind it kasi they could not, ano, saan kukuha ito ng pera itong si Reghis, ano, Romero, although they were saying na may, may pera daw, oo, but not that kind of money that will lose I don't know how many millions a month, if that kind of, ano, operation, eh, noh, so Mark Jimenez because you'll do that kasi may kapalit…..so, uhum, si Katrina, kasi si Katrina kasi ano yan, eh, talagang ang, ang kanyang relations medyo Cojuangco, mga ganyan, eh, yung…

A: Oo, si Eddie ang bait niyan, eh, and malapit siya kay Katrina, komo, may pag, parang pinsan, ano, so malapit silang dalawa, so nung nakiusap, I thought maybe she took advantage yung kabaitan ng loob ni Eddie na, hindi naman talaga nakihalo si Eddie, ang ginawa lang ni Eddie is nakinig sa kanya tapos pinag, I think pinagsama yata si Tony, si Tony Roces na makipag-usap, so because of Eddie pasok si Tony, pasok na si Katrina, nag-usap sila kunyari sila, so pinalalabas nila Roces ang yun nga bumibili…

Q: Kasi, yun po din yung nag-catch ng attention ko na parang bumalik yung pangalang Manila Times with the Roces after Martial Law…

A: So, ang sa akin, um, parang it's so sad, eh, kasi nga yung, yung when you have a reputation and the name The Manila Times it stood for something, eh, tapos because of money you just change hands, noh, and then to be used in order to deodorize what will be a biased publication in favor of somebody like Erap, noh, I mean, look ang tito Chino lumaban kay Marcos maski kay Cory sinabihan, eh, yan si Cory, eh, tapos, eh, matatakot siya kay Estrada, kung iyon buhay talagang lalabanan siya ng Manila Times like anything pero closed tapos kukunin mo yung periyodiko gagamitin n'yo pa ng kamag-anak na, ito kasing mga younger Roceses hindi na masyadong black and white yung ano, dahil mayroon silang alyansa sa, alam mong may mga alyansa, eh, like let's say Katrina mayroong pinagsamahan kay Cojuangco, tumakbo siya under Cojuangco, di ba, so may pinagsamahan na iyon, so pagkaganun, ako lahat ng na kay Marcos, I cannot trust, I cannot kasi talaga pag sumali ka dun ang maliwanag, eh, ang moralidad mo medyo, medyo malabo kasi ang liwanag ni Marcos, eh, yung like kay Estrada ang liwanag, eh, black and white talaga, eh, yung kay Ramos pa mayroon kang masasabing mali, mayroon kang masasabing tama, kasi hindi maliwanag na black and white, eh, eh yung kay Estrada you don't have to think, eh, ay ang liwanag naman, eh, di ba, walang ginawang diretso, eh, o di ba (laughs), so, kung wala kang ginawang diretso ba, ngayong mag-presidente ka, ngayon ka magbabago, ngayon ka babait, ngayong nagtipon-tipon ang mga 3 million titigil ng…., ng ano yun, ah, alak, titigil ng babae pero ano pa presidente ka na, eh, di ba, bakit magpa, magpapakabait ka ngayon that's so naïve to think that a bad guy would become good given all the power, on the contrary a good man can become bad as president, baliktad, ang naïve ng, the Filipino, di ba, ano ba yan optimistic, ano ba tawag dun naïve, bobo, siguro (laughs).

Q: …flashback lang po like, ah, can you sort of like, hindi ko po natanong yung date of birth and the bio-data and stuffs…

A: Ah, okay, just say that I'm already mature, no wait, where did I go to school, St. Theresa's…

A: …can't you guess (laughs), St. Theresa's, ah, a Maryknoll grade school and then high school and college St. Theresa's, and then, um…

A: St. Theresa's, okay, ang high school ko Quezon City, St. Theresa, college, St. Theresa, Manila.

A: Ha, well, I wasn't cut out for business and I thought, actually when I was talking to my tito Anding, he said, you know you should have taken English literature for background for journalism, you wanna write, sabi niya you should not taken journalism, it should have been literature, sabi niya English literature, dahil ang English, ang English lit. sabi niya that's what I should have done but, um, I thought it was, ah, attractive, not because of the family, I think whether the family was in journalism or not it was my inclination or so I thought, noh, but the, the, five days after graduation I got married and that was the end of any working dreams, um, I married a doctor and then, ah, after about, ah, after three kids, this is my second marriage……so, at first I married a doctor then we went to Houston, ah, because he was a neurosurgeon and he were, he was in the Texas Medical Center and then, um, from there I wrote, because I was in the heart center because my, my husband was working there, I had the opportunity to meet De Becky the, Michael De Becky, the one who do, do, did the heart transplant and, ah, Dr. Cooley, Danton Cooley, so I wrote an article about the heart transplant but only because the no. 1 nurse of De Becky was a Filipina, she was a Filipina that's why I wrote about her and more, the background lang si Cooley at si De Becky and also because I also wrote an article on a, a patient, she was a, like a leftist and, and, ah, she went to Houston for a, um, heart, um, some operation sa heart, eh, it was a very delicate operation and she could not afford it and, ah, the reason why the article had any kind of value was because it was like a dream but not, from nasabi niya, nabanggit niya, umabot sa, sa Houston, so gumawa sila ng paraan para siya makapunta, so she was given this heart operation because of a dream.

Q: So, right after your, you've graduated from college ano po yung first job n'yo?

A: …oh, yeah, only when I was, I had the opportunity, when I came back, this is the funny part, eh, I started writing, um, for, um, this magazine of Doris New, Newday, it's one of the women's magazine, anyway my friend was writing a money article and she asked if I wanted to contribute, so I tell, yeah, but I wanna write about …women, I want to interview women, interesting women who I wanted women who made fearless decisions, that, that, ah, were not limited by their gender, so I wrote about a woman who decided, she was married to a, um, what do you call this one, ah, she decided to go back to medicine, you know, hi Rob, this is my son Rob (greeting her son who just came in), and to go back to medicine, you know when you become an intern, resident, and di ba full-time 'yan, so she really, Rob, hi this is a Sassy (introducing son)….so, I wrote about like that, noh, she imagine, ha, she just told her husband, listen, I, I've always wanted to be a doctor and all I need is this, like this, then she now full-pledge doctor, you know, then I also wrote about……. I'm enumerating is my, my last was supposed to be Lupita Kashiwara, I was scheduled to interview her because she had arrived and I was gonna interview her in Avalon, in their, and then she told me, she had to tell me hindi puwede ngayon dadating si Ninoy, that's why I knew Ninoy was arriving, siya nga, sabi ko, bukas na, namatay si Ninoy nawala na yung interview ko but I, I wanted because she's Lupita was……before, then she, she marries this Japanese and then she, she makes this new life abroad, you know, I was always fascinated with women with, whom, who did these things that before only men would do, you know, and, and I also, and so that when I wrote about the doctora, I wrote about Bessie Ocampo because you know when she's married to very, very much older one, then in the middle of anything she said, you know I want to take this course, I want to go to Paris and learn French, so, she's, then the guy because he's older, he understood, so I, I interviewed her, to meet the decision with children and everything, iniwanan niya lahat punta siya sa Paris for two years she was like a student, dress na maong and also these business, you know, and I was so fascinated, the strength of character to do that di ba, usually sasabihin babae ka, noh….

A: …naku, wag na, hindi these women never, never let that stop them, they just went, so I thought these were the women who I wanted to interview, kay woman ka lang, no there's nothing about you that ano but somebody who, who forgot that she was a woman, you know, and just was a person and decided, hey, I deserve this, ah, I want this, ah, must be good for me because I want it, I'm gonna be really happy that's the only reason, like Bessie was not going to be rich because of that, you know, nothing she just wanted it, and I think that for a woman it's a very valid reason to do anything, kasi gusto ko, bakit may kailangan pa bang rason, gusto ko, eh, di ba, sasaya ako nito, eh, (laughs) di gagawin ko, so, because we feel like we are, ah, the gender that sacrifices, noh,…these women are, and they are very happy, their lives are not nasira or whatever, on the contrary buong-buo yung buhay nila, so it is not, you are not risking, you ano, I mean, it's worth risking, eh, you might lose it but supposing you don't then you have what you want, di ba, so, ang galing. But work as far as work, I never did, I did, I tried, I became partners with my cousin in business and, um…

A: …ah, Regina Paterno, Regina Paterno, so, we were together in Spain, 'cause after high school we all went to Spain and, for two years, ah, we stayed with the Theresianas, even before the people knew about the Theresianas we lived in, with the Theresianas and we enrolled in the University of Madrid.

Q: 'Cause, ah, I think, ah, Ms. Cookie Guerrero also, she was also from St. Theresa's and she also did, ah, visit in Spain.

A: Yeah, because her mom bought the original Roces farm because they have a, I, I call it a farm, it's not a farm it's like a sinica, it's a sinica, it's a, no, it, it's…

A: …it's independent, in other words it produces it's own food, it, it, it completely sub, ano ito, self sufficient, noh, they did their own wine, they did, I mean, it, it was that kind, so the Roces family had that, so when Morita her mom, Elena, ano, heard about it and she had the money, she bought it completely with the whole thing, I think she sold it because it's hard to….

A: ….you don't live there, you know, you don't, you need all those people to maintain it tapos she, she eventually let it go but, ah, she, she's, she is one woman you should interview but not because of publishing, she's just completely talented…

A: Journalism, I think run in our side of the family more than the other although the publisher was tito Chino who came from the other side, of the Pardo-Roces but our side produce the writers, they were the writers and, ah, I don't think the Roces wrote, although the Roces relatives in Spain when we met them, they, talagang kamag-anak, eh, pareho yung mga sakit namin, pareho yung mga problema, pareho, pareho talaga, eh, so, we were laughing about it, then they also have a painter like we have a painter and, um, ano din siya yung hindi yung sa pera yung ginagawa niya, nagawa siya ng eskuwela, tinuturuan niya yung mga ano, mga, he has a school for painters in his private studio, he teaches young painters and, ah, a, ano, kalbo din sila, eh, yun sabi namin, oo…

A: …yeah, because it was easier for them to let it grow than araw-araw aahitin, masakit na daw, ewan ko hindi natin alam iyan pero sila sabi nila yung araw-araw inaahit, ah, medyo mahapdi na daw and, ah, mas madali sa kanilang iwanan na lang, yung let's just let it, ah, grow, tini-trim na lang nila at, um, actually they look better with the mustache than, than…. But that was their trademark, eh, kalbo tapos may mustache, tapos maliit, so pag des, dinescribe mo yung isa, parang you're describing all of them…

A: Robert, Robert writes. He reviewed the, the book of Ding, the Hidalgo book, found, it because he was working for Bancard and Bancard has a publication and so they, he, he was also writing reviews. During the revolution, the EDSA first, he was working for the Times, he, was in fact na, nakulong, naano siya dun sa Crame kasi na, nasarahan siya nung kampo dun niya nakita, sabi niya, ma, napakaduwag ni Enrile, ay pawis na pawis daw sa takot, "mamamatay na tayo, mamamatay na tayo" (impersonating Enrile), ganun ng ganun daw, sabi niya, kakahiya ma, kala mo sinong tapang-tapangan, nakita ko siya, pawis na pawis daw namumutla na hindi maintindihan, ang matapang daw si Ramos, sabi niya, naku, naku talagang military, si Enrile daw talaga hindi malaman kung anong gagawin, sabi niya kakawalang gana, but he was, he was, ah, na, naano siya, eh, he was, ah, (laughs) just locked in, noh, wala pang mga cellphone nun, eh, so, hi, hindi maka-contact, eh, ako I said, where is this boy, what happened na to him, hanggang sumama pa siya sa pag punta sa Malacañang, mayroon siyang nakuhang souvenir dun sa, sa ano, eh, tuwalya yata na may initial na Imelda (laughs). Sabi niya, to prove to you that I was there…(laughs)…but he, he's the only one that inclined like that, oo, but it's not his career, noh, his, in, information……

A: …he went to Roterdam in Netherlands to take his masters but, ah, his a Ateneo boy, La Salle sa high school, grade school, tapos Ateneo 'pag college. My daughter, um, no she's a teacher in IS, she teaches little children.

A: The oldest is Gianna, G-I-A-double N-A (spelling the name out), um, and she's now Nakpil, her husband is the son of Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil (laughs)…

A: Yes, because the brother of Chitang, the brother of Chitang, Mario married Morita and Mario was the classmate of my father, um, so, they, they used to go and play in, ah, in Chitang's house and Chitang would…, naging bale ko si Chitang, tita Chitang siya sa akin noon, eh, kasi si, yung anak niya si Gemma halos magka-edad kami, eh, di ba, so, um, tita Chitang ko siya, ngayon Chitang na lang siya kasi bale ko na siya, eh (laughs).

A: Vitorio, after Robert, noh, it's Gia, Gianna, Robert, Vitorio and, ah, Juan Ramon, Tex, we call him Tex, yeah, because he was born in Texas…

A: Yes, yes, my, my husband now, is always telling me to write a column, he's always telling me to write a column, um, not so much lifestyle but, um, like a humorous, ah, column that takes everything, 'cause according to him my, my views are, are, are worth reading because sabi niya na ang take ko iba, so, ang sabi niya sayang, sabi niya, why don't you, 'cause he writes, eh, for Business World, he writes for Business World but I want to….tapos sabi niya, once a week kaya mo yan, naku walang disiplina if you haven't work all your life it's so hard, sabi niya, no you can, you just have to do a once a week lang naman, noh, you think it's easy, noh, but parang when you do taking care of every, two parents who are both old na tomorrow I have to bring one of them to the doctor na naman, you know, it's, it's, it's…

A: …oo, kasi kung hindi yung mata yung puso, kundi yung puso yung prostate, kundi yung prostate yung memory, that's only my dad and mommy ko diabetic pa, you know, so she has to do examine very often, naka, pag any kind of infection, inuubo nga ngayon, eh, takot na takot kami sa infection kasi pag diabetic ka, you have to control the infection right away, eh ang sama mag-ano ng gamot, eh, hindi niya maalala, that's why I was saying kukuha na kami, my brother and I are saying, tsk, kuha na tayo ng tig-isa silang tiga-alaga kasi none of us live with them, eh, mahirap, eh, hindi mo alam kung ininom na ba yung gamot, di ba, tsk, ay my friend nga was telling me yung mother niya, akala niya na-solve na niya yung problem by getting this maid, noh, yun pala sinasaktan yung mother niya, kasi 'pag, nung isang beses nga siya nagpunas ang daming kurot ng mother niya, hindi na siguro sinasabi, natakot tuloy ako sabi ko 'pag hindi ko mabantayan baka mamaya kung ano naman ang gawin, eh, ang sa isip ko baka naman kunin yung nurse, hindi naman siguro ganun dahil sanay naman yun, eh, pero nakakatakot mayroon palang ganun…

A: …oo, kasi walang pasensya, mas mahirap mag-alaga ng, ng matanda, eh, ang bata madaling pasensiyahan, noh, pero kung matanda, siguro, ewan ko, kawawa din, eh, kasi eve, eventually everybody will get old (laughs), outside of the cost, I'm telling nga my dad, sana if he can remember, so that he can write….parang, you know he lived the most interesting times, as a politician, saka how nice his columns, the title of his column was My Daily Bread, I thought it was a beautiful, mayroon pa siyang saying something about, ah, I hope my column, ah, be, be read so that I can have My Daily Bread, kasi you know, I, I was the one collecting, it was like twenty five pesos per column, twenty five pesos…

A: …yeah, it's daily, eh, twenty five pesos a day, eh, he was paid weekly and then nahihiya siya kunin yung suweldo niya, ako ang pinapupunta niya and the, the editor then were the, ang mga Amerikano pa sina Dave Bouguslav, they were the editors of the American and my daddy, hinihintay ng periyodiko deadline, kasi araw-araw, mahirap sumulat araw-araw, he would be there, I'm waiting there and he's typing and typing, hala, typing and typing natin hindi pa kumpleto, eh, igaganyan yung basura tapos ganyan ng ganyan ng periyodiko naghihintay sa kanya dahil hindi masaran yung page hanggang hindi matapos yung column niya and then, ah, I told you that he wrote after…. sayang, eh, kasi ang, ang dami-dami niya sanang, he should have been interviewed long ago, eh, when he could still, ah, remember, he was the editor when the Manila Times was revived, he was the editor-in-chief, eh, actually he was the editor-in-chief and the executive editor is the, my husband now.

Q: Do you think, ah, being a Roces has anything to do with your lifestyle right now or your career path?

A: Ah, yeah, because I'm very influenced by my family background, because, um, ano yan, eh, my, my grandfather was a pure Spaniard but the moment he came to the Philippines he did not look at himself as anything but Filipino. He never, he says, I make my living here, I now….whether you believe it or not, he says, I'm a Filipino in my heart and, ah, the Spanish citizenship you never lose, you're born there, you're, you're that, even if you become a Filipino citizen you're still Spanish because you're born there, so, um, all of my uncles became guerrillas because my grandfather one day said to them, your country is at war what are you doing here, you know for as far as he was concern, you, you know, your country is at war, you, you, you defend it, so he encourage them to, to do what they….so they all played their role as far as the ages would permit. They're all contributor in something to, to Philippine cause, noh, then after, after the war I guess the, the, the newspaper was revived but the newspaper was really started by my grandfather but then it was taken away…

A: …yeah, some family thing, noh, so that, ah, when Marcos took the paper my grandmother felt vindictive and she said, now I can die, because she said it was taken away…….taken away, she wanted that justice during her life, so, well, she didn't feel sorry but the paper was taken away, 'cause she knew they took it away from my grandfather but my grandfather never said a word, lola…