Category Archives: inquirer

tribute

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I attended Inquirer’s tribute to Sir Y last night. It was so beautiful. Food, friends, and laughter – definitely his scene. Sorry for the crappy phone photos. I have crappy phone photos, so I’m uploading Kate’s photos instead.

Please see: Kate’s blog post.

That’s Inquirer President, Sandy Prieto, giving a tearful speech. We were in the satellite room. We were able to push ourselves into the jampacked main room only near the end of the tribute.

Amando Doronila, raging against “Twitters” and Facebook hahaha.

The program ended with a message from Inquirer’s Editor in Chief, Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc. I teared up a little when she said, “When [Gani] was told in 1994 that he was going to be appointed Inquirer’s Publisher, he wept.”

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It has to be told that when we went to a Starbucks after the program, Kate and Julie heard the cashier talking to the man in line in front of them. The cashier said:

“Thank you for coming, Sir Gani.”

What are the odds. :)

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MANILA, Philippines – Isagani Yambot, publisher of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, died Friday.

Below is the official statement of the Inquirer:

”It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved publisher Isagani “Gani” Yambot. He will surely be missed but his spirit lives on in the work we do to ensure editorial policies are closely followed.

“We are very grateful for all of his contributions and we applaud his passion and commitment to his work. We request that you join us in prayer for the eternal repose of his soul.”

PDI Publisher Isagani Yambot writes 30

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I was an Inquirer Researcher from 2007 till July of last year, but I first met him in college, while taking the exam for an Inquirer scholarship (which I later won with other classmates).

I remember hearing the news about his health scare, and his subsequent requests for articles about heart surgery, heart bypass, and maybe non-traditional procedures? He was still on leave then, recuperating, and he’d ask me to print out the documents and leave them at the front guard. I’ll have someone pick them up later.

He was looking at his options. He was trying to save his life.

I get sad whenever I think of those Sunday afternoons, him phoning and asking Research to look for articles that could save his life.

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You know what stress and deadlines and the daily grind could do to you. Editors have screamed at me over the phone, but not him.

I could say this: he was never mean.

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I hope you remain jolly wherever you are, sir. Rest in peace.

(Photo from Princess.)

book swap night, and other random happy things

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The Book Depository site says my three books have all been dispatched. If all goes well, they should arrive within the week!

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Speaking of books, book swap with the girls (now also with Almi) at Starbucks 6750 Saturday night.

(Thanks to Andrea for the additional photos.)

Bought a cake and drink for poor Jaykie, who was sweet enough to drive me through hellish EDSA traffic.

Was it simply because it was a Saturday? It was awful! We left QC at around 6 and arrived at my place at 9 pm. We wanted to eat dinner in the Glorietta area, but the drive made us so hungry that we just decided to stop at the nearby KFC.

(I’ll tell you a secret: I had rice. I know! But I was so hungry!)

What went down:

  • I got these books, while I lent Atwood’s The Robber Bride, French’s The Likeness, Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts, and Carljoe’s The Kobayashi Maru of Love. (Andrea’s copy of Jonathan Carroll’s Glass Soup not in picture.)

  • Fruit Ninja! Angry Birds! Nail polish!

  • That very intelligent game where somebody asks a question, gives a page number and line number, and you have to find the answer in the book you’re holding.
  • Example: “Who is your ideal partner? See Page __, line ___.” Me (checks book): “‘woman, right?’” (This actually happened.)

  • I think the people around us were looking at us funny. But this is a book club! I swear!
  • It’s not really a book club.
  • A little girl named Kylie wandered into our corner. Cute kid, probably powered by espresso. I think she liked Jaykie. Big bear! :D

  • The girl sat on Almi’s lap first, so I guess that means she’ll have a baby soon? Hihi.

  • The little girl’s companion (father? uncle? brother) introduced himself and said he does tarot readings in Robinson’s (Galleria I guess?). He also gave us his number.

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The Mothership gave us this commemorative watch (made by Swatch). The company workshop that preceded it wasn’t so bad either.

So shiny! I love it.

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Badminton Friday. On Saturday, I did four rounds around the oval, so that’s at least 8 kilometers. I took an Alaxan after! Ha! I should get used to the pain.

happy 25th, inquirer! (picspam edition)

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Loot bag + free ice cream + dinner + party + raffle prizes (didn’t win any) + comedy bar break + music + wine + beer + tequila shots + Jaykie = great party, Inquirer!

Photos by me, and by Almi, Ruthie, Schatzi. Thanks, girls!

Photobooth with Guyito!

Photo of a photo (notice award-winning photographer Edwin Bacasmas photobombing me):

The Inquirer Read-Along volunteers:

Speaking of the mascot, click here to watch him dance. :) (And here to watch Barbie Almalbis perform.)

Jaykie arrived just in time for comedy hour, haha!

Pretty Trizsa was high-larious!

Juan Pablo Dream takes the stage! Let’s dance!

As for the raffle, I was praying to win the digicam, but alas, it was not for me. I was also praying to win the Boracay trip, but Lawrence won that. Hmf.

We took pictures of ourselves while drinking tequila. Where are those pictures, and am I sure I want to see them?

Oh.

Wasak!

the night i won at the philippines free press literary awards, and other stories

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I’m still lacking sleep (and I’m still high from last night’s events haha) so forgive me if this turns out to be an incoherent post.

Summary: “Reunion” won first place at the Philippines Free Press Literary Awards, and our group (Editorial A) won first place in the company group presentation contest. So: in the early evening I wore a dress, hyperventilated as I accepted my trophy (I have a trophy! From Free Press! With my name and story title on it!), and later that night I donned a cheerleader outfit for “Pyramid” and a feathery hat for “Bad Romance”. There’s a story there, don’t worry. I don’t have pictures of the performance itself, but I’ll shamelessly (yes!) share them when I get them heh. And I have pictures!

I. Philippines Free Press Literary Awards/Zobel Dining/Makati Sports Club/6 pm

Went half-day at work and camwhored a bit as I prepared:

I love my earrings!

I also received the check from Basement Stories for “Incidental Light”, with a lovely note from Carol Kirkman. Thanks!

Jaykie and I arrived a little before 6 p.m. The dining hall was still quite empty. So we had white wine and took pictures.

The spec fic gang is here! Lookie candid shots.

Dean Alfar, Nikki Alfar, Kate Aton-Osias. (In the background: Andrew Drilon having a chat with Monique Francisco, who was also in PSF IV and also a finalist for the Short Story category that night.)

Alex Osias and Vincent Simbulan.

I also finally met Sasha Martinez (very bubbly and bakla – I like!) in person (we have no picture, boo). She was also a finalist for the same category. (She won last year for “The Catherine Theory”.)

The first category announced was Short Story. Nikki Alfar read the citations and the names of the winners. Third place went to Daryll Delgado for “In Remission”. Second place went to Mo for “Jimmie”. I looked at the list of finalists again and saw Amadis Ma. Guerrero’s name. Ha! I have no chance.

And then Nikki said and the first place goes to “Reunion” by Eliza Victoria, and I think I went slightly crazy. Looking back, I think there were signs: Ms Susan Locsin approaching me saying she’s glad I’m a finalist “but I really don’t know who the winners are”, Sarge Lacuesta putting exclamation points in his replies to me in the email (“You have to come!!”), and Dean Alfar giving stage directions, apparently to help me haha. Unfortunately I broke all of his rules, including the simplest “stay in the middle and bask in your glory until the judge says, ‘Thank you’”.

Here’s the citation:

For its ambitious narrative that reunites the fate of two brothers across the centuries and historic milestones, for showing that the creative imagination cannot be restrained by the boundaries of geography and time, for proving that the best attributes of humanity shine even in the darkest of historical periods, and for declaring without conceit that in the end, humanity is its own best excuse for being, the Philippines Free Press Grand Prize for Short Fiction is awarded to REUNION by Eliza Victoria.

The Eliza Sandwich! (tm, Dean Alfar)

The poetry awards went to Marjorie Evasco and Noelle Leslie Dela Cruz (there was no 3rd prize winner). Congrats!

Thanks to everyone who approached me that night and congratulated me. And to everyone who has congratulated me in person or online since then. You are all dears. And yes, I will continue to write. (Before we left, Ms Locsin said, “Don’t stop writing!” Oh, I won’t dare. :D ) The photo below’s from Mo. :)

II. Philippine Daily Inquirer/Rizal Ballroom/Makati Shangri-La/8 pm

It’s the 25th anniversary of the paper! I missed the President though. Oh well.

We’re sitting at the advertisers’ table. Hehe.

Jon Santos and Wille Nep were there, as the presidents and other personalities. :)

Research team!

More photos!

The InCHOIRer.

Photobooth!

So we did that *dance number or something*

(“Vhong” and “Anne”.)

(“Charice” and back-up dancers, followed by “Kris” and “Josh”.)

(“Lady Gaga” with back-up dancers.)

and we won the grand prize!

Photos from Ruthie, Princess, Cyril, Irene, and Almi. :D

There’s definitely more pictures from the event floating around, but that’s all for now!

inquirer, 24

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So many micro-minis my sexuality got confused. (Ehem.)

Left my decent-er camera back home, so nothing here folks but shitty 3.2 megapixel cell phone photos. Ngar. I did put my name in the glass bowl marked “Samsung 12.1 MP digital camera” during the Pick-A-Prize raffle (Pick a prize!) but of course I didn’t win. (Pick a prize!)

Hmpft.

Thanks to Jake for coming over. To quote Kate, Ang malas sa raffle, swerte sa –

Charot. ♥

More pictures here.