Costanilla: Forum at the ‘park’

FORUM. It was a highly successful media forum that I attended in Argao two weekends ago as part of the ongoing Cebu Press Freedom Month celebration. Four media clubs organized the gathering at the Argao Nature Park, a very beautiful eco-tourism project of the local government unit headed by Mayor Edsel Galeos and Vice Mayor Stanley Caminero. The forum was aired live over dyRB. It was a well-attended, no-holds barred activity that freely discussed important issues and concerns involving Argao and how the local tri-media could be of help to its development in such areas as arts and culture, tourism and economy.

Updates on President Benigno Aquino III's presidency

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PARK. During the visit to the Argao Nature Park, I stressed on my fellow media practitioners the need for other towns to develop a similar project as an income-generating venture. The mayor told us that their park is earning substantially on a daily basis as it has become a favorite destination for local tourists who visit Argao or the rest of the towns beyond it. By the way, the media forum at the nature park was a joint undertaking of the Cebu Association of Media Practitioners Inc. headed by Rep. Jun Alcover, Sugboanong Mga Komentaristang Nagpakabana Inc. headed by Echell Luces, Cebu Tri-Media Association Inc. led by engineer Ed Batiquin and Visayas Media Association, Inc. chaired by Pol Bulilan. Engineer Greg Senining of Anad Partylist, who is a veteran radioman, chairs this year’s Cebu Press Freedom Month overall committee.

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ASSAIL. A certain Mario Abella (must be a pseudonym) has again e-mailed to assail the screening body that picked the songs that made it to the magic 12 in next year’s Cebu Popular Music Festival, a.k.a. Cebu Pop. This was the same guy that criticized the screening body that also chose last year’s winning entries, saying that the songs were all badly written. As one of the screeners for several years now, I can only pity Abella for his irresponsible observation. He must have been sending entries to the yearly songwriting festival but not one of them ever made it to the magic 12. Surely, his songs must have been badly composed—or must have been plagiarized. I advise Abella to attend Songwriting 101 first before attempting to join the winning circle of local composers.

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SONGS. Let me take this opportunity to announce the entries that are vying for big cash prizes in next year’s Cebu Pop at the New Cebu Coliseum. These are: Ikaw Ang Hinungdan and Call Center Agent by Eugene Tan; Dili Ka Na Gyod Maghilak by Lauro Flores; Gugma Na Ba? and Kanus-a Pa Kaha? by Jun Cabillar; Kilid sa Dalan by Erwin Lirazan; Panahon Ko Na by Norman Jabonero; Saloma sa Gugmang Nahanaw and Pastilan by Glenn Salve; Bangon, Katilingban by Russel Alegado and Yoojin Raye Anthony Burgos; Isaad Ta Karon by Joseph Abella and Eugene Tan; and Wala Nay Lain Pa by Dennis Martin.

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ASSURANCE. I’d like to assure Abella that these songs are well-written by their respective composers and that the 10 screeners that picked them from a field of 75 entries knew what we were doing. The Cebu Pop—now on its 30th edition this year—would not have gone this far had its screeners been careless in their task.

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REAPPLY. With the relaunching of a landmark broadcast outfit here, some of its veteran personalities were reportedly advised to reapply instead of being given priority in the hiring of announcers. (E-mail: samcost@yahoo.com or call/text 09163999909)