BRAVELY facing every challenge in his life has catapulted Press Secretary Cerge Remonde to where he is now today.

Coming from a humble family in Argao, Cebu, Remonde had a struggling life when he was young. He grew up with a single parent. His father died when he was only 11 months old.

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For years, Remonde’s mother was the only one who provides for their family.

But despite the lack of supervision from a father and the hardships that they were experiencing, the Palace official grew up as responsible and understanding child.

He went to school at the age of five and has been a consistent honor student. When he was seven, his mother remarried yet their life remains a struggle.

To be able to provide for his schooling, Remonde ventured into simple ways to earn money.

“When I was in elementary and high school, I sell ice drop and ice cream to be able to buy paper and ballpen. All my short pants have a hole at the back because the box of the ice drop always hit the ballpen at the back of my pants,” he recalled.

In college, Remonde got scholarship from the University of the Visayas. He supported himself by working part-time in a law firm. He obtained Bachelor of Arts degree and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Covenant to God

In hurdling trials in his life, Remonde shared that the only source of his strength is God.

“I had this prayer when I was young, when I was still a working student, ‘Lord tulungan mo lang ako mag-succeed, and yung success lang satin nun araw makatapos lang ng college, and I will dedicate my life in serving our people’.”

As this simple prayer became his covenant to the Lord, Remonde was able to finish college and entered the world of media.

“Pumunta ako sa media dahil nakita ko ang opportunity for public service,” he said.

Remonde recalled that he dropped his fate of becoming a lawyer for media.

“I sent out to law school but I was swayed by the media along the way because I also saw that time that there are also personalities who are not lawyers but excelling in media,” he said. “That time I was in third year in law school and I said ‘I think I have learned enough law to become a good media man’. So I dropped out in law school.”

Bearing the potential of a good media man, he was able to work with some of the prominent media personalities in Cebu like Atty. Pacheco Seares and Frank Malilong both from Sun.Star where he also worked as a columnist.

“Law and media are like jealous wives. In media, you need time to go out to get stories in law you need time to study. So I have to make a choice…I cannot have everything also,” Remonde said.

He perhaps made a right decision as he became one of the most popular mediamen in Cebu. He served as anchor of the highly-rated radio news and commentary program in Cebu.

He sets record to be the first ever provincial reporter to become the National Chairman of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and able to secure the post for six times.

Remonde has a spotless record in Cebu for being a media man who is diligently into public service and assistance.

He was noted through several awards such as the Most Outstanding Visayanian in the field of Mass Media in 1998 and the Most Outstanding Cebuano in 1999.

He revealed that being a commentator seemed to be running in his blood ever since he was young. “I have to say na mahilig talaga ako na magsalita. Kung yung mga bata noong araw pinapakanta at pinapasayaw, ako nago-oration, nagpo-poetry, nagde-declamation.”

At the age of eight, Remonde wrote his first poem entitled “One Day Soon.”

“It is Utopian vision from a child’s mind,” he said.

Palace appointment

With his frequent interaction to various political leaders in the country, Remonde found a government position knocking at his doorstep.

“In 2001 after the Edsa 2 revolution, nung 1st day of office ng Presidente sa Malacanang, she invited lahat ang mga heads ng NGOs and sectoral organizations to attend the flag-raising pero may sunog sa atin sa Cebu nun so hindi ako nakarating. But I came in the afternoon together with chairman Lito Osmena.”

“The President was my kumadre she told me she needed my help and I told her that I am just a phone call away. Hindi ko naman akalain na paalis palang ako sa Malacanang papunta palang ako sa opisina sa Makati tinawagan na ako ng Secretary committee and said na pinapa-report na ako,” he recounted.

“I am among the first appointees of President Glori Macapagal-Arroyo in January 14, 2009. I am now the longest stay-in of the original 2001 boys here in Malacanang. I think I am the only one left already,” Remonde said.

Before he assumed his post as Press Secretary, Remonde became the Director General of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS). He was then appointed Press Undersecretary in charge of broadcast.

Remonde recalled that one of his proudest moments in Malacanang was when he was confirmed by the Commission of Appointments (CA).

“I now hold the record in history of the CA as fastest cabinet member confirmed by the CA. And I was very proud dahil alam naman natin kung gaano kahirap ma-confirm ang isang cabinet member.”

Karma

“Hindi ko akalain na dadating ang panahon na I’ll join the government,” he admitted.

Before he was a commentator criticizing the government and then the next day he woke up working with the group he used to defy.

“One thing is, this is also a karma for me. Because when I was still a commentator, napakalakas ko rin mang-atake sa government. Ngayon hindi ko akalain na magiging press secretary ako, karma din ito,” he said.

“It is very easy to become a radio commentator, sometimes you can just read newspaper and you can attack everybody…Especially today the more you attack the more popular you are,” he added. “Being a Press secretary is difficult because it is seemed hard to defense than to offense.”

Remonde confessed that the job of a press secretary is the most difficult task in the cabinet. “Secretary Teves and Secretary Andaya claimed to have the most difficult job in Malacañang but now they admit that the job of the press secretary is the most difficult job in the government.”

“I feel tired actually but at the same time I am fulfilled,” he gushed.

Asked what was the most difficult issue he handled, “Yung sa New York dinner. Hirap na hirap ako sa isyu na yun even it was really appropriate napakahirap talagang maintindihan ng masa.”

But apart from the downside of being a press secretary, Remonde said that working alongside the President is a thing that he is very proud of.

“I am proud with what I have achieved. I can be an inspiration to my kababayans, and those probinsyanos who also comes from humble beginnings that if we just really work hard and also pray as hard, we could be successful. I am proud that to say that a reporter could be also become a cabinet member.”

Looking back to the road that he has walked through, Remonde said the greatest learning he had in life was “people are just really a small spec in the universe, no matter how far you have gone. That’s why wherever you are, we should in our lifetime do as much as we can to help enrich other people’s lives because by so doing it is the only way that one can also enrich his own life.”

The Best Press Secretary

With the achievements of Remonde, not only his provincemates in Cebu are proud of him but also his co-workers in Malacañang.

Some of them attested on how efficient Remonde works in the Palace.

Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello, who is a good friend of Remonde, commended him on how he handles his job.

“I have a very high respect for him not because he is my friend but because he does his jobs well. He works with media very well and I see how he relates with media people in fact he calls them in first name basis,” said Bello.

“He has a good rapport with media and that is prerequisite as a press secretary and I can feel that the president has an absolute trust and confident with the press secretary,” Bello added. “This job is tailored-fit for him.”

For a veteran radio commentator who worked with Remonde before, he said: “I always tell my good friend here that he is the best and most effective press secretary that the President has ever had.”

“I always say that in my program, that Remonde is very effective, very open, and when he explain things with people you can feel it they understand everything and they can appreciate it.”

For Presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo, she said that Remonde is the “best” among the three press secretaries she has worked with.

“With all due respect to all the secretaries I have been through I think he (Cerge) is the best,” said Fajardo. “If not for him our life would be much tougher because Press Sec. you’ll be very comfortable asking help from him as in you could see his concern.”

“I think I can speak in behalf of Undersecretary Golez. Aside from professional relationship, personal relationship really help a lot as our job as spokesperson,” she said.

“Kahit bago pa maging secretary si Sec. Remonde siya na rin talaga yung nilalapitan namin kapag may mga problema kami especially nung nag-uumpisa palang kami. I really have no background in media and I know that for a fact that he has been for KBP for a long time, so naging adviser namin siya eversince,” she added. “Adviser, a boss, a mentor and very good friend. Big brother. He is very professional he is very dedicated to his work his very loyal to his boss which is the president.”

Back to media

Remonde said that after his work as a press secretary, he will be going back to media again.

He did not deny that there are offers for him for a government position but he is still half-hearted about it.

“I am very turned off with running for government office. There are offers and then I asked ‘magkano ang gagastusin ko?’ Gagastos daw tayo ng 30 to 40 to 50 million. Parang nakakaturn-off kasi you know no. 1 pag may ganyang klase kang pera bakit ka pa tatakbo?”

“No. 2, if you can raised that kind of money dahil maraming magdo-donate sa iyo mawawala ang freedom mo kasi may utang na loob ka sa mga nagdonate sa iyo. And no. 3, sa politika yung expenses mo does not end sa election. Dahil once elected, you will just continue to spend more because people are expecting you to pay for kasal, binyag, libing etc. so ang mangyayri magiging trapo ka.”

“Then finally kung mananalo ka naman you spend 50 million pesos parang wala ring honor at dignidad yung pagkapanalo mo. These are the things that have turned me off about politics.”

“I felt that maybe I will really return to media and continue public service,” the Press secretary said.

Remonde disclosed that there are offers for him to run for Congress and for a Senatorial seat. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)