Tuesday, July 08, 2008 Malilong: Long-deserved By Frank Malilong The Other Side
THERE is an unwritten rule in most newsrooms that frowns on writing glowingly about a colleague as a waste of precious ink and newsprint unless it is done in the past tense. But not everybody has the privilege of working with a Plaridel awardee and since I couldn’t hope to be even mentioned in passing when the University of the Philippines deliberates on the next awardees within the century and the next, why not bask in reflected glory?
Not that I am surprised that Cheking Seares won the award; I would have been if he didn’t because that would have been as much a travesty as Kobe Bryant not ever being chosen the National Basketball Association’s most valuable player. We all know that Kobe got his MVP trophy this year after waiting for so many years while Cheking got his on Gawad Plaridel’s fifth year. Of course, we also know that none of the American sports writers who vote for league MVP ever went to the UP and are therefore not as discerning.
I met Cheking 40 years ago when I was a staff member of the Visayanian. As the school paper’s moderator, his was the thankless job of reviewing our crude attempts at journalism. That job must have given him fits because I never ever saw him smile during my entire term with the paper.
He is now 67 years old, according to the Daily Inquirer, so he must have been 27 at that time, many years removed from the male equivalent of menopause. But he so intimidated me I told myself that he would be the last boss I would ever work for.
But the Freeman which he edited was the town’s newspaper of consequence at that time and he and Nito Jabat had gained the reputation of being the best mentors. I wanted to be associated only with the best and didn’t waste a second grabbing the opportunity the first time it presented itself. It turned out that their reputation was well-deserved; I had the best teachers in Mr. Carrot and Mr. Stick.
The learning curve was rough but I had fun. Cheking was strict, demanding and uncompromising but he was just. When you see the banner story under your byline (18 pts.?), you know you have pleased him and you can expect your pay envelope for the week fatter by a few pesos. (Cerge Remonde would discover a decade later that our boss was generous in approving cash advances.)
When I followed him at Sun.Star six or seven years ago, Cheking welcomed me by saying that “we’re like Englishmen having a reunion in New York.” Two weeks ago, he sent me a text message that said: “Terrific column. Cheers! In lieu of pay increase.” I replied, from an Englishman to another, “your praise is good but I need cash.”
In fact, his praise is worth more than any amount written in your paycheck.
