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Monday, January 09, 2006
Penaflorida: Sikat ka! Iloilo
By Atty. Jobert Penaflorida
ON THE SPOT!!
THIS is my first column for 2006. Last year was a very hectic year for me that I ended the year still wishing there were more than 365 days so I would be able to complete all my work. My new year's wish is to have more time to rest but at the rate things are going, it may remain just a wish. I started the year practically working on the entire day one, a Sunday and a holiday, but still was not able to finish everything, including my column.
But as I embark on a new year, I look back to 2005 with a grateful heart. True, it may have been terribly hectic, but it was a very good year indeed. So, rather than complain about having to do so much, it would be best to face the challenges ahead with renewed vigor and enthusiasm and not to forget to say: Thank you. This month, in particular, I have so much to thank for and to celebrate.
This month marks my 2nd anniversary as columnist of Sun.Star Iloilo. I thank our readers for patronizing our paper all year round, especially those who have emailed me about their valuable comments on things and issues I write about. I thank this publication for giving the space to freely ventilate my views, without any censorship or restraint. Two consecutive citations from the prestigious Catholic Mass Media Awards as National Finalist for Best Opinion Column in my two years of column writing are wonderful blessings and are joyful reasons to be grateful.
January also marks the 3rd anniversary of the TV news program that I anchor over ABS-CBN - TV Patrol Iloilo sa Diyes. The last three years have been an uphill climb for our fledgling station. We have to practically double, if not triple, our efforts to catch up with a strong competitor that has, for the longest time, dominated local television. But God blesses those who do their utmost best. Our hard work has been amply rewarded. First, with awards coming one after the other; then, came the leadership in the ratings, which we did not expect to come this soon.
TV Patrol sa Diyes is undeniably the most awarded local TV news program - 2003 National Finalist in the CMMA for Best TV News Program, 2004 CMMA Best TV News Program, and 2005 KBP Golden Dove Finalist for Best TV News Program and Best News Anchor.
ABS-CBN Iloilo ended the previous year with a back-to-back victory: 2005 KBP Best Provincial TV Station in the entire Philippines and over-all No. 1 TV station in Iloilo, having consistently topped the official PSRC surveys in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters of 2005. Kudos goes to all the hardworking women and men of TV 10 Iloilo, especially to our dynamic station manager, Ms. Charie Ginete-Ilon. Thank you to all our Ilonggo viewers who proved that Iloilo is, after all, kapamilya.
Starting the year with a bang (and more work for me) is our newest project and the reason why I missed my first column for the year. Sikat ka! Iloilo, the first and only daily local morning news-magazine program in Iloilo, had its pilot episode last Monday, January 2 over TV 10. Aired Monday to Friday, 6:30 to 7:00 AM, this program aims to deliver the freshest and the hottest news of the day, spiced with lively and interesting interviews and features that focus on the best of Iloilo.
Together with the beautiful and very promising Ms. Nerissa Pedreso, I serve as host (better word would be temporary "caretaker") of Sikat ka! Iloilo while we are on the look out for new and exciting Ilonggo talents who will eventually take over, hopefully, very soon. But while an additional program means more work, I welcome this temporary assignment as it provides me the chance to enjoy the lighter side of life and broadcasting, something that I sorely miss amidst the serious challenges that I face each day as a lawyer cum entrepreneur.
Speaking of entrepreneurship, which actually occupies the biggest part of my time, 2005 was truly a rewarding year. I-Success Corporation, the company I set up when I returned to Iloilo three years ago, has been on an aggressive expansion mode for our banner product, Fiesta! Favorite Souvenir Shirts. Today, Fiesta! is not only Iloilo's favorite souvenir shirt, with seven major outlets in Iloilo, it has also expanded to Bacolod, Kalibo and, soon, in Boracay, Roxas and Cebu. Another reason to be thankful is for this local homegrown product to be awarded as 2005 National Shopper's Choice as No. 1 Souvenir Shirt.
Indeed, I thank God for a blessed 2005 and I pray that 2006 would even be more fruitful for all of us in so many ways, but most especially in terms of blessings that are more meaningful. Good health, peace of mind, and a safe and happy family. These are basic things we usually forget to pray for but which are, in the end, the most important. /For comments and reactions, email at attyjobertpenaflorida@yahoo.com.
(January 9, 2006 issue)
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