MY ROMANCE with SunStar Pampanga started as early as 1997, when this office was still a budding business but reeking of so much potential.
When I was offered the job of a lifestyle editor, the owners brought me to Cebu to train/familiarize myself for almost 2 weeks on newspapering and printing. Then I was stationed here in a big office in Plaza Romana in Dau. I was literally a chemist learning how to write lifestyle. But truly enjoying my social job of going around Angeles City, Clark, Mabalacat and even Hongkong, I have shared my thoughts and pieces to the community through my column; and partied a lot, too!
Coming from a 5-star hotel job, with a short stint at a laboratory, the new job made me very active on the scene writing about activities in the city and features of businesses to fill up my page in the community newspaper.
And in contrast with wearing a lab gown, I dressed up a bit for coverages, wore make-up and met people while learning new things. It felt like it was not work at all. Was it not the best job in the world?
But that was just the icing on the cake! After I entered in March 1997, the newspaper turned thrice-weekly then within the same month, turned daily! How ambitious! Woohoo!! (and as part of our expansion, 3 years later, we partnered with Mr. Levy Laus (oh how I miss the man!) and moved to San Fernando Pampanga, and Sunstar Clark became Sunstar Pampanga).
By June 1997, the bosses transferred me to lead the marketing department-- to love and to cherish...and the rest is history.
It was not a walk in the park, but the office was very supportive of my endeavors. My creative juices flowed only for Sunstar. It brought out the monster in me, positively! I turned techy, learned to layout, edit, did shoots, trained my girls where, how and why to find clients. We did mini and major supplements, countdowns, line ads, classified ads, exploring the beauty of advertising, advertorials, and many more!
My mind never stopped creating gimmicks for Sunstar. Not just for the marketing department but the newspaper as a whole.
I love SunStar Pampanga because it gave me a free hand with my job for 12 years (and more...) as if my life depended on it.
It let me discover my creative self.
Now, more than 10 years with my name off the staff box, I have not disconnected from SunStar Pampanga at all.
I fell in love with the people.
I fell in love with the newspaper.
I still breathe SunStar.
It is true... first love never dies.