My sister, Cherry Ann T. Lim, has dropped a gem for all of us — students of journalism, active journalists, researchers and readers who may be curious and interested to know some heartbreaking facts but also some heroic acts to effect change for good.
Last Sept. 26, 2025, she launched her e-book entitled Cybersex, Troubled Fish, Tokhang and Other Stories, a collection of award-winning special reports she wrote and edited as published in SunStar Cebu.
It includes 21 award-winning stories and nine bonus stories that articulate the good, the bad and the ugly about the drug war, urban housing, water handling, child minding, food growing, overseas work, treasure hunting, reforestation, among others. It also includes anecdotes and writing tips that many students of journalism will appreciate.
Cherry’s 28-year storied career has seen her become editor-in-chief of SunStar Cebu from November 2021 to May 2024 following stints as the paper’s business editor, managing editor for special pages and features, and senior editor for print; as well as copy editor of SunStar Weekend, the paper’s Sunday magazine.
She edited The Cebu Yearbook, an annual coffee-table book on personalities, events and trends in Cebu, from 2004 to 2021 as well as Cebu Journalism and Journalists, the magazine chronicling the growth of the Cebu press from 2010 to 2018.
She has written novels in Cebuano for SunStar’s Supernobela series as well as anchored SunStar’s webcast “Newsbits Tonight,” later renamed “SunStar Tonight.”
From 2005 to 2018, she was deputy director of the Cebu Citizens-Press Council, which promotes professional journalism and defends press freedom.
For her work in investigative and explanatory journalism, she has won 38 awards from award-winning bodies like the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism, Philippine Press Institute, Council for the Welfare of Children, United Nations Population Fund, Department of Health, the Archdiocese of Manila, the Archdiocese of Cebu, Save the Children Philippines, Philippine Agricultural Journalists-San Miguel Corp., and Globe Telecom, among others.
The earliest story featured in this book dates back to 2006. How can stories written almost two decades ago still remain relevant, today?
In Cherry’s words, “Because today’s citizens, journalists, academics, government planners and civic leaders will find that many of the concerns raised by the victims of the failed policies cited in these reports remain unaddressed and the useful recommendations, unimplemented.”
It’s a long read and the stories are gut-wrenching. But it reminds us of how clueless we can be of a lot of things happening right under our noses. But it also prods us to ask, for how long are we going to allow some problems to fuel and fester? If you can find the courage to read this book, you might also discover that some of the problems you think don’t affect you, actually do.
You cannot preview this book. You have to download it. But the best part? It’s free.
It’s Cherry’s gift to all of us — her life’s work, the fruits of the long hours that took her away from us — her family. Our security guard was once heard asking why she worked till dawn daily when she didn’t have any children to feed. If only he knew how much journalists earned.
My sister loved her job so much, she sacrificed her family for it. She can’t bring back the time she lost with our parents to whom she has dedicated this book but in sharing her life’s work to the world, I know they both smile from up above.
We, her family, are beyond proud.
Download this gem at https://tinyurl.com/ctlebook