WITH five days before Christmas and everything moving at a frenetic pace, I just want to pause for a while to give thanks to a few people who have turned the BusinessMirror’s Envoys & Expats section one of the most read pages of this newspaper.
I assumed editorial duties of this section in April this year. This was after I started my column here in April 2013.
I have always seen the potential of this section and, from what I have seen and read before, we have barely scratched the surface.
One of the first people who believed in me was our Editor in Chief Jun Vallecera. I have known him for several years already. He is a veteran in the industry and someone our peers have always looked up to.
Very mild mannered and always cool under pressure, Papi, as he is known in the industry is still old school in his ways as a journalist. It is something that I appreciate because I have learned so much in the industry from people like him.
Sir Jun always has everyone’s back in the editorial section covered. He gives his support to each and everyone. But I have also seen him drop the hammer and, at times, flustered with frustration.
I just have to thank Sir Jun for allowing me to tinker with the section to give more substance to its pages. I am proud that we have published a lot of exclusive stories here and have shown what envoys and expats here in the country are really doing.
And, trust me, we have barely started. It is still a work in progress and the best is yet to come.
I also have to thank people who I have given coverages and delivered beyond what has been asked of them. Thank you very much Recto Mercene, Danielle Gabriel, Jude Bautista and Rea Cu.
Sir Recto, thank you very much for the lengthy articles you have given me and for doing the interviews that I have requested. You being part of the section means a lot.
Thank you very much, Danielle. Like what I have always been saying, you have so much potential and you pick up really quick. I just know that one day you will be one of the bigger names in this industry.
Jude, what is understood need not be spoken. You are such a good friend and that will stay forever.
Rea is just new to this section after having done a couple of coverages that I have assigned. But before that, she was an editorial assistant in tandem with Faye Pablo.
You can call them miracle workers here in the editorial section. They have always delivered whatever it is that were asked of them. And the bonus part of it all is that they are still all smiles even at the end of a long day. Thank you so much to the two of you.
Thank you very much also Cristina Moricca for accepting without hesitation being a columnist in this section even if it meant that you would just be doing it pro bono. You are such a good friend.
Then there is our always soft-spoken layout artist Niggel Figueroa. He is very efficient and has keen awareness on how to make the pages look good to the readers. He is always outstanding with his work.
As a side note, how I wish I had the same body weight he has. This guy is also really cool and his fashion sense is just right.
Oh, and he owns a Mio 160 cc motorcycle and he can drive really fast in the streets. Now, that is what I call a chick magnet. I do not know if he has a girlfriend but, if he does, that is one lucky person.
I have to also thank our proofreaders, led by Maricel Davad and her team, composed of Issa Quirante, Marianne Sarmiento, Aena Rebutoc, Ramon Rafael Bonilla, Jae Denise Adolfo and Aira Igharas.
They are who I call our last line of defense. They literally erase and correct grammatical mistakes we have before the pages get published. And, trust me, even with their daunting work, they always live up to expectations. Thank you very much to all of you.
Together with Niggel, these are people who spend long nights and, at times, early mornings in the office. I just hope that one of these days I could join them in their dinners.
All of these people are making this Christmas even more special to me. I am very happy to have gotten the opportunity to work and get to know all of them.
Merry Christmas, guys!