If you’re familiar with the best-selling book, “In Search of Excellence,” then you know the two authors, Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr. When they were writing the book, they tried to scrutinize laudable “lessons from America’s best-run companies.”
What the two authors found totally surprised them. “Tools didn’t substitute for thinking,” they wrote. “Intellect didn’t overpower wisdom. Analysis didn’t impede action. Rather, these companies worked hard to keep things simple in a complex world. They persisted.
“They insisted on top quality,” the two authors continued. “They fawned on their customers. They listened to their employees and treated them like adults. They allowed innovative product and service ‘champions’ long tethers. They allowed some chaos in return for quick action and regular experimentation.”
That’s what excellence is all about. And that is what Edge Davao – whose tagline: “Serving a seamless society” – is aiming every time it publishes a copy.
In the beginning, Edge Davao was published as a weekly paper covering mainly business. That was the intention of the people behind it: Editor-in-Chief Antonio M. Ajero (AMA) and General Manager Olivia D. Velasco.
But after two years, they decided to publish it on a daily basis. After all, news happens all the time: every second, every minute, every hour, every day.
Because of the excellence that has been instilled in the mind of the people behind the paper, Edge Davao managed to win awards and recognitions.
All in all, it has garnered a total of 13 awards from the Civic Journalism Community Press Awards given annually by the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), the national association of the country’s newspapers.
In 2010, Edge Davao received two awards in the weekly category: Best in Science and Environmental Reporting and Best in Business and Economics Reporting. In 2012, it was adjudged Best in Science and Environment Reporting.
In 2014, it was chosen as the Best Edited Community Newspaper in the daily category. In addition, it also was recognized as Best in Environmental Reporting and Best in Culture, Arts and History Reporting.
In 2017, Edge Davao again received three awards: Best Edited Community Newspaper, Best in Environmental Reporting, and Best in Photojournalism. In 2019, it won two awards: Best in Environmental Reporting and Best in Business and Economics Reporting.
The excellence of Edge Davao can be gleaned from some of its citations. When it won the Best Edited Paper in the daily category in 2014, the recognition stated that it allowed “the readers to arrive with a stand, and succeeded in manifesting the conviction of the community members while embodying transparency and excellence in delivering the news to the community.”
A year earlier, Edge Davao was named as Best Edited Community Newspaper by PPI. It was recognized for having “demonstrated the highest standards in terms of creativity, quality, utility, and style of writing that uphold the highest journalistic standards and tradition. It presents with more consistency a strong and concise community relevant stories.
“The style of writing is such that even as an article deals on local events, it is never myopic and parochial in treatment because its perspective also transcends beyond the locality,” the citation further stated. “As a whole, Edge Davao is a paragon of high-quality journalism; a local newspaper that combines, in seamless meld, high quality writing and community value.”
In its quest for excellence, Edge Davao carries all stories and features that help shape Davao in particular and the country in general. From current issues to business, from agriculture to environment, from health to technology, from destinations to property, from sports to culture, name it and Edge Davao covers it.
Some of its well-researched, well-written and in-depth environmental stories have been recognized by PPI, too. In 2014, it clinched the Best in Environmental Reporting. The citation reads: “For actively dedicating regular coverage of environmental reports through news, features, columns and editorials that help promote high degree of environmental consciousness among the public. Edge Davao is mindfully aware of the power of information in molding an environmentally-critical public.”
In 2018, Edge Davao was recognized by the Rotary Club of Manila as the Regional Newspaper of the Year.
When this author joined Edge Davao in 2014, he received two journalism awards: one from Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards and another from Globe Media Excellence Awards.
Edge Davao also won recognitions from the Jose Burgos Awards for Biotechnology, Philippine Agricultural Journalists, Inc., and Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards.
In 2017, Edge Davao (through this writer) bagged the Sarihay Award (Sarihay, a combination of “sari-saring buhay,” is a Pilipino word for “biodiversity”) from the Foundation of Philippine Environment. The paper was cited for a two-part excellent series on the status of Philippine eagle and waling-waling, which used to inhabit the tropical rainforests of Mount Apo.
Another excellent feature of Edge Davao is its photographs. A picture speaks a thousand words, so goes a familiar saying. And the paper is doing that. It features ordinary-yet-excellent photos that capture the heart and mind of the readers. “Photography is the story I fail to put into words,” said Destin Sparks.
Although the cover is colored, the inside pages are in the traditional black-and-white. There’s a reason for that. The words of Ted Grant explained: “When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in black and white, you photograph their souls!”
Thanks to Leandro S. Daval, Jr., Edge Davao comes out daily with photographs that speak a thousand words. With roving reporter Maya Padillo, the paper is peppered with regular news and features. Even with her hectic schedules, she also manages to attend shows, product launch, and celebrations to allow readers to be part of those events.
Actually, Edge Davao owed its success to the late Ajero, who served as editor-in-chief since it existed until his death in 2022. “As an editor, AMA is one who would stand for his reporters. With all the risks and the dilemmas that come with the territory, AMA would make sure everyone is covered,” wrote Neilwin Joseph L. Bravo in his tribute to the pillar of community journalism in Davao City.
“AMA thrived with an organization that was introduced to the concept of multi-tasking,” Bravo, who follows the footsteps of Ajero as Edge Davao’s editor-in-chief, wrote further. “The team he built at Edge Davao is a lean but mean organization that has produced recognitions and awards…”
Bravo was the managing editor of the paper for a long time. He was responsible for the revolutionary look of Edge Davao that set a trend for local publications.
With Bravo at the helm, Edge Davao is expected to aggressively compete in the already challenged print media market that saw many publications close down during the pandemic.
Edge Davao, indeed, has come a long, long way. Its excellence continues because it is supported by the people behind it, the readers and advertisers.
Even in the age of social media and online publications, Edge Davao
never falters. It keeps on giving out relevant features and articles, engaging columns, and thought-provoking photos.
And despite many saying the time is over for newspapers, Edge Davao is here to stay.
