VETERAN community journalist Antonio M. Ajero, now editor and chairman of the board of Edge Davao, was awarded a plaque of appreciation by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Region 11 for being the pioneer host and convenor of the long running “Kapihan Sa PIA,” a weekly multi media forum started by the late PIA regional director Rey Magno Teves in 1987. The ‘Kapihan’ was institutionalized by the succeeding PIA regional directors –the late Josefina “Josie” San Pedro and incumbent Efren Elbanbuena.
Ajero received the plaque and a coffee mug specially printed with his bust photo with a puppy during a surprise program after this year’s last Kapihan session with guests from Davao Light and Power Company (Arturo Milan, Rodger Velasco and Ross Luga), Davao City Water District (Atty. Bernardo Delima ), Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. (Cirllo Almario III) and Civil Defense Office (Brig. Gen. Leoncio Cirunay ret.). The ‘Kapihan’ was held in time for the 30th anniversary celebration of PIA.
Ajero is also behind the four decade-old “Kapehan sa Dabaw”, a weekly media forum now hosted by SM Davao City at Ecoland every Monday morning.
Kapehan assembles personalities from public and private sectors to discuss topics of interest, including burning issues of the day involving the people of Davao City and elsewhere in the country.
The awardee was station manager of DXMC “Radyo Ukay” for 10 years, editor and publisher of Sun.Star Davao for 20 years, and one-time or another associate and managing editor of the Mindanao Daily Mirror, and Mindanao Mirror-Bulletin aside from assisting Sec. Jesus G. Dureza in his defunct weekly television show “Brainstorm” for three years. Ajero has been chairman of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas-Davao, president of the Davao Press Club and trustee for Mindanao of the Philippine Press Institute.
In civic work, he has been president of the Rotary Club of East Davao and Ambassador Club of Davao Int’l, trustee of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., and Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and vice president of the Davao Inventors Association.
