So, after my regular job at 5 p.m., it has become my routine to take a long walk, except during bad weather, from City Hall Drive to Quirino Avenue, just before the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas where the editorial and printing offices are located.
Once you’ll head into the editorial office, you can see at work the veterans of the industry. It was a lovely sight, believe me, to be in the company of Davao journalism greats (dili ni bugal bugal) whose experiences we have yet to experience.
What I loved about staying in the newsroom is actually just listening to the conversations of editorial consultant Ram Maxey and editor-in-chief Tony Ajero.
“Pare, kahinumdum ka tong _______,” that’s usually the start of the conversation initiated either by Daddy Ram or ‘nong Tony.
Some nights are serious conversations, but most nights, it has been funny and lively conversations between the two.
I love listening to the old guards of the industry. As to what happened many, many years ago, which can make you understand the present situation.
My only regret was that I never thought of recording those conversations, even secretly, for record purposes.
Valuable inputs, crucial information, believe you’d just love listening to the two of them.
Daddy Ram, despite his advanced age, loves to do the editing of our news stories. Probably, it’s just routine for him but for us, we have peace of mind because we normally hurry up in writing our stories because we have something else to do, LoL.
If not for Ramon Maxey’s impeccable English, we will all be terrible news writers.
I watched him almost every night before the deadlines, editing all those stories with so much fervor.
That eagle-eyed Ram has been a saviour to news writers.
Outside of the Edge Davao office, Daddy Ram is not just a colleague but a friend to all.
Especially, if he has extra money in his pocket, lol.
Then Mayor Digong’s press secretary Alex C. Roldan and I were at the City Press Office when daddy Ram came and we talked about a lot of things. Among the topics that one afternoon was Dad Ram’s experience in the second World War. He recalled his war buddies and the much-delayed financial benefit so deserving to be received.
We felt the sadness that afternoon as Daddy Ram shed tears. Press secretary Alex said some comforting words and all I can do is just listen to a man who for many years still has in his mind his war buddies.
“I am not a hero, but I am a patriot,” said Daddy Ram.
Yet for us, Daddy Ram is a hero, not just for serving in WWII, but for serving us, young news writers, who will be lost without an ace editor.
