Don’t look now but over the past nineteen (19) months (April 2020-October 2012), the time when life was made miserable by the Covid-19 pandemic, two dozen media personalities and an iconic print institution bade adieu. Oddly, each year (i.e., 2020 and 2021) registered a dozen ‘person’ deaths, the equivalent of the twelve months there are in a year.
Those who went to the Great Beyond in 2020 were Lucio Graciosa ‘Bagsoy’ Gutierrez, Jr., of DXUM Radyo Ukay, who died on April 9, 2020; Wilfredo Dalman ‘Fred’ Alonzo of the defunct San Pedro Express, in April 2020; Charlie ‘Cha’ Monforte of Mindanao Sun Chronicle, on June 28, 2020; Mindanao Sun Chronicle; Roberto ‘Bobby’ Diamante of Wild 92.3 WT FM, on July 2020; Gaudencio ‘Gaudy’ delos Reyes of Mindanao Examiner, also in July 2020; Antonio Harada ‘Tony’ Vergara of DXUL (now dxMF) and DXGN 89.9 Spirit FM, on August 28, 2020;
Enrique ‘Ricky’ Cayudong, Jr. of 98.7 Home Radio FM, in August 2020; Romulo ‘Loloy’ Capa of DXUM Radyo Ukay, on September 29, 2020; Mario Maximo ‘Dodong’ Solis of Radyo ni Juan, on October 13, 2020; Reybaldo ‘Rey’ Indig of DXUM Radyo Ukay, on November 14, 2020; Rose B. Palacio of Philippine Information Agency, on November 16, 2020; and photojournalist Boy Lim of Mindanao Times, in December 2020.
On July 3, 2020, the 70-year-old Mindanao Daily Mirror, the second oldest postwar daily publication in Davao City, folded due to lack of advertisers resulting from the pandemic. Less than a year later (i.e., June 2021), the non-operational People’s Daily Forum was revived, this time as an online publication. Both are publications of the Flaviano family.
In 2021, over a ten-month period, another dozen media persons made their final trip to meet their Creator. First to go was Ricardo Rubia of DXPM 91.9 FM, Digos City, on February 20, 2021; Edgar Fuentes of 90.7 Love Radio, Panabo City, on March 3, 2021; Epifanio ‘Fanny’ Cacayan of ABS-CBN TV4, on April 30, 2021; Lito ‘King’ Camahalan of DXRD, DXOW, and DXGO, on June 18, 2021; Muhaimin Mohammad Sapie and Sitti Gilda Mahinay Sapie of Radio 76.1 FM DXLL, assassinated on July 14, 2021;
Reynante Sanchez ‘Romnick’ Sabanal of DXIP & DXUM, on August 11, 2021; Pepe Bucao of MBC-DXGO, on August 20, 2021; Phil Peralta of Philippine Post, on September 10, 2021; Edgar Delivo of DXAB ABS-CBN, on September 21, 2021; Elpidio ‘Ped’ Velasco of Manila Bulletin, in October 2021; and Orlando ‘Dondon’ Dinoy of Newsline Philippines Online, who was murdered inside his rented room in Bansalan, Davao del Sur, on October 30, 2021.
In 2019, the ‘Dead Journalists Online Mausoleum’ managed by grizzled media practitioner Roger Balanza of the online Durian Post, partially lists the journalists who wrote ‘30’ that year as Jun ‘Tira ‘To’ Cabales of DXUM Radyo Ukay, Danila ‘Dannypacs’ Paclipan of DXRA and DXIP, Dominador ‘Bobong’ Calamba of DXDC and Radyo ni Juan, photojournalist Rene Lumawag of Mindanao Times, Bobby Mahinay of DXGO and DXUM-Radyo Ukay, and Efren Elbanbuena, regional director of Philippine Information Agency, Region XI.
In the last decade (2009-19) prior to the pandemic, the highestdeath toll among active press members was recorded in 2014, Although the list is incomplete, it still consists some of the most popular figures who died with their journalistic boots on, namely Ramon M. ‘Ram’ Maxey of Edge Davao, Samuel ‘Sammy’ Oliverio of DXDX-Digos City, Ramon Teodoro Yuvienco ’Sonny’ Garcia of Mindanao Times, Rogelio Jacela ‘Roger’ Flaviano, publisher of People’s Daily Forum, Rogelio ‘Roger’ Israel of DXDN-Tagum City, Renato Espeleta ‘Rene’ Bartolo, Sr. of Mindanao Times, and Rodrigo ‘Ody’ Gajitos of Mindanao Daily Mirror and Philippine Daily Fiscalizer.
