"journalism is a call for volunteerism"
-Angelo Palmones ABS-CBN


despite seeming chaos during the 9th journalism Seminar in our school organized by the senior mass com students, i really loved how i learned a lot from it. entitled Juxtaposed: Constructing Media roles amidst political Arena, it opened my eyes on how i, as a future journalist, must face the demands and threats of my future line of work.

Dangers abound in my future profession as a journalist like political bribes, death threats and risky assignments. But after the seminar, i was enlightened and was given an idea on how i could face these problems in the near future.

It is very unfortunate to think how small most people regard the press. They do not have the slightest inkling how pain staking and dangerous their job is, just to get the latest scoop and deliver the truth right at their doorsteps. It's also very saddening how 1 out of 3 Filipino journalists must succumb to "envelop mentalism" because most journalists especially those in the provinces could barely make ends meet.

Being a journalist may not be the highest paying job, it may not even be enough for me to buy a sprawling mansion that i always dreamed of for my parents, but being a fiscalizer of change and serving my country in an honest to goodness manner is enough to make my heart melt with sheer joy. As Mr. Mark Salazar of GMA news (who was also one of our guest speakers that day) said after helping some farmers in a remote place in Batangas to claim their rightful land from greedy land developers who plans to turn the small island into a golf course , it was enough for him to hear words of gratitude from those simple fellows, that it he really felt glad that he was able to perform his duty as a catalyst for change. For tomorrow he says, is another story to cover and hopefully, another soul to help.