checking out "cheking"

“Who the heck is this guy?”

That was the first thought which entered my mind when I found out about this year’s Gawad Plaridel awardee.

Who is Atty. Pachico A. Seares?

A quick check through Google did not turn up much. There were a lot of articles about him being the fifth Gawad Plaridel awardee and… nothing else. I was expecting maybe a past interview or biography, but nothing of that sort turned up. The only things I learned was that he was the current editor-in-chief of Sun.Star Cebu and that the award was for his contributions to community journalism.

I realized that I would have to attend the awarding ceremony to find out more about him.

I had no idea what the big deal was back then. The name just didn’t ring a bell. All the past Gawad Plaridel awardees were people I knew and recognized. The first, Eugenia Apostol, started the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Film actress Vilma Santos was the second recipient. Radio broadcaster Fidela Magpayo, more commonly known as “Tiya Dely”, was the third. Last year, television reporter Cheche Lazaro became the fourth awardee.

The awarding ceremony was held at the UP Cine Adarna. I came late, as usual. There was a line at the entrance when I arrived; all us latecomers were made to wait for the end of the processional and the singing of the national anthem.

As I entered, I noticed that the theater was packed. There were students from different schools and colleges, reporters covering the event, and a lot more other people. I found a seat just as the dean of the UP College of Mass Communication (CMC), Dr. Elena Pernia, started her opening remarks.

All the time I was thinking about who Pachico Seares was. Who was this man being described by Dean Pernia as “a media practitioner who has excelled in the media and has performed at the highest level of professional integrity in the interest of public service”?

An audio-visual presentation titled “A Dreamer with a Deadline” followed. Friends, colleagues, and students of Seares – whom everyone called by the nickname “Cheking” – gave testimonials about him and aired messages for him. Going by the words of the people interviewed for the presentation, Seares appeared to be a fair journalist, a strict editor and boss, and a fine teacher.

The awarding ceremony came right after the presentation concluded. Former CMC dean Nicanor Tiongson, the man who started the Gawad Plaridel, read the citation on the plaque. The award was then presented by UP Diliman Chancellor Sergio Cao, UP Vice President Dr. Amelia Guevara, and Dean Pernia to the man who was the cause of all my trouble.

It was my first look at “Cheking”. Honestly, he reminded me of former senator Ernesto Maceda - the two looked surprisingly alike.

Seares then proceeded to give the customary Plaridel lecture; his was on the issues faced by community newspapers. Community newspapers, like Sun.Star Cebu, are only local in circulation, as opposed to national broadsheets like the Inquirer and the Star.

In an unmistakable Visayan accent, Seares recounted the problems of our country’s community press. He talked about an article he wrote for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism in the past, titled “The Future of Community Newspapers”, which discussed the dilemma faced by community papers.

That dilemma, according to him, was “how to improve standards and values and struggle for survival at the same time”.

He decried the existence of corruption in the community press, which he blamed on economic problems and “values less than strong”.

I listened to him speak. He really did sound like a good teacher, notwithstanding the accent.
He went on to discuss the value of the community paper. I learned that as they are local in scope, they have better reach among the local population and they cover more local issues than the national broadsheets. Their coverage of local issues ignored by the national papers makes them very important to their readers.

Up to this point I was completely ignorant of the importance of the community press. I guess I was guilty of being so “Manila-centered” that I forgot about the other cities and provinces of the country.

He then said that a newspaper, or any news media for that matter, should always maintain public trust. That way, public patronage would be maintained and even increased. This would lead to profit which would ensure independence from bribery and corruption and from the control of investors who could dictate what could be printed, thus making a better paper.

“Good journalism is good business”, he said. Plus, its practice can also prevent libel suits and the killing of journalists.

To practice good journalism, he said that one must not be a puppet of government or private interest. One must seek clarity in his stories, know what’s important, maintain objectivity, be informed and fair, and get his or her facts right.

“Whatever lies ahead of community press, good journalism will help us endure”, said Seares as he wrapped up his lecture.

Before this year’s awarding of the Gawad Plaridel, I did not know who Pachico Seares was. Of course I wouldn’t know him – he’s a Cebuano journalist. Now I realize that in Cebu he is a very important and famous man, and that his contributions to the growth and expansion of Sun.Star Cebu and his work for Cebu’s community journalists are great achievements.

That was why he got the Gawad Plaridel. He underscored the importance of the community press. He highlighted the need for good journalism in the community and the country.

A good journalist, a great teacher, and a pillar of the community press in the Philippines.

That is Atty. Pachico A. Seares.