NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
As this paper turned 70 last Thursday, the editorial board and its staff renewed their pledge of service to the Boholano community during a testimonial dinner attended by some 300 business, government-sector representatives together with the papers’ advertisers and church leaders at the Dagohoy Grand Ballroom at the Bohol Tropics Resort, this city.
Chronicle Editor Zoilo “Bingo” Dejaresco III, in his anniversary message vowed that the paper will continue to faithfully chronicle the lives and times of Boholanos.
He said “we will stretch our best to know the facts behind the news and puncture all illusions of progress when we see them.”
“We will try to be the community’s Great Equalizer, with the help of well-meaning citizens,” he stressed.
In celebration of its Platinum anniversary, the Chronicle will strive to be the “conscience of the community” by giving voice to the voiceless and follow the adage to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”
He cited that for the Chronicle, truth is “absolute and indivisible,” saying that create a half truth and you embrace a half -a-lie”
“Truth must always be defended at all costs.”
No threats can stop the paper, the Chronicle assured as “many threats have been commonplace to us.”
The editor recalled that several libel charges were hurled against the paper, in attempts to silence its editorial policy. However, the paper won in all libel cases filed mostly by onion-skinned public officials.
After 70 years, the paper is here to stay for the Boholanos. Twelve governors – from Juan Pajo to Art Yap -. All of them have left the Capitol. But The Chronicle stays.
Dejaresco said the Chronicle has been predicted three times already to die.
The first death was in 1954 – when an elderly priest predicted – that after one year of operation, either the founder or the newspaper would die. Jun Dejaresco, the founder to die out of sheer frustration and desperation or the newspaper due to lack of readership and advertisements, whichever came first.
The second death came in 2022 when the publisher died and when the naysayers predicted and were even hoping that the second generation Dejaresco would not live up to his kind of discipline and not fit into the huge sandals that the founder had worn.
And the third prediction of death said that the newspaper would be drowned by the sheer popularity of social media and disappear from the face of the earth.
Well, what actually happened?
As for the first death, Jun Dejaresco lived longer by four decades over the elderly priest who made the prediction – thank God (I mean, we did not thank God that the priest died, but that the founder lived longer by 40 more years).
As to the second death. the second generation Dejaresco scaled up what used to be a 12-page newspaper into more than 60-pages regular Sunday paper and as to the third predicted death, well, we just played the rules of the new game – and the Chronicle now has a presence in social media and cyberspace as well.
The testimonial dinner was graced by the nine board of directors of the Bohol Chronicle Radio Corp. led by its chairman, Peter Dejaresco.
The directors who attended the grand celebration were Ely Dejaresco, Charito Araneta, Bingo Dejaresco, Malou Alvarez, Luis Antonio Dejaresco, Milet Amora, Mamel Quelapio and Kathy Borja.
BCRC’s vice president Ely Dejaresco vividly recalled the start of the paper in 1954 when he narrated poignant memories of the paper including the life of its founding publisher, the late lawyer Zoilo Dejaresco, Jr.
A 10-minute video visual presentation of the paper’s history captivated the guests as the video included the recorded talks of its founding publisher.
The 300 guests were welcomed by Chairman Dejaresco while a toast was led by Director Luis Antonio Dejarersco.
Marianito Luspo was the master of ceremony while Kiss FM jock Sean by the Way and Raul Gatal were the program anchors who conducted interviews among guests upon arrival at the Grand Ballroom of the Bohol Tropics.
The entire proceedings were aired live on The Bohol Chronicle FB simulcast on DYRD Bohol Kasaligan and Kiss 102.3FM. The live broadcast was supported by Active Events.
THANKSGIVING MASS
The testimonial dinner was preceded by a Thanksgiving Mass officiated by Bishop Alberto Uy and Bishop Daniel Patrick Parcon of the Diocese of Tagbilaran and Diocese of Talibon, respectively.
In his homily, Bishop Uy cited the 70-year old community paper as having won the trust and admiration of the Boholanos as he challenged the paper to continue in its role as evangelizer for truth for the betterment of the public.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Manuel Mogato, editor of on-line platform of television network News5 lauded the Chronicle for its long journey in serving the Boholanos.
While newspapers are in deep ciris, the survival of the Chronicle over the past 70 years is a test\imony of the “trust and support ” given by the Boholanos.
The paper is one of the very few long running newspapers in the country to have lasted for 70 years, Mogato said.
He rallied the Chronicle readers, both on hard copy and on -line to be careful in subscribing their belief on fake news he social media (See: separate news)
LIVING LEGACY
The Chronicle, in celebrating her 70trh year, presented the “Living Legacy” Award to business establishments in the city whose continued existence, like the Chronicle, have now become an inspiration for consistency as well as determination and hard work.
The pioneering firm which operations remain vibrant until today are the Holy Spirit School, Ramiro Hospital, First Consolidated Bank, Bohol Quality, Saya’s Restaurant, Ramasola Studio, Bohol People’s Lumber, Maniwan Optical, Sayong Furniture and Marcela Farms.
LOYALTY AWARD
Fourteen employees were cited for the longevity of their stint in the paper.
Cleofe Malimot (41 years), Marciano Balo, Jr (33 years), Melvin Jabajab (32 years), Ma Fe Mayono (32 years), Santiago Galagar (28 years), Richelyn Maestrado (28 years), Rowena Penales (26 years), Rodolfo Recemilla (23 years) Christopher Lumactud (21 years), Maricel Arbasto (20 years), Edwin Digal (19 years) Joel Nanual (15 years), Elma Arayan (14 years) and Reynaldo Daro (14 years.)
