Lots of blessings to thank for at 69

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

When one turns 69 and looks back through time, one finds that indeed so many things are worth thanking for.  Having  reached  this age and still running around, so to speak, doing  the one and only thing he wanted most even when he was still a high school kid — journalism – is already a blessing not so many are fortunate to reach.

A college degree in agriculture with specialization in agricultural journalism, even as it was finished in10 years of getting in and out of school every now and then depending on whether or not there was money for school fees, is indeed one of the best things that ever happened to this fellow.  A steep and long climb to a college education practically on his own, always trying to find ways of earning the valuable buck for his food, lodging and the next semester’s school fees, trained him to face and cope with uncertainties.

Along the way, a good number of kind souls built his confidence in himself.  First, there was Felix  Pangalangan, a student leader from Pangasinan, who persuaded him to enter campus politics even as this fellow had nothing but himself as an Ilocano who came from Northern Luzon.  This led him to become an officer of a number of student organizations, training him to lead and manage people. 

 Then there was this professor, the late Dr. Juan F. Jamias, who thought this fellow can be trained to become a real working agricultural journalist. It was Dr. Jamias who brought him to the International Rice Research Institute [IRR] to undergo a hands-on season-long training on rice production, applied research and communication even as he was still an undergraduate student. 

After the training, he was sent back to college to finish his degree in one semester through an IRRI scholarship, sparking the desire to obtain graduate degrees later.  Another IRRI scholarship sent him to Graduate School right after he obtained the BS program even as his training on rice was meant to make him a roving rice reporter. 

Study and travel grants came one after another from then on — travel grants from West Germany’s Internacciones and the Asia Foundation, a fellowship from the Thomson Foundation Editorial Study Center in the United Kingdom, and a scholarship grant for the doctoral program from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture and the German Foundation for International Development [Deutsche Stiftung Entwicklung].  

Likewise, this fellow owes a lot of thanks to the internationally known Zac B. Sarian, who should now be recognized as the dean of agricultural journalism in thePhilippines.  It was Manong  Zac, as many younger journalists and information writers love to call him, who introduced and brought him to the working media, as he patiently taught him to write stories worth the attention and interest of editors. 

Moreover, Manong Zac made him the top contributor in the agricultural magazines he has been editing – from Philippine Farms and Gardens of Manila Chronicle before Martial Law to the one and only Agriculture Magazine of Manila Bulletin today.

Equally worth thanking for are the late Romeo Abundo, Johnny L. Mercado, and  Noli Jara.  It was Romy who brought this fellow to DEPTHnews Philippines and DEPTHnews Asia during the early months of Martial Law, as the Philippine News Service was padlocked.  Later, it was Johnny who called up the German Embassy to give this fellow a study tour in the Federal Republic of West Germany.  It was also Johnny who got a fellowship for him from the Thomson Foundation in UK and a travel grant from Asia Foundation for his fare to London and back. Noli was the ever friendly editor of DEPTHnews who later brought this fellow to the Manila Times [Northern Luzon edition] and placed a lot of his stories on front page.

Also at the top of this fellow’s thank you list is Ernie Rodriguez of the Philippine News Service [is he still alive?] who got interested in his agriculture stories, even as the cranky graveyard shift  editor   immediately spiked them upon submission early on Saturday mornings, thereby building his confidence as a newspaperman.  Also at the top of the list is Ermin Garcia Jr., publisher-editor of Sunday Punch who immediately accepted this fellow’s offer to write for this paper and gave him this column.  It’s an honor and privilege to write for a top rated community paper.

Not to be forgotten are his parents, siblings, wife, Rudy Fernandez and Romy Floresca of the Philippine Star, the editors of agriculture publications during Martial Law, as well as the scientists and researchers of UP Los Banos, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Philippine  Carabao Center, Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension, and some state colleges and universities.  Also worth mentioning are the late Dr. Abelardo G. Samonte, Dr. Santiago R. Obien, Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian, Dr. Libertado C. Cruz, Director Ricardo Cachuela, Dr. Miriam E. Pascua, Dr. Zosimo M. Battad, Dr. Madonna Casimero among many others.  Moreover, it was Dr. Emil Q. Javier, then the chancellor of  UPLB, who encouraged him to leave the pedestal of the country’s premier university and get rooted in the country’s real agriculture world. 

Indeed, they are worth all the gratitude I can muster, as they contributed a lot to the accolades and recognitions that kept coming one after another – the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the UPLB Alumni Association, Professional Media Award from PCARRD, Distinguished Alumnus Awards from the SEARCA Fellows Association, a Gawad Galing for Biotech Journalism  citation from the Biotechnology Media and Advcacy Resource Center, Binhi Award Agricultural Photojournalist of the Year, and  Binhi Award Agricultural Journalist of the Year [2 third prize, 1 second prize, and lately the first prize].  What more can one ask for?

To all of you who are still on this earth, a belated  Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.  May we hope for better times to come.  To those who have already gone to their rest, may your souls rest in peace.

(Readers may reach columnist at spablico@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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