It has been quite awhile since I last wrote a piece for a paper. I remember first writing for Balita, then — here and there. This time, you will have to help me to find back my mojo otherwise I may write jejemon style here.
I deem it appropriate to start writing again as we enter 2011. The year will be special for us media people in this corner of the world as Philippine Press Club-Ontario celebrates its tenth year anniversary, so — here, jejemon or not.
I have observed that there are many things happening locally that are not reported or written about. These are things which happen during ordinary days to ordinary people that are relevant and impact on people’s lives. Perhaps it is about time that journalists start writing about these things for these are the things that people must be informed of so that they maybe helped in making better choices in the daily grind of their lives.
Enough are written about ‘the stars, the heavens, hell and the fights of their denizens in court or outside of court, in the ballroom or outside the ballroom’. Real events happening to little people must be written about, too. Everything counts because everyone counts. That’s how it should be among humans in an egalitarian society.
If print media, specifically our community newspapers, cannot compete with the speed that news are transmitted through the internet and electronic media, at least they should try to compensate their slow pace by covering events that are proximate, relevant, and impact on ordinary working people; the sector that makes up the greater part of our community. It is the sector that fuels the economy to keep it on grinding and moving.
Our community paper publishers may argue that they don’t have the capacity to send out reporters to gather news for publication. This argument is valid because most of our publications are operating on tight budget. This gap must be filled in by members of the community since practically everyone is a reporter and a journalist in this sense. Do you your share; it’s an obligation, too.
Case in point was the incident that happened to three Filipinos waiting for a TTC ride at a desolate bus stop along Weston Road after finishing their work shift. It was a wintry dusk at zero below and Bus 96 was nowhere insight. Suddenly a red van, with a man and woman in it, both wearing balaclava, unexpectedly made a stop and speaking Filipino invited the three for a ride.
According to our informant, the woman in the van even went out of her way to get off the vehicle with umbrella in hand as she led them three to the waiting red van. The kind offer being from kababayans was thought of as heaven-sent and so the three willingly took the ride. It was a ride indeed; their pockets and purses were emptied until all the money they had were all taken by the ski-masked miracle workers.
Three blocks later, and a dollars poorer, the victims were let off back in the cold, as they tried to take note of the license plate which was unreadable because it was conveniently covered with snow. Such story may not qualify as a banner headline for a paper but if it was reported and written about right away others could have been forewarned and be reminded that smart people don’t talk to strangers, much more accept rides from them.
And rightly so because it happened again to more people on separate occasions perpetrated apparently by the same duo in the red van. So far at least five had been victimized.
This modus operandi may continue as no one among the victims made an attempt to report it to the police. And why is it so? Well, coming from a country like the Philippines where no one trusts the police who could blame these people for keeping it to themselves crimes committed against them. It is also possible that these hooligans are also committing other crooked acts as we speak.
As the Filipino population continues to swell in the GTA so are gangs of con-artists, some crude, others in ways undetectable since these acts are embedded in how these people operate their businesses. Examples of these are plentiful: immigration or recruitment agencies duping their clients, services and goods delivered in ways unacceptable in terms of ethics, unprofessional dealings, unacceptable customer service, organizations collecting donations which are unaccounted, people holding events at the guise of charity, etc. Some of these operate with impunity and need to be monitored. So far, it is a kind of “buyer beware” market out there.
The press needs your help as you need the press. If only for this, we are back to the grind. A Prosperous and Joyful New Year to all!