Oral History of Doris Dumlao

August 19, 2008
Interviewers: Ken Filomeno and Josine Alexandra Gamboa

Ken: So there. Good morning, Ms. Doris. The first question we’d like to ask is why did you think of doing journalism as your profession?

Doris Dumlao: I really [didn’t] plan to be a journalist by profession. Although, I was always in the campus paper from elementary. In elementary, I was editor-in-chief. In high school, I was features editor. In college, in UP, I was editor-in-chief of the monthly publication. So, before it was more of a hobby. But I met a lot of friends who went to journalism. When after college, my first job was as a futures trader. Well, it’s like trading stocks. And then a lot of my friends who… because when you’re in campus journalism you get into networking right? with other editors from other colleges. They all became business journalists din. So when I got tired of my job, and I lost a lot of money, I was so frustrated. They said “maybe you should try journalism while looking for another job.” And so that’s why I became a business journalist instead of a general news reporter.

Ken: Well, you think it’s a blessing in disguise to actually work…?

Doris Dumlao: Yeah yeah. Because I originally planned to go to law school, but after college, I went into futures trading and it was an exciting job at first but it’s really very complicated and the exchange here wasn’t too professional. So yeah it’s a blessing in disguise because I ended up liking it a lot. So I’ve been here for more than ten years.

Alex: So can you describe your early days in the newspaper like in terms of, like, the production of the newspaper, since it has changed a lot as compared to before?

Doris Dumlao: Yeah when we started, there were no... Ah, there were cell phones already, but it wasn’t as widely used as before. And then the Internet wasn’t as widely used before. And all we had were pagers. But we had computers already. So I was lucky because when I started… Before Inquirer, I worked for a business newspaper and they were fully equipped with…They gave us laptops, etc. So, from the start we were well equipped with whatever we needed.

Alex: Did your hours change, like your working hours, and your salary, your holidays, deadlines? Are they more lenient now or are they still the same?

Doris Dumlao: In terms of working hours, when you’re a new reporter, you have to, of course, spend more hours working because a big part of the job is to develop a wide source base and when you’re new, you have to invest in that. You meet a lot of people. You basically have to work a lot harder. As you mature as a journalist once you have established the sources, then it becomes more flexible. Like you don’t have to wake up really early because once you learn the business, so to speak, it’s more flexible in terms of time. That’s one we most like about the job is it’s not as strictly as 8-5 hour work.

Alex: So, what do you think made you improve? Like what were the things you had to do for you to improve and to get to where you are now?

Doris Dumlao: First of all, you learn a lot from experience. Business reporting is not like general news reporting. You really have to learn a lot of jargons. And you have to meet and deal with a lot of people. You have to have the confidence to talk to CEOs or to taipans. You can’t really be shy in this profession. So that’s one experience. And then of course you have to upgrade your skills. And sometimes the organizations provide that like Inquirer. Once in a while, we’re required to undergo certain trainings like we had a tie up with the Asian Institute of Management for us to learn more about how to analyze corporate balance sheets. And then basic refresher courses on grammar, etcetera. And then on your own, the company is also supportive if you like to learn more by undergoing trainings, local and overseas trainings.

Ken: Oh okay. So were you ever a cub reporter?

Doris Dumlao: A cub reporter meaning in the police?

Ken: Not really. Like first time reporter or like a trainee?

Doris Dumlao: Yeah yeah, of course. All reporters…

Ken: How was it when you were one?

Doris Dumlao: It was of course... because when you’re new you’re shy and then you don’t know anything about the business. It was difficult at first because you feel you’re so ignorant, and then that you cannot handle the job especially when you’re assigned to business. It could be intimidating at first.

Alex: So how about your first beat? Like can you describe to us what was your first beat? And what were the important lessons you learned there? And if there were any other people who were in that beat with you?

Doris Dumlao: My first beat was banking because in a business beat, there are just a few beat assignments. My first beat was banking. So it wasn’t that hard because as I said, before becoming a reporter, I was a features trader, so I traded derivatives. I had the basic knowledge in the financial markets. So it wasn’t that difficult, except that you have to learn so many other things. And everyday there’s something to learn.

Ken: So, what made you work in Philippine Daily Inquirer?

Doris Dumlao: Because of course, it’s the biggest newspaper and it’s a very good organization. When I first went into journalism, I said to myself that if I would stay in print, I would work for Philippine Daily Inquirer, though I spent the first two years because they don’t usually accept new graduates, fresh graduates. If you are a fresh graduate, you have to be a researcher first or you have to really work behind the scenes before becoming a reporter.

Alex: So, how did you land your job in Philippine Daily Inquirer? Were you asked to apply?

Doris Dumlao: Yeah, I was invited to apply after two years by Corrie Narisma.

Ken: Ah okay. Do you have any memorable editors? Like maybe any of the editors memorable to you or…?

Doris Dumlao: Yeah like my current editors. Corrie Narisma. She covered banking when I was a new reporter. I saw how she worked and I saw how she is as a reporter compared to. And I know how inquirer reporters fair vis-à-vis other reporters from other publications.

Ken: So was Ms. Corrie Narisma like a mentor to you or…?

Doris Dumlao: Yeah yeah…

Ken: And she’s more of a friend as well? Ah that’s good.

Alex: So, how, like talking about Ms. Corrie Narisma, how was she like? What was her attitude towards your deadlines, did she train you to…?

Doris Dumlao: She’s very strict even now. Because she’s the Business editor, she’s the one, she’s the hatchet guy. She’s the one who really has to remind us of our deadlines and…

Ken: Was she also strict in terms of like print media ethics?

Doris Dumlao: Yes. In our newspaper, we have a policy.

Ken: Ah, so what were your policies?

Doris Dumlao: Blue print, the basic dos and don’ts.

Ken: In terms of grammar when writing, is she also strict in that sense?

Alex: Or are you allowed, do you just self-regulate? Like do you edit it by yourself?

Doris Dumlao: They have to edit. Because no matter how good you are, there are things you’ll overlook when you write something. Even the best writers in the world, the one who write books, they need editors.

Alex: How about memorable colleagues? Do you have memorable colleagues and what made them like…

Ken and Alex: Unforgettable?

Doris Dumlao: I’ve had memorable colleagues in terms of we shared the same passion for work and probably the same drive and the same interest outside works. So, it’s good. But in any profession, you’ll forge friendship. And I made a lot of good friends in this profession.

Alex: So going back to like your editors, have you had any experience with like unfair censorship? The type that you know isn’t really…

Doris Dumlao: Censorship? Not really. Sometimes when you come up with a sensitive story, they don’t really censor. They would just ensure that you got the other side from the other side. And then in the way it’s written, it’s fair. It’s balanced. We never censor in Inquirer, except if we don’t think it’s not worthy of publication not because we have sacred cows or something.

Ken: Were there any times when you and your editors had argument or…

Alex: Disagreement?

Doris Dumlao: Yes, several times. Not always, but the refute times.

Ken: So could you give an example of one instance of what happened?

Doris Dumlao: It’s very technical. Usually our arguments are technical like when we’re writing about the peso-dollar movement. They wanted me to give more emphasis on the closing rate. Like in the day, you have open, close. But in between, you have highs and lows. I was a trader before, so from a trader’s perspective, that closing rate is not important, because when you read the charts, it’s really that intra-day milestones that’s important to traders. So I had a big argument with them. I said, “No we should look more at the intra-day milestones, not the closing rates. And so in the end, we compromised that we have to emphasize on it.

Ken: How about in terms of like writing your own articles? Are there times when you give your own opinion or is it all objective?

Doris Dumlao: It depends on what you’re writing. When you write news reports, of course it has to be really objective. You can’t give your own opinion. If you want to put perspective on the news story, like interpret the numbers like inflation or GDP. You have to call up analysts or economists to give their opinion, but not yours. But if you’re writing a special report, you’re given some leeway to, because it’s also like a news story except that it’s more investigative, deeper. Sometimes you’re allowed. Or features, if you write features. Features is like a good story also, but it’s interpretative. But the really hard news that they’re required to produce everyday, those would really have to be objective, as objective as you can as possible.

Ken: You said earlier about special reports. What are special reports? Like, examples of.

Doris Dumlao: Once in a while, you’re asked to produce longer articles, those are unlike the… because when you produce the short news reports like this one (flips pages of news reports). When you want to go deeper into an issue, like analyze a certain company for instance. Very familiar with the Asian crisis? Probably not. But in the late 1990s, there was a big Asian crisis and there was a really sharp depreciation of the peso. So a lot of the companies that borrowed in dollars had difficulties servicing those dollars. So usually on big topic like those. Big for business, big macro economic issues.

Alex: So what other hardships or challenges have you experienced in your field of work throughout the years?

Doris Dumlao: Well, sometimes when it’s difficult. There are people who are difficult to deal with and not all people, not everyone, will be happy with what you write. Like, sometimes, there are corporations who would threaten to sue you for libel or something like that. Or some people, I remember one CEO who invited me to his office only to be scolded about a certain story that I wrote, which he thought wasn’t, because it wasn’t, to his favor. Things like those. Sometimes it gives you, when there are complications like those, it gives you some pleasure.

Alex: So how do you deal with those complications? Like how did you deal with the CEO?

Doris Dumlao: I just let him shout and shout. When he calmed down.. What did I do then? I guess let him out his whatever he had to say then after that when he calmed down, he realized that it wasn’t the proper forum to do so because he invited me as a guest in his office. Otherwise, he wanted to complain or something, he would have written a letter to the editor. But he couldn’t do that. It was really all personal. Anyway..

Alex: So you were never sued? He didn’t push through with it?

Doris Dumlao: Well, it wasn’t libelous at all.

Alex: Oh okay. So he did not push through.

Doris Dumlao: And well it wasn’t. The story was factual. Except that it wasn’t favorable to him. But, you see, as reporters, it’s not our job to care whether this story would be good or bad, would have a good or bad effect on someone. We just write the story. It’s just a story for us.

Alex: Basta facts. So, what are your best memories as a young reporter? Like when you were starting out, were there any significant events that you covered?

Doris Dumlao: Yeah. For me, it’s always. When I was starting but until now, it’s always a thrill for me to break news, to get the new scoops ahead of the others. And especially the really big news that could move markets and in the business beat, that’s very important.

Ken: How about like in terms of like the historical events that happened in our country like the EDSA revolution or like the Oakwood mutiny. Did you make any reports on that?

Doris Dumlao: Yeah, but only as far as the impact on the market because I’m a business reporter. I really, like when there was a Manila Hotel siege, I wasn’t really the one assigned to cover, but I covered the reaction of the market.

Alex: So what have been like your memorable breaking stories that you still remember now?

Doris Dumlao: A lot, usually corporate merges and acquisitions like I covered banking. Like for the last few years, most of the big banking mergers and acquisitions, I was always fortunately the one to break them. Like that would happen a year after. Like when Bank of the Philippine Islands acquired Prudential or when Union Bank acquired International Exchange or when Henry Sy was first interested to take over Equitable. So things like those.

Alex: What do you think makes you able to be the first one to break these stories?

Doris Dumlao: Probably because I’ve made a lot of friends in the business sector. Because my first beat was banking. But after that, we reshuffle assignments every so number of years, 3 or 4 years. After banking, I was transferred to the stock market and the stock market is where you’ll get a lot of rumors. Some of them may be true, some may be false, but we get a lot of tips and I made friends with a lot of brokers, and probably also the network from school. My classmates from UP, a lot of them are lawyers. And when I went MBA school, I also met a lot of people. So it’s really networking. And I play badminton.

Alex: So, do you have like regular sources for your stories? Like people who usually just call you and like say there’s a story? Or you find..

Doris Dumlao: Once in a while you get tips on big stories from big sources. From you have developed over the last few years. But when you are assigned to a certain beat, there are common sources like the officials, the senators, judicials, the officials here are mostly they are common sources. Aside from the common sources, we have to develop sources that the others don’t really know or the others cannot tap.

Alex: So, can you give us some examples of these sources you think the other newspapers don’t have?

Doris Dumlao: Like when I was covering the stock market. There’s some brokers whom the other reporters probably know but they’re not as close to those people. Like some of the young CEOs I played badminton with. So in my different clubs, I meet a lot of middle managers, or not just middle managers. High-ranking officials who play badminton.

Ken: So, going back to what you said earlier that you wanted to take up Law, but ended up going to journalism. If you were given a chance to go back to it, will you still pursue law or will you maintain in the journalism business, the journalism profession?

Doris Dumlao: I’ll maintain my current profession.

Alex: What is it in journalism that makes you feel so passionate about it or that you’re enjoying so much?

Doris Dumlao: Aside from the thrill of breaking news, they would say it’s a poor man’s profession and aside from the flexibility that goes with it, you have that power and at the same time there are responsibility to make a difference. And no compensation can make up for that. Like especially when you work for a big newspaper, know every little mistake you’ll make, you’ll get feedbacks from readers. Like, so if you know that you have that kind of power in your hands and you have to use it responsibly. And you have that capability to make a difference. And, of course you know, knowledge is power. So you, it’s not that you thirst for power, it’s really the thrill of making a difference using the power of writing.

Ken: Now that a lot of new journalists are entering the business or entering the profession, do you feel like there’s competition with you and the other new journalists?

Alex: Yeah, and how do you cope with this competition? What do you do stay where you are now? To stay on top?

Doris Dumlao: It would take them a lot of time to, as I’ve said before, it takes years to develop sources. The younger ones probably would have an edge in terms of drive. They have greater drive, if they want to wake up earlier in the morning. But I don’t see, passion doesn’t come with age. I don’t see that a more senior reporter would be less passionate than a younger one. And sometimes, in fact, when you look at this pressroom, when I was a new reporter, I would always be the first one to be here, but look there are no other reporters yet. So, passion doesn’t come with age. And experience comes with age. So, it’s, in fact, it’s an edge to be more senior in the business, but sometimes it could be frustrating also because it makes you complacent. It’s not really a problem of you becoming less competitive but becoming too lax because you feel it’s not challenging anymore.

Alex: So, have you ever felt that it’s not challenging anymore?

Doris Dumlao: Once in a while because there are reporters who are even more senior than I am in the business.

Alex: So, what stirs it up when it becomes a bit boring?

Doris Dumlao: You do some other things. Aside from the daily coverage, you do special reports, features, and you attend trainings to upgrade your skills. And probably request for some assignments that would freshen up your perspective.

Alex: So when you were starting out and compared now, do you have like more freedom to write about what you want? Or does the newspaper have the same control over your articles?

Doris Dumlao: The policy doesn’t change. Except that, of course when you’re younger, you have less appreciation for or probably limited perspective. So, when you grow in the business, your horizon widens also, so your perspective. Like I would see now there are story angles that I would appreciate now than before. Or probably, if because news writing is a matter of picking the right angles. If you look at the clippings (flips pages), say different newspapers would treat a certain story in different ways so it’s a matter of finding the sharp, probably challenge of finding the sharpest angle in the same story and presenting it in a way that could be understood and appreciated by more people.

Ken: Ah okay. Do you have any more questions? So last question na po. Are there any advices you can give to those who are about to enter the profession?

Alex: Or who has or are aspiring to enter print media?

Doris Dumlao: First of all, be prepared to work hard and don’t expect to become rich in this profession. You must be in journalism because of love for the job and you have passion for it. Not because you have nothing else to do or because it’s really, it’s a profession that has so big responsibility that a lot of people take for granted. And sometimes when, and you have to remember that you’ll always be tempted because you have that power in your hand. Some people would succumb to use the power to use for their own personal gain. So, you have to remember to use it responsibly.

Ken: Ah okay. Well, I guess that ends our interview for today.