Oral History of Loreto Cabanes

Interviewers: Trisha Jeacon Macas and Marielle Gayle Tagle

Trisha Macas: Um, pano po kayo nag-start as a journalist?
Loreto Cabanes: I started as a researcher.
Trisha Macas: Researcher po?
Loreto Cabanes: Business Daily and Business Day. It’s a business newspaper.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: In the 70s
Trisha Macas: 70s. Ah.
Gayle Tagle: Meron pa ba nun ngayon?
Loreto Cabanes: Wala na. It was succeeded by Business World.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Trisha Macas: Ah, Business World.
Gayle Tagle: The same lang po yun, pinalitan lang yung name?
Loreto Cabanes: Hmm?
Gayle Tagle: Yung pong Business World.
Loreto Cabanes: No, they reorganized.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: But the same owners. Business World na ngayon.
Trisha Macas: So ano po, naging researcher po kayo?
Loreto Cabanes: I research, I applied for research for three months.
Trisha Macas: Three months.
Loreto Cabanes: Then I shifted to reporting.
Trisha Macas: Reporting?
Loreto Cabanes: Business reporting.
Trisha Macas: So naging, parang ‘cub’ reporting po ba yun?
Loreto Cabanes: Yes, cub reporting.
Trisha Macas: cub reporting.
Loreto Cabanes: I’m in the business beat all throughout.
Trisha Macas: ah business. So ano po yung first beat niyo po ever?
Loreto Cabanes: My first beat was agriculture.
Trisha Macas: Agriculture.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: It was in the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Trisha Macas: Natural resources.
Loreto Cabanes: But it sweep.
Trisha Macas: Um, yung pong first beat niyo po, ano po yung lessons na natutunan niyo na until now…
Loreto Cabanes: Uh
Trisha Macas: Nakakatulong sa inyo for…
Loreto Cabanes: Getting a very reliable source for your story.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: Because they will be your sources of data and information.
Gayle Tagle: Ano po yung, syempre pag sa editor nyo, ano po yung parang experience niyo, or meron po ba kayong naging editor na naging masungit or nagkaroon ng bad experiences.
Loreto Cabanes: Yes, plenty. All sorts of character. Mr. Salis, Mrs. Cezor, Mr. Romero. They are all, they push it to the limit. They continuously bomb you with…
Gayle Tagle: Yes
Trisha Macas: So meron po ba kayong na-cover na story na in a way, parang break through niyo as a writer or as a reporter, as a journalist?
Loreto Cabanes: You know, the challenge of the reporter is to get scoop, get a scoop. An exclusive story for you.
Gayle Tagle: Yes.
Loreto Cabanes: And then write it well. Make it a live story all throughout. Plenty, because I’ve been here (newspaper industry) for the last 36 years.
Trisha Macas: 36 years
Gayle Tagle: Ano po yung mga events na yun?
Loreto Cabanes: Evaluation of the peso, when we declared death moratorium. Di na tayo papayag ng pay-out debts anymore, banking crisis of 1983.
Trisha Macas: So ever since naging business reporter po kayo diba? Pero was there a time na naging news reporter po kayo?
Loreto Cabanes: No, only business.
Trisha Macas: All business?
Loreto Cabanes: I have covered every bit in the business.
Trisha Macas: Business, wow.
Loreto Cabanes: Trade, Central Bank.
Trisha Macas: So parang…
Loreto Cabanes: private bank.
Trisha Macas: So diba, as you said earlieragricultural business, so nakatulong po talaga yun?
Loreto Cabanes: Yes. It came in handy because I have plenty of management subjects
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: Yun.
Gayle Tagle: Pero plinano niyo po bang maging journalist po? Baka po nung mag aaply palang kayo for college…
Loreto Cabanes: I’m fond of writing already.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: I’m fond of reading newspaper
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Trisha Macas: So, ano po yung naging inspiration niyo apply as a researcher?
Loreto Cabanes: No, I applied as a researcher because I had no job at that time.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: any job that comes to me, since this was the first job offered, so I took it. So it became my starting point in reporting.
Trisha Macas: Pero, it was never sa plan niyo po na maging journalist?
Loreto Cabanes: Never, by accident.
Trisha Macas: So was it right after college?
Loreto Cabanes: Right after college, yes.
Gayle Tagle: Wow. Pano po yun, nag submit lang kayo ng…
Loreto Cabanes: No, classified ads.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: Classified ads in the manila times then I filed an application. I was interviewed by the late Mr. Raul Locsin, founder of the Business Day and the Business World.
Trisha Macas: Meron po ba kayong nakasama sa work, colleague, na unforgettable in one way or another?Loreto Cabanes: unforgettable in what way?
Gayle Tagle: Siguro po yun nakatulong sa inyo sa kung ano yung na-achieve niyo…
Loreto Cabanes: I think its Mr. Romero
Trisha Macas: Mr. Romero?
Loreto Cabanes: Rudy Romero, the former editor here in business.
Trisha Macas: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: Because he was the one who got me in.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: Because at that time, the Business Day was not financially stable
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: We were not getting our salaries so I was hired by Mr. Romero and transferred to the Bulletin.
Trisha Macas: So until now po, meron pa rin communication?
Trisha Macas: Kay Mr. Romero
Loreto Cabanes: Yes
Trisha Macas: Pero retired no po siya or…
Loreto Cabanes: He is a practitioner lawyer.
Gayle Tagle: Ah lawyer.
Gayle Tagle: Ano po, after niyo po sa Business Day, dito (Manila Bulletin) na po kayo?
Loreto Cabanes: Yes.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: I only stayed in Business Day for two years.
Trisha Macas: Two years, so yung first year niyo po, when was it?
Loreto Cabanes: My first year was, I joined the Bulletin in 1972, January and then in September, we had a Martial Law.
Gayle Tagle: Opo, ano pong…
Loreto Cabanes: We had no issue for two months.
Trisha Macas: two months.
Gayle Tagle: Nag stop po yung..
Loreto Cabanes: Only two months but we were getting our salaries though.
Trisha Macas: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: Then we resumed publication about December.
Gayle Tagle: Ano pong reaction niyo tungkol dun sa Martial Law? Di po ba kayo na-ban sa pag-publish ng mga stories.
Loreto Cabanes: No. Hindi naman.
Gayle Tagle: Ah, hindi po?
Loreto Cabanes: Hindi naman.
Trisha Macas: So, ano po yung ginawa niyo sa two months na wala pong publication?Loreto Cabanes: No. we just waited. We did not have to work because we were getting our salaries.
Trisha Macas: So, wala po kayong parang side job?
Loreto Cabanes: No
Trisha Macas: wala naman.
Trisha Macas: So um, kasi po ngayon, naguusap po kami sa class about the future of print publication. Kayo po, as like first hand, nakakaexperience po kayo ng lahat, what do you think po yung…
Loreto Cabanes: I think the newspaper today, meaning the paper, will stay as is.
Trisha Macas: Will stay as is?
Loreto Cabanes: Even if we are getting competition from the
Gayle Tagle: online?
Loreto Cabanes: Online
Trisha Macas: Yes
Gayle Tagle: meron po ba kayong..
Loreto Cabanes: Because if you still want to see
Trisha Macas: Yes.
Loreto Cabanes: your paper and then all paper you can go back to
Trisha Macas: hmm
Gayle Tagle: Pero meron po kayong online na..
Loreto Cabanes: We have online edition.
Trisha Macas: So minsan po yung articles niyo nag-aappear online?
Loreto Cabanes: yes, it’s there.
Trisha Macas: It’s there. So ano po..
Gayle Tagle: Di ba po business editor po kayo.
Loreto Cabanes: yes.
Gayle Tagle: May experiences naman po ba kayo about sa mga researcher niyo?
Trisha Macas: Yes. Reporters?
Gayle Tagle: Or mga..
Loreto Cabanes: Anong experience?
Trisha Macas: Masakit sa ulo. (laughs)
Gayle Tagle: Opo.
Loreto Cabanes: Sometimes din, we do have a lot of good and bad experience. Kung minsan mayroong tinatamad, and then we have to trace them down. Meron namang masipag, and we have to give them rewards.
Gayle Tagle: Ah. Mabilisan po talaga sa newspaper no?Loreto Cabanes: News is like a bread.
Trisha Macas: mmm?
Loreto Cabanes: Get it when it’s hot eh.
Gayle Tagle: Ah, oo nga.
Loreto Cabanes: When it’s no longer hot, it’s useless na eh.
Trisha Macas: Yes, it’s useless already
Trisha Macas: So aside from reporting, wala po kayong ginagawang iba?
Loreto Cabanes: I no longer do reporting.
Trisha Macas: Ay, writing.
Gayle Tagle: Editing
Loreto Cabanes: I put the page up.
Trisha Macas: So aside po from dito po sa Bulletin, wala po kayong ibang paper na…
Loreto Cabanes: No
Trisha Macas: Wala po ung guest?
Loreto Cabanes: I have about eight reporters.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: And then they send me the stories by email.
Gayle Tagle: Opo.
Loreto Cabanes: They no longer come to the office unlike during my time, they have to come to the office at two o’clock and use the typewriter to type out.
Trisha Macas: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: But now, with the technology, they don’t come here anymore.
Gayle Tagle: Sinesend na po sa e-mail.
Loreto Cabanes: They send the stories, when I open my computer..
Trisha Macas: internet
Loreto Cabanes: It’s there already
Gayle Tagle: Pero may deadline rin po sila?
Loreto Cabanes: Yes, we have deadline. Stories should be in by five o’clock.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: And then our last page which is the page one, B1, should be in by, meaning already done by 7:30.
Trisha Macas: Ah.
Gayle Tagle: Hindi po ba…
Loreto Cabanes: Because the printing press has to run at 9 o’clock.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Trisha Macas: So pano po kayo, pano po pag diba sa business may sobrang late news po, parang dumating siya mga seven or five pm tapos we have to put it there, do you make..
Loreto Cabanes: Sometimes we move it to main news.
Trisha Macas: Main news?
Loreto Cabanes: If we cannot move it to main news, we remat.
Gayle Tagle: hmm?
Loreto Cabanes: meaning, we redo the page.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: For the city edition because we have two edition eh. Provincial, which is printed early, then if there are late comers, late stories which are very important, we change some stories in the front page to accommodate the more important ones.
Trisha Macas: Pano po kayo naghahandle, diba po siguro marami po kayong applicants ngayon like mga young, na pwedeng journalist, pano niyo po sila…
Loreto Cabanes: We ask them to file application, and then I ask them to sit and then give them some report and write a story about it.
Trisha Macas: Ah so…
Loreto Cabanes: We ask them to try their writing skills eh.
Trisha Macas: Ah, writing skills po.
Gayle Tagle: Hindi po ba kayo nahihirapan, hindi po kayo nauubusan ng stories since diba daily po kayo?
Loreto Cabanes: No.
Gayle Tagle: hindi?
Loreto Cabanes: There are always surplus of stories.
Gayle Tagle: talaga?
Loreto Cabanes: Sometimes our problem is to…
Gayle Tagle: masyadong marami po yung mga…
Loreto Cabanes: Separate those more important one from the least important one.
Loreto Cabanes: Because we have limited space to fill up.
Trisha Macas: Pano po sir, kasi diba ilang years na po kayo sa business world so medyo alam niyo na yung mga nangyayari. Ano po yung masasabi niyo sa economy ng Philippines. Example pag may giyera po ba, ano po bang nangyayari sa economy ng Philippines…
Loreto Cabanes: we are doing it affective. Especially now, there are instabilities outside of the Philippines like the price of oil, affixed or crisis, you know.
Trisha Macas: So ano po or meron po ba kayong mga, I mean, may mga controversies po ba kayong…
Gayle Tagle: naeencounter
Loreto Cabanes: We encounter a lot of controversies.
Trisha Macas: Ah
Loreto Cabanes: Especially in fighting corporations, we just stay in the middle.
Trisha Macas: Stay in the middle.
Gayle Tagle: Ano po, sa tagal niyo na po sa newspaper, edi ang dami niyo pong ginagawa tapos mabilisan pa, wala po bang time na parang gusto niyo na po mag give-up?
Loreto Cabanes: Hindi naman, hindi.
Trisha Macas: Never?
Loreto Cabanes: You have to do it eh. You have to finish everyday. You really have to finish your page. Then tomorrow there’s another work.
Trisha Macas: Ah, so parang it becomes a habit po, parang daily.
Gayle Tagle: Puyatan. (laughs)
Loreto Cabanes: um (nods)
Loreto Cabanes: oh, meron pa? anong year na kayo?
Gayle Tagle: Second year po
Loreto Cabanes: second year.
Trisha Macas: Kaka-majors lang po namin.
Gayle Tagle: Opo, first year po naming mag majors.
Trisha Macas: First introductory major subject po namin.
Loreto Cabanes: sino pang iinterviewhin niyo?
Gayle Tagle: Dati po kasi nag interview na kami sa inassign po na newspaper sa amin kaso yung tinanong po naming sa kanila about sa printing nila, more on the…
Loreto Cabanes: Production
Gayle Tagle: Yes, production po.
Loreto Cabanes: Ito naman, editorial?
Trisha Macas: Oral history na po. Nasa journalist.
Gayle Tagle: Sa mga experiences niyo po tsaka kung pano po kayo napunta sa journalism.
Trisha Macas: Sir, last question po (laughs) ano po yung unforgettable memory niyo po as a journalist? Sir, yung sobrang hindi niyo po makaklimutan.
Loreto Cabanes: When I got the story of the new Central Bank Governor. When Mr. Laya, when Governor, Central Bank Governor Laya was transferred to education.
Trisha Macas: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: This was in 1984. I was, at that time, Mr. Laya was the Central Governor. Then somebody, a reporter in Malacanang came in, he announced that Mr. Laya has been appointed as Secretary of Education. So my story was who will take his place, because there’s no report yet on who will take his place.
Gayle Tagle: Ah.
Loreto Cabanes: So I bring my telephone and call up somebody and ask about who will replace Laya.
Trisha Macas: hmm.
Loreto Cabanes: And so there are many possibilities, and then when I, at that time the DBB Governor was, DBB Chairman was Mr. Salamea, he was a friend of mine. He’s name was also mentioned as among the successor of Laya, so I called him up. Are you taking the place of Laya as Central Bank Governor, he said “no”. “Who?” and he told me it’s Mr. Fernandez, Jobo Fernandex of Far East Bank. Kako, is it true? He said, “yes”. Sabi ko it better be true, otherwise I will write you becoming the Central Bank Governor. “No No No, it’s Mr. Fernandez”. So from the basis of that talk from Mr. Salamea, I wrote it that Mr. Fernandez will be the next Governor. It turned out to be true.
Gayle Tagle: Ah
Trisha Macas: So parang unforgettable po yun sa inyo…
Loreto Cabanes: And only the Bulletin carried this (news) away on that day.
Trisha Macas: Ah
Loreto Cabanes: Laya was in education. So we have story and took some place.
Trisha Macas: Ah
Gayle Tagle: Pag po ba kayo nagcocover ng story, marami talaga kayong iniinterview kapag sa mga…
Loreto Cabanes: yes, you have to call somebody especially if the reports are sketchy. It might be good story if you be able to get the true story. Ok?
Trisha Macas: ok. (laughs)
Gayle Tagle & T: Thank you po
Loreto Cabanes: Thank you

Loreto D. Cabanes was born on Feb. 18, 1948 in Iriga, Camarines Sur. He holds a degree in Agri-Business Management from UP Los Banos. At the time of the interview, he was business editor of Manila Bulletin.