Oral History of Stella Arnaldo

August 20, 2008
Interviewers: Maria Ces Lugtu and Alessandra Mercado

Stella Arnaldo (S): Hi, I’m Stella Arnaldo, I’m a columnist for Business Mirror and a Philippine Correspondent for Marianas Business Journal of Guam.

Buchay (B): What interests you and were you always inclined towards journalism?
S: Basically, I’ve always been a writer. I guess that’s how I put it. English was my favorite subject. Mathematics was not. Ergo... And I write in basically perfect grammar. So you know, and I’m naturally interested in people and you know, highly politicized also. So I guess that’s what made me interested also with journalism.

Patet (P): But did you like have your family, did you have family members who were also…
S: In journalism?

P: Yes, journalist.
S: I had a grandfather, well yeah, he was a friend of the family who actually also in journalism, but by the time actually that I was born, he was no longer in that field. But it’s like, if it inspired me to become a journalist, no. He had nothing to do with that.

B: Back in like high school or college did you start writing for like the newspapers or magazines?
S: No. (Sorry ghels, I only heard the high school part. But yes, I was a reporter then an editor of The LaSallian from first year to fourth year college. Also I wrote and helped edit Sentinel, the in-house newsletter of the Student Council. Ok ba? Ang active ko noh?)

B: So you formally started after college?
S: Yes, actually when I was in La Salle, I wanted to become a photo journalist except that you know when you graduate, you just start sending out your applications to you know, everybody. And then I had a, we had a classmate who graduated ahead of me, and she was already in Business Day, that was the forerunner of Business World so she also helped us, a few of us, we were about three to apply in Business Day. Then it closed. One month after it was Business World. (laughs) So pasok na kaming lahat. Wala nang, interview interview. Hired!

B: So like when you were younger, did you read any newspapers and did any journalist inspire you?
S: Ah, you know my dad kasi his custom every morning is to read the newspapers I kinda adopted the same habit. I wake up, I look through the newspapers. But as in a journalist who’s actually inspired me? Well I read the Carl Bernstein Bob Woodward (Note to ghels: who exposed the dirty tricks in the Nixon administration/Break-in of the Democratic National Congress office at the Watergate Hotel.). Okay. I mean, you know, you read about this, but actually no. There was really no one who inspired me.

B: When you started writing articles what did you initially write about?
S: My first beat actually in Business World was banking – to my consternation because I almost flunked Economics. So then, well it wasn’t a good fit and the editors agreed with me so they, they kinda switched me to the agriculture beat. That was agriculture. Back in the day that was just like one beat. Agriculture, natural sources and environment and agrarian reform so, and the same issues that we were writing before was, are also the same issues now – rice crisis. Same thing.

B: So how did you meet your deadlines?
S: How did I meet my deadlines? How, in what sense?

B: So like us, teachers would give us a deadline, so we’d have like a minimum like a week. So…
S: I see. As a daily… well because I worked in a daily newspaper, we had daily deadlines. So we’d be given like… we’re supposed to submit like two stories a day. That’s our quota. It’s two stories a day. Well then it was like our deadline was at about… from 3 o clock to about 5 o clock. Malala na yung 7 o clock. But then because before, it really had to be early because… God I’m dating myself. We used to work on typewriters, there was no fax machines… I hate you Gary! I hate you! There was no fax machine so we’d be dictating over the phone our stories and you know so you really and then when you get the office well they start editing your copy so it’s gonna take awhile also. They have to put the paper to bed at about 8 or 9. You know. So medyo maaga yung deadlines namin before. So now it’s about like 7 o clock, 5, 7.

P: Cause diba, Intramuros was like the place before for all the newspapers and stuff? Where was Business World located?
S: Ay sosyal kami, sa San Juan. Malapit sa Greenhills. Because when they were also Business Day, their office was actually along EDSA. They were far talaga and I dunno, we were special people eh. I dunno. So you’re in San Juan. We were, I dunno if its still there. The Diamond Star Building on… Diamond Motors Building on Ortigas.

B: It’s still there.

S: Oh. That was our office.

B: So the facilities were really nice? Like the lighting, the ventilation was conducive for writing?
S: Yeah! We had the first Macs in the business. I mean the Macs were like that pa (motioned with her hands the size of the small computers) I mean really ancient pa noon, but we were among the newspapers I know we’re the very first ones who had Mac. We’re already doing desktop publishing then and laying out on the. using the computer. But you know, kami kasi were reporters, we were out in the field we don’t know. I mean, none of the government agencies had any computers then. So mano mano sometimes you’d write and then dictate. Ganon.

B: So were you well compensated for?
S: At Business World and I think it’s still true naman to this day, I think we were the highest paid reporters then. For starting ah. Starting reporters yeah.

P: Not naman minimum wage?
S: Darling 5 thousand kami noon. Malaki na yung 5 thousand noon a month. Ngayon wala na yung 5 thousand na yun. Parang huh? 5 thousand lang? No but then when we were starting out I was like 5 thousand, siguro the other newspapers were like 2500 ang starting pay nila. I mean and even now, Business World, Inquirer, Philippine Star are one of the highest paid newspapers I mean highest paid sa industry for the reporters.

P: How about like your Holidays? Did you have mga leaves na…
S: Well we had forced leaves. I think ha. I don’t remember. I can’t remember that far back. (trying to remember) Yeah I guess we had. Yeah on my birthday mga ganon. Actually the thing is, the newspaper business you really can’t. They have a saying na “Bawal magkasakit.” You can’t get sick. You can’t go on vacation really. Of course I always did go on vacation. You can’t go on holidays. Yung holiday let’s say yan august 21 you know pero we’d still be in the office so wala, I mean but we’d be given time naman for vacation. Like, in Business World because were like basically Monday to Friday lang paper namin noon, we’d have Saturdays I mean Friday afternoon and Saturdays off usually.

B: What other benefits did you have working for Business World?
S: I don’t know then because I stayed only about two years and then I started moving around. I worked for Today newspaper of Teddy Boy Locsin, and then Manila Standard which had fused with Today newspaper about two years ago. And then now I’m with Business Mirror. So benefits, we my case now is kinda weird because I’m a columnist so technically I’m not an employee of the newspaper.

P: So why did, parang, what made you decide to keep changing newspaper and what prompted you to write for these newspapers?
S: Gee, I guess it’s because I… when I was, was younger I wasn’t really too sure about where I wanted to be. When you’re 22, 23 like yun I actually stayed two years with Business World, two and a half. Then I actually joined the government. Uy, department of agriculture! “Agricul-tourist!” So, no really! (laughs) But that was a really good gig because I got to see a lot of the country. So that, and then it was whenever I moved back in the industry and I did it twice. Whenever I decided to move back into the industry, it had, I dunno. Just had the luck of the draw na I knew some people in the other newspapers so I joined that paper. Ganon lang.

B: Among all the newspapers, which one did you enjoy working for?
S: Hmmm… This will get me into trouble. Let me see. I can’t say that… I really enjoyed all my stints kasi but I guess when you start with Business World, that’s what, that’s the one that gave me the foundation. And we really had a very good publisher that was Raul Locsin and he’s now dead. So you know iba eh. I mean well there are other editors who are as good or even better maybe but you remember the basic stuff eh and these are the stuff that you keep to this day. How to cover, where to go, who to talk to, how do you talk to you know people. Yung how to interview and that’s what I learned in the beginning

B: So was he favorite publisher?
S: Not naman favorite well I guess.
P: Closest to?
S: He died I cried. I guess. (laughs) No he was inspiring because I guess na it was because he was well spoken, he was well educated, and back then talagang editors would take time to sit with you and teach you the basics not like now people just reporters just submit their stories. Tapos. Wala na. Di na kayo maguusap ng boss niyo.

B: So aside from Raul Locsin, which other editors did you get close to?
S: Ah well, Teddy Boy Locsin also of Today was also a favorite, favorite publisher because he equally, he was also a very brilliant, he is a very brilliant writer to this day so uh, and he used to clean my computer. (laughs) He’s a neat freak! God don’t put this on the web or anything I’m going to get into trouble. Oh you should, I’ll make you sign a waiver. (laughs)

B: So, you have any memorable colleagues? Or you want to share any memorable stories?
S: Memorable stories? Hmmm…Well, one of I guess and Buchay’s mother was in this campaign, we had an environmental campaign before. God, I’m reliving this. (laughs) These are bad memories. No no no, well in 2001, we, I started covering this story about an incinerator plant contract that was going to be approved by the president. Yes it’s this president, (laughs) president Arroyo, and it was a contract that had not been approved by previous presidents and yet, you know because there, there were some questions about the deal. Basically during that time, that was siguro the NBN ZTE deal of the time okay? Because you know, there were, there were so many questions about that deal and it was obviously crafted with corrupt, malicious intentions. Ah, It was memorable because we managed to have it stopped and I kinda… it also, it inspired me I guess to also become an environmental advocate. Yung it was the time na I just couldn’t stay objective, not objective in a sense, I couldn’t not... I could not not join the group anymore and personally make it my fight as well. So… and because we defeated that contract, I, I guess that was one of my memorable experiences.

B: Aside from that, what other events have you covered that are memorable?
P: Historical, significant events?
S: Fun nalang.
B/P: Okay.
S: Yung fun event was covering the Singaporean Jazz Festival. Ohhhh. Laban kayo diyan! (laughs)
B/P: ooooh!
S: Yun, that was a fun and well I wasn’t even a lifestyle reporter then. Ah, I was still doing the business, the business section. But you know, because you had, you’re going to Singapore, watching all these Jazz greats, I don’t know if you know them but Tuck and Patti, James Moody, Vanessa Rubin, I mean, these were really, these were really great great jazz singers, and to be like this close to them (showing how near they were) siyempre you can’t help, you become a fan also, siyempre taking picture picture! Ganon. I mean so, I mean to me that was fun. That was one of those fun events that I covered. Eh well I always have fun naman in most of my ano…

B: How bout interviews? Like fun interviews or memorable interviews?
S: God memorable? There’s so many already I’ve done I really can’t, well I guess it’s the, yung.. it’s the foreign, foreign guys that are memorable like I managed to interview Paul Krugman, I don’t know if you know him, with the New York Times..
B/P: No (laughs)
S: Okay, read the New York Times so you know. James Wolfensohn. These are, these are like economists who are you know they’re tops in their field. I mean it’s not that we don’t have our own… uhhh... great economists as well but iba eh!
B: Mhmm… iba.
S: Iba! Stateside eh. Walang ganyan sa Pinas (laughs) You know.

P: So what difficulties did you encounter as a journalist?
S: Difficulties, not much that I couldn’t handle well except for that JANCOM contract, the incinerator contract that I had referred to earlier. It was difficult in the sense that we already kinda felt that… some of us kinda felt that that you know, people were out to get us. Okay. And I had to constantly look behind my back to see if you know there was somebody following me. Okay and double check that I you know. But in the sense that it’s difficult, well, the difficulty maybe it would be interviewing somebody who’s actually not articulate, you know. That is a difficult job. Oh! President Aquino was a difficult coverage for me because we would have to…. she would just say in one word, one sentence and we had to make like one, one, one whole story from her, from what she said. Pwede nalang siyang, “no” “yes” I mean kailangan pahabain mo pa eh. So parang ha? Teka, mahirap yun diba? Yun basically. But it’s nothing insurmountable naman

B: With JANCOM, with regard to JANCOM, did you ever have or get threats?
S: We felt… we felt threatened, I felt threatened. Yun na nga like I said I look behind my back constantly cause suddenly we were like, you know, under fire and then there were certain th… not threats. But there uh, were certain messages sent through the owners of the paper, the owner of the paper and you know, they started telling me not to, not to write certain things, so ganon.

P: Okay. Diba so from print media, you moved to blogging?
S: no. well, yeah, kinda..
P: Yeah kinda. So since you were able to see the development of print media, can you tell us like the differences that occurred from when you began till the present?
S: As a journalist? (laughs) well, basically, well ako naman, I just blog because I, I like sharing ideas, I like talking about stuff that’s not necessarily covered in my you know, in my beat. Because I am basically now a lifestyle reporter, so I can’t talk about the president. Or how much she spent when she was in the States when she went shopping. You know. Kung baga I use blogging as a avenue for me to share information or basically just bitch you know about stuff, just give my thoughts on certain issues. It… I don’t really use it primarily to do my coverages although in some certain in certain situations like if a do a... if I eat and I happen to eat in a certain restaurant that impressed me, I can’t wait to write about it anymore and wait for the paper, I just write about it in the blog.
P: It’s easier.
S: Yeah it’s faster. Of course I don’t get compensated. But you know, I’m told that people do read me. They’ve read my…

P: We’ve read it!
B: Yeah, we’ve read it.
P: Diba you blogged about the Olympics? (laughs)
S: Ah yeah! God! Imagine? Fake! Fake Chinese, fake Chinese little singer, gosh!
P: Just cause she was ugly, that’s mean.
S: (laughs) Oo! Exactly diba?

B: So we’re all aware about the current situation, I’d like to know what continues to inspire you to like write, to continue writing?
S: I really guess its because its my life. This is really my calling, you know. It’s like you know, priests have their calling, nuns have their calling. This is really my calling because no matter how many times I leave it I still come back to it. I’m still inspired to weave words into cohesive stories and you know talk about people and be and because it keeps me in touch with a lot of new trends and new people and you know I and because I’m also interested yun nga like I said, I’m primarily interested in people. So I like asking them about their stories. Actually chismosa lang talaga ako. Yun lang actually yun eh.
P/B: (Laughs) in short!
S: (laughs) chismosa lang talaga in short at yun and no no, when you sit down and talk to people like Lucio Tan. You know you talk to people like you know Governor Tetangco of the central bank. I mean these are powerful people then you... you know, it’s also you know, egoistic but it gives me high na I can write a story about these people and see it in print. And get paid for it! Not high but we do get paid for it.

B: So what are your insights about the current situation of our economy?
S: The economy is bad! So you kids better save. Uhm yeah, we have inflation running into what, over 12% uhm.. the eco.. well obviously the policies have not worked uhm there are.. well your president, because I did not vote for her. Your president says that you know, you know, that the EVAT has helped immensely in.. so that they were able to give all these subsidies to the poor but the point is you’re not. I mean, well my thinking is you shouldn’t have increased the EVAT to begin with because you can’t collect the taxes properly. Okay? I don’t know.. I don’t know to this day. I don’t think they have a master list of all the taxpayers in the country. I don’t think they have, they have that. So this was an unnecessary policy and right now you can see the effect is hirap na ang mga tao. I mean God, after the SONA, I mean because my custumbre is you know, I’d ride in a cab to wherever im going and I talk! I talk to these people. I talk to the taxi driver, I talk to the ale sa kalye. Mga nagtitinda. And they’re really really hard up. I mean and you have a president who goes to the States, you know, pays a courtesy call on a president who’s basically on his way out and then you learn that she goes shopping buys, you know, buys. God why am I talking about politics? (laughs) but anyway no no, but nakakinis, even as a citizen you know, maiinis ka rin eh. So the economy is shot. The first thing that they should do I think is you know take out the EVAT or at least reduce it, go back to 10% kahit konti lang naman, we’re not asking.. or just temporarily suspend it, take out the tariffs the taxes, on oil imports. It will you know, kahit paano it’s going to help, you know, the country and you know, we have like how many, like 70, 80 million Filipinos and 80% of that are poor. I mean grabe diba. Parang I mean kahit ako, im a little well off naman uh.. and I’m more privileged than these people kahit ako I cut down on going to… going to to certain destinations. I plan my trips like I have an interview in Makati, I do everything already.
B/P: In makati.
S: God I ride the rail. I’m not gonna take a car just to, you know, it’s so you know. And we we, of course, you have to cut down on the shopping.
B/P: (laughs) yes!
S: and of course, well I don’t drink naman talaga Starbucks kaya tama na mga Starbucks niyo kasi you’re just supporting the US economy, not supporting the local economy. Ay! Ang sama! (laughs) Magagalit si Anton Huang diba?

B: So as a journalist, what can you do to like help?
S: Well keep on writing about it until they pay attention. I mean actually my frustration was nga when I was in agriculture we’re already.. we were already talking about the problems in the agriculture industry and still every year, those same problems are talked about they are not solved: farm to market goods, better post harvest facilities, better uh, hybrid seeds, lower lower cost of fertilizer, these are these are not new! And it still keeps on happening, why because the dispensation, the administration, whichever government has not done, none of the governments, none of the administrations have actually acted on these problems. I mean why? I mean diba? And we have IRRI, the International Rice Research Institute in Los Banos, where where our neighbors come to study how to grow rice and we’re having rice shortage. Actually, that’s a misnomer because if you go to the probinsya, the farmers would actually tell you there’s no rice shortage. Okay? So you start thinking so how come we’re importing? Okay? Well you start making your assumptions.

B: So when you started, were you very idealistic about the field? Like us, we’re now in college and when we graduate, we’re really hoping that we’d enter into a field that wouldn’t frustrate us.
S: Okay wait, the truth! Let me take a sip of my coffee. This is better than Starbucks (pointing to the coffee mug) that’s Gourmet Café, local, made in the Philippines (points to her shirt with the map of the Philippines), if you’re going into a field that’s because you think it’s gonna pay you a lot. Journalism is not.. journalism is not the place for you. Okay? You’re not gonna earn a lot of money. Well unless you.. especially in the beginning even if you do join the big newspapers okay? And that situation is not particular to the Philippines. If you talk to journalists in the Dtates, they also think they’re the lowest paid you know, among the media uh, so I dunno. You guys, you just have to follow what you want eh, what are your instincts .if you feel like you’re a good writer, then by all means write. If you’re interested in people. You know. If you like talking to them, machika ka, you know, it will be easier for you to get a story. If you’re like that eh. But if you’re the type na ay I wasn’t to receive 50,000 already today for this month, for my first job then you join a bank. Or become a call center agent so you get 25,000.
P: Mag-artista ka nalang.
S: Oh yan! Mag-artista ka nalang, mag-dancer sa Japan! Diba? Or whatever. I mean, uh media like I said. Media I guess is a calling eh you cannot, it’s not something na. yeah you can learn it, you can learn how to write but there are very few who are still inspired to write and are idealistic enough to write about situations that you know, that that they know should be read by people that that they still want to inform people about the real, the real things that are happening in the world and the crap that’s served to them by the government uh.. if you have that kind of.. I guess that kind of outlook then hey, come on! Join! Diba? Come join us!

P: So you touched on lifestyle, agriculture ad even entertainment, right?
S: Di naman entertainment.
P: But like when you like interview those…
S: Ah oo.
P: Yeah.. so you’ve accomplished so much. Do you have any regrets?
S: No, because I’m happy eh. I mean, I get to write and especially now that at my stage… At this stage in my life, I write when I want to write. I, you know, work when I want to work. I go on vacation when I want to go on vacation. But you know, I’ve, you know, you can’t get there unless you gone through the hirap e. Like you’ve actually go to these officials, interview them face to face not just on the telephone, build up your confidence and your ties with them your relationships with them, after awhile i-tetext mo na lang, ‘o, penge ng statement’. I mean you know, so, so you know even if I’ve basically have an easier time now covering… I still manage to come out, if I say so myself, I could still come up with pretty good scoops once in awhile pag sinisipag. So, that keeps me happy, I mean or siguro yun na nga or siguro kulang lang sa pansin ako diba... if I see my name on the paper diba, especially if it’s on the front page of the paper diba Hey and people read it, diba keeps me a little even if so yun na nga, we’re poorly paid I guess that our psychic income na rin e, di ba?

B: Have you accomplished all that you wish to accomplish or do you want to do more?
S: Well, I want to interview the Pope. Oh di ba, Entertainment answer! Ah, yun na nga, I guess if I die tomorrow I’d be happy. I think I’ve accomplished a lot already. I’ve come...I’ve been a business editor twice over, I’m now a columnist, it’s a natural progression... I guess of most journalists And I get to write whatever I want. Basically for Business Mirror, if I want to write about a business story, I could write about a business story. If I want to write lifestyle, I write lifestyle. It’s fun. To me, it’s still fun. And you know kung baga the many disadvantages are you know overcome by all these positive things... psychic things.

P: What are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned from your experience?
S: Ano ba yan para akong nagsusulat ng answer ng slumbook. The most valuable lesson, ah, I guess it’s like, especially pertaining to the business... well, basically, it’s hard work. The value of hard work you always have to extend yourself and see, you just can’t stop with interviewing one person about one issue, you have to double check your facts, get somebody else to confirm the story. Um, so that’s hard work. Kasi some reporters now, magsalita lang yung isang politican, ayos na, isusulat na nila tapos diba. It doesn’t work that way e. We were never trained to be that way, during my time we were never trained to be that way. you know so, yun. The value of listening, you really have to listen to what these people are saying, if cannot listen, you use a recorder. So yun, basically... valuable lesson? Crime does not pay! That’s a valuable lesson. Crime does not pay!

B: So, di ba, we’re commarts students now, and do you have any message for students like us, who aspire to be a journalist or part of print media?
S: Like yun na nga, like what I said, if you’re looking for a job that’s going to pay you a lot journalism is not going to be for you not unless you want to be part of someone’s payroll, okay? That’s it, uh, if you… just follow your guts, follow your instincts, follow your likes. If you like photography, go be a photographer, di ba? Ah, its cliché to say or it’s very trite to say, but yun nga follow your dreams. But at this stage, of course, for like 2-3, after 2 to 3 years after graduation you’re not sure of what you really want but still don’t let that stop you. If you think right now, kasi life is short eh. Malay niyo, you know, a tornado may pass through La Salle, di ba? Kala niyo sa Los Banos lang yun. I mean, so you feel like this is your thing. If you like writing, then try it out be a writer, start submitting, start applying uh, and start applying to newspapers.