My Favorite Posts (Part 1) — Commentaries and Ask Ralph

I was saving this for the first anniversary of this site last January, but did not have the time do so.  But as it is said, better late than never.  And so, I am posting my favorite posts since I started this site in 2008.  I always make it a point to review previous posts.  One reason is for me to simply review what I have been writing about.  In the case of my posted commentaries, it is a way for me to validate my opinions.  And in the case of food, my site serves as my digital repository for recipes — which saves me the problem of losing index cards and papers that list down my different dishes.

If there is one thing I enjoy most about this site — as I have said in the past — it is the opportunity to reach out and interact with people from everywhere.  Yes, many of this site’s visitors are friends, but I am very grateful for the opportunity to interact with new friends who come from the different parts of the globe.  I am, for one, amazed, at how many people have discovered how to make pasta in the microwave through this site.

I must say that I am very humbled to know that my commentaries have even been televised, published, and even re-published in different sites.  I am glad to know that some of my stories have been picked up by major news organizations from time to time.  Of course, more than the very use of the stories themselves, I am happy that some practitioners (who happen to be friends and former colleagues), while they are not expected to do so, would go out of their way to tell me about my angles being used and even thank me for the contribution.  For me, the gesture shows an act of true friendship and of course, respect and delicadeza.  Thank you for that (you know who you are).

And to think I was already happy with my commentaries just making sense.  On a personal note, I realize that if there’s one good thing about leaving the mainstream media where I produced stories from where they really happened, I must say that I am able to analyze stories more sharply and critically as a citizen journalist or blogger.  I guess being too embedded or enmeshed in a story as a mainstream journalist also has its downside.

I’m very happy with Learnings on the Job, which has become a reference for quite a number of professionals. Then there’s Ask Ralph, which allows me to give advice to anyone who needs it.

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MY FAVORITE POSTS…

COMMENTARY

  • Cory’s Rosary and Why She Died on Saturday – I did not always agree with her politics, but I have always admired former President Corazon Aquino’s lasting contributions to our democracy.  I wanted to give her my own tribute, and realized the beautiful timing of her passing.  It was published on the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  • PGMA for Congress?! – This commentary, based on a past story I myself reported on, is proof that past stories provide clues for future trends and developments.  When the story first came out in 2007, it wasn’t taken too seriously.  But as PGMA made her 20th visit to her home district this year —  a year before elections — many sectors felt the need to be extra vigilan.  Thanks, of course, to PGMA’s sound bite being played over again on the internet, television, and radio.  This post also shows how some stories would only make the clearest sense after the passage of time (another future post of mine on PGMA will show this.  I myself was surprised)
  • Pardon for A Family Friend? – It really didn’t make sense when PGMA gave clemency to Claudio Teehankee, Jr., who was convicted for the 1991 murder of Maureen Hultman and Roland John Chapman.  But it did when I did the research and posted it first on this blog.
  • The Palace’s High Cost of Learning – I’d like to believe that I made a good point with this one.  But more importantly, the reason I have included it now as a “favorite” is for the issue not to be forgotten and sidetracked, given the other relevant issues that have caught the nation’s attention.
  • Vice Governor Suplico on Impeachment – My first full-length interview after leaving the mainstream media.  My realization: there really is a need to strengthen the impeachment process.

ASK RALPHANSWERED LETTERS

  • Jobless Boyfriend Threatens to Take His Own Life – This tops the list so far. When I started this segment, I expected to give advice about professional matters, and light personal problems.  I feel very humbled to give advice to this writer from the United States.  Thanks for entrusting to me your problem.

  • How to Get Promoted without A Degree – A common occurence in many organizations — not just in the Philippines, but apparently also in Malaysia, where the e-mail sender is from.

PART 2 COMING SOON: Favorite Posts on Food

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