The ABS-CBN journalists continued to do field work for two months since the Covid-19 lockdown in the region despite the fear that their careers may end with the snap of a finger. That happened May 5, past 3PM when the Philippine National Telecommunication Commission ordered the biggest broadcasting network to close hours before its primetime 6:30PM newscast.
“Standby. We could shut down today.”
The chat group of journalists was on fire early on the morning of May 5, 2020. Most of us were on our field assignments. I am tasked to look into the arrival of 400 Overseas Filipino Workers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Other colleagues are assigned to write how the pandemic has affected different sectors in the society.
I was exchanging messages with co-reporters on the way to the airport. We quipped that we should do our best today in case the government decides to shut us down. Today, May 5, the day our company’s franchise expires. We were promised that we wont be shut down despite the inaction of the Congress on our appeal to renew our franchise since 2014. Just like in any other news coverage, expect the unexpected.
I, along with a few reporters, have been on the Covid-19 assignment since day 1.
LISTEN: ‘Off The Record’ podcast where ABS-CBN journalists recount how their stories on the coronavirus pandemic changed the way they see the news
At the airport, the usually packed noisy arrivals hall was empty, my steps echoed. There were few families, no children running wild with excitement. The pandemic has transformed the gateway into a stark, cold, and melancholic space.
BALIKBAYAN. A Filipino seafarer waves at a group of well-wishers dressed in full-suit PPEs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. He is one of the 400 Filipinos arriving from the United Kingdom after two months of isolation. They will have to undergo Covid-19 tests and undergo a two-week quarantine before they are reunited with their families. The renowned Filipino welcome smile now hidden behind face masks. (Photo by Jacque Manabat)
“Are you from ABS-CBN?” one health worker asked as I was filming the arrival.
“Yes.”
“Isn’t today your last day?”
My chest tightened. I was staring at him awkwardly for minutes, but no words escaped my mouth. I did not know how to answer. Everyone knows this could be our last day, but I tried to put that possiblity aside because I had work to do.
My phone beeped.
My heart stopped when I read it was from a source working at the National Telecommunications Commission.
All at once everything around me seemed to blur. I slumped on a nearby chair. My eye goggles fogged. I felt a big lump on my throat.
I open the message with my right hand shaking uncontrollably.
“Paolo: I am sorry, friend.”
Two documents followed the message.
“NTC ISSUES CEASE AND DESIST ORDER AGAINST ABS-CBN”
-National Telecommunications Commission Press Release, May 5, 2020.
I quickly forwarded the message to my superiors.
I was stunned. I looked up and watched my cameraman and assistant. They had no clue what’s about to happen.
My cameraman Larry Galinato has worked for ABS-CBN for more twenty years. He started as a lightman for a late-night newscast and he is one of the oldest cameramen in the company. Larry wears ABS-CBN shirts proudly. He has the company’s stickers on his car and gadgets. He tells me the company helped him raise his family – a son who dreams of being a doctor and a daughter who plays the violin beautifully.
My assistant Ferdinand Fulgencio has been part of the team for more than seven years. I witnessed how he and his wife struggled to have children, and how they were blessed with two wonderful boys after five years. Every time we take a break from coverage, he calls his wife via video call to see his children.
But all of us had been away from our families since the lockdown for two months.
“What we do is for our families, too.” My cameraman Larry Galinato forces a smile as he carries with him the heavy broadcast camera.
WE MARCH ON. My team during a holy week break coverage amid the pandemic. My cameraman Larry Galinato quips he spends more time with his camera than his wife. Assistant Ferdinand Fulgencio is a master navigator. He knows shortcuts to places in and around Metro Manila. We have worked together for more than seven years – from the night shift to transport and trade assignments. We all agreed to stick together despite the risks. (Photo by Jacque Manabat)
After the news sinks in, I approached them at the corner of the airport and broke the news.
“We need to go back to ABS-CBN now.”
As we head back to base, the service vehicle that is normally full of conversation was eerily quiet.
“What happens now?” they asked me.
I didn’t know how to answer that.
WATCH: A news reporter’s point-of-view shots from behind the scenes of covering the coronavirus pandemic before ABS-CBN was shut down.
Our service vehicle drove through the massive ABS-CBN gates. The towering broadcast tower is a proud reminder of how the station survived disasters, a coup, and a dictator’s wrath. We have been shut down before, so it’s a beacon of hope that maybe we will overcome.
I entered the newsroom packed with swollen eyes showing through their half-covered faces. I have worked with these individuals for the last decade. Everyone’s eyes are glued to the television.
Our television anchors were saying their goodbyes in the Filipino language.
“Isa pong karangalan na maging tagapaglahad ng inyong mga kwento, at tagabantay sa mga nasa kapangyarihan. Karangalan po namin na maglingkod sa inyo, Kabayan.”
“It is an honor to tell your stories, to hold power accountable. It is an honor to serve you.“
The face masks could not cover the tears. How I wish we could give one another a hug for comfort in this time of grief. What a different world we are in.
“Hindi man ni-renew ang aming prangkisa, at pinatitigil ang aming broadcast, nangangako kami sa inyo, hindi kami mananahimik sa pag-atakeng ito sa aming demokrasya at sa malayang pamamahayag.”
“Our franchise may not be renewed, and our broadcast may have been shut down, but we promise you, we will not be silenced with these attacks to our democracy and press freedom.”
We watched until the end of the newscast and stood tall as the national anthem aired on television. Right hand over our heart.
Then the television went to black.
There was a long pause. Silence. The claps slowly building up as we clapped and chanted
“Laban (fight), Kapamilya.”
“Tomorrow, we continue.” our boss announced.
#
mmclassblog 