SUNSTAR Davao has been covering events live on Facebook for almost two years now.
But it was during the live cast of the Davao Region Athletic Association 2018 meet that the greater role of going live hit us because of the greetings and comments of parents from all over the world saying they are watching and that one of their children are playing.
There was the proud mama Ginalyn Ponio Mapinogos watching from Qatar and cheering for his son Gian. There was Kentcarlo Elacion Pellerin in Kuwait who said that one of his children is playing for Davao del Sur.
Then there was Katherine Sian who was watching from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia greeting her daughter Honnalyn Baunillo the best of luck and saying that by watching the live feed, she was herself feeling the trepidation of her child. Eva Enguito in Dubai also said her child is among the athletes.
There were several others who simply said where they were watching from: Bahrain, Riyadh, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kuwait, China, Jordan, New Zealand, Qatar, countries and cities that would otherwise not have been reached by VoxPop had not technology allowed us to.
True, we have been going live for two years now, the impact of what we are doing, however, hits closest to home because these are parents in some faraway land watching, and wishing all the best for their children who are competing. The emotion is different, the longing is strong.
Just five years ago, this was not possible without a multi-million peso equipment and a whole crew flown in from Cebu. Now, with just the mobile phones of reporters and editors dispatched to cover the Davraa events, we touch the hearts of parents, bridge the diaspora, and somehow assuage the loneliness of being away.
Thus, our commitment to bring meaningful coverage and stories is reinforced because we know that this is not just about the people in Davao City, but those who have left for one reason or another. After all, this is what a community news organization is all about.
On going home
Since the 1990s when Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go became erstwhile Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte's right-hand man, he was as many have seen him throughout the 2015 campaign: a shadow. He barely speaks up, and will only talk at the sidelines with the understanding that whatever he says is unofficial and off the record. He was there to do his job, be the mayor's special assistant, which he carried on with President Duterte. He was and is not there to bask in the limelight and seek a political position.
Go was being your typical Dabawenyo. There to do a job and that is to make the boss' life easier, never minding the limelight and just letting the main actor claim the whole stage. In this way, everything gets done and done well.
Thus, at the Senate hearing Monday, what struck us most was when he said, "Sa 2022 uwi na po kami ng Davao."
This mindset cannot be understood by many from outside Davao, where everyone wants the limelight, and yes, everyone lusts for the political position that can be claimed by mere association with a well-known politico. That could even be the reason why very little has been accomplished in the 30-plus years after the politicians booted out President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Everyone wanted to be in the limelight, everyone wanted the power. Nothing got done.
As Dabawenyos, we believe that nation-building that is inclusive as envisioned by the President is made up not just of leaders who are willing to push their people to do right, but also by people who do their jobs well without expecting that they will soon be in the limelight as well.
That's our way of saying, we're just here, being our Dabawenyo selves, working for the betterment of Davao City and the country because when a city and a country is at peace and enjoys prosperity, business is good and people have all the time and appreciation to read.