Recollections, Reflections:The Freeman’s Pains of Rebirth

In my desire to bring back my uncle Atty. Paulino Gullas’ newspaper The Freeman, good intentions were not all it took. I needed to ask permission from his family, as Tio Paul had disappeared during the Second World War. More so, the undertaking would entail a great amount of money.

I talked to Tio Paul’s wife, Tia Gilda Kilayco-Gullas, about my plan. I was not really sure how she would take the whole idea, and I kept an open mind. If she didn’t like it, I decided, I would abide by her wishes.

Tia Gilda was silent for a while after I related to her my plan. It must have been difficult to be again reminded that she may truly have lost her husband, the father of her children, for good. I felt guilty about bringing it up, although causing her pain was not my intention.

I waited quietly. Then Tia Gilda collected herself. A faint sigh, then a smile that contradicted the loneliness in her eyes. She was glad I thought about it, she said, adding that Tio Paul himself would be very happy with my plan. I had her blessing.

Next, I went to my own parents for their thoughts. Papa Inting was very pleased, although he cautioned me about the great responsibility of going into media, especially if I wanted the paper to be respected. He told me that reviving The Freeman would be like letting toothpaste out of its tube, you couldn’t put it back in. Mama Pining for her part only asked if I could afford to sustain a newspaper. They both pointed out to me that once I revived The Freeman, there would be no stopping.

I had a daunting task before me, but I was fortunate to have friends in the newspaper industry, like writer Balt Quinain, who introduced me to Juanito Jabat, an established newsman who graciously accepted my invitation to join us. Together we started the journey that would have no end.

Soon, we were preparing for the inaugural comeback issue. Mr. Jabat and Balt Quinain combed the city for news. Their team was our whole news force. I stood as publisher. We were “The Three Musketeers,” we jokingly told each other.

The paper was to come out as a weekly news magazine, so there was ample time to prepare for every issue. As soon as the stories were there, my J and J’s Printers would do the layout and actual printing.

The Freeman came out every week. By the second year, it was already established. It had some mileage in the industry, and some name recall in the local public’s mind. On the business side, however, we still had no dependable advertising revenues. The weekly sales remittance could not fully support the publication. And there was no hope in sight that my subsidizing the project would soon end.

The truth is, it was never clear to me how far I would go. I had not set any limits, nor did I know exactly what I wanted it to become. Of course, I wanted it to succeed! But what does it mean to “succeed”? That people read and trust the paper? That it becomes an important shaper of public opinion in the Cebuano community?

All I really wanted was for The Freeman to be back. To be honest, I was a bit afraid after a while to realize how much I was bleeding for the undertaking. Still, I was determined to sustain it.

Having survived two financially difficult years, it had become impossible to stop. We stayed on. We were always struggling, but The Freeman survived.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history. The Freeman would eventually hold the distinction of being the longest-running newspaper in Cebu. We are still here, almost a hundred years since, healthy and well.

Our partnership with the Star Group in 2004 has further strengthened The Freeman. I fully trust the wisdom and business savvy of Mr. Miguel Belmonte to steer our operations smoothly amid challenges. With our shared passion, The Freeman cannot go wrong.