The FREEMAN at 100

One of my greatest joys is seeing the growth of something that I have nurtured. Among the significant undertakings that I have taken upon is reviving The Freeman newspaper of my uncle, Paulino Gullas, in 1965.

I was on 31 years old when I decide to breathe fresh life into The Freeman, which at the time had been inactive for several years.  My Tio Paul started it in 1919, the same year my father, Papa Inting, founded the Visayan Institute (now University of the Visayas).

When my uncle was called to help draft the 1935 Philippine Constitution, his fledgling newspaper had to take to the sides. He had no one else to take care of it. Then came World War II, in which Tio Paul also figured prominently in the Cebu scene.

My uncle mysteriously disappeared during the war. And so the fate of The Freeman further slid into oblivion. Until it dawned on me that running a newspaper was such a noble public-service undertaking – and reviving The Freeman would also memorialize Tio Paul, may his soul rest in peace.

It was not easy, to say the least. There were big questions I had to face. At such a young age, my readiness for the task was a question; my own parents warned me.

Mama Pining asked, “How thick is your pocket, Dodong?” Papa Inting pointed out that deciding to revive The Freeman was “like squeezing toothpaste out of the tube, it cannot be pushed back inside.” My parents were not trying to discourage me, though; they only wanted to make sure that I knew what I wanted to do – which I was.

Seeing my determination, Papa told me to seek the permission of Tio Paul’s wife, Tia Hilda. It turned out that Tia Hilda gladly welcomed my plan. And I was all the more set in pulling it through.

Now I look back with fondness in my heart how I have single-handedly footed the operation of The Freeman for almost four decades. Through all those years I have come to fully understand the big burden and responsibility of running a daily newspaper. But I’ve also been fortunate to have found the right people early on who helped me mold The Freeman into becoming truly Cebu’s own chronicler of events.

People have since come and gone in The Freeman. Mr. Juanito Jabat, and my trusted man-Friday, Mr. Balt Quinain, stand out in my memory, because there were only the three of us – “The three Musketeers” – working during the early days in the newspaper’s revival. I am immensely grateful for their dedication and loyalty.

There have also been treacheries along the way. Some people have let me down by betraying my trust. I choose not to dwell on those anymore. But their acts have left its scars, of course; and every time I glance at these scars I am reminded of the original pain. 

I am thankful as well to several other people who rose up to the challenge when they were called upon – Atty. Romulo Senining, Mr. Noel Pangilinan, Mr. Jerry Tundag, Ms. Quennie Bronce – and others who have, in one way or the other, helped steer The Freeman to where it is today. I am especially thankful to Mr. Jabat for the idea of publishing a purely Cebuano paper, our Banat News that will turn 25 years old next year. Indeed, Banat News has captured the Cebuano reading public’s love for everything Cebuano.

I will not miss to acknowledge the great support of Mr. Miguel Belmonte (who is like family to me) of the Star Group of Publications; with him around, handling the now more than a hundred people working under the roof of The Freeman has not been as difficult. As The Freeman marks 100 years of existence in a few months, I am one with Mr. Migs Belmonte in making sure that the celebrations are simple yet truly memorable. For me, the core essence of this momentous occasion is a thanksgiving – “pagpasalamat” – to everyone, past and present, who’ve been part of the paper’s journey into becoming Cebu’s most trusted and well-loved newspaper.

My prayer is for The Freeman to remain fair, ever ready to fearlessly face the challenges that come upon the newspaper industry in today’s techno-centered world, championing always the cause of freedom, liberty and the equality of all. As we prepare for the celebrations, I invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and my constant companion, Servant of God Archbishop Teofilo Camomot.