Sometimes, when one sifts through very old files, one finds interesting things that have long ago been completely forgotten. None is exempted from this experience. So, here are some of my episodes.
One. A very popular organization of broadcasters in the late 1960's, long before the creation of the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcaster sa Pilipinas (KBP), was the Rural Broadcasters' Council (RBC), of which I was member. We had our first Conference with the theme Broadcasting for Economic Progress at the Auditorium of the Philippine National Bank on the Escolta in Manila in 1969. (Kindly note that the first two pictures have been interchanged.)
Two. Like every organization that had conventions during that time, the RBC had its socials in the evening of the first day at the PNB Penthouse. Unfortunately, I have forgotten the names of these two young people (cousins I believe) flanking me. This is unforgivable. I could not even remember the complete name of my host (I slept in their house one night of the two-day conference), but everybody called her Manang Tonying. She was Information Officer of the Bureau of Soils which had offices at Maria Oroza that time. I'm sorry, but I think this is a result of one of my senior episodes.
Three. In September 1974 (I always considered this as a reward for finishing my MS degree, having graduated earlier that year), I participated in the Second Asian Seminar on Agricultural Journalism in Tokyo, Japan. That was my first international travel (and the trip was much more exciting when the DC10 I was on got into an air pocket, dropping the craft some 10 feet). This seminar was hosted by the Nihon Hoso Kyokai. I did not get my travel documents in order early enough, so I was late in attendance. I missed the formal conference itself. The following day that I arrived in Tokyo, we, delegates, flew to Miyazaki Prefecture in Southern Japan for the trip and visit to agricultural farms. Upon arrival at the Miyazaki Airport, Prefecture Governor, Foruki, was there to welcome us to Miyazaki Prefecture. Gov. Foruki was the Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service during that year.
Four. We were billeted at the Sun Phoenix Hotel. in Miyazaki. After the dinner hosted by the NHK, the delegates selected to go straight to the Penthouse of the hotel for more beer. Here, I'm with Hideo Ishikawa of NHK and Stan Benson of the Association of Australian Agricultural Journalists.
Five. The following day, the delegates visited Japanese farms in the Miyazaki Prefecture area. giving most of us a chance to interview Japanese farmers. Friends from the Philippines, Mr. Zac Sarian and Mr. George Nerves, enjoyed this part of the trip. Before leaving the hotel, the delegates had pictures taken at the hotel lobby. From the hotel, we visited a number of farms before proceeding to view live the active volcano, Mt. Aso. We watched volcanic activity down at the crater through CCTV.
Six. In 1976, I joined Ching Ilagan and Vic de Jesus to participate in the second international conference on agricultural journalism, which was hosted by the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists and the American Association of Agricultural Journalists at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. Vic and I missed the sessions, but were in time to join the trip to Nebraska and Chicago, where we exited from the US. Here, Ching Ilagan, Vic and I had our picture taken in front of the Maple Hall of ISU at Ames, Iowa. Maple Hall was ISU's hotel, which accommodated international participants to conferences.
Seven. Vic de Jesus and I preparing to board our flight to Chicago on a chartered DC3 craft at the North Platte, Nebraska airport. We experienced one airpocket during the flight to Chicago, but was just enough to spill the coffee of an Iranian female delegate on her husbands knees. We all smiled at the experience.
Eight. In Chicago, I was fascinated by Lake Superior. Here, I had the John Hancock building, second tallest building in Chicago that time, as part of my background. This point of the lake was closest to our hotel in Chicago's Near South.
Nine. Then I took the lion by its tail in front of the Chicago Institute of Arts. On this day, Vic and I dropped by a polaroid store. Vic bought his polaroid sun glasses from there. It was beautiful and fitted Vic's face like it was natural appendage. The store was owned by a Filipino, but the Filipina on the counter initially didn't like to accept Vic's traveler's check, even if traveler's checks were good as cash. Sometimes you encounter strange Filipinos in other countries. I left Chicago the following day for Manila, via LA. That was a long flight.
Ten. This picture is circa 1984 or 85. This was an episode in one of those graduate courses that I taught at the then Department of Development Communication when I came back from Indiana University in 1981. The Department of Development Communication was elevated to the Institute of Development Communication in November 1987, and I was its first Director (a position from which I resigned about eight more months into the end of my official term). Why? I'm not telling.
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