PULITZER prize-winning journalist and UST journalism faculty member Manuel “Manny” Mogato synthesizes his decades-long journalism career in a new autobiography, “It’s Me, Bok! Journeys in Journalism.”
According to Mogato, the book was inspired by a term of endearment he had shared with fellow journalists, “Bok,” which best describes his journey in journalism since the early 1980s.
“Sabi ko, ‘sayang naman kung ‘di ko maikuwento ‘yung mga experience ko. Kasi maraming embarrassing, hindi maganda, marami ring maganda. At the same time, [a]ko ‘yung journalist na inabot ang transition from typewriter to computers. [E]verything, nadaanan ko ‘yan,” Mogato told the Varsitarian.
Mogato shared that he began writing the book early last year. He is aiming to publish it in October.
The 19-chapter autobiography will reveal his personal struggles as a journalist, including his time as a publicist of then first lady Imelda Marcos.
“Imelda, at that time, was the governor of Metro Manila. She was running for a position sa Batasang Pambansa in 1984. [S]o ang kaniyang press secretary organized a team that would write features, stories about Imelda and other candidates of the administration in Metro Manila,” Mogato added.
Mogato began his journalism career with a six-month internship for TV 13 News while he was studying for a communication degree at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila in the 1980s.
Soon after, he worked as a police and crime reporter for the People’s Journal in 1984.
He moved to the now-defunct Manila Chronicle in 1986, where he wrote for the defense and military beat during the administration of President Corazon “Cory” Aquino.
Mogato also wrote for the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun and the Manila Times. In 2003, he transferred to the Manila bureau of the Reuters wire news agency, where he stayed for 16 years before retiring in 2019.
During his stint at Reuters, Mogato won the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting in 2018 alongside Clare Baldwin and Andrew Marshall for their series of special reports on former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.
“Importante na ma-reform ka kasi hindi ka makakapasok sa foreign news agency like Reuters or Asahi Shimbun kung ang reputation mo is corrupt ka. [Y]ou have to protect your reputation, your image,” he said.
“‘Yon ang isa sa mga life lessons ko…Tinanggihan ko ‘yung marumi. Kasi mayroon palang other ways to earn decent money,” he added.
Mogato also said sensitive topics such as his dangerous news coverages, including in Marawi, will be covered by his memoirs.
According to Mogato, his most memorable and hardest coverage was during Typhoon “Yolanda,” when he had to witness the struggle of disaster victims in Leyte.
“‘Yung isang photographer ko, si Bobby, may nadaanan na tatlong bata na naglilibing ng kanyang nanay at tatay sa roadside kasi nalunod daw nung baha,” Mogato recounted. Nakakalungkot. Daming sad story doon, daming survivor story.”
Despite the danger he faced, there was an eagerness and sense of responsibility in him to bring these stories to the public, Mogato said.
“‘Yun siguro talaga ang trabaho ng journalist, ‘no? Puntahan mo ‘yung ‘di dapat puntahan, pasugod ka sa isang lugar na ang karamihan ng tao ay palabas. Kasi gusto mo maghatid ng balita,” he said.
Through his autobiography, the veteran reporter hopes to tell young journalists that journalism is “not a walk in the park.”
“We are in the front seat of history, ‘no? Nakikita mo lahat,” Mogato said.
“Kaya napakabigat ng responsibility na meron ang isang journalist. And I want future journalists to know na dapat isapuso nila ‘yung role nila in our society. It’s not an easy role,” he added.
Apart from winning the Pulitzer Prize, he was also awarded the prestigious Marshall McLuhan fellowship in 2017 and has honors from the Overseas Press Club, Union of Catholic Asian News, and the Rotary Club of Manila.
Mogato is an editor at large and opinion writer at PressONE.PH, as well as security and defense editor for OneNews and OnePH News. Rafael Paolo P. Salaya
