Where my heart belongs

The Logo

"Walang madali rito, lahat pinaghihirapan.”

Among those remarkable phrases I noted during my internship in Front Row, this line is definitely the most unforgettable. It’s simply because those words were proven as I witnessed how the people of GMA News and Public Affairs work. From Production Assistant, Researcher, Segment Producer, Executive Producer and among others, none of them perform their task easily. No doubt, GMA News is keeping its promise to produce programs that will give the public a true service.

Outside the GMA News and Public Affairs' Office.

Since we are not allowed to go outside GMA’s vicinity, our tasks revolve around our program’s cubicle. Basic office works were always on the list, like printing, photocopying and encoding. The hardest task I can consider is to search and propose topic/s for Front Row. Topics might be found everywhere but looking stories for an award-winning documentary program is not as easy as searching in google. It’s not just in one click because before you can come up with an approved topic, countless Hello’s are needed.

With PA's, Sir Adrian Manaois and Ma'am Ellen Lagat

Searching, calling, asking and hoping, these were the stages I encountered every time I’m proposing topic/s. In looking for possible topics, several factors should be considered. Like the basics in news, the 5W’s and 1H can also be used. What are your topics? Which of these topics are likely to be considered? When and where it happened, happens or will happen? Most importantly, Why does your topic should be chose and How your story will go? All of these questions were flashing in my mind every time I’m searching for possible topic/s. After choosing a topic, contact details are needed. The information can be used for possible case study/ies. During phone call, pre-interview was done. I need to raise the questions that possibly will ask during the actual interview in the shooting for the story. After that, if I was able to find possible case study, this will be proposed and all I can do is to hope that the executive producer will approve the topic. During the process of coming up with a topic, I talked and communicated to various kind of people, and through that way, my interpersonal communication was developed and my self-confidence was somehow boost. It’s hard to please everybody and every time I speak, I must bring huge amount of patience. Despite all these concerns and matters, at the end of the day, the best feeling is when the people around you know how to appreciate the efforts that you gave and be able to have an approved topic is just a bonus

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GMA Network

200 hours was not enough to tell that I’m ready to go in the real world, but my experience in GMA is already enough for me to prove that I made the right decision. When we asked to what show we want to be assigned and all my top choices like Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho and I-Witness were picked by other interns, Front Row came into my senses. Why? I need to choose what I really love. I love documentaries and Front Row is not just a documentary show but an award-winning program. Also, the way the script of the show was done is quite the same to the way I write. In other words, the goal of Front Row was the same as my reason why I chose Journalism, to be the public’s instrument in letting them to witness the reality. 

-- Jessica B. Ayun