by Lemuel Pagliawan
A Tribute to a Journalist Who Chose Unity Over PopularityIn the fragile yet chaotic media landscape of Eastern Visayas, one woman has stood alone—unafraid, and undeniably committed to fostering unity among journalists, or a united community of journalism professionals in and from the region.Her name is Miriam Garcia Desacada.
She is aptly described as the region’s iron-lady journalist for standing tall in a stormy sea of the media—unmindful of her peers’ aversion to her—surviving an industry muddled by discordant intentions and professional rivalry, which demean others in the workplace; fighting instead to forge a platform conducive to a cohesive media desirable to all.
Surprisingly, however, not all wanted to share her fight, notwithstanding her noble purpose. Some tried to pin her down, through various means.
They were brutal character assassinations, the sad part of which is that it came from her fellow media practitioners, several of them disguised as journalists.
Yet, ironically, the very people she strives to uplift have often been the first to cast stones. Envious peers whisper rumors, with the sole intent of breaking her apart; of shoving her to succumb to pressure and be eliminated from the industry.
Other journalists question her motives. Some campaign openly for her downfall, as though her initiatives threaten their standing rather than strengthen the profession they all share. Still, she persists. Miriam remains undaunted.
Like a one-man army, she stood tall through a storm aimed to devastate her spirit. Wounded and nearly crushed, Miriam persevered.EVMWB Inc.Miriam is currently the founding president of the Tacloban City-based Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders (EVMWB), an organization that she, along with seven others who shared her dream, had established in 2017.
Thanks to her dogged determination, the EVMWB has grown to over a hundred more journalist-members to this day.
Having been legally registered with the SEC as a non-profit company, now known as the EVMWB Inc., it partly succeeded Miriam’s advocacy for unity in the media industry, while promoting active participation in public service and nation-building.
On Miriam’s initiative, among the public services that the EVMWBi had worked on over the past five years were tree planting activity, feeding and gift-giving for indigent children and families, coastal clean-up, blood-letting and medical mission, a complaint management system to assist the public with their grievances, and helping facilitate the government’s relief distribution and information dissemination.For the journalist-members, through the EVMWB’s Media Olympics, Miriam brought together reporters, editors, broadcasters, and behind-the-scenes workers in a rare atmosphere of camaraderie, proving that solidarity and teamwork can exist even in a field of competition.
And through financial aid programs for journalists facing emergencies, she emphasized that no colleague feels abandoned in moments when life becomes heavier than deadlines. She enlisted them in the government’s TUPAD program for their additional income.
Through the EVMWB’s annual Media Awards, Miriam reminded her colleagues that their work matters—and that excellence in their job is worth honoring. SURVIVING JOURNALISM.
In exchange for a stress-free life of a laid-back family, she decided to live in the messy world of journalism, taking it all including the dire sides, despite intermittent attacks against her person from, would you believe, her own colleagues who, as she later found out, enjoy her company in media gatherings, but dislike her presence, which they apparently saw as a hindrance to their goals.
Miriam and hersiblings in a Christian, faith-based environment, instilling in them the values of humility, truthfulness, compassion, the courage to stand against injustice, and the importance of living a life that adheres to God’s laws.
This explains why Miriam has been able to keep her feet on the ground despite overwhelming challenges right inside her chosen career.
In a region where journalism is both a vocation and a battlefield, she has chosen a path few dare to tread: the path of service over approval, mission over comfort. For years, she has championed initiatives that have strengthened the profession far more than the loudest pundits or the safest bystanders.
How did Miriam enter the journalism realm? What influenced her to go into this tumultuous world? She gleefully recounted that it all started when she, her cousins and siblings were playing childhood games, foremost of which was acting themselves as imaginary hosts or reporters engaged in an imaginary live interview over an imaginary radio station.She narrated that they would imitate the dialogue of radio personalities, their language, and the way they talk and deliver their lines.
They made this a daily exercise; they love doing it, thus it looked like a game to them. Subsequently, they were able to perfect the cover and, as a result, they sounded like they were real radio broadcasters. This make-believe role-playing was, for her, a fascination turned into her love to become a broadcaster when she grew up.
She then ventured into writing as a print journalist, which she achieved in full colors: her articles landed in the banner page of The Philippine Post magazine, then got hired as a reporter of The Manila Times, a news stringer for Agence France-Presse, a reporter for The Leyte Samar Daily Express, and a reporter/news writer of Tacloban-based DYVL radio. She also became regional correspondent of The Philippine Star, and its Visayas-affiliate The Freeman Daily Cebu, and a correspondent of GMA Regional TV News for Eastern Visayas, and for years now President of Leyte Energy Presscorps—-Such a loaded resumé for a journalist.
Her mantra in the media is this: Every media practitioner is a professional journalist. No one is more skilled or academically brilliant than their peers.
No one is superior or an expert over the others, as everyone is in a perpetual learning mode.
Miriam’s guiding principle in her media work is that journalists must be committed to truth, accuracy, and balance in every report they publish or broadcast.
She believes the media’s role is primarily to inform and communicate with the public, rather than to seek controversy or sensationalism for fame and popularity. She teaches neophytes: “It should not be done that way.
The media is a vital tool that enables democracy to function in society, not a platform for journalists to gain praise and glorification.”
“VICTIM OF INJUSTICE Growing up, Miriam developed a strong abhorrence of any form of injustice, of which she herself was its victim. Whenever she witnessed or learned of a fellow journalist—or anyone, even if they were not an acquaintance—being mistreated or abused, she would quickly come to their aid and confront the wrongdoer.
Many in the media observed Miriam’s empathy towards her peers; however, surprisingly, only a few expressed gratitude for her actions. In fact, some even went so far as to damage her character with fabricated stories.
The animosity that her peers feel towards her is baffling, especially considering how kind she has been to them. Miriam consistently shows care, respect, and compassion to anyone who asks for help, regardless of the request’s size.
She listens attentively, offers assistance—mostly on financial matters—and promotes positive interactions and strong connections that foster a sense of well-being among others.Year after year, through her work in the media, Miriam, in her chosen profession, learned to mold herself as a survivor of infighting and built effective retorts against every bullying and psychological dares thrown at her, mocking her daily life in the trade.
Paradoxically, she is the most criticized figure in the industry, even if she has been the only one who has consistently labored to them.
The deepest wound inflicted on her professional life came from her own journalistic output that, she unknowingly, wounded the ego of the authorities mentioned in her investigative report.
” Sorry hindi sila nagwagi..ilan sa kanila kinarma rin, pero yun talaga ang buhay may mga Ups and Downs” miriam said.
Cheers to this strong woman..keep shining and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!