“Emil, why don’t you write a book?” The truth is, a number of people have made this suggestion to me over the years. I have always found these suggestions somewhat bewildering.
“Me, write a book?” I say. “I am not a movie star, hero, politician, or any kind of celebrity.”
This is true. I live my ordinary life one day at a time, like everyone else, and it just so happens that I make my daily living watching the world and basically telling people what I see.
“[Chronicling] his over half a century in Philippine journalism, The Road Never Ends is the pinnacle of Emil’s career, [covering] Philippine presidents from Carlos P. Garcia to Rodrigo R. Duterte, writing his insights on Malacañan Palace and passing them on to readers of his column. Emil Jurado belongs to the pantheon of Philippine journalism… with legends such as Doroy Valencia and Joe Guevara.” —Alejandro Del Rosario, ambassador to Hungary and Poland; former publisher and editor-in-chief, and currently columnist, Manila Standard
Nonetheless, I have been doing this for nearly 70 years now, and, thinking about it, I realize that “what I have seen” has come to encompass quite a great deal. I guess that not everybody has had the privilege of getting to know ten Philippine presidents, or participating in the birth of Philippine television, or getting yanked off the street by menacing hoodlums!
Not that I would call that last part a privilege; it was certainly alarming at the time. Now, it does make for a good story. So I concede that I have managed to amass a sizeable number of interesting stories about fascinating events that I have been fortunate enough to witness, and fantastic people that I have been honored to meet. This is, I imagine, why people keep encouraging me to write a book.
It is also possible that I have spent decades driving people crazy with my stories-—of comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable—and they secretly just want me to shut up and write them down already, so that they do not have to listen to my ramblings anymore. They can even skip to the good parts! If you are one of these people, it’s all right, I do not blame you, and look, here is the book!
I’m a journalist—a periodista, as we are called here in the Philippines—who also happens to be a lawyer. So this means that I can write journalistic things and legal things.
But a memoir?
I have been told that it would cost me a million pesos to hire a good writer and editor to help me turn my memories into an engaging narrative instead of the factual reportage that I am more comfortable with. And then I would need another half-million to print and publish a book, and a half-million more to market it.
Santa Banana, that adds up to two million pesos!
“Emil breaks out of the pack of memoir writers and gives us real-life narratives, with excellent…storytelling. As [he] narrates his storied life, particularly his seventeen libel suits and close association with the country’s top politicians and business tycoons…we become amazed and awesomely entertained. It is a memoir like no other.” —Charlie A. Agatep, chairman & CEO, Grupo Agatep
It is money that I clearly do not have, because the rewards of my chosen profession—no, calling—are not financial.
To my astonishment, Martin Romualdez, Leyte congressman and owner of Manila Standard, told me that he would take care of everything.
That floored me. I thought to myself: “Here is a very generous man, and I can only thank him and be eternally grateful.”
Thus I spent the next few months polishing the drafts of my memoir, for no other reason than that I always take on a challenge.
I’d like to thank Martin, who is president of PHILCONSA (Philippine Constitution Association), a lawyer and banker, and his brother Philip, who is president of Benguet Consolidated Mining and former chairman of the Chamber of Mines. Martin was instrumental in the final completion, printing, and distribution of this book.
My thanks also to Roberto V. Ongpin—businessman, former Trade minister, and chairman of Alphaland, which has developed Balesin Island Club, Alphaland Makati Place, and The City Club, among many, including the upcoming Baguio Mountain Lodges, envisioned as the Forbes Park of Baguio City—for his spontaneous and generous contributions toward this publication. Bobby Ongpin is also developing Patnanungan Island, near Balesin, for an international airport, a hotel, and beach houses.
“When I was…general manager of the international airport…Emil took me to task for ‘doing little or nothing’ about the seemingly disorganized way that passengers and well-wishers were crowding around the airport premises. “Sir, give your former student some leeway,” I said. He replied with a smile, “I’m still being strict with you!”…Santa Banana, Emil turned from a mentor to a really good friend, whom I highly respect and admire.” —Reli German, chairman, Agents International Inc.
I should probably warn you in advance that I will be speaking about many people in this narrative the way that I just did, with all their titles and often more. This may prove confusing from time to time, as I discuss this person whom I met when I was young, who later became such-and-such; or another person who I met when they were older, who used to be this or that. I hope that you will bear with me; memoir or not, I am still a journalist at heart, and would like to show you as well-rounded a portrait as I can, of the people whom I have been blessed to encounter—amiably or otherwise.
Other than those facts, my opinion and perception of people and events are entirely my own. The contents of this memoir are all from my recollection, as well as from available records which I have preserved through the years. I will not claim it is a flawless recounting; for any mistakes and shortcomings, I can only beg your indulgence, sincerely apologize, and remind you that this periodista has gone through many periods of time!
On that note, I must definitely thank my wife, my beloved palangga (which is like saying ‘my beloved beloved,’ that being what the latter word means, but she fully deserves both instances and more) Trinidad Cecilia Kapunan Capistrano, who helped me recount my experiences and, when necessary, corrected my memory, not to mention endured my aforementioned agonizing.
“A pleasant and poignant journey through time, when…government rendered real service, money was…earned through hard and honest work, and people… adhered to time-honored values, the true, the good, and the beautiful. Of course, journalists were journalists, because they pounded their beats [and] checked their facts.” —Tony Lopez, CEO and publisher, BizNews Asia
I would also like to thank our children, Vic, Nina, Eric, and Nicky, who serve as my inspiration, and notably my daughter Nina and my sons Eric and Nicky, who have been instrumental in organizing what they keep calling my “legacy.”
Thanks go out as well to my good friend and 365 Club buddy Atty. Jesus P. Disini, who put me in touch with the right people to complete the book. He introduced me to Dean Francis Alfar who, together with his wife Nikki (they are both Palanca awardees), edited the first edition of my book. My eternal thanks to the both of them. I am likewise grateful to Lea Manto-Beltran (senior staff writer at The Manila Times’ Sunday Times Magazine) for patiently interviewing me and transcribing my recollections.
Last but far from least, of course, thanks to the folks at Manila Standard: Rollie Estabillo, publisher; Adelle Chua, opinion editor; and Jenny Ortuoste, columnist and writer, for helping me edit and complete this book.