Nothing and nobody can put a good paper or person down

Our post-kudos to The Freeman on its 86th year since its founding in 1919 by the late Don Paulino Gullas. It coincided with another Gullas institution founded by Don Vicente Gullas and Mrs. Josefina R. Gullas also in 1919, the Visayan Institute that later gifted Cebu with its first university.

Except for some snatches of recall that one had an earful, no specific footnotes flashbacked about The Freeman then. As birth "twin" with the UV, their twinning crept into one's subliminal psyche as two inseparable institutions.

The astral symbolism could be no coincidence that when The Freeman suspended circulation in 1934, the founder's nephew was born the same year. And, when he chose to revive the paper in 1965 after a lull of 31 years, Dodong Gullas was also 31 years in age.

Some years following its rebirth, Dodong Gullas had the luxury of time in running The Freeman. He assiduously wrote its incisive editorials, as he figuratively babied TF and set the tone of its journalistic policy, without constricting its editorial staff.

As an avid student of English since when, what glued one's interest in The Freeman '65, had been its meticulous adherence to and respect for the English language. None were such casual misspellings as inspite of, infront of, imminent (other than eminent), desparaging, etc. One never saw in print incorrect usage and grammatical boners, or blatant violations of stock prepositional idiomatic phrases, such as, pursuant of, with regards to, in accordance or in compliance to, awaiting for, and the wrong use of in for on inre specific dates, say, July 18, 2005.

Pluralizing such collective nouns as evidence, baggage, information, furniture, jewelry, etc. by merely tacking the letter s or its variations, were then taboo. Redundant expressions and so therefore, the reason why, irregardless of, and such similar obsolete or obsolescent phrases had not cluttered The Freeman's vocabulary then.

The agreement of the substantive and the predicate in terms of number, tense or verb form, person, or mood had been basic guidelines as well. For instance, has and have couldn't just be used interchangeably at the whim of any careless reporter.

From 1965 until the onset of martial law, The Freeman successfully reclaimed its prestigious perch in local journalism. But coming on the nascent heels of martial law, came the shocker when its editorial staff and keymen, save for loyal Nito Jabat - the consummate punster - did an exodus and transferred allegiance to another paper.

Knowing Dodong Gullas since our idealistic teens in high school to be a softie who can't say "No" to friends and all alike in need, the stunning diaspora of TF's supposedly loyal staff had then left him embittered and scarred as never before.

However, with God working in His mysterious ways - and echoing Steven King's "Time takes it all" - the "Young Boss" (to recall our ROTC days) and The Freeman have long recovered from the hurt. In fact, the multifarious prestigious international and national awards The Freeman garnered over these years ought to be proudly carried in its masthead, instead of just hiding them in an inside page.

That The Freeman isn't just another provincial - as in Promdi - or strictly pedestrian paper with parochial concerns and contents, is very evident. With its partnership with the Star Group of Companies, TF has devolved into a national publication without losing its local touch Incidentally, TF reader Grace Reyes prays: "Just improve the editing of news, please."

As such, TF ceases to be just an outlet of news info and entertainment, and opinion, but more so, it has become an Institution of Learning which the readers, especially the young studentry can look up to as a rich fount of gospel truth and perfection in matters of contents and the English language.