For the first time, the five regular hosts of the multi-awarded documentary series I-Witness jointly appeared together to celebrate the show鈥檚 25th anniversary at a gathering held on August 20, 2024, at the Bl. Frassati auditorium.
Called “i-25: The i-Witness Talks,” the seasoned documentarists Howie Severino, Kara David, Atom Araullo, Mav Gonzales, and John Consulta shared their experiences as journalists as well as lessons they learned during some of their most memorable documentaries.
i-Witness first premiered in 1999 and featured some of the finest journalists in Philippine media such as Jessica Soho, Vicky Morales, Cheche Lazaro, Luchi-Cruz Valdes, and the late Mike Enriquez. The long-running series has been a staple in educational settings and well-known not just in FIlipino households, but abroad. The program has earned awards and accolades including two George Foster Peabody Awards, multiple New York Festivals world medals, Asian TV Awards, Asia-Pacific Child Rights Awards, and finalist status at the Emmy Awards, and many more.
UST Secretary-General Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P., EHL, in his welcome remarks, commended I-Witness鈥� contributions to the educational landscape and the discourse around societal issues, saying 鈥淟et us acknowledge the courage it takes to bring important issues to the forefront, the dedication to uncover stories, and the commitment to make a difference.鈥�
Atom Araullo was the first journalist to talk. In his seven years with I-Witness, he currently has over 50 documentaries that aired, which broadened his experiences as they sometimes involved a range of circumstances, from danger and hunger, to thrills and fulfillment.
鈥淓xperience is more precious than gold. Experience becomes stories, and stories are very powerful,鈥� shared Araullo, who won the 鈥楳ost Trusted Field Reporter Award鈥� from the Platinum Stallion Media Awards in 2015, as well as the Student Leaders Choice for TV Personality from the USTv Awards in the same year.
鈥淚t is our sacred duty to bear witness to history,鈥� emphasized Araullo, who has shone light on incidents of violence, calamity, tragedy, not just in the country, but also globally, including the plight of the Rohingya people in Myanmar.
Mav Gonzales followed up by sharing lessons she has learned from exploring new stories. Having been a reporter since 2012, she is one of the most recent hosts to join the series as she began her stint in I-Witness in 2023.
鈥淭here are so many stories to tell, you just have to find your angle,鈥� advised Gonzales in Filipino. She has done documentaries ranging from the labor of children who collect mud for planting frog grass, to the use of cadavers as silent mentors in the medical education field.
鈥淚f possible, make documentaries with concrete impacts in society,鈥� she shared.
Multi-awarded veteran journalist Howie Severino, meanwhile, shared his tale and love for storytelling. Having been active in the journalism field since 1985, the self-confessed 鈥榓nalog native鈥� has led over 200 documentaries and highlighted that to document is to record for history.
鈥溾�淭here are a lot of truths in our world that happen without anyone noticing, and documentarists can capture those moments for posterity,鈥� Severino emphasized, adding that documentaries make people think about what is important, gather evidence, create records, make life more interesting and let the journalists telling the tale know more about themselves. They are also curated products that can be avenues for community-building and an educational tool.
鈥淚f I really wanted to get to know our country, our people, then I really needed to become a journalist,鈥� shared Severino, who has been to almost every province in the Philippines in the course of his career.
鈥淛ournalists are trained to highlight not just what you (viewers) want to know, but what you need to know. It鈥檚 an educational tool, and one of the beautiful things about I-Witness is that many of our documentaries are shown in classrooms.鈥�
John Consulta, a journalist who has spent over 10 years in the law enforcement beat, shared his insights on the power of storytelling and how it can be a way to serve. He highlighted his encounter with Bonita Baran, a domestic helper who was being mistreated by her employers.
Justice was served by her abusers being jailed, and a law protecting kasambahays was then passed months after the story aired.
鈥淚t鈥檚 possible that there are stories around you that you do not notice. All it takes is a little time and attention. Listen. Observe. If you want to be a good storyteller, be a good listener first,鈥� advised Consulta.
Documentaries can serve as bridges to amplify the voices who need to be heard or give platforms to those who need it, to shed light and bring awareness to relevant and timely issues, and bring meaningful change to the lives and communities that they show or affect, shared Consulta.
Consulta also acknowledged the efforts of each team member who supports the documentarists behind the camera, saying, 鈥淥ur show is named 鈥業鈥�-witness, but it鈥檚 always been a team effort. We (documentarists) may be in front, but this would not be possible without them. I believe in the meaning of TEAM: Together Efforts Are Multiplied.鈥�
Kara David, a journalist for almost 30 years who also serves as chair of the Department of Journalism at the UP Diliman College of Mass Communication, capped the event with her talk, which emphasized the need to tell stories that are both new and changebringing (bago at nakakapagpabago).
David urged future documentarists to remember that 鈥淵ou are not the story. You are the storyteller. [Documentaries can] be the microphones for those who have not yet been heard, be mirrors of truth, and be bridges for those whom society cannot reach.鈥�
In her travels in pursuit of these stories, she has told the tales of children who have experienced dire circumstances and led harsh lives. This led her to set up her foundation “Project Malasakit,” which funds scholarship projects.
She also cautioned budding journalists to get into the practice of sharing complete stories and to carefully discern their chosen angle.
鈥淭ell stories that uplift the poor, uplift their dignity, not just stories that generate pity. So when we [filmed Ambulansyang de Paa], my team and I were conscious of not just focusing the story on the lack of access to healthcare, services, and medical facilities. We did not just focus on an angle that showed their poverty, but rather highlighted their efforts that, despite this situation, the Mangyan families had community-driven initiatives to mitigate the lack of government support.鈥�
David also shared a lesson she has taken to heart, which she learned from the Mangyan community and their collective approach to community care. 鈥�Ang mabigat ay gumagaan kapag marami ang pumapasan (The heavy load is made lighter when many are bearing the weight).鈥�
In its milestone year, I-Witness will air a special documentary series featuring powerful and uncommon stories of community heroism and selfless people on a mission. With their respective teams, the five program hosts Kara David, Howie Severino, Atom Araullo, John Consulta, and Mav Gonzales venture from Mindoro to Sulu to tell various stories that will air on Saturdays, beginning September 14 until October 12, 2024 at 10:15PM.
Storyteller鈥檚 Spotlight
An offshoot of the partnership among GMA Network, GMA Public Affairs and the UST Office of Public Affairs for I-Witness鈥� 25th anniversary was an inaugural activity titled 鈥淪toryteller鈥檚 Spotlight,鈥� which brings media personalities and journalists of different beats closer to Thomasians who want to become writers.
鈥淲e invite you to immerse yourselves in this exploration of storytelling鈥檚 enduring legacy and its vital role in our shared human experience. On behalf of the Father Rector Very Rev. Fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., thank you for your continued commitment to the power of storytelling. I hope that all of us Thomasians may say that I believe, I hope, I love, I witness,鈥� said Fr. Coronel, who also congratulated the documentary series on its 25th anniversary.
The first featured guest was Mr. Atom Araullo, who presented practical tips for becoming a responsible journalist based on his extensive experience. After his talk, he answered queries from student participants in a forum moderated by the Assistant to the Director for Publication Ms. Katherine Patrice B. Sibug on August 19, 2024, at the Bl. Frassati Auditorium.
Students from the Senior and Junior High School departments were very eager to converse with the featured speaker as they tackled various topics during the open forum. Questions ranging from how documentaries are made, to the most unforgettable project were graciously answered by Mr. Araullo.
All in all, the first Storyteller鈥檚 Spotlight proved to be an effective way to provide students with an opportunity to interact with practitioners鈥攁n effective way to bridge the real world to the classroom.
