Last June 14, my mom dropped a bombshell. I was going to interview Tacloban’s beloved mayor, Alfred Romualdez. As she instructed me about what I should do, my hand was literally shaking. I just couldn’t believe it. For those who don’t know, I am currently a Junior Writer for Espejo Magazine, a lifestyle magazine here in region eight. I started just before the school ended, checking off something in my bucket list that said “Work for a magazine.” I was ecstatic to say the least, knowing I could be a part of something new.
And even though I have been writing for almost 5 years, this has been my first interview ever. And lucky me, I scored an interview with Tacloban’s Mayor! As you could imagine I was all jittery and nervous as I read the set of questions that my mom prepared for me. I imagined how’d I’d act, and surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous anymore as the Espejo team reached his home.
When I entered his house, I imagined a huge staircase and porcelain walls like in the movies, but I was surprised to see just a humble house, filled with everything they need. When the Mayor graced us with his presence, he certainly wasn’t intimidating as I imagined. He was hospitable and got right to the point. When Sir Michael (one of Espejo’s prestiged editors) and I sat down with the mayor, all my fear ceased and confidence was my new bestfriend. I pipped in whenever necessary, and the interview went well. I surprised to know so much about Tacloban in the span of two hours than I ever did my whole life.
You could tell by the way he spoke that he was passionate about what he did, and he was truly wise. He was down to earth, and he really didn’t leave anything out. he believes in transparency, that the people should be aware about the things happening to their beloved city. He wants Tacloban to grow into a more productive city, because he believes it has so much potential. He was just a mediator for all of the good things to happen to Tacloban.
After the interview, we ate with the mayor who told us jokes and more stories. I am proud to say that at seventeen years old, I got to talk with a visionary who loved Tacloban more than anyone else could. I loved my first interview, and if you want to know what the “Man at Helm” told us, you have to grab the latest issue of Espejo Magazine! 🙂
