It all started on the road from Gumaca to Lucena — just two friends talking, replaying what they’d seen at the pickleball tournament that morning.
Remember that pickleball event Mayor Webster Letargo hosted at the Gumaca covered court last December 21?
After watching the games, Ylou Dagos and Allan Llaneta hopped in a vehicle heading back to Lucena, and somewhere along the way, they just started talking.
The next day, December 22, they made a Facebook Messenger group chat. By the end of that same day, 65 media workers had joined in.
Turns out, a lot of us were feeling the same way—we needed a space to connect beyond deadlines and press conferences.
From Screens to a Table—Building the Team
Things moved fast after that. On January 13, nine of them met at Chito’s on Granja St.—sat around a table, shared plates of food, and started mapping out what this group could actually look like. They knew we needed structure, so they decided to hold a proper assembly and elect leaders. The date was set: January 18, 2 PM, at Fresh Air Hotel in Lucena.
36 Hearts, One Goal—Choosing Who’d Lead the Way
That afternoon, 36 of the media folk packed the room—feeling the buzz in the air. Everyone had stories to tell and hopes for what they could do together. When the votes were counted, this was the team:
- President: Gemi Formaran
- Vice President: Ylou Dagos
- Secretary: Tom Alvarez
- Treasurer: Ace Fernandez
- Auditor: Michelle Zoleta
- PRO: Darcie de Galicia and Roy Sta Rosa
- Chairman of the Board: Russel Roales
- Vice Chairman: John Bello
- Board Members: Tony Sandoval, King Formaran, Allan Llaneta, Nida Junco, Raddie Custodio, Benjie Antioquia
Writing the Story—From Rules to a Logo
They didn’t stop at elections. On January 21, the Ad Hoc Committee met at Slash Restaurant—they spent hours drafting our constitution and bylaws, going back and forth on every detail because they wanted this to last.
Then on January 31, they gathered again at Fresh Air Hotel for the first Board Meeting, where they reviewed everything we’d written, tweaked a few things, and started planning the official oath-taking.
Even the logo got a little update—they’re adding a comma between “SPORTSMANSHIP” and “PROFESSIONALISM” to make it flow better and swapping the still camera for a video camera to make sure we represent all kinds of media work. Danny Ordoñez is helping the committee to get it just right.
It’s wild to think that a casual chat on a bumpy road has turned into this—an organization that’s already bringing the media closer, making smarter about the work, and reminding us that we’re stronger when we stand together.
With everyone's help, we know this is just the start of something good for us and for Quezon.
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