Par for the curse

By Francis Allan Angelo

Linti is but Hiligaynon for lighting, the flash of electricity that precedes thunder when heavy clouds began breaking into rains.

But it becomes a crude word or curse when uttered in derision or anger or other form of heightened emotions.

Kalinti is what some news reporters described the so-called 100-day countdown event for Dinagyang 2024 in a mall and a hotel last Friday.

Daily Guardian was invited and two of our colleagues were there.

Based on the invite, the kickoff was supposed to start 4 pm but it ended up at 5:20 pm. There were chairs for the media but these were occupied, apparently not by media as Iloilo journalists are a rather small circle and they know each other.

Journalists noticed that no one from the organizers ushered or assisted them in the venue being invited guests. The so-called influencers or content creators were in the prime seats in front and were even given speaking parts.

The venue was kind of humid, but no one offered bottled water to assuage the cresting thirst amid the delayed start.

In the end, many reporters in the area felt that they were treated as “ordinary folks,” a far cry from the celebrity treatment of “influencers.”

I am fine with whoever and whatever kind of influencers festival will haul in to up their social media and validation numbers. I can’t care if they also drank the influencer gimmick Kool Aid. I also don’t care if festival organizers pay them big bucks for their presence and talking time. As long as public funds were spared, I am fine.

But it’s not fine to invite journalists then leave them to their elements. Journalists do not and should not expect special treatment like the one given to so-called influencers last Friday.

But once you invite journalists, it is expected that they be given due courtesy and attention that other invited guests deserve. If you reserve seats for them, make sure that they will be seated where they should be. If you profess to start at 4 pm, please try to do so because we have deadlines to keep.

Again, Dinagyang organizers can tap Kalinti, Kabwisit, Kaplawta, etc., we can’t care less. Just don’t treat your invited visitors shabbily.