It was the second Friday of June, 1967, and there gathered at the National Press Club’s social hall (Bulwagang Plaridel) a group of distinguished guests headed by President Marcos.

The guests, who included government officials, businessmen and industrialist and members of the diplomatic corps, exchanged cordial talk over cocktails.

Later in the evening, President Marcos took his place at the head table especially arranged for the occasion. So did the newspaperman. In a few minutes, the klieg lights were on, the television cameras ground, and the question and answer session began.

This was the inaugural presentation of the NPC’s “Meet the Press” television program. Tonight, the second Friday of june, 1968, marks the first anniversary of the program and once again the NPC will present President Marcos in no-holds-barred, free-wheeling interview on channel 9, from 8 to 9 p.m.

The panels that interrogated President Marcos on the inaugural presentation in 1967 was composed of Mario P. Chanco, Philippine Daily Star columnist who has been the regular modulator of the show, Mrs. Carmen Guerrero Nakpil of the Sunday Times Magazine, Jesus E. Bigornia of the Manila Daily Bulletin, and Francisco De Leon of the Manila Chronicle.

The panel that will interview the President tonight is composed of Manila Times; columnist Teodoro Valencia, Philippine Herald’s Nestor Mata, manila Chronicle’s Francisco De Leon, Bulletins Jesus Bigornia and Manila Times manuel Salak.

It has been a whole year since “Meet the Press” went on the air, and in that period of time, it has helped close the “communication gap” between the people on one hand, and on the other, leaders of the community.

It also has sought to “internationalize” its coverage by presenting members of the local diplomatic corps and visiting dignitaries.

“Meet the Press” was conceived and inaguarated during the term of Amante Bigornia as NPC president, and is being continued under the present NPC president Reynaldo D. Jaleco.

Considerable study went into he planning of this TV program, and in the process, consideration was taken of the one of the most popular prestigious program of its kind in the United States, the National Broadcasting Corporation’s “Meet the Press,” and a adio program of the same title which was broadcast from the dining hall oh the Manila Overseas Press Club some years ago.

These studies showed that if the projected TV program of the NPC was to attain any degree of success, special care had to be exercised in the selection of the personalities to be presented as interview guests, the currency and importance of the issues to be taken up in the interviews, and the prestige of the newspapermen who would compose the panels of interrogators.

Spontaneity also was considered a basic factor in its format,  and it was going to be neither rehearsed nor scripted.
           
The NPC scouted around for prospective sponsors of the program, and favorable response came from the San Miguel Corporation, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) and the Philippine Air Lines was co-sponsor for a time.

On its inauguration, the NPC’s “Meet the Press” was a program of  30 minutes’ duration, from 8 to 8:30 p.m. every Friday.

Since then, it has been expanded to an hour, and is telecast on Channel 9 from 8 to 9 p.m. Friday evening, with repalys on Channel3 in Cebu (Sunday, 10:30 to 11:30 p.m.) and on Channel 4 in Bacolod (Tuesday, 10 to 11 p.m.), the latter channel also covering Iloilo.

Because the program today is of an hour’s duration it usually is divided into two parts of 30 minutes each, thus allowing for two guests who may be interrogated on allied matters or on wholly different subjects.

In some instances, two personalities espousing opposite causes are put on together, and the audience is treated to a debate. (The debate between Public Works Secretary,  Antonio V. Raquiza and Senator Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo was originally promoted by “Meet the Press.”)

And in race instances,  when the occasion calls for it, there is only one interview guest, as when President Marcos appeared twice previously on the program, and in another occasion, former President Macapagal when he was called out of his retirement to try and regroup the defeated and fragmented Liberal Party after the 1967elections.

Others who have appeared on “Meet th Press” over the months are Senate President Gill J. Puyat, such other members of the Senate as Ambrosio Padilla, Jose W. Diokno, Benigno Aquino Jr., Dominador R. Villareal, Manuel Enverga, Fleix Amante and Pablo V. Ocampo, such members of the Cabinet as Public Works Secretary Antonio V. Raquiza, Foreign Secretary Narciso Ramos, Justice Secretary Claudio Techankee and Labor Secretary Blas Ople, and such businessman as Alfredo Montelibano Sr. and David Sycip.

Others include Mayor Antonio V. Villegas, educators Vitalino Bernardino and Waldo Perfecto, then Manila Police Chief Ricardo G. Papa, Public Highways Commissioner Baltazar Aquino, Comelec Chairman Juan V. Borra, Gen. Manuel T.Yan, Gen. Emilio T. Zerrudo, PNR General Manager Nicanor T. Jimenez, RCA Chairman and General Manager Osmundo Mondonedo, Dr. Pacifico Marcos, president of the Philippine Medical Association, Ambassador to the United States and to the United Nations Salvador P. Lopez, National Science Development Board Chairman Juan Salcedo, Justice Undersecretary Felix Makasiar and Defense Undersecretary Manuel Q. Salientes.

In the newsmen’spanels have been among the country’s top journalists, including Mrs. Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil, Amando R. Doronila, Max Soliven, Jesus Bigornia, Napoleon Rama, Amante R. Bigornia,Francisco de Leon, Juan Perez Jr., Rodolfo Tupaz, Aurelio Calderon, Ben Penaranda, Isagani Yambot, Jose Quirino, Luis Beltran, Francisco Tatad, Horacio Borromeo, Apolonio Batalla, Theodore Owen Jr., Vic Tanedo, Ernie Singson, Manuel Salak, Manuel Almario, Johnny Mercado, Mike Marabut, Eddie Monteclaro, Primitivo Mijares, Emilian Jurado Jr., J.V.Cruz, Nestor Mata and Macario T. Vicencio.

- Antonio Zumel