As broadcast journalist who recently – just suddenly? – jumped ship, Atom Araullo is onto unchartered territories and he loves it
Atom Araullo, who created buzz last month when he was introduced as new Kapuso after being with a rival station for many years, answered recently all questions thrown at him regarding the transfer as well as his coming documentary, “Philippine Seas.”
First, the easy part: “Philippine Seas” sees the broadcast journalist on a 10-day expedition across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to showcase the current state of the country’s oceans. Among the places he visited for the show were Moalboal in Cebu, Bais in Negros Oriental, Sarangani, and Palawan.
In an interview, he shared one of the most memorable moments he experienced and that is seeing a large mammal, dugong.
“Nakita namin ’yung dugong sa Palawan eh ang dugong kasi ay isang typically-endangered species. I think they’re only around 30 heads of dugong found in the Coron area. Kaya para makalapit ka sa isang dugong at makunan mo ng video ay isang pambihirang pagkakataon,” Atom enthused.
They chose with care the places featured on “Philippine Seas.”
“Ang laki kasi ng Philippine sea – napapaligiran tayo ng tubig – so kailangan talaga namin pumili kung ano ’yung pwede nating isama sa istoryang ito. We wanted to focus on other areas of the Philippines na hindi pa masyado napaguusapan,” he explained. Through “Philippines Seas,” differ- ent issues will be tackled particularly nature, environment and sociopolitical issues.
“Bagama’t magaganda ’tong mga lugar na ’to, kailangan nating talakayin kung bakit mahalaga siya sa buhay ng mga Pilipino. Pero kailangan din natin i-narrow down ’yung discussion para mas mabigyan natin ng justice ’yung mga issues na ito,” he related.
Atom was hands-on in selecting the topics. Good thing his being a journalist turned out to be immensely advantageous for the task.
“I’ve been journalist for more than a decade and the core of our work is to look for the story. We have to look people to interview, look for the right angle, everything,” he noted.
He will address anything about the seas including its downside and destruction.
“It’s impossible to discuss how beautiful the Philippines is and how beautiful our marine resources are without talking about the challenges these face,” he said.
“Kailangan talaga natin buksan ang ating mga mata sa hindi masyado magagandang bagay kung gusto natin siyang solusyunan.”
GMA Network’s “Philippine Seas” will air on Nov. 5 at 3:30 p.m. Atom was straightforward in talking about the transfer. When Bulletin Entertainment asked him how he felt when some netizens questioned his sense of allegiance, he gave a sensible answer.
“Journalists do good work wherever (they are),” he said. “It’s not (just about) which organization they are part of. Yes they’re key role, the support, but it’s all about the work. Whether affiliated to any network, it’s not the most important thing.”
“Wherever you are, that’s not who defines you. What defines you is the work you do.”
He said the decision hinged on plans for a new stage in his career.
“Obviously I’m very flattered and very honored that they would go out of their way to produce this (‘Philippine Seas’) kind of welcome for me. At the same time it also a little unusual I guess bilang isang reporter alam naman natin na usually ’yung camera nakatapat in that direction not towards you so when you get that kind of attentions... I’m not used to it – let’s just put it that way.”
Still about the transfer, who approached who?
“I think we met each other in the middle,” he said. “Of course mahabang talakayan ’yun. Sa simula naging transparent at naging bukas naman sa mga nangyayari at sa mga bagong opportunities na dumarating at ’yun naman ’yung mahalaga eh – na hindi nalilimutan na tumanaw ng utang na loob at maging bukas at maliwanag sa iyong mga gustong mangyari at sa iyong mga intentions.
“Kung hindi mag-work out ’yung usapan, wala naman kailangan malungkot or magalit duon. It just the fact of life that sometimes there are differences in our approach, in our priorities so ganu’n lang ’yun and then eventually we did a mutual decision. “This was the best decision.” Atom said he left his former network on good terms.
“If you’re asking kung nagkaroon ng away or nagkaroon ng bitterness or rampart, walang ganu’n,” he said.
But, really, what was the real reason behind his decision, another member of media prodded.
“It’s more of minsan kasi – ’pag matagal ka na sa isang bagay na gamay na gamay mo na tapos sobrang comfortable ka na you could enjoy certain level of success – if you just keep doing what you’re doing, tingin ko that’s when you stop growing eh, stop evolving.
“And that’s when you decide you’re going to pause. It’s going to be comfortable pero you stop taking risks and challenging yourself. I didn’t want to do that yet,” he replied.
Atom knows there are no guarantees.
“You just see what you could do and you make it right. There’s no right or wrong decision but it’s up to you to make it the right decision.”