Remembering Monica Feria
Family, friends, colleagues, comrades, classmates and neighbors gather at Church of the Risen Lord in University of the Philippines Diliman to pay tribute to the late Inquirer Desk Editor Monica Feria. There’s also a report on her Inside Mindanao project she undertook in 1985.
‘Growing up as neighbors in Area 1 inside the UP Campus, Monica was pretty and so cute she was my bigger version of Tinkerbell, the fairy from the story of Peter Pan. I would see her fly across the floor in her tutu, effortlessly, smiling like this was her kind of life. I actually thought the tutu was like a pair of wings that made her fly’
John Lesaca UP Area 1 neighbor, musician ‘Monica seemed to be a bit more mature, more aware, more self-assured than we were. Of course, we found out later that it wasn't because she was older than we were. What she was—was she was bolder than we were. Pati sa pagsasalbahe, ahead siya (Even in being mischievous, she was ahead.) Smoking and other things. (D)uring the colorful years in UPHigh School . . . Monica was our very first political leader’
Ramon Jimenez Jr. UP High School, Batch 1971 Former tourism secretary ‘Once, when the Inquirer management announced to the staff that a lawyer had been chosen Ombudsman for the Inquirer, Monica stood up and vehemently protested the selection, citing the lawyer’s record as editor of a troubled paper. So vehement and steadfast was her opposition that the two strongest-willed women in the Inquirer—editor in chief Letty Magsanoc and president and CEO Sandy Romualdez—relented and withdrew the selection. You see, Monica was as tenacious as a pit bull who wouldn’t let go once it had started to bite’
Artemio Engracia Jr. Inquirer News Editor ‘Many times, we feasted on your tacos. Damn good tacos that came with sundry garnishes that must have been quite tedious to prepare, especially for an editor who worked late nights. And now I will never be able to eat tacos without thinking of you’ Chelo Banal-Formoso Former Inquirer editor