VOL.5 ISSUE 53 • MAY 17, 2012
EDGEDAVAO Edge Davao: 3 years a weekly, now a daily FORMAL LAUNCH AS A DAILY
The ZION-EDGE FAMILY. Five years after, ZION Accuprint Publishing Inc. has grown into one of the most trusted publishing companies in Metro Davao. This year it’s a double celebration with ZION’s anniversary and EDGE DAVAO’s formal launching as a daily newspaper. Thank you our clients and readers for supporting our growth! and creativity. that Edge Davao was HE emergence of Edge Davao as a into their fold Ramon of sales. M. Maxey as editorial Working together After a series of to give sharper fodaily publication was not an over- consultant, Gregorio G. as a team was not re- meetings and brain born cus on local and regionnight affair. It existed for three years Deligero as associate ally difficult as most of storming, the design al business reportage. as a weekly achieving modest gains de- editor, Kenneth Irving them had worked for and content of the sec- The time had come, tions of the paper were too, for a differently spite the myriad challenges it faced. finalized. packaged delivery of In early 2008, bareShe invited former The staff realized business news, features ly a year after Zion Ac- colleague and veteran that the business land- and views, all designed cuprint Publishing, Inc. newspaperman Antoscape in Davao and the to achieve the vision to started operating, gen- nio M. Ajero to head a rest of the region was help readers make ineral manager Olivia D. team to launch a busichanging at a fast pace formed decisions. Velasco, who for many ness paper. Ajero was and decided to ride the The first issue of years held the same po- formerly editor in chief wave of progress and Edge Davao came off sition in a local news- of the newspaper she make the most of the the press and hit the paper before resign- had worked for. C. Ong as lifestyle edi- the same newspaper opportunity that pre- streets on March 10, ing to venture into the In no time at all tor, now Canada-based for decades. The challe sented itself for advanc- 2008. publishing business, Velasco and Ajero Moses B. Billacura as nge was how to make a ing the newspaper’s Decidedly, Edge thought of putting up a formed the core group sports editor and Joc- difference in local jour- mission and vision. Davao’s entry quickly newspaper to keep her of what is today Edge elyn Panes as director nalism with new ideas It was in this milieu stirred a positive remachines busy. Davao by bringing
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“That Edge Davao has raised the
bar of excellence in reportage is evidenced by the accolades it has so far notched.
“
FEDGE, S6
ANTONIO M. AJERO editor-in-chief
OLIVIA D. VELASCO RAMON M. MAXEY editorial consultant general manager
GREGORIO G. DELIGERO associate editor
JOCELYN S. PANES director of sales
KENNETH IRVING K. ONG lifestyle editor
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EDGEDAVAO
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Sapphire Anniversary
VOL.5 ISSUE 53 • MAY 17, 2012
Zion, five years and beyond By Lorie A. Cascaro
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EFORE Zion Accuprint Publishing, Inc. joined the publishing industry and proved to be a competitive player, there was Olivia Velasco, a lady who already had years of experience in the business as general manager of another publishing company. Velasco was not content being employed in a business which she had come to believe she could run better if she was the boss. She decided to reinvent herself within her forte. That was when she opted for early retirement to follow her longtime dream, which was to establish her own company, Zion Accuprint Publishing, Inc. As it turned out, Velasco was not venturing into the unknown. Her vast experience in the business proved valuable. Her 23 years in publishing helped her overcome the hurdles that usually stand in the way of starting up a business as she
ventured into her expertise. “Capitalization was a challenge, but thanks to friends and the network I developed through the years, I was able to assemble a team and the basic equipment needed to start a publishing venture,” she said. It had been decided that the best way to begin, was to start small and grow from there. “The little money that we pooled together was augmented by friends and network connection. Being a member of PIADI is also a big help,” she said, referring to the multi-purpose printing industry cooperative. With her huge experience in the “ins and outs” of the business, Zion invested in the right machines, giving Zion the advantage of a more advanced technology than that of her former company. On April 21, 2007, Zion was launched with a team of five persons headed by Velasco. Only a year after,
Pajarillaga
Nomenzo the Edge Davao weekly business paper was born, with Antonio M. Ajero as editor in chief, winning journalistic awards along the way and, after four years, has transformed itself into a daily. Publication is Zion’s core competence, Velasco bared, adding that the management is prudent while maximizing with a lean, but
mean, organization. “We give incentives to our employees. Asset gyud ang workforce,” she said. Aside from the two color machines, Zion acquired a multi-million computer-to-plate (CTP) machine to cater its own needs. After five years, the publishing house has increased its capacity by three-fold. It has
established clientele in printing and publication. Its clients and business partners include multinational and local companies such as Camella, SM City Davao, Kisan Lu, Abreeza Mall, Santos Land, DMCI and other big companies and non-government organizations. Cheree Pajarillaga, an awardee of the com-
pany for her five years service, has witnessed the fast growth of Zion from its infancy. “Sa five years, gikan sa gamay nga collection hangtud sa first million peso nga naresibuhan nako,” she said, admitting her blooper on the first million-peso receipt she issued as she was only used to hundreds of pesos. Responsible for ac-
FZION, S6
BLESSING. Two priests bless the printing and Computer-to-Print machines
VOL.5 ISSUE 53 • MAY 17, 2012
EDGEDAVAO
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The Marketing, Accounting, and Circulation Teams with ZION’s president as well as EDGE DAVAO’s general manager, Ms. Olivia Velasco.
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EDGEDAVAO
VOL.5 ISSUE 53 • MAY 17, 2012
(Above)YOUR EDITORIAL TEAM. EDGE DAVAO’s (L-R) Gregorio Deligero, Lorie Ann Cascaro, Ramon Maxey, Jade Zaldivar, and Antonio Ajero, along with (Not in photo) Carlo Mallo, Neilwin Bravo, Kenneth Irving Ong, Karlos Manlupig, Joseph Lawrence Garcia, Arlene Pasaje, and Moses Billacura.
(Left)THE MEN OF THE HOUSE. ZION and EDGE DAVAO’s Production Team.
VOL.5 ISSUE 53 • MAY 17, 2012
EDGEDAVAO
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Thank You Top Unique
zion
5 Customers
for engaging the services of both ACCUPRINT PUBLISHING, INC.
and EDGEDAVAO
during the past five years.
CONSULATE GENERAL REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
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EDGEDAVAO
SUPPLEMENT
VOL.5 ISSUE 53 • MAY 17, 2012
Zion... FFROM S2
counting, delivery and collection, Pajarillaga, fondly called “Buga” by officemates, was one of the pioneers of Zion, together with Zaldy Nemenzo, Rogelia Mamaed, Imelda Lee and Velasco. “I learned that it is not easy to achieve your goals. Paghirapan gyud nimo kay sama sa Zion, nagsugod gyud mi nga dili sayun as not all things come on a silver platter,” she said. She has been motivated to excel in her field of expertise, especially that the “boss” (Velasco) manages her people with a personal touch. “Tanang klaseng bonus naa. Gikan sa bugas padulong sa tambal. From 13th to 14th month pay naa,” she said. Buga has woven her dreams along with Zion’s, seeing herself
Edge...
advance in life as the company progresses. Having seen how the company has developed, she said, five years from now Zion will have its own building, and will become one of the top players in the industry. “Ang mga tao diri well-trained kay dili lang siya sa job description. Multi-tasking diri. Gwapo nga training ground. Kung wala ang isa, makapadayon gihapon kay kabalo ang tanan sa tanang trabahuon,” she said. Zion has been the training ground for machine operator Zaldy Nemenzo as well, also a five-year service awardee. Coming from different printing companies for years, Nemenzo has remained with Zion ever since. The company is strict in implementing
FFROM S1 action among all the community media players. First, the perking up of the once hohum business pages of local newspapers. And then, the phenomenal migration of economic news into the front pages. All these, the staff realized, only serve to whet the regional reader’s appetite for more. This is the raison d’etre of Edge Davao’s eventually becoming a daily. Thus, on March 5, 2012, three years after the first weekly edition saw print, came the first daily issue. From a core group of six, there are now over 25 personnel behind Edge Davao who are assigned to editorial, marketing, accounting, circulation, admin and production departments. On top of the many considerations for the daily publication is the fast changing Dabawenyo lifestyles. As Davao’s economic drivers rev up and the peso’s buying power strengthens, the people’s taste for the good life is stimulated. INdulge, Edge Davao’s lifestyle section reflects the latest in Davao’s fashion, arts & culture, food, wellness, entertainment, and the social scene. Keeping Dabawenyos up-to-date with the newest lifestyle trends. Another cutting edge of the paper is the superior printing
technology employed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Employing the latest in Computer-toPrint technology, Edge Davao’s pages are crisp, vivid, and clean. Where every letter of the story and every color in every advertisement is crystal clear and easy to read. That Edge Davao has raised the bar of excellence in reportage is evidenced by the accolades it has so far notched. In two years, the paper received three awards in the annual Philippine Press Institute-Coca-Cola Export Philippines Community Press Awards –Best in Business and Economic Reporting and Best in Science and Environment Reporting in 2011 and Best in Science and Environment Reporting 2012. By keeping Dabawenyos informed, it will soon conquer the Digital Divide. Edge Davao is Davao’s first e-paper with all pages –news and editorial, advertisement and advertorial –intact. It is a virtual version of Edge Davao’s hardcopy available for viewing anywhere in the world. And, going digital is not an impossible dream. Watch Edge Davao migrate to the next level of news delivery. In real time. With moving images. And interactive, too. Edge Davao— serving a seamless society.
quality and prudence, and he can attest to that. “Sa amo pa lang daan dili na makapasa imong trabaho, unsaon na lang sa customer? Charge gyud na sa akoa kung mamali,” he said. However, he admits that he was disciplined and trained with precision and efficiency, especially when Zion started printing Edge Davao daily. But, it was not really a problem to him at all working on both commercial printing and daily newspaper. “Walay problema basta wala lang koy waiting time. Dako na kaayo ang isa ka oras nga wala pay plate,” he said, adding that he was the only operator for a year before Edge Davao hit the streets. Comparing himself to fellow operators in other companies, he
CTP. Employing the latest in Comput- Where every letter of the story and er-to-Print technology, Edge Davao’s every color in every advertisement is pages are crisp, vivid, and clean. crystal clear and easy to read. said working in Zion na na bag-o sa amoa. mercial nga tirada. is quite an advantage Lahi man sa uban, Ang instruction gani as he has to deal with magtira silag resibo sa amoa bisan dyaryo commercial delicate tasks every unom ka bulan, resibo dapat ra. Kung naay colored gani ang quality. Dili day. “Delikado perman- mokalit og abot, siy- kay dyaryo nga lamoente. Basta mga delika- empre mawala ka sa lamo lang basta maddo nga trabahuon, dili rhythm nga pang com- isplay,” he said.