MANILA, Philippines - She was a familiar face in the corridors of ABS-CBN.

With her fair skin and long blonde hair, it was impossible not to notice her. She is Beth Morissey, the American intern, who for one year worked on ABS-CBN's citizen journalism campaign “Boto Mo, iPatrol Mo: Ako ang Simula” (BMPM).

With a passion for citizen journalism, Beth was at the forefront of the BMPM movement, promoting it online and also interacting with its brave Boto Patrollers.

During her stay in the country, she didn’t only learn about the workings of media in the Philippines but also developed an appreciation of its culture, people, and food, particularly laing (simmered taro leaves in coconut milk).

She sat down for a short interview before she flew back recently to New York.

GETTING HERE

How did you learn about ABS-CBN and what attracted you to come here and intern with us?

Well, when I read the reports of all the previous people, they wrote all of the exciting things that they did, like how they walk in and there's all these opportunities that people are willing to give them lots of work right away, that they can sort of cut their teeth in media and that if you're sort of eager and willing you can do many different things here that you wouldn't be able to do, I think, in other workplace situations.

How did you get into ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs Division as an intern?

I started last year in June of 2009. I was sent by an organization called Princeton-in-Asia, an organization that sends 160 people to Asia every year, mostly teachers and some workplace people. There was a post at ABS-CBN, so I was chosen this year to be the person sent here.

How did you get involved with the organization Princeton-in-Asia?

It actually came from friends who knew people who came to Asia to actually work in the media business. I logged on to the website, went through all of the previous people's reports, learned what they did here, and I was really excited to see what they had done and who they had met. And so I applied to the program. There's a long application process that lasted 6 months and you go through a lot of interviews.

So you were chosen to be assigned to the Philippines or did you choose the Philippines as your preferred assignment?

I applied to several posts and my top pick was ABS-CBN. So I applied for this particular post, as did a lot of other people, and they went through the applications.

Did you take up journalism in college?

I graduated in 2006 with a major in anthropology from the University of Chicago.

What was your work before you came to the Philippines?

I was working for a lot of organizations right before I came. I was working for Purple States TV, which is a citizen journalism project that focused on the 2008 presidential elections and we made web documentaries for the TheNewYorkTimes.com and TheWashingtonPost.com.

Then I was also on the op-ed board of OffTheBus, which was a citizen journalism project that also focused on the 2008 presidential elections.

BMPM

So how was the experience being with ABS-CBN for one year?

Fabulous! It was great and I loved it. It was hard and it was a lot of long hours. I got put on BMPM right away. I think I was a little jet-lagged when they pulled me on a plane along with a bunch of other news executives to give a workshop in Mindanao and I had to learn really quickly how to teach them journalism and how to interact with the culture in the Philippines.

Since then it's been a lot of hard work and a lot of amazing people pushing me along and teaching me and mentoring me so it's been fabulous.

What were your responsibilities in the BMPM project?

It's a lot of structure and strategy, and planning. First thing we had to do is figure out how do we build, sort of, this patroller base, and [we had] to figure out how to build it online and how to build it in person. I gave some talks with her in various places like in Mindanao, around Manila, and in Cavite.

Then it's also building our presence, our online social networking, our website, and making a sort of cutting-edge media program and then it's the back-end. Once we get this information, how do we then give it to the news desk, how do we figure out what to do with the thousands of reports that come in during Halalan, and its lots of systems and management.

How different was your experience in the other projects that you handled involving citizen journalism and BMPM?

Here, there is a much bigger focus on community. In the US, it's a lot of web-based programs so you get one person that will go out and do a story then they send it in, and that's it. It's just them operating the computer and e-mailing someone else on the other end.

Here, there are a lot of in-person like groups, there are a lot of registration days, and a lot of going out in the field and teaching. Also there is like a lot of national pride I think, associated with being participative in media.

What do you think was your biggest accomplishment in the BMPM project?

I think my biggest accomplishment is sitting in the war-room on Halalan and seeing our 60 staff members working, operating, everyone doing their own job and knowing that I had helped create those positions and taught people how to do what they needed to do, and seeing the whole system working. That I think gave me the biggest feeling of accomplishment.

How did you find our elections compared to the US? And how would you compare the local media coverage of the elections compared to the American media's coverage of the US elections?

The networks' coverage in the US is much longer. I feel that we start like a year or more in advance, and it is a constant horse-race and we are just saturated with election news. Here, there is definitely a shorter campaigning period. I think also here, I learned more about how election coverage works, actually in both places about how the news will set, or set agenda for election coverage and how they plan months and months in advance.

I think learning how the Philippines builds election coverage from the ground up gave me a lot of perspective on how what goes into building US election coverage. I actually started to critique it and see where we're good and where we're bad.

Any valuable lessons that you learned from any of our journalists during your one year stay?

From Maria Ressa, I learned the importance of innovation. You just do not stop looking for change and ways to improve on what you're working on.

I think from Tony Velasquez, I learned a lot about just sticking to an idea and an ideal. We've talked about how the media can help the Philippines or not help the Philippines and I think I learned a lot from him about media and bringing change.

I think I learned a lot from all the news executives I got to sort of, be with them in some workshops and have individual conversations with them about what they've done in their lives and it's really helped me think about what I want to do with my career.

PHILIPPINES

During your stay here in the Philippines, did you travel to other places? What places did you visit?

Yes, I went to some different parts. My favorite place is La Union, to go surfing. It was great. I've been up there a couple times. Just do amazing surf in just a very relaxing atmosphere. I usually go for a weekend trip, leave right after work, come home right before work on Mondays. Those are great! That's probably my favorite place.

I also really enjoyed seeing the crucifixions in Pampanga, which is something we definitely don't have in the US and I have never seen before. So it's interesting to see that kind of cultural difference.

How would you describe your stay in the Philippines for one year?

Well, everyone asks me what I'm going to miss most about the Philippines or what I like the most and it's really cheesy as it sounds, it's how friendly everyone is. I know that's like the 'tour guide' line but the truth is, I felt really welcome whenever I meet groups of friends or even if in the office everyone extends a hand and Manila's not an easy place when you just get dropped in here.

And everyone was sort of, offered to show me the city, offered to tell me where the great restaurants are, offered to just show me around, so that's what I'm going to miss…just being welcomed no matter sort of where I went.

What was your first impression of the Philippines before you came here?

I didn't know as much as I know now, obviously. Whenever I thought of the Philippines, I thought of People Power, and I thought of I guess, Cory Aquino, and I knew some basic history about how the military influences the government and real political structure and things you study in school, but not really things you would learn when you actually go to a place.

What was your family's reaction when they learned that you were going to be away and that you were coming to the Philippines?

They were very nervous. They were worried for me. But I called them and talked to them a lot, so I think that after a couple of months they were much more comfortable with the idea as I told them about the people I was meeting and what I was doing.

I think that they began to see why I wanted to be here, and they also really began to sort of have some pride and be excited for me -- that I was here.

FOOD AND CULTURE

On the lighter side, what's your favorite Filipino food?

Laing. I can't say it correctly but I love it, it's so good.

Did you learn how to cook it?

No.

Any favorite Filipino actors or actresses?

I don't know if I can answer that question, but it is very cool to watch how and what a big role the actors and actresses play in Filipino culture, and to see how important they are in the many different areas that they can extend to.

What words have you learned?

Oh no, I don't think I should say! My pronunciation is horrible!

How did you overcome the language barrier in the work place?

Actually, I probably understand a lot more than I can speak, but it was a crash course in being around it so often. I had a tutor in the beginning and the tutor also runs an amazing podcast online which helped a lot, so much, and in the meetings you sort of, I don't know, people are talking in Taglish so you learn Tagalog faster that way.

The BMPM staff is also extremely helpful especially our interns and OJT's. If I need them to translate for me, they would help me a lot.

LOOKING AHEAD

What are your future plans?

In August, I'm going to start Grad School at Columbia University to get a Masters in Journalism.

Are you going to pursue a career in journalism in the States or are you coming back?

I will hopefully do some journalism outside of the States, and hopefully find myself back in the Philippines or in southeast Asia.

When you go back to the States, how will you describe the Philippines to your friends?

First, I would tell them to go to the Philippines! Go to the Philippines and see it because how can you describe the Philippines in just a few sentences? But I think I will tell them that it is a very diverse place, and a place that has a strong identity but is also finding its place in the world. It's very cool to come and watch that, and be a part of it from the news perspective and to see how it's growing. It's pretty amazing.

I think there's going to be a lot of changes in the Philippines in the next few years because of technology and changes in the politics.

And you'll be constantly reading updates on the Philippines?

Of course, I will! And I'll tell everyone to come to the beaches and just come see the Philippines.