JAY TARUC joined GMA-7 as reporter in 1994. Now, after 16 years and the prestigious George Peabody Award to his credit for his “Batang Alipin” docu about child labor, Jay shows a different take on being a documentarist in GMA News TV Channel 11’s new public affair show, “Motorcycle Diaries”, starting Friday at 8 PM. All those who complain we lack meaningful shows on primetime should support this as it mirrors the reality around us. “I will go to the four corners of our country in my BMW motorcycle that will be an active element in the show,” he says. “I’ve been a biker since 1999 and I used to be a member of the Harurot Bike Club. Motorcycles are a convenient way of travelling, lalo dito sa’tin where roads are congested, matipid pa ito sa gas. Kaya lang, maraming bikers don’t follow traffic rules and regulations kaya maraming accidents, so we should all be more careful.”For his first episode this Friday, Jay aims to show the life of a small detachment of soldiers assigned in a remote mountain in Mindanao. “My team and I first flew Butuan City, then we travelled by land for three hours to the town of San Luis, then from there, another four hours by motorcycle up the mountains before we get to what the soldiers call a hardship post. The difficulty of going through the thick mud and the forest is part of the show. It’s told from the point of view of Lt. Nara, a PMA graduate who’s been there for two years. His girlfriend is also from PMA assigned in Isabela. They’ve not seen each other for so long. Mga 22 sila roon, mostly CAFGUs. When they don’t get their ration of de lata, they plant vegetables and fish in the river to survive. We were accompanied by soldiers to secure us to get to their place. For our next episode, we feature teacher Vergel Libunao who’s been working for 13 years in Sitio Talam C Dos in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Next episodes will see me immersing in the works of farmers, firemen and social workers.”
Jay is the son of veteran radio broadcaster Joe Taruc who has had two strokes but continues to host his own radio show.
