A journalist from a Filipino-American newspaper, Ted Reyes of the Filipino Express, said he has been selected as one of the lucky mediamen around the world to witness and cover the historical inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America.
“I, in behalf of the Filipino Express, will be at inauguration to cover history. A press pass is waiting for me in Capitol Hill. Though was positive about us getting it from the beginning, it was still a shock when the news came. 240,000 tickets. Millions of people fighting for it. I was competing with almost all the media companies in the world. I got one.” said Reyes in an article in The Filipino Express.
The Filipino Express is a Filipino American newspaper in New York and New Jersey.
Reyes explained how difficult it is to obtain a ticket for the Obama inauguration because millions of people applied for the tickets. He read from The Jersey Journal that only 240,000 tickets are available and that these are in the hands of senators and congressmen who are responsible for distributing the tickets to fortunate ones.
“Honestly, I gave ourselves a positive chance to get a ticket. It is one thing to be The New York Times, and another to be The Filipino Express, being a legendary Filipino-American newspaper for 23 years”.
Reyes said he has only witnessed one presidential inauguration and that was during the 2001 inauguration of President Gloria M. Arroyo at the Edsa Shrine.
“This is the first time I will be at an American president’s inauguration and I am thrilled to the bone,” he said. “I will witness Barack Obama place his right hand on the good book, raise his left towards the heavens and utter the oath of office that will bestow upon him the title of the leader of the free world.”
“So it is with great pride and joy for the paper to bring this moment to you first hand, when it happens and where it happens,” he said.
With reports from ABS-CBN News Online
