Only the Positive

E“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing!” This adage by Benjamin Franklin can apply conceptually to every writer of any sort, especially to the journalist. After all, a reporter’s purpose is to write or do aught to write of. But how easy can it be to capture something beautiful in a world filled with the unsightly?

Columns begin with despairing quotes, and headlines are anything but pretty. These types of news drive journalist Christine Daryit up the wall. “When I read the paper in the morning, I don’t even read the negative stuff any more. I just go to the happy parts!” she said. “There are so many negative things happening in the world, you know, sad things, bad news. And so I feel that we are blessed with so much, and it is also our responsibility to people [to reveal these blessings] and our way of thanking the Lord.”

Christine makes a living out of travel writing and ensures that whatever she does is for the positive. “I’m not a food critic. I’m not a travel critic. I’m not there to criticize and say it didn’t meet the standards,” she explains, “I’m just a travel writer who explores, who writes of a good place to eat or a good place to stay, what activities to engage in when you’re in a specific place.”

So why travel writing? “Of course, for myself, I achieve the satisfaction of experiencing these places. And to people, I like to discover the places and share with people—the readers—what’s beautiful. In terms of nature, structures, food, cultures, you know, everything! In 20 years I’ve never written anything negative about a place because I only write about the beauty that I see! I only write about good things, happy things…things that are positive.”

Christine’s mantra is to only write about the good things in life because there’s enough negativity as there is. But what exactly led her to this philosophy? It started back when she was a young woman producing films.

Despite being a part of the well-known family business, Miladay Fine Jewels, Christine had other aspirations when she was younger. “I didn’t always want to be a journalist, I wanted to be a lawyer,” Christine recalls. However, her father discouraged her, stating it was a lonely profession. Christine’s grandfather was, in fact, a lawyer, and such thoughts were rooted in family experience. So instead, she pursued film production at Boston University.

After finishing her studies, she returned to the Philippines and produced films with the support of her father. In addition, she became the chairman of the Cinema Evaluation Board.

“When I started producing films I’d always get comments that the film was bad or not bad,” she recalls. She also noticed that some entertainment writers do nothing but criticize. But for Christine, there is no point in attacking and breaking down someone’s art.

“When my parents passed away in 1997. I didn’t want to attend socials and functions and parties. The film industry is like that, there are so many events with lots of people. I said, ‘I’d like to write about travel. Being a travel writer, I could do it on my own.’ When you produce films you need like 100 people on the set. My background as a travel writer started because when I was studying in Boston, I also took up writing classes which I enjoyed.”

Now that Christine followed her heart, she could choose where to go, sometimes with her editor’s help. “My editor gives me assignments, and lately she’s been giving me assignments on local places. She sent me to Boracay to write about re-discovering travel in the Philippines. When it comes to the beauty of nature there’s no problem. Also, we have lots of beautiful hotels and resorts.”

Christine says the country’s tourism industry would be more robust by improving infrastructure and facilities such as airports, roads, and communication services. She says it is more expensive to travel in the Philippines than in other Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. As a travel writer, there is nothing she would like more than to promote her own country.

One of Christine’s goals is to write and finish her book, which is taking longer than anticipated. “I am working on a compilation of my best dream destinations.” She admits choosing the best places to visit takes work. However, it’s better to be overloaded by the good rather than the bad. So, following her philosophy of positivity, Christine continues to travel and write, remembering to always follow the good things in life.