AWARD-WINNING economic journalist and Artlets faculty member Marie Carisa “Cai” Ordinario, passed away after a hard-fought battle with colon cancer. She was 45.
Ordinario, who covered macroeconomic policy for business daily BusinessMirror, died on Nov. 17 at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City.
“Cai is free now from her earthly pains, but we, her friends and colleagues who loved her most dearly – and the BM that carried the best of business journalism that she worked hard on for many years – must bear the pain of loss,” the BusinessMirror said on Tuesday.
Ordinario earned her bachelor’s degree in Journalism at UST in 2002 and her master’s degree in Communication at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2019.
In 2021, she started her teaching stint at UST, where she handled Macroeconomic Indicators, Business and Economic Journalism and Media and Society.
The late instructor reaped major recognitions in her 23-year journalism career, including the Hall of Fame in the Bright Leaf Awards, Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines Macro Economy Reporter of the Year and Best Statistical Reporting from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Lourdes Molina-Fernandez, editor-in-chief of BusinessMirror, laudedOrdinariofor her efforts to mentor young journalists.
“I will remember her for the passion not just for doing excellent journalism, but for making sure that the good practice lives on through her inspiring and indefatigable mentorship in and out of the newsroom,” Fernandez told The Flame.
Ordinario’s colleagues and students described her as a dedicated and ethical reporter who demonstrated genuine concern for her students.
“She was very determined to tell the stories of Filipinos from the experiences of ordinary citizens to complicated issues of the economy and society. She will serve as an inspiration not just for journalists but also for educators,” Jasper Arcalas, a former BusinessMirror reporter who now teaches Journalism at UST, said.
“She was a professor who smiled a lot but who gave challenging tasks. She pushed us to go out of our comfort zone,” Justine Xyrah Garcia, a former student of Ordinario who now covers the labor beat for BusinessMirror, said.
Ordinario was survived by her parents Susan and Camilo and her sister Marie Camille Joson. Her wake was held on Nov. 18 at the Eternal Gardens Crematorium in Baesa, Novaliches.
Ordinario’s cremation will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 19. Her cremated remains will be at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Diliman, Quezon City.F – S. Delfino
