Whether you’re an avid or just a casual reader of DAILY TRIBUNE, you have probably seen Tarseeto, alias Nosy Tarsee, the paper’s mascot, who embodies the undying hunger of people behind the paper for social justice through journalism.

According to Glenn Tolo, longtime artist and cartoonist for DAILY TRIBUNE, when he first picked up his pencil to bring Tarseeto to life for Concept and Information Group Inc., the publisher of this multi-media enterprise, he did not realize he was creating more than just a character.

Now a can’t-miss figure on TRIBUNE’s pages, Tarseeto was officially born on 15 June 2018, but his roots go back to a simple phone call in 2017 and plans to put the creation in the news website of Concept News Central.

“It started with a conversation with Ma’am Chingbee Fernandez (Tribune’s executive vice president) in 2017,” Glenn recalls. “She said they needed a character — madaldal, makulit, something that represents the daily TRIBUNE’s voice when it comes to social issues.”

Glenn said he had a handful of characters for the paper’s mascot, such as a parrot — because it’s loud and chatty — or an owl, wise and all-seeing. But none of them quite captured the unique energy the team wanted.

The light-bulb moment came after a trip to Bohol by Ms. Chingbee and her husband, Mr. Willie Fernandez, the paper’s president.

“Malaki ang mata, parang nakakakita ng lahat (Big eyes, all-seeing). Curious, pwedeng ikutin ang ulo (it can turn its head). It’s endemic in the Philippines. It had the traits we needed,” Glenn said, referring to the Philippine tarsier.

Endemic to the Philippines, the tarsier can be found in the southeastern part of the archipelago, particularly on the islands of Bohol, Samar and Leyte.

And so, Tarseeto was born — not just as a mascot, but as a satirical commentator, a Filipino-flavored hybrid of social conscience and comic relief.

Glenn said Tarseeto’s personality drew heavily from another iconic character: Garfield.

“Garfield was our peg, especially the eyes. Tarseeto has that same ‘look’ — sarcastic, unimpressed, but always watching. Makulit pero may pinanggagalingan (he’s pesky but he is rooted),” he explained.

But Tarseeto wasn’t just meant to be funny. His mission was clear: “Kukulitin ang (To badger the) readers on social issues with wit and sarcasm.” From corruption to pop culture, no topic was safe from his bug-eyed scrutiny.

The hat

Glenn also recalled that one of the particular debates during the development stage was Tarseeto’s hat, which bears the logo of Concept News Central — DAILY TRIBUNE’s sister company.

“Originally, Tarseeto had a small hat to humanize him a bit. But then someone — CMF — wanted to take it out. Sabi ni Sir Willie, ‘Let it stay.’ That was final.” Glenn chuckles. “And now, it’s part of his signature look.”

The Fernandez duo has been, for years, running Concept & Information Group, Inc., which acquired DAILY TRIBUNE (read: save it from being bought by others with no journalistic passion or, worse, being allowed to write “30.”)

Tarseeto wears the hat with Concept’s logo — a profile of a person looking both backward and forward. Within the twin profiles is a white image of a light bulb. The dominant color of the logo is blue.

The logo represents the Roman god Janus, who is known as the master of the past, the present and the future. Often depicted in statuary as a man with two faces, which he uses to look back, the other to look forward.

“Janus is conversant with the past, while nothing in the future is hidden from him. He uses the knowledge gained from his extraordinary vision to give wise counsel to mortals who worship him,” said Editor-at-Large John Henry Dodson.

“As envisioned by Concept, this character is nothing like that nemesis of Batman,” he added with a laugh. “Nothing pejorative at all.”

Over the years, Tarseeto has evolved not just in style, but in substance. He reflects the editorial voice of the Tribune — sometimes cheeky, sometimes biting, always probing.

Now, his presence is not limited to the newspaper, he can now be seen on Viber, through special stickers — from celebrating special milestones and holidays to everyday life.