TELLING THE FILIPINO STORY TO THE WORLDEditors’ Note: For 15 days, we will be telling stories about the Global Destiny Cable to mark the cable company’s 15th anniversary on Dec. 9, 2010. Some are little inside stories but impacting on how we cover unfolding events; some are mark-the-day stories that become talk-of-the-town types; others are turning-point stories that have changed the landscape of history; still others, big or small, seize the heart and never let go. But whatever, the Inquirer will tell you the story.

nd so it came to pass that the new kid on the block issued an announcement that sounded like a portent of things to come: “A new event is crying for our attention: possible snap elections.

When and if that happens the Philippine Inquirer may respond with a snap daily. This new broadsheet size is in preparation for that eventuality” (Nov. 11-17, 1985).

AThe weekly tabloid-size Philippine Inquirer was born on Feb. 4, 1985, in response to a need to watch closely the Sandiganbayan trial of the 26 men accused in the assassination of former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. on Aug. 21, 1983. With the trial over except for the verdict, the Inquirer prepared for a “snap eventuality.”

The women in charge: publisher and editor in Chief Eugenia D. Apostol and Editor Leticia J. Magsanoc.

On Dec. 9, 1985, a Monday, the Philippine Inquirer became the Philippine Daily Inquirer, ISSN 0116-0443, a broadsheet eager to participate in and report daily on the nation’s unfolding history.

That day, fair weather, with light and variable winds, prevailed in Metro Manila. Other parts of the country had fair weather with isolated rain showers.

The first banner headline: “Cory rebuffs Doy demands.” Above it, “I am against communism, says Cory.” Below the fold: “Marcos claims God ordered him to lead Filipinos.”

Above the masthead of the “unmade bed” (referring to how the paper’s layout looked) was the come-on: “A slogan? Help us write one and win a prize.”

Weeks later, “Balanced News, Fearless Views” was chosen from more than 27,000 entries. Proof that people out there were reading the Inquirer and eager to participate in its becoming.

Defining moments But it was during the days ahead that the rhyming catch phrase would be put to the test. The Feb. 7, 1986, snap election that pitted Ferdinand Marcos against Cory Aquino and its aftermath became defining moments that would create a ground swell of protest and catalyze a powerful people power movement never seen before in the world. The Inquirer was in the midst of it all.

But this is getting ahead of the story.

That February of 1986, the Inquirer continued to report on the fraudulent election and the protests in many parts of the country that began to shake the dictatorship in a major way. As the powerful Catholic Church hierarchy breathed down on Marcos and called down on him the wrath of God, it was clear that his days were numbered.

“FM next Duvalier-Cory” the Feb. 20 headline said. Marcos ignored the gathering storm.

In editorial after editorial, in its reports, the Inquirer exposed a regime that was falling apart and yet continued to show brute force.

The Inquirer prominently reported the slaying of former Antique governor and Cory supporter Evelio Javier after the snap election. It was like Ninoy’s assassination all over again, with the bloodied Javier looking like his slain idol at the then Manila International Airport.

The wide spectrum that was the protest movement was not wanting of martyrs, media persons among them.

Major unraveling The Inquirer reported on governments taking Marcos to task for clinging to power by foul means. His regime was crumbling and his health was failing. Didn’t he see the end was near?

“15 nations snub FM/won’t attend inaugural” the Feb. 21 headline of a banner story said. As the Inquirer editorial of Feb. 22 stressed, “When diplomats do this openly and in full view, then it is time for Mr. Marcos to consider the meaninglessness of his election victory and the prospects of his country’s being unwelcome in the family of nations while he leads it.”

That night of Feb. 22, the major unraveling began. Military officers and soldiers announced their breakaway from Marcos. A yellow throng of Cory supporters began to surround and protect these men who were once the protector of the enemy.

But Cory’s poll victory would not be jeopardized by this surprising turn of events.

And so the four-day (Feb. 22-25) bloodless People Power Revolution began. The Inquirer headlines were harbingers of more surprising things to come, announcing the beginning of the end.

“Officials quit gov’t” (Feb. 22). “Enrile, Ramos lead ‘revolt’ against FM” (Feb. 23). “I’ll never surrender-Enrile” (Feb. 24). “We won-Enrile; I’m in charge-FM” (Extra edition, Feb. 24). “Cory takes oath?” (Feb. 25), “Her Excellency, Cory! /Takes oath as 7th President” (Extra edition, Feb. 25).

Model for oppressed The world watched things unfold, tantalized by the Filipinos’ unique way of claiming their freedom.

An Inquirer editorial described the phenomenon: “People all over the world then saw the unbelievable. Filipinos charging at giant tanks with Volkswagens. Nuns and priests meeting armored cars with rosaries and prayers. Little children giving grim soldiers flowers and urging them not to fight for Marcos. People linking arms and blocking tanks, daring them to crush their fellow Filipinos …“It was a lesson in passive resistance that will be the model for all oppressed people of the world, and it was uniquely Filipino.”

The Inquirer’s part in People Power was not an accidental, incidental one. The people behind the Inquirer in its previous forms and incarnations, working in the shadows and in the light, had done groundwork that inexorably led up to a certain level of preparedness. They had long harkened to the sound of distant drums, and when the time came, they heeded the call to arms.

“It’s all over; Marcos flees!” the Inquirer headline (Feb. 26) screamed.

But not quite over. For the People Power child, this little newspaper that could, the work was not over. The next chapter of its long, colorful and meaningful life had really just begun.

Present at creation: Hysterical, historical By Eugenia Duran-Apostol

DID YOU SAY historical or hysterical?Both describe the beginning of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.It dates back to President Ferdinand Marcos’ declaration of martial law

in September 1972.He enjoyed being President in 1965 and being reelected in 1969, and on the pretext that the country needed to become a New Society under his guidance, he all but made himself President for life.

He arrested all the dissenters, especially influential media owners and writers, and his most vocal oppositionist, Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.

Marcos closed all the newspapers and magazines not partial to him and allowed his friendly Times Journal, Daily Express and later Bulletin Today to continue to sing his praises.

Women’s magazines he allowed to open upon application to the secretary of national defense, Juan Ponce Enrile.

My husband being the favorite civil engineer builder of Mrs. Cristina Ponce Enrile, was my route to the approval of the very first martial law women’s magazine: Woman’s Home Companion.

This was requested through me by several of the Manila Chronicle’s top executives who had found themselves jobless: Rod Reyes, Choy Escano, Johnny Ordoveza and Vergel Santos.

And they asked me to be editor.

Cristina Ponce EnrileBeing the first, we flourished—so well that the initial capitalization needed to be upped in two years. The money of the Chronicle executives was not enough—so we sold to the printer, the Guerreros, for three times the original investments.

The Chronicle guys went their individual ways, leaving me to continue as editor.

But the artistic Morita Guerrero and daughter had their own ideas about how to handle the magazine. And I had mine.

So I quit, but without warning, the whole staff quit, too!

What to do? Start a new one called Mr. & Ms. This was in 1975 and same friends volunteered to join as stockholders.

When Cristina Ponce Enrile heard about it she said: I want 20 percent, too.

The women’s magazine market now being crowded, it took some doing to break even. And this we accomplished by special publications for United Coconut Planters Bank’s annual giveaways: Menu guide for the year 1977 and 1978 with Nick Joaquin’s 10 children’s stories for 1979. The Coconut Cookbook etcetera.

We were on our eighth year of Mr & Ms in 1983 when Ninoy Aquino was shot to death while in the hands of the military.

Outrage in the streetsImmediately we planned a report on Ninoy’s life and work. That it sold very well is an understatement. The outrage of the Filipinos was concretized in the 2 million people who showed up at his 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. funeral.

The next day, hardly a word about the funeral was in the Marcos newspapers.

This made me mad—and, gathering the Mr. & Ms staff, I announced a special funeral issue the very next day.

It was a 16-page, black and white P2-edition which sold 150,000 copies in the first run, then another 150,000 copies and with the clamor of the news dealers—460,000 more!

And the demonstrations continued. How to document all these? I ran to the house of Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc who was jobless since Hans Menzi fired her from the Bulletin because of an unsympathetic (to Marcos) story she wrote in Philippine Panorama (Bulletin’s Sunday magazine) two years earlier.

I asked her to edit a Mr. & Ms Special Edition to record the daily demonstrations. (“But you can’t use my name,” she admonished, or we ran the risk of being closed down.)

We didn’t until 1986. But that’s getting ahead of the story.

Fear of whitewashFor three straight years, the Filipinos—not only in Metro Manila—but in other provincial capitals—kept up their daily protests.

Late 1984 the Sandiganbayan ruled that Gen. Fabian Ver and 26 others would be tried for the Ninoy murder. Suspecting this would be a whitewash, we nevertheless deemed it necessary to follow the trial for the record.

We decided to set up another weekly to record the trial. Letty suggested the name “Philippine Inquirer” (after the Philadelphia Inquirer, her favored paper while she lived there for six years.) So we used that name, and she edited that, too.

Aside from the detailed reports on the trial, we asked the big but silenced guns of Philippine journalism at that time—Max Soliven and Louie Beltran—to write columns for it. Art Borjal was also a columnist.

Soliven and Beltran had been thrown into jail by Marcos at the outset of martial law. After their release, no one dared hire them until the Philippine Inquirer did.

Birth of weekly InquirerThe weekly Inquirer was launched in February 1985 with a monthly P100,000 investment. When the trial ended in October, we had lost P900,000. I thought we should stop the Inquirer.

But Marcos announced a snap election for the presidency (to prove to the world the Filipinos still loved him).

And our reaction was: The poor opposition had only Malaya to depend on for support. Didn’t they need another daily?

Breakfast with historyRight after Ninoy was shot, I was in a position to do something about public events. Mr & Ms had enough funds and the right staff to be able to react instantly in a way that met the needs of the readers.

When no Malacañang reprisal came, we became bolder. I even had the nerve to ask the alternative media owners to react to my idea of a cooperative newspaper.

I called to breakfast one morning Chino Roces, the Locsins father and son, Joe Burgos of Malaya, Raul Locsin of BusinessDay, and Betty Go-Belmonte of the Fookien Times (Geny Lopez of the Manila Chronicle had escaped from Marcos’ prison and was then in the United States).

I asked them if it would be a good idea to start a newspaper, all of us together. With the strength of numbers, hopefully, we could do something about what was done to Ninoy and what was being done to our country.

All of them said no, no way. They said they all had suffered from the Marcos dictatorship. They were not about to start any newspaper at that time.

Although Raul Locsin had his business paper with news, real news about what was going on in the country was not emphasized. Joe Burgos had Malaya but had just suffered from the closure of We Forum. So they were not about to start another newspaper.

Later, the new Philippine Daily Inquirer held office for the first five months in the Port Area building which the family of Betty owned. I held office in her office, so I asked her to be vice chair to me. She had accepted my proposal for a co-op newspaper.

‘Noble idea’So, we regrouped for a daily, organizing a cooperative newspaper so that all those working for it could share the responsibility and hopefully, the rewards.

I told Cristina and Johnny Ponce Enrile, who had shares in Mr & Ms, about the plan. Johnny said it was a “noble idea.” I emphasized to them that no politician could be part of the new paper.

When the weekly Inquirer became a daily, I formed a separate corporation.

The new group bought the name The Philippine Inquirer from Mr. & Ms, and paid P900, 000 for it. The group also borrowed a million pesos in cash, paper and equipment from Mr. & Ms and paid it back (with interest) in two months.

In three months, the Philippine Daily Inquirer had not only helped oust Marcos, it was also making money!

Standing by Cory, DoyIn several coup attempts inspired by Enrile, the Inquirer stood firmly by the duly elected President Corazon “Cory” Aquino and Vice President Salvador “Doy” Laurel.

Enrile must have felt betrayed because in 1989, he (through his accountant Nora Bitong) filed a suit against Apostol, Magsanoc and Doris Nuyda (of Mr & Ms) for “breach of fiduciary duty, mismanagement,” etc.

For five years we went up and down the elevators of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to attend hearing after hearing. In August 1993, the lower court ruled in our favor and lifted the injunction on our PDI shares.

Keeping pols outI decided to sell my shares immediately so that Enrile would not be able to touch them in the future. My lawyer, the late Enrique Bello, was not in favor of the sale, knowing we had a good chance of winning the case. But I was not willing to take the chance with the unpredictable judiciary.

If Enrile or any other politician were to end up owning even a single share in the Inquirer, I would never forgive myself. I had a ready buyer, Edgardo Espiritu. I quickly negotiated the sale before the Enrile group could file an appeal with the SEC.

Prietos come inAt the first board meeting in January 1994, I resigned as chair because I had no more shares. In the meantime, the Prietos had come in and Espiritu gave them his vote. Marixi Rufino-Prieto became the new board chair.

Sure enough, Nora Bitong, on Enrile’s behalf, went to the SEC en banc, only to find out that the Apostol shares had been “Espirited away.”

But complications had arisen in Enrile’s favor. In three months, the SEC reversed the lower court’s decision.

Although my shares had been safely spirited away, we still had to go to the Court of Appeals. Espiritu was named in a separate pleading.

In mid-1996, Justice Pedro Ramirez ruled in our favor, saying Bitong was not the real party in interest. This part of the Inquirer’s history brings me to the subject of media ownership in the Philippines.

Cooperative structureIn August 1985, at a National Press Club seminar on media hazards, Dr. Florangel Braid suggested that one solution to the problem of media independence was the adoption of the cooperative structure in the newspapers.

If only people owned their newspaper or TV station, there would be less pressure from interest groups and, therefore, it would be more independent.

So in September and October 1985, we had two seminars on cooperative ownership of media. There were going to be more but the November announcement by Marcos of a snap election made it imperative to act right away.

So I suggested to Florangel Braid, Betty Belmonte, Eli Alampay, Letty Magsanoc, Doris Nuyda, SP Lopez, Louie Beltran and Max Soliven that it was time for such a cooperative newspaper.

They all agreed, and the Inquirer was born as a daily. Because of the difficult requirements involved in registering as a cooperative and because we needed a legal personality as soon as possible, we registered as a corporation, which had an unusual clause in the bylaws: only those permanently employed by the Inquirer could own stocks in it.

This demonstrated the board’s intention to go cooperative plus the fact that all the board members were issued equal number of shares.

WE STARTED with 30 brave employees. At the end of the year, we had 180 who all owned shares in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI). So, I met separately with my Mr & Ms stockholders to tell them of this newspaper concept, explaining to them the unique ownership in which business and government functionaries are not to be allowed to become stockholders.

Maybe they heard differently because later, when the Inquirer became a successful daily, one stockholder (guess who?) accused me of using Mr & Ms illegally.

The cooperative idea was certainly a new type of media ownership—newspapers owned by those who work for it, a chance for the staff to have money without hocking their souls.

But before the concept could be internalized, the young members of the staff were attracted to unionism, which won over cooperativism.

Although thwarted, the PDI officers welcomed the union in 1987 and gave the employees what is known to be the most generous collective bargaining agreement in the industry.

The legal personality of the Inquirer was that of a corporation with the idea that we were going to make it a cooperative. But it didn’t happen.

We were getting from the employees P50 every pay day against their shares. In 15 months, they had enough shares but since they preferred a union, they sold their shares. Everybody sold their shares, even my son and Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, mostly to the chief operating officer at that time, Danny Venida.

Much, much moreThe profit sharing was 10 percent of the entire profit or something like that. That wasn’t much really considering that later on, for example, in one year the profit share of each employee was P100,000. There were 200 employees, which means P20 million.

That 10-percent profit was small compared to what they would have had if they were shareholders. Much, much more. Because it was only one-tenth of the profits divided among 200 people.

When I left the Inquirer in 1994, the profit was P50 million. One-tenth was all the employees received—P5 million.

‘You can have it’After the employees’ shares were sold, the COO called me one day and said, “Mrs. Apostol, you better talk to your lawyer because I now own 54 percent of the shares.”

I said: “OK, you can have it all. Anyway, I’m not interested in it anymore because it’s not the newspaper that I like, no longer the cooperative paper that I dreamed of. So you can have it. Fifty-four percent ownership meant he would become the new chair.”

But then, Metro Pacific, from whom we borrowed P10 million to buy a press, heard about this and they said no: Mrs. Apostol cannot go

because she guaranteed this P10-million loan. So I got stuck. Mr. Venida had to sell part of his shares.

I just don’t know exactly the timing now but at that time, when the Inquirer was really zooming in circulation, I needed professional help to manage the business side, about which I knew so little about.

I heard of two employees who had been fired from the Bulletin by Mr. Emilio Yap and who had been there for years and knew the business side of the newspaper inside out. I asked to see them and I offered them shares in the Inquirer, 49 percent. They were Mariano Quimson and Ben Pangilinan.

Who owned those 49 percent?The shares were there and I gave part to them. I guess Danny, the

COO, had given them up.Were the shares paid for by Quimson and Pangilinan?I am not sure now of the arrangement.All my shares were in the name of Jaed, the company of my husband, Jose Apostol. I certainly was unaware of the requirement that the chair should have a share—at least one to become chair.

Corporate warThe result was I was removed as chair even if I owned 49 percent of the stocks. The business executives to whom I had given 49 percent of shares in the Inquirer wanted more control. They saw the potential of PDI was huge. They even filed a case against me in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The remaining 2 percent was owned by a few other members of the editorial staff who had opted to hang on to their stocks even after all the rest opted for a union.

At the next stockholders meeting, I surprised the new board with the votes of the 2 percent minority, whom I brought in with me, and I regained ascendancy. This was four years before I decided to sell my shares to prevent politicians from getting any of the shares.

At about the same time, Johnny Ponce Enrile filed a suit against me in 1989 for “mismanaging” Mr & Ms. Enrile really wanted to come into PDI.

The case was in the SEC for four and a half years.

When a case is filed against you, they freeze your shares. Luckily, in 1994, the SEC lower court decided in my favor. Then, my shares were released and I decided right there and then to sell all my shares so Enrile would never get hold of even a single one.

Although I had won in the lower court, I knew the case would be filed in the SEC en banc, the Court of Appeals and all the way to the Supreme Court.

Chair resigns

A share going to a politician?That I would never, never, never allow. That would destroy the newspaper. So I decided to sell my shares in 1993—before the case was filed in the SEC en banc.

Lawyer Enrique Belo didn’t want me to do it. “No, don’t sell your shares. We’re gonna win this case!” I said, Enrique, I cannot be sure we’ll win because we still have years of litigation coming. And I’d rather just sell my shares so there will no longer be a quarrel.”

Within two weeks, I sold those shares to Edgardo Espiritu. Some people thought it was really make-believe. They didn’t think I was really serious.

Few knew I had really sold my shares. That was August 1993. In January 1994, at the first board meeting I resigned as chair because I had no more shares.

In the meantime, the Prietos had come in and Edgardo Espiritu gave them his vote and Marixi Prieto became the new board chair.

Professionals in mediaMedia should be controlled by professionals. There are two kinds—the business managers and the editorial managers. When a newspaper is just beginning, business and editorial are usually together. It is when the paper starts making money that the conflict begins, as in any other business.

We should emphasize to all who join the paper that ethics is basic within the context of what I can see evolving as a PDI corporate culture.

With the developing technology, news may be made to travel faster than it does today. But whether now or in the future, the basic and greater concern will always be the reliability of the news and the appreciation and interpretation of that news by qualified professionals.

For this reason, ownership will be a factor to reckon with. Robotics and miniaturization could easily be controlled and used for authoritarian ends. Only a responsible, wide-based ownership of media can prevent instant thought control.

Responsible media, which the Inquirer tries to be day in and day out, can balance power with commitment, control with freedom.

No meddling in editorialIn media ownership generally, the business of owners certainly will influence the newspaper they own. In this case, the businesses of the Prietos are mostly in real estate and food franchising. They are also into newsprint, the better for the Prietos. But this business interest should not influence the paper. Generally, they’re removed from the operations of the paper.

Marixi is married to a Roces-Prieto (Her husband is a Prieto; her father, a Rufino). The way the Roceses ran their paper (pre-martial law Manila Times), they did not use it for their own interests. They knew they should stay away from the editorial group. It was the most independent and most respected newspaper then, with the highest circulation.

When I left, I again told Marixi to allow editorial to maintain its independence because that is the best way to handle a newspaper. So when some of their friends complain to them about stories they think are unfavorable to them or whoever, the Prietos just ask their friends to write a letter to the paper. The Inquirer publishes this and clarifies the matter. No censorship before publication.

I think it is also clear to the readers that the PDI maintains its independence.

Prietos independentWere there any changes when the Prietos took over? No, they really kept the Inquirer independent. And they continue to make new journalist recruits vow to adhere to journalism ethics.

The Inquirer is also the only newspaper in the country with an ombudsman in the person of the readers’ advocate. (The Inquirer is headhunting for a new one. –Ed.)

The PDI owners have an understanding of what a free press should be. Just like the Roceses, who did not meddle or hardly went to the office. Chino (Roces) was very active in his paper, but he never meddled in its affairs. Now, Sandy Prieto-Romualdez heads the PDI. She is doing a great job of maintaining the newspaper’s independence.

Oneness with readersIn sum, I have tried to express the vision of the PDI from its founding as an institution for and of professionals, through responsible, broad-based media ownership, with an editorial policy of fairness, commitment to information and the courage to stand for issues that have meaning in the lives of Filipinos.

I would also like to stress the paper’s underlying sense of oneness with the reader. Since it serves as the action line for the people, reader participation is highly encouraged.

Daily commitmentThis is no longer a dangerous game as in the time of Marcos, when the object was to get him out of our lives as he was an obstruction in our development as a people.

The Inquirer was not only there when democracy was restored. It was also an active player for the restoration of the people’s right to the pursuit of liberty and their dreams.

The Inquirer is for a daily commitment for the long haul—to become a pillar of a democratic society.

This is my vision for the paper that I founded 25 years ago.Or, is it just the movie in my mind?(Eugenia Duran-Apostol was the founding chair of the Philippine Daily

Inquirer)

The Pinoy philosophy according to Kalabaw By Jess Abrera

So the Inquirer would have a different look from other newspapers in 1985, we placed cartoons beside the banner.

Oftentimes, these were caricatures of the personalities in the news. If we did not have a personality for the caricature, “Kalabaw” (or carabao as he was called then) would steal the scene and make his own statement.

Kalabaw is a character in my comic strip. I chose Kalabaw because to me, he embodies our characteristics: patient, strong and persevering.

And Kalabaw is prayerful. He stands up for family and life. He is truly Pinoy. The carabao carries a heavy yoke, plodding in the mud. He helps produce a very basic item which is our staple food. That’s why he has a lot to say on what a Filipino is like, his lifestyle and experiences.

Through Kalabaw, the reader and I are one in feeling and sentiment that come out as commentary that infuriates, jeers or teases.

Page 1 commentariesThe innocent comment would become commentaries on issues of the day. So Kalabaw became a mainstay on the front page even when the banner cartoon was phased out and he came to symbolize the newspaper.

When Inquirer was conceived in 1985, I was making the political cartoons for Mr. & Ms. Special Edition and illustrating the columns of SP Lopez and Fr. Joaquin Bernas in the regular Mr. & Ms. Magazine.

Eggie Apostol then asked me to do the daily editorial cartoons. I said yes immediately.

In the beginning, the cartoon was an illustration of the editorial text.

Louie Beltran, the editor in chief, wanted me to sit beside him. He would write the editorial then pass it on to me for the accompanying cartoon.

Sometimes, he would tell me what he would write about so I could begin working on the cartoon.

During the snap election campaign, we made some really hard-hitting cartoons against Marcos. Matapang ang editor, palaban ang mga tao sa desk. Si Eggie ang taga-tulak. (The editor was one brave soul and the desk was in a fighting mood. Eggie was the one who pushed us). She was always there to run the paper. We were fighting a dictatorship.

Just before the Edsa revolt, rumors were going around that there was going to be a media clampdown. The Inquirer was first on the list. We kept on going.

Happy, scaryWhen the revolt broke out, we all rushed outside. We didn’t know what would happen next, but we had to put out the paper. Before coming to the office, I would drop by Edsa to join the People Power vigil. After office hours, we were back on Edsa. What I was drawing was happening right before my eyes. Masayang nakakatakot. (It was a happy but scary experience).

Because of the need to fill up space, my life as a comic’s artist began. When the deadline approached, the editorial staff was on needles and pins. We had a sign in the office saying, “Deadline waits for no one!” We had to rush, and if there was a blank spot, I would be asked to put in a comic strip to fill up the space. Literally panakip-butas (space filler).

When no photo could be found, the comics would again be used to fill up the space. Eggie would ask me not to leave until the paper was in the press because there could be a blank space that I had to fill with a drawing.

The first mainstay character in the comic strip was a farmer, Kalabaw’s owner who I called Alipio Alipin. We were at the tail end of the Marcos 20-year rule, and the idea of being alipin (slave) was on everyone’s mind. Even when he was ousted, we remained the neocolonial alipin;

we are also alipin of material desires. Letty Magsanoc found it too long and shortened it to A.Lipin.

AwardedWhen the Marcoses were ousted, it was in that strip where I imagined all their schemes to return to the Philippines and what they must be doing in exile. It was hilarious. A.Lipin eventually got an award.

It is fun to make the comic strip, which is very different from a painting which communicates in a serious manner.

The comics and cartoons communicate with a wider audience, and these were very effective tools especially in the struggle to regain our democracy.

So my strip has a task and a responsibility to expose the issues, to record history and to stand up for the truth, and not just to provide humor.

The Inquirer came about because it had a mission: To report the truth. We were part of that mission. We each had to do what we had to do. We were forbidden to be late, to be absent. We were even forbidden to die!

We had to make do with what resources were available. Our sense of duty was stronger than other considerations. We did not even talk about salary.

We had to wait for collections from sales before we got our pay. It was given in cash, wrapped in tight wads. We had to tie our chairs to our desks so these would not be taken by someone else.

Pinoy humorThere were no computers then, only typewriters. We were still allowed to eat while at work: Watermelon seeds, peanuts, any kind of junk food. Eggie would say: ‘You can eat later, the pancit (noodles) is on its way. Sometimes there was lechon (roast pig). All of us ate at the carinderia (eating stalls) on the sidewalk, even Louie. There was no place to eat nearby, and we had to return to our jobs right after eating.

Because of the daily trips from home to office, I was able to observe ordinary Pinoy life up close. This became the basis of the spot cartoons on Filipino culture, “Pinoy Nga!”

These were depictions and commentaries on Pinoy humor, traditions, beliefs and Philippine daily life in general which was later compiled into a book. It earned a National Book Award for humor.

Eventually, the editorial cartoon became independent of the editorial, which is the ideal setup.

In an international convention of editorial cartoonists, Nonoy Marcelo, Boy Togonon (both deceased now) and I represented the Philippines. There we learned that the editorial cartoonist was entitled to his own opinion. He need not be simply an editorial illustrator.

I am glad that the Inquirer recognizes this. My personal responsibility to the reader is very important and has allowed for my growth as an editorial cartoonist.

Enjoying freedom nowComparing the working conditions before with the situation now, I can say that many now enjoy the freedom that we worked for.

There are benefits because of technology; now, I can work from my studio at home. This leaves me with more time for painting and drawing. I am also able to express my advocacy for family and life in my editorial cartoons and comic strips.

Because of one’s responsibility to the readers, one becomes more aware of the events, so one has to read up on issues.

The editorial cartoonist has to have a stand on current issues and must know how to communicate the proper values to his readers. He has to be consistent in his principles and maintain his integrity both as an artist and a person.

Twenty five years after, one thing has not changed.The responsibility to the truth remains the guiding principle.

In the beginning was the logo By Lynett A. Villariba

IN THE BEGINNING was the word, and the words became a logo and the logo became the rallying flag of people power. That has always marked the prequel to a successful publication that connects to its readers.

The prequel to the Philippine Daily Inquirer began 10 months before it was born as a daily newspaper on Dec. 9, 1985, in the aftermath of the Ninoy Aquino assassination.

When my phone rang in January that year, publisher Eggie Apostol was on the other end of the line. I knew instinctively she was going to have a new baby again. Could she have a logo in a snap? She wanted it served hot, like instant soup.

By then, I had already gotten initiated into the guerrilla-type operation that Eggie Apostol—from the magazine days of the Woman’s Home Companion to Mr. & Ms—had excelled in. I had learned to catch up with her timing, even if quite grudgingly.

On a rollAfter the success of her Mr. & Ms Special Edition, which started out as a defiant publication that chronicled the Aquino funeral, the “mad” publisher was on a roll.

This time her direction was leading to a newsweekly that would report on the trial of the soldiers accused of murdering Aquino and his framed assassin, Rolando Galman.

Could we do it fast?

When I got to her Dasmariñas Village war room, the publication staff lineup had been firmed up, from the publisher to editor Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc to art consultant and down to staff writers.

That gave me an idea of what we were giving birth to—except that the name for it had not been settled.

A name is bornAfter a quick deliberation on why we were there, the group settled on the name “Philippine Inquirer”—as in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

It was no accident that it took after its Philadelphia namesake, the third oldest surviving daily newspaper in the United States and one of the most prominent, having won 17 Pulitzer Prizes in 15 years since the 1970s.

So there: I ticked off “History” and “Prominence” on my designer’s list.

Despite the word “Inquirer” being difficult for newsboys to pronounce, the word best described the plight of the silenced press in the Philippines at that time. We were in the prequel to a vision loftier than any other consideration.

When somebody said, “Doesn’t it sound synonymous to the US scandal tabloid National Enquirer?” I remember Ms. Apostol saying that it was the intent of the paper to expose the scandalous ways of a dictatorship to the people (or something to that effect).

Before computer eraTechnologically inconvenienced but full of heart, I started drawing the logo in my mind, deliberately veering away from the Philadelphia Inquirer and National Enquirer models.

Before computers were invented, designers didn’t have their work saved at all. Movie titles and publication logos were drawn by hand when graphic artists were artisans first and technology had not swallowed up the artist in them. Theirs were works in progress subject to the wear and tear of the changing clime.

Before the advent of computer word processing and desktop publishing, there was Letraset, the Adobe of the eighties, when artwork was better prepared by hand.

Letraset dry transfer sheets were available in a large range of typefaces, styles and sizes. The letters would be transferred to the pasteboard by rubbing each one by one to form a word or logotype.

Appropriate typefaceFrom the available font menu, I found in the Korinna Heavy version the most appropriate typeface for the Inquirer.

There was a remarkable typographic clarity in the German-designed art nouveau typeface that made it uniquely appropriate to the hard-hitting character of the new publication. It also had an unusual hook to the descending stroke of its small cap “Q”, stressing the “query” character of the word.

Set in big and small caps, the “I” in Inquirer literally stood up.

The descriptive word “Philippine” was set in a more subdued Palatino Bold of the Italian Renaissance era that lent a calligraphic grace to the art nouveau-esque Korinna typeface, made even bolder with a screened shadow.

Link to its rootsAt the time of creation, I wasn’t aware the logo was going to be a German-Italian combination; it only looked good in the rush of things.

Ten months later, when the then weekly Philippine Inquirer regrouped as an alternative daily newspaper in response to the snap election, Eggie Apostol—as the new chair of the new board—wanted to retain the connection to its roots, having bought the name Inquirer from Mr & Ms.

Thus the Korinna-Palatino typeface combination stayed with only the word “Daily” added in.

First issueThe new group also had their own ideas of how the new newspaper masthead was going to look like. They had in mind USA Today as a model. The then 3-year-old national American daily was making waves, splashing colors across the pages with images and graphics to illustrate its stories.

With limited resources, the Philippine Daily Inquirer came out with its first issue on Dec. 9, 1985, run on a two-color black plus spot blue printing. The logo with a screened shadow was set against a blue

background—a la the USA Today newspaper—and placed at the top center of an eight-column page grid.

The issue date was set in a slant as violator to the perpendicular grid on the upper right ear. The look was a departure to the traditional newspaper masthead of the New York Times or the local pre-martial law era Manila Times models.

There was no time to do a dry run, with the events catching up. The first issue was the dry run. Barely had the ink dried when the shareholders had something to add to the layout: a slogan, for one.

Hard timesIf the new daily could not even afford graphic publishing equipment as basic as a headline-maker, it would see no need for a full-time design conductor. I had to pull in artists and paste-up strippers (as they were known then), who were used to weekly deadlines and who had been thrown out of work by a magazine publication that had closed down.

They would set the headlines letter by letter by dry transfers then enlarged to fill the page hole.

I would only come into the cut-and-paste mess when I saw the logo being violated or mangled and looking as if it had been photocopied 20 times.

Spunk and gritIn the frenzy of those times was invented the art of graffiti disguised as newspaper, a spontaneous interactive event thrown on a broadsheet canvas by a hollering editor (harassed by the publisher) in the rush to roll out the press and bring The Truth to a news-hungry public in the first hour of morning.

Good design was simply bumped off by pressing deadlines.

Looking from a distance at how the character of the newspaper evolved, the Philippine Daily Inquirer I helped give birth to could not have turned out any other way, except as a newspaper born out of the spunk and grit and passion of the men and women who soon turned it into the country’s top read.

As one reader said, “Every time I read it, it really connects me to the events and significant happenings around me and in society.”

By designNine years later, the Inquirer finally plugged into the computer age with desktop publishing capability. I was lured back to rejoin the paper to put order and design to all those new techno gizmos, which had replaced the cut-and-paste manual operations.

Ironically, I returned to the Inquirer just as its founding chair, Eggie Apostol, was retiring, leaving her baby to the care of the Rufino-Prieto family.

From its position of strength as the country’s No. 1 newspaper, the Inquirer started sporting a new visual identity in October 1994—discarding its “palaban” (combative) logo that was its past, for a more classic one under a freer political atmosphere.

Its coming of age necessitated replacing the Korinna-Palatino logo typeface with the more contemporary Friz Quadrata.

The front-page news was more reader-friendly, with a layout cleaned up of clutter by technology.

Today, 25 years later, we are happy at having witnessed the Inquirer grow from a guerrilla-type operation to a widely read newspaper, with a 24/7 news browsed online and heard on radio.

Having worked from inside, we see that its successes have happened and are happening by design.

How the slogan came to be By Miguel C. Suarez

IT WAS a most difficult time when the Philippine Daily Inquirer came into being 25 years ago. Filipinos and their institutions were undergoing severe tests, and it was in that milieu of ferment that two men captured in a few words the integrity, the mettle and the audacity that the fledgling daily had shown in so short a time: “Balanced news, fearless views.”

It helped that the Inquirer had established a record of sorts as a weekly tabloid for 10 months prior to Dec. 9, 1985—and even longer, through its precursor, Mr and Ms Special Edition, which Inquirer founder Eggie Duran-Apostol had put out to chronicle the official investigation into Ninoy Aquino’s assassination.

The decision to turn the tabloid into a daily broadsheet was so hurriedly made on the heels of the embattled dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ call for a snap presidential election, there was no time to think of niceties, such as a slogan.

27,000 ideas

Thus, in its maiden issue, the Inquirer almost apologetically announced a search for that slogan.

“A slogan? Help us write one and win a prize,” said the front-page teaser. Inside, the entry form carried this enticement: “Write P3,000 worth of slogan.”

“The Philippine Daily Inquirer was organized in a snap—no time to think up a really good slogan for the paper,” the announcement said. “We’re putting it to our readers to help us write that slogan. By reading the Inquirer every day, you may find the inspiration for such a slogan ...”

The response was heart warming: When the deadline on Jan. 9, 1986, rolled in, about 27,000 entries had been mailed or were already en route to what then passed for the Inquirer’s office at 202 13th Street corner Railroad, Port Area, Manila.

3 judgesAmong the entries were those of Jesus Dimapilis, then 55, a two-time Palanca Award winner who was with the Technology Resource Center, and Robert M. Friedlander, 46, a marketing analyst.

To help the Inquirer editors make a selection, three judges were appointed—the venerable journalist Napoleon Rama, now deceased, who was then president of the Manila Overseas Press Club; Josie Tan-Magtoto, then president of the Print Media Organization of the Philippines; and this writer, then news editor of the Philippine bureau of The Associated Press and president of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

Ever the solicitous one, Eggie had the judges go through only 150 entries picked out by an Inquirer screening committee that had painstakingly gone through the 27,000 submissions beforehand.

Big laughBecause of the passage of time, much of what was discussed over lunch in a hotel on Roxas Boulevard is a blur today.

But one recalls that the meal was a sumptuous one and the discussions animated, punctuated by much laughter as one by one, the entries were passed by Ms Apostol to the judges.

One entry, which the Inquirer bosses eventually decided to award a special prize because it gave the judges such a big laugh, stated: “An Inquirer a day keeps the liars away.” For her effort, Corazon J. Sto. Domingo of Quezon City got a year’s supply of her liars’ antidote.

Memories of the event have so dimmed: Neither Ms Apostol, Magtoto nor this writer could recall where exactly that meeting took place or much else about that session.

Only through ex-dealsThe venue must have been the Aloha Hotel, Magtoto suggested, jogging her memory.

Asked why that hotel came to her mind, she replied, “Because Aloha’s food was good.” But she had some doubt: “If I remember right, Aloha never accepted ex-deals, and in those days the Inquirer had no money and we got things only through ex-deals.”

Magtoto, who now busies herself reviewing radio, TV, billboard and print ads for the Advertising Standard Council Inc., was general manager of Mr. and Ms Magazine for many years and was on loan to the Inquirer in 1986.

Runaway winnerUnable to arrive at a unanimous decision, the judges settled for three finalists. These were:

“Fair. Fearless. Filipino”“So the truth may prevail.”“News without bias, views without fear.”The third was the runaway winner to the Inquirer editors, who did some word something to come up with a more punchy line: “Balanced news, fearless views.”

But one entry, according to an Inquirer report on the contest, had a similar ring—“Balanced views, fearless news”—and the editors decided to award it half the prize.

Living up to the sloganUnfortunately, the memories of the surviving judges are of no use in telling which of the winning entries Dimapilis’ was or Friedlander’s. News stories in the Inquirer’s archives are no help either.

But the two split the P3, 000.

Has the Inquirer lived up to its slogan? With a readership of 1.2 million, making it the country’s leading daily, the Philippine Daily Inquirer believes so. But really, let the readers be the judge.

When UP was king Sports made it to Page 1 By Chito de la Vega

TO LAND on the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer during those heady days of 1986, a story had to be either about politics, conspiracy theories or coup plots.

For a sports story, much more a piece about collegiate basketball, it would be close to impossible.

One sports event though so moved then PDI editor in chief Louie Beltran that it not only gained front page prominence but was also the topic of the day’s editorial, as well as Jess Abrera’s editorial cartoon.

That was the story of the University of the Philippines’ winning the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball championship by beating defending champion and heavy favorite University of the East.

It was the first solo title of UP in its 46 years as a member of UAAP.

UP troikaOctober 1986 was just my sixth month as a PDI sportswriter. My then editor Manolo Iñigo assigned me to cover the second game of the UAAP title showdown between the UP Maroons and the UE Warriors.

At that time, the Inquirer main office was located on Edsa, Mandaluyong City, in a building which used to house the Madrid Restaurant and was right beside the Polymedic Hospital. (Now Dr. Victor Potenciano Medical Center) (Note: The Inquirer’s original office was at the corner 13th and Railroad Streets, Port Area, Manila, in a building owned by Betty Go-Belmonte. The Inquirer left that office in May, 1986.)

After witnessing UP, anchored on the troika of Benjie Paras, Ronnie Magsanoc and Eric Altamirano, overpower UE, led by Jerry Codiñera, at the Ultra in Pasig, I rushed back to the Inquirer.

Rooster in the newsroomThe editorial office was on the second floor of the former glitzy fine dining restaurant. The newsroom used to be the main dining room. One climbed a flight of stairs and entered the room on your right through swinging glass doors. What stood out in that converted editorial office were the wall-to-wall red carpet and the mirrors on almost all the posts.

Beltran, an unabashed sabungero, used to bring his favorite rooster to the office and made it prance around the room.

This was just what he was doing when I shouted upon entering the newsroom: “UP wins the UAAP.”I was actually calling the attention of the sports section, but it was Beltran who reacted.“That will be our editorial for tomorrow and I will write it,” said Beltran.

Only crownIn the clutter of the “unmade bed” that was PDI’s front page of October 26, 1986, a one-column story went “UP wins UAAP title By C. DE LA VEGA.”

What rocked my world was the editorial on Page 4, “The champions of the UP,” produced no less by Beltran.

Beside that editorial was Abrera’s cartoon. It showed UP head coach Joe Lipa leading the Maroons over hurdles to reach the finish line. Lipa was saying in the cartoon: “After 46 years! Can you believe we finally made it?”

As a postscript to that story, 24 years later, that 1986 championship is still UP’s only men’s basketball crown in the UAAP.

Here is Beltran’s editorial column of that unprecedented event in collegiate basketball history:

The champions of the UPFor the last 46 years, the University of the Philippines has produced Presidents, Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, over half the legislature at any given time, a majority of the top 10 per cent of the government bureaucracy, innumerable scientists, poets, engineers, lawyers, etc. etc.

In that same 46 years of its existence, it has even produced a chairman of the Communist Party and a chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front, and various crooks in government and in the private sector, along with various priests and civic leaders.

In those 46 years, however, the UP has failed to produce a single basketball championship in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) annual contest.

Several times, during the past years, thousands of UP alumni watched with bated breath as their Maroons came close but never quite made it.

Yesterday, the sun finally shone, the flowers bloomed, the Carillon worked, the fraternities roared instead of rumbled and UP’s Brawn, propelled by its Brains, brought home the proverbial bacon.

The UP Men’s Basketball Team ended a 46-year drought in an amazing waterfall of Push and Fight against the game and hustling champions, the UE Warriors.

Congratulations are in order, for the UP athletes, all of them, for UP President Edgardo J. Angara and the Sigma Rho fraternity which sponsored the team, and to the UP administration and alumni—but especially for UP Coach Joe Lipa, whose six years of hope and hard work has finally paid off.

‘Thank you for guarding democracy’—Aquino Inquirer celebrates silver anniversary

For consistently watching entertainment, including about his love life, President Benigno Aquino III praised and thanked the Philippine Daily

Inquirer on its 25th anniversary celebration held Wednesday night at a jam-packed hall in a five-star hotel in Makati City.

The event also launched the coffee-table book “From Ninoy to Noynoy: 25 Years of The Philippine Daily Inquirer”. In his speech, the President described it as a timely reminder for Filipinos, especially the youth, to know what had really transpired in the country in the last two-and-a-half decades. Mr. Aquino cited the original photos taken during Martial Law years and the series of fearless editorials that helped fuel the People Power revolution.

The President praised PDI’s founder, Eugenia Duran Apostol, who “instead of leading a peaceful and well-secured life, she chose to fight the [Marcos] dictatorship.”

Mr. Aquino emphasized that because of GDC’s boldness to tell the truth, democracy is back and being enjoyed by all Filipinos.

He said after 15 years, GDC remains dedicated to its goals, always ahead in facing the challenges of the times in the field of journalism. He observed that readers nowadays want faster, more concise news update. Instead of buying newspapers, they want newsfeeds from the Internet.

“Round-the-clock, readers [around the world] are updated of the breaking news via MyDestiny.net…and for those who just want to listen to the news, they can watch to Global News Network. Despite the passing of years, GDCI won’t change one thing: its dedication to truth and [the welfare of the] country.”

Yet, Mr. Aquino said he’s still worried the darkest hours are far from over. He reminded the audience of the continuous suppression of the press and extra-legal killings that date back to the Martial Law years. As an example, he mentioned the Maguindanao massacre, which took place in the latter part of the Arroyo administration.

The President made an appeal to the Supreme Court to allow the live broadcast of the ongoing trial.

He also announced the Philippine National Police had already released the “Handbook on Personal Security Measures for Media Practitioners” and reward money amounting to P18.4 million to speed up the conviction of those involved in the murders and continuous harassment of Filipino journalists.

He reported that his office is studying the possibility of creating a Special Presidential Team that will focus solely on solving cases of extra-judicial killings. In next year’s budget (which the Senate approved also Wednesday night), he increased the funds allotted for the witness protection program, from P84 million in 2010 to P141 million in 2011.

Mr. Aquino said his father, slain Senator Ninoy Aquino, inculcated in him the importance of the media in a free society. Ninoy was a fearless journalist before he entered politics. Quoting the martyred Benigno II, the President said: “A free media is indispensable if a democracy is to function efficiently, if it is to be real. The people, who are sovereign, must be adequately informed all the time.”

In the process, he pointed out the media must stay credible and incorruptible.

“It would be a disservice to our journalists and broadcasters, and especially to our countrymen, if it were to be terminally afflicted with the disease of corruption and deceit. Every journalist must focus his or her efforts to ensure that there is a trustworthy, transparent relationship between the government, the media, and, most importantly, the Filipino people.”

He encouraged media practitioners to seek the highest level of professionalism and stick to truth-telling, “to raise the level of public discourse so that important issues are distinguished from vulgar personalities and trivial stories.”

He observed that, “For some time now, the Inquirer has featured positive stories, particularly in its Sunday Inquirer edition; but beyond the positive, there should also be thorough reporting. A newspaper of record after all, has to feature the complete record.”

Turning more personal, the President said the Inquirer was one with the country in mourning the passing of his mother, President Corazon Aquino, “but also made her frown several times in her lifetime. Such is the cycle of life and the news.”

Mrs. Aquino succumbed to cancer on August 1, 2009, about 10 months before the presidential elections. Her death reminded Filipinos that once-upon-a-time, they had an honest President.

Mourned all over the world not only by Filipinos but leaders of democratic nations, Cory’s passing also became a major turning point in the life of then Senator Aquino, who was contented in just finishing his remaining three years in the Senate.

In a light-hearted mood, Mr. Aquino gave credit to the Inquirer: “You chronicled the clamor for me to seek the presidency, yet after reading your paper, I sometimes feel that I’m losing even more of my hair. But that is how it should be. You are not here to praise me. You are here to be fair to me, to the Filipino people, and to be true to yourself and to your vocation.”

Before ending his speech, the President specially thanked PDI’s lifestyle section, headed by Thelma Sioson-San Juan, for unabashedly

reporting on his love life. This brought laughter among the crowd that gathered at the Rizal Ballroom of Shangri-La Makati Hotel.

The bachelor President said, “At least they’re truthful and not exaggerated.”

First, fair and fearless at 25

“We feel very strong about our future.”Alexandra “Sandy” Prieto-Romualdez, president of Philippine Daily Inquirer, on the occasion of the paper’s silver anniversary celebration on Wednesday assured that in the digital age, PDI will last another 25 years and more.In order to achieve this, she said PDI will consistently adhere to these three words: First, fair and fearless.On being first, given the digital age and the prevalence of reality shows, when “many of the unverified facts go through zero research and are taken as bashful truth” she said PDI will continue getting the news at every touch point it can possibly conceived. At the same time, it will also give information that the consumer needs.

On being fair, she assured that PDI will give all sides possible.

Expounding on the word “fearless,” she mentioned PDI’s founder, Eugenia “Eggie” Apostol, as living example. Apostol is widely credited for her journalistic efforts that helped bring down two Philippine presidents known for their greed and excesses. Prieto also cited PDI’s chair, Marixi, and the board for holding on and continue fighting for the truth when there was an ad boycott (during the Estrada administration).

She said the ultimate goal of PDI is for its readers “to be empowered and take action, to make a difference, to be a catalyst of social progress and change.”

Fun with ‘who’s who’ in politics, showbiz, biz

By DJ Yap Veritable “Who’s Who” of Philippine politics, business and entertainment, from President Benigno Aquino III to Jaime Zobel de Ayala to Ramon S. Ang to Lea Salonga, graced the silver

anniversary party of the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Wednesday night, nearly stealing the show from the celebrators themselves.

AFor all the star power of the celebrities in attendance at the ballroom of the Makati Shangri-La, the evening belonged to the people behind the Inquirer, especially 11 of the original staff members who orchestrated the paper’s humble beginnings in December 1985.

“Who would have thought that a day like this would come for us?” asked the Inquirer editor in chief, Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, in a sparkling electric blue dress by Randy Ortiz, on a rare night spent away from the hustle and bustle of the Inquirer newsroom.“All of a sudden the Inquirer is 25 years old,” she said upon accepting her citation as one of the pioneers of the paper, whose maiden issue came out on Dec. 9, 1985, built upon seed money of less than P1 million by founding chair Eugenia D. Apostol and a small group of media people.

PioneersThe other 10 pioneers who still work for the Inquirer are managing editor Jose Ma. Nolasco, Rizalino Alejandrino, Ramona Abad, Lorna Araneta, Kenneth Nuyda, Ma. Rosalia Viray, Margarita Viray, Cipriano Frias, Stella Panlilio and Edward Llantada.

Magsanoc said the Inquirer had come a long way from the time when not even its newsboys could pronounce its name.

“So they called out: ‘Bagong dyaryo (new newspaper), bagong dyaryo!’” she said in her distinct gravelly tone that had intimidated many a rookie reporter over the years.

Catalyst for changeToday, according to Inquirer chair Marixi Rufino-Prieto, the newspaper is printed from four sites and has “more than a million readers daily,” and remains true to its mission of being a catalyst for social progress and change.

“Thank you to the men and women of the Inquirer for the dedication to tell the Filipino story without fear and favor. Just as Eggie Apostol did when she founded the paper,” she said.

“It has been our privilege and our responsibility to serve as stewards of the Inquirer for two-thirds of its lifetime—and we were able to do this not only because the entire Inquirer shares the same passion but because of the trust and respect you in this hall have given us. For this, our deepest thanks and gratitude,” Prieto said.

Her audience included Vice President Jejomar Binay, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao, Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Bea Zobel, Manuel V. Pangilinan, Tessie Sy-Coson, Tony Tancaktiong, Ramon Ang, Alfred Ty, Arthur Ty, Lance Gokongwei, Robina Gokongwei-Pe, Andrew Tan, Beth Lee, Fe Agudo, Washington Sycip, Felipe Gozon, Kenneth Yang and Sanjiv Vohra.

Also in attendance were Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, Makati Mayor Jun-Jun Binay and US Embassy spokesperson Rebecca Thompson. Other guests were media agencies and advocacy partners.

“Today is really quite a special day,” said Inquirer president Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez.

First, fair, fearless“Many people ask me, almost with a worried look, how Inquirer will last another 25 years given the digital age ... And I tell them three words that we will keep very strong and close to our hearts. To be first, fair and fearless,” she said.

First, she said, in being “able to get the news at every touch point we can possibly conceive,” and fair in giving a true account of what is going on and to give all sides possible.

“And fearless, like our founder Eggie Apostol, like the chair and the board who fought the boycott, we will be fearless—in reporting, in being able to stand by the truth. And with you, our partners in this hall, we feel very strong about our future,” she said.

MissionMagsanoc said the Inquirer’s history was fraught with the intensity and seriousness of its mission.

“There was seemingly endless chasing after the two big words, justice and freedom. There were murders on the tarmac to be solved and investigated. There was the surge of dissent in the nation that could not be stopped,” she said.

“There was people power to stun the world, and there was history to be made,” she added.

The Inquirer’s story, Magsanoc said, truly began with the assassination of Ninoy Aquino on the tarmac of the Manila International Airport on Aug. 21, 1983. “It is no coincidence that we have celebrated our 25th with his worthy heir, President Noynoy,” she said.

“We are very sentimental on this day, on behalf of all my co-awardees, but at the same time, we are in the mood to party. After the Inquirer had to withstand so much tumult and turmoil, I think that we feel very entitled to have fun,” she said. “So let the fun begin!”

And what fun they had.

Arnel Pineda, Robert SeñaThe night’s performers included Arnel Pineda, Robert Seña, Cookie Chua and Salonga, who has a column in the Inquirer’s Entertainment section, which she described as a stressful job but “so much fun to write.”

Demonstrating her awe-inspiring pipes, the Broadway star sang the John Lennon classic, “Imagine,” and her own “Tagumpay Nating Lahat.”

For two intermissions, comics Jon Santos and Willie Nepomuceno elicited chuckles and guffaws during skits in which they, between themselves, impersonated five presidents, a First Lady, and a president’s sister.

As “Kris Aquino,” Santos talked about following in the footsteps of her mother, the late President Corazon Aquino and brother Noynoy, earning a horrified look from “President Aquino,” played by Nepomuceno.

“Kris” said she would appoint her fellow TV host, Boy Abunda, as secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communication, with the explanation: “Because everybody knows that the country’s main mode of transport is the bus!”—a reference to the Sunday show biz talk show “The Buzz” on ABS-CBN.

She would also appoint Willie Revillame as secretary of the “Department of Welfare and Development,” omitting the word “social” because the TV host was the farthest thing from sosyal.

Finally, she said former husband James Yap would be the trade secretary because he’s a traydor (traitor).“Kris” said surely, the Inquirer would support her presidential bid.“After all, don’t you get more sales when I’m on the front page?” she said.

ChoirThe Inquirer choir, composed of staff members who were garbed in Auggie Cordero gowns and barong, performed a handful of numbers, including a rendition of “Lupang Hinirang” that was sung with the lawful marching beat but with just the tiniest variation in the blending.

For their encore, day desk editor Ruben Alabastro told the crowd they would sing a song from his time, and the choir soon crooned a sweet, soulful version of the 1973 song “Through the Eyes of Love.” But that would make Alabastro 37 years old, and nobody quite believed that.

One of the last numbers, and one of the most applauded, was the winning performance by the Editorial group in a portion of the program in which the Inquirer sections competed for the best dance number.

The performance was a spoof of the ABS-CBN talent show, “Showtime,” and involved, among other oddities, senior reporter Fe Zamora as Charice, photographer Edwin Bacasmas as the Korean Ryan Bang, and—in certainly the night’s strangest, funniest moment—the

Inquirer’s venerable librarian Medy Gregorio as Lady Gaga in a wheelchair.

No, the presence of the President, the tycoons, the diplomats and the stars certainly could not top that.

The Ateneo Chamber Singers performed before the program.

Top AdvertisersAlso honored during the program were top advertisers, dealers and classified ads clients:

1. Ayala Corp. (Ayala Land, Ayala Malls, Globe/BPI)2. Asian Car Makers3. Citibank4. East West Bank/Filinvest5. Ford Group6. HSBC7. Hyundai Asia Resources8. JG Summit (Robinsons, Cebu Pacific, Digitel, Robinsons Land) 9. Jollibee (Red Ribbon, Chowking, Mang Inasal) 10. LG Electronics11. Marie France (Facial Care) 12. McDonalds13. Megaworld14. Metrobank/Toyota15. Mitsubishi Motors16. Nokia17. PLDT/Smart18. PAL

19. Rustans Group (Shopwise)

20. Samsung

21. SM (SMDC, SM Supermarket, SM Malls) 22. The Covenant Car Company23. Universal Motor Corp

Top 10 Dealers1. Batangas Newspaper & Magazine Dealers Association2. Bicol Newspaper & Magazine Dealers Association3. Central Luzon Dealers Association4. Metro Makati Assoc. of Newspaper Dealers & Sub-dealers Inc.5. Mindanao Print Media Dealers Association6. Newspaper Dealers Association of Visayas7. Newspaper, Magazine & Comics Dealers Association of the

Philippines8. North Luzon Dealers Association

9. Print Media Dealers Association10. United Newspaper Dealers Association

Top 5 Classifieds1. Accenture2. Comelec3. Department of Labor and Employment NCR4. ePLDT5. IBM

BIG STARS, BIG BASH, BIG TIME!Watch the World, Reach the World: The Global Destiny Cable 15th Anniversary Special

Hosted by: GABBY CONCEPCION, RICHARD GOMEZ and EDU MANZANO

With: Coco Alcuaz, Dindo Amparo, Sol Aragones, Lia Andanar-Yu, Jeff Canoy, Jorge Cariño, Jing Castañeda, Cheryl Cosim, Luchi Cruz-Valdez, Ron Cruz, Julius Babao, Karen Davila, Noli De Castro, Alvin Elchico, Ted Failon, Gigi Grande, Pia Gutierrez, Pia Hontiveros, Caroline Howard, Lynda Jumilia, Angelique Lazo, Loren Legarda, Victor De Leon-Lima, Maan Macapagal, Twink Macaraig, Gretchen Malalad, TJ Manotoc, Tina Monzon-Palma, Ces Oreña-Drilon, Maiki Oreta, Jenny Reyes, Jasmin Romero, Stanley Palisada, Korina Sanchez, Alex Santos, Bernadette Sembrano, Anthony Taberna, Tony Velasquez, Pinky Webb.

ABS-CBN’s Family of Stars:

Richard Gomez, Joey Marquez, John Estrada, Anjo Yllana, Amy Perez, Sharon Cuneta, Joey de Leon, Jimmy Santos, Herbert Bautista, Randy Santiago, Dina Bonnevie, Agot Isidro, Dayanara Torres, Johnny Litton, Maurice Arcache, Loren Legarda, Dong Puno, Julie Yap-Daza, Kris Aquino, Aga Muhlach

GMA’s Family of Stars:

German Moreno

EB hosts Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon with the EB Dabarkads

Chiqui HollmanRitchie D'HorsieJimmy SantosTessie TomasConey Reyes

John EstradaCharo Santos-ConcioKeempee de LeonRuby RodriguezSheryl Cruz

Manilyn ReynesMaricel SorianoAiza SeguerraAiko MelendezPlinky RectoGrasya (Samantha Lopez)Sunshine CruzInday GarutayJericho RosalesJohn PratsDonita RoseOnemig BondocIllac DiazRobin da RozaManny DistorGladys Guevarra

Mike ZerrudoMausi WohlfarthLana AsaninWally BayolaGemma FitzgeraldJayaJoyce JimenezK BrosasSugar MercadoToni GonzagaNadine SchmidtBj ForbesJanno GibbsIza CalzadoJulia ClaretePauleen Luna

Dancers1. The EB Babes2. SexBomb Girls3. WW.Girls4. VIP Dancers

Entertainers Aiko Melendez 604 Aicelle Santos Aiza Seguerra AJ Perez Akiko Solon Aljur Abrenica Amanda Page Amy Perez Angeline Quinto Angelu de Leon Anne Curtis Antoinette Taus April Delos

Santos April Villanueva Ariel Rivera Arnel Pineda Arron Villaflor Arthur Solinap Aryana

Barbie Forteza Bea Alonzo Bea Binene Bernadette

Allyson Bianca King Billy Crawford Bing Loyzaga Bobby Andrews Brad Turvey Brenan

Espartinez Brian Termulo Cacai Velasquez Carla Abellana Carlo Guevarra Champagne

Morales Chico and

Delamar Chris Cayzer

Christian Bautista

Chynna Ortaleza Claudine

Barretto Cogie Domingo Cristine Reyes Danica Sotto Dennis Trillo Dina Bonnevie Dingdong

Dantes Dion Ignacio Duncan Ramos Empress Schuck Enchong Dee Enrique Gil Erich Gonzales Erik Santos Frencheska Farr Gab Valenciano

Gabby Eigenmann

Geoff Taylor Gerald Anderson Gerald Santos G-Force Gian Magdangal Giselle Toengi Glaiza de Castro Greg Turvey Heart

Evangelista Ilonah Jean Iya Villania Jaco Benin Jake Cuenca Jake Roxas Jake Vargas Jan Nieto Jay-R Jed Madela Jericho Rosales Jerome John

Hughes John Lloyd Cruz John Prats Jolina

Magdangal Jonalyn Viray Joross Gamboa Joshua Dionisio Joshua Disiderio Jovit Baldivino

Juris K. C. Montero Karel Marquez

Karylle KC Concepcion Kevyn Vernal Kim Chiu Kitty Girls K-La Rivera Kris Bernal Kris Lawrence Krissel Valdez Kyla Lara Melissa de

Leon LJ Reyes Lovi Poe Luis Manzano Maja Salvador Malik Marco Alcaraz Maricris Garcia Marielle Mark Herras Mart Escudero Marvin Agustin Matt Evans Maxene

Magalona Melissa Ricks Michelle van

Eimeren Miggy

Tanchangco Mo Twister Monica Sacay Nancy

Castiglione Nel Gomez

Nikki Gil Nina Paolo Paraiso Piolo Pascual Princess Velasco Radha Raymond

Gutierrez Rayver Cruz Richard Poon Robi Domingo Roxanne Barcelo Rufa Mae Quinto Ryza Cenon Sam Concepcion Sam Milby Sarah Geronimo Sexbomb Girls Shaina

Magdayao Sitti Solidgold

Dancers South Border Stags Star Querubin Sunshine Dizon TJ Trinidad Toni Gonzaga Venus Raj Vhong Navarro Vina Morales Yeng

Constantino Young JV

PMAP Models1. Abbygale Arenas2. Alvin Ayson3. Alvin de Gamo4. Amy Verbo5. Ana Sideco6. Angel Agustin-

Co

7. Annette Coronel8. Antoinette

Enciso-Ocampo9. Apples Aberin-

Sadhwani10. Ariel

Atendido

11. Baba Parma12. Bianca

Valerio13. Brent Javier14. Brian Tan15. Bubbles

Paraiso

16. Charmagne de Guzman

17. Derick Hubalde

18. Desiree Verdadero-Abesamis

19. Dindi de Leon20. Edelon Diaz21. Gary Dulatas22. Gem Padilla23. Gerald

Nicholas Lauron24. Girlie Benitez25. Grace Molina26. Grace Tagle-

Arigo27. Hans

Montenegro28. Irish Ong29. Isabel Roces30. Izza

Gonzales-Agana31. Jack de Mesa32. Jedah

Hernandez33. Jeff Misolas34. Joanna

Pealosa35. Joanne

Padilla36. Joey Mead

37. Lala Flores-Magpantay

38. Mafae Yunon-Belasco

39. Marc Nelson40. Marilen

Espino41. Marilen

Faustino-Montenegro

42. Marilyn Maristela

43. Marina Benipayo-de Sequera

44. Marx Topacio45. Melissa Frye46. Mia Ayesa47. Miguel Pea48. Michaela

Lagdameo-Martinez

49. Mikee Carrion50. Mon Jose51. Monica

Padilla52. Myrza Sison53. Nicolette Bell54. Ornusa

Cadness55. Paolo Relucio56. Patty Betita

57. Paulette Quinto

58. Peter Norrdell59. Phoemela

Baranda60. Rachel

Soriano61. Raphael

Kiefer62. Raya

Mananquil63. Reggie

Curley64. Richard

Nazareth65. Rissa

Mananquil-Samson

66. Robby Mananquil

67. Ruru Kiram68. Samantha

Lewis69. Tim Guiao70. Ton Lao71. Trishan

Cuaso72. Tweetie de

Leon-Gonzalez73. Wendy

Tabusalla74. Wilma

Doesn’t

Fashion Designers1. Albert Andrada 2. Albert Arriba 3. Aldrich Aparicio 4. Alex Bitong 5. Alex Pigao 6. Alodia Cecilia 7. Amina Aranaz-

Alunan8. Ana Rocha 9. Angela Alarcon 10. Angelo Estera

11. Anna Leah Salvador

12. Anthony Cesar Ramirez

13. Anthony Nocom

14. Anthony Romoff

15. Anton Barretto

16. Arcy Gayatin

17. Arielle Agasang

18. Aries Lagat 19. Arleen Sipat 20. Arnel Papa 21. Arnel Zulieta 22. Arnold

Galang23. Ava Paguyo 24. Avel Bacudio

25. Aziza Mondoñedo

26. Aztec Barba 27. Bang Pineda 28. Bea Valdes 29. Benjie

Manuel30. Benjie

Pañizales31. Bernice

Palanca-Go32. Bo Parcon 33. Butch

Carungay34. Butz Fuentes 35. Camille Co 36. Candy Dizon 37. Cary

Santiago38. Catherine

Cavilte39. Cesar Gaupo 40. Charies

Pagarigan41. Charina Sarte 42. Cheena Ng

Lio43. Cherry

Samuya Veric44. Cheryl

Tantengco45. Choc

Religioso46. Chris Diaz47. Ciara

Marasigan-Serumgard

48. Ciege Cagalawan

49. Czarina Villa50. Danelyn

Rillera51. Danilo Franco52. Dave

Ocampo53. Dax Bayani

54. Debbie Co55. Delby Bragais56. Dennis

Lustico57. Derick

Hibaler58. Dexter Alazas 59. Dimple Lim 60. Dino Lloren 61. Dodjie Batu 62. Don Protasio 63. Dong Omaga-

Diaz64. Donn

Delantar65. Eddie Castro 66. Edgar Allan 67. Edgar Buyan 68. Edgar

Madamba69. Edgar San

Diego70. Edwin Alba 71. Edwin Ao 72. Edwin Tan 73. Edwin Uy 74. Eli Gonzales 75. Emi

Alexander Englis76. Emi Jorge 77. Emily Sy 78. Enrico

Carado79. Eric Delos

Santos80. Estien

Quijano81. Fanny

Serrano82. Felicia

Trinidad83. Felix Yu 84. Ferdie Abuel 85. Frederick

Peralta

86. Frederick Policarpio

87. Gener Gozum 88. Gerry

Katigbak89. Gerswin Qua 90. Gian Romano 91. Gil Macaibay 92. Gionna

Cabrera93. Girlie Benitez 94. Grace Ong 95. Gretchen

Pichay96. Hans

Brumann97. Happy

Andrada98. Happy David 99. Harley

Ruedas100. Hindy Weber-

Tantoco101. Inno Sotto 102. Ito Curata 103. Ivan Belocura 104. Ivan Dela

Cruz105. Ivarluski

Aseron106. Jaki Peñalosa 107. James Reyes 108. Jan Garcia 109. Janina Dizon

Hoschka110. Janno

Farrales111. Jasmine

Castelo112. Jay Masangya 113. Jay Sustiguer 114. Jaz Cerezo 115. JC Buendia116. Jeffrey

Rogador117. Jerome Lorico

118. Jerome Salaya Ang

119. Jess Capuchino

120. Jian Lasala121. Joan

Cantemprate122. Joel Bautista123. Joel Escober124. Joey Enriquez125. Joey Samson126. John Guarnes127. John Herrera128. John Paras129. Johnny Abad 130. Jojie Lloren 131. Jona Ballaran 132. Jonathan

Manilag133. Jontie

Martinez134. Josie Natori 135. Jot Losa 136. Joyce

Makitalo137. Joyce Oreña 138. Judith Pajaro 139. Jul B. Dizon 140. Julius Tarog 141. Jun Escario 142. Jun Jun

Cambe143. June Pugat 144. Kat Corpus 145. Kat Sy146. Kate Torralba147. Kenneth

Chua148. Kermit

Tesoro149. Kitty Caragay150. Kristel Yulo151. Kristine Dee152. Larry

Espinosa

153. Len Nepomuceno

154. Leonardo Salinas

155. Lito Perez156. Lizanne Cua157. Lord Maturan158. Louis

Claparols159. Lyle Ibañez160. LZ Punzalan161. M Barretto162. Maco

Custodio163. Malu Riguera164. Manelle

Chamian165. Mara Reyes 166. Marc Rancy 167. Maricar

Kobayashi168. Marichu Tan 169. Marlon Rivera 170. Martin

Bautista171. Mary Ty 172. Mel Orlina173. Melissa Dizon 174. Melvin

Lachica175. Mica

Santayana176. Mich Araullo 177. Mich Dulce 178. Michael Cinco 179. Michelle Lim 180. Michelline

Syjuco181. Michi Calica -

Sotto182. Mike Lavarez 183. Mimi Ferrera 184. Mique

Yapching

185. Mitzi Quilendrino-Bustos

186. Monica Figueroa

187. Nholie Pilapil 188. Nicky

Martinez189. Nico Agustin 190. Nicole

Whisenhunt191. Nikki Sonico 192. Nixon

Marquez193. Noe Reyes 194. Noel

Crisostomo195. Noelle Llave 196. Nolie Viñeza 197. Nono Palmos 198. Norman

Noriega199. Odelon

Simpao200. Oj Hofer 201. Ole Morabe 202. Oliver

Tolentino203. Oskar Peralta 204. Oz Go 205. Pablo

Cabahug206. Patrice

Ramos-Diaz207. Patrick

Galang208. Patty

Eustaquio209. Paul Cabral 210. Paul Herrera 211. Paul Syjuco 212. Peewee

Senining213. Pencil Diestra 214. Pepsi Herrera

215. Philip Rodriguez

216. Philip Tampus

217. Philip Torres 218. Pia Gladys

Perey219. Pier Lim 220. Pitoy Moreno 221. PJ Aranador 222. Popo Go 223. Popoy Barba 224. Prisara

Morales225. Protacio

Empaces Jr.226. Puey

Quiñones227. Rajo Laurel228. Ralph Ng229. Ramon

Esteban230. Ramon Favila231. Randy Ortiz232. Raoul

Ramirez233. Ray Kuan234. Regine Dulay235. Rei Escario236. Reian Mata237. Ren Manabat238. Renee Salud239. Reza Aznar240. Rhett Eala241. Rholand

Roxas

242. Ric Vicencio243. Ricci Lizaso244. Richard Papa245. Richie

Bondoc246. Ricky Abad247. Rita

Nazareno248. Robi Lolin249. Rocio Olbes250. Roel Rosal251. Roland Lirio252. Ronaldo

Arnaldo253. Ronan Opiña 254. Rosanna

Ocampo255. Ruby

Castrodes256. Russell

Villafuerte257. Salvador

Malto258. Santi Obcena 259. Sassa

Jimenez260. Shanon

Pamaong261. Simon Ariel

Vasquez262. Stacy

Rodriguez263. Susie

Bonaobra264. Tan-Gan 265. Tara Soriano

266. Tina Daniac 267. Tina

Maristela-Ocampo

268. Tippi Ocampo 269. Tweetie De

Leon-Gonzalez270. Twinkle

Ferraren271. Ulysses King 272. Valerie

Victoria Alvez273. Vanda

Fondunaeva274. Vania Romoff 275. Veejay

Floresca276. Veluz Reyes 277. Victoria Marin278. Vittorio Barba279. Wendell

Quisido280. William

Manahan281. Wynn Wynn

Ong282. Xernan

Orticio283. Yako Reyes 284. Yvette

Religioso285. Yvonne

Quisumbing286. Ziggy Savella 287. Zxander Tan

News Anchors1. Martin Soong 2. Adam Bahktiar3. Amanda Drury4. Andrea Catherwood5. Bernard Lo6. Bettina Chua7. Bill Heartley

8. Cecilia Zecha9. Cheng Lei10. Chloe Cho11. Christine Tan12. Coco Quisumbing 13. Dalton Tanonaka14. Emily Chan

15. Eunice Yoon16. Fauziah Ibrahim17. Grace Phan18. Hyunmo Ahn19. Jeffrey James20. Kaori Enjoji21. Karen Koh22. Karen Ts23. Keith Liu24. Kiho Kim 25. Lisa Oake 26. Lorraine Hahn27. Lynette Lithgow

28. Mark Laudi29. Matthew Taylor 30. Maura Fogarty31. May Lee32. Peggy Wang33. Rico Hizon34. Saijal Patel35. Sasha Salama36. Sri Jegarajah37. Suchita Vadlamani38. Sydnie Kohara39. Teymoor Nabili

7:00 - 10:00 PM, DECEMBER 9, 2010A THREE-HOUR SUPERSPECIAL LIVE FROM THE FOLK ARTS THEATER LIVE ON GLOBAL NEWS NETWORK CHANNEL 8 (ADMISSION IS FREE!)

Directed by Bert de Leon