HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE JOURNALISM

EARLY YEARS
16th century

It was in the year 1637 when the "Father of Filipino Printing", Tomas Pinpin,
launched the first Philippine newsletter called "Successos Felices" (Fortunate
Events). The publication was written in Spanish and contained a 14-page report on
current events. It was also the same period when England and Europe were starting
on the proliferation of community newspapers.

1799

Pinpin's debut in printing, he again came up with his Hojas Volantes or "flying
sheets". It was titled "Aviso Al Publico" (Notices to the Public), which served the
Spaniards and had a role comparative to a "town crier."

August 8, 1811

The first actual newspaper, "Del Superior Govierno," was launched by Gov.
Fernandez del Forgueras. It was the so-called first regularly issued publication that
reported developments about Spain and Europe. It was also the first newspaper
that included in its layout the name, date and place of its publication.
Unfortunately, the paper only came up with 15 issues within its years of operation
from 1811 to 1832.

December 1, 1846

Due to the constraints of the church and government at that time, 35 years had
lapsed before the Philippine press continued on its development. From the first
regular publication, then came the first daily newspaper called "La Esperanza. The
paper, edited by Felipe Lacorte and Evaristo Calderon, lasted only for three years.
However, it gave way to the birth of other dailies such as "La Estrella" in 1847 and
"Diario de Manila" in 1848.

1852

Diario's existence was significant because it monopolized the market a year after its
launch and became the government's daily organ.

1860

It was renamed to "Boletin Oficial de Filipinas" which later ceased circulation by

Royal Order.

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1862

A Tagalog publisher, Mariano Sevilla, founded El Catolico Filipino. It was considered

the first Philippine religious newspaper, unexpectedly not managed by the Church.
It was also a paper which seriously dealt with the problems of Filipinos.

1865

Another first in the history is El Porvenir Filipino founded in this year. It was the
newspaper that pioneered in two-edition dailies. Later it was followed by Revista
Mercantil which came out the same year.

April 1, 1887

In the succeeding years there had been attempts to create a more liberal and mass
appealing press. The year 1887 marked the beginning of a more opinionated
journalism in the Philippines. It officially begun on this day with the birth of La
Opinion. According to historians, "it was the first paper to defy the friars and
campaigned for the ouster of the religious.

PERIOD OF REVOLUTION
February 19, 1889

La Solidaridad came out as the "mouthpiece of the revolution." It operated with its
policies "to work peacefully for social and economic reforms, to expose the real
plight of the Philippines and to champion liberalism and democracy." The staff of
the paper was comprised of known personas like Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar,
Mariano Ponce, Andres Bonifacio, Pio Valenzuela and Graciano Lopez-Jaena.

October 31, 1889

The later became the founding editor until he was succeeded by del Pilar.

November 15, 1895

The paper ceased publication on this date which was then followed by the death of
its second and last editor in the early 1896.

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January 1, 1896

From the reformists' newspapers, the secret society of rebels or better known as
the Katipunan also came up with their own publication. They established "Ang
Kalayaan" (Liberty) on this date. It was edited by Pio Valenzuela, Emilio Jacinto and
Andres Bonifacio. Unfortunately, it only came out with one issue when a Katipunero
betrayed the secrecy of the paper. Nevertheless, its existence increased the
membership of the society to 30,000.

1898

Other revolutionary papers that emerged in those times were El Heraldo de Iloilo on
January 1, 1898 and La Libertad on June 20, 1898. Also in the same year, La
Independencia was founded on September 3 by Gen. Antonio Luna and Fernando
Ma. Guerrero. It was staffed by then famous writers: Rafael Palma, Cecilio Apostol,
Epifanio de los Santos and Judge Jose Abreu. It folded up in January 1900 when the
American decided to stay in the island and Filipino bias presses one by one closed
down.

September 28, 1898

When the Americans were slowly gaining control over the island several so-called
Fil-American War newspapers then cropped up. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, in his effort
to unify his armies, put up his own revolutionary organ called "El Heraldo de la
Revolucion"

August 13, 1898

Likewise, with the arrival of more American fleets on this date, American editors
aboard Admiral Dewey's flagship came up with the paper, Bounding Billow.
Succeeding the Billow, newspapers such as American Soldier, Freedom, and The
American also came to existence.

October 11, 1898

After the Spaniards' defeat from the Americans, English newspapers started to
circulate. It was lead by the Manila Times of Thomas Gowan which was established.

AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD

October 11, 1898

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After the Spaniards' defeat from the Americans, English newspapers started to
circulate. It was lead by the Manila Times of Thomas Gowan which was established.

1917

The paper was a response to the complaints of American soldiers with the lack of a
good English newspaper at that time. It encountered various changes in ownership
including then President Manuel L. Quezon who bought and sold it after four years
of possession.

1927

Two other foreign owners had the Manila Times before Alejandro Roces, Sr.
acquired it on this date. Roces already running the TVT (Taliba-La Vanguardia-
Tribune) chain at that time then realized the unnecessary owning of another English
paper and so he closed it down in 1930. Also sometime in 1927 the son of
Alejandro Roces, Sr., Ramon Roces put up a magazine known as Graphic.

February 1, 1900

Another American newspaper issued that time was the "oldest existing
newspaper", The Manila Daily Bulletin, established by Carson Taylor. The paper
started out as a shipping journal and later widened its scope in 1912.

1920s

TVT then was considered the first newspaper chain in the Philippines. Its founding
was one of the highlight events and had bestowed on Roces the titled "father of
modern journalism." Manila Tribune was established by Roces on April 1, 1925, with
Carlos P. Romulo as editor.

1930

Sometime after this year with Herald and Tribune on tough competition for high
number of circulation, Sen. Vicente Madrigal, owner of the Herald, put up his own
publication chain called DMHM comprised of Spanish daily, El Debate, weekly,
Monday Post, Herald and Mabuhay, a Pilipino daily.

JAPANESE OCCUPATION
October 12, 1942

With the invasion of the Japanese most publications were shut down except for the
ones they used for their propaganda. DMHM was the first destroyed
when Manila was bombed.

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It was only TVT which was left to operate however it was controlled and functioned
as "solely for the benefit of the Japanese state. The chain together with Ramon
Roces' Liwayway was allowed to be published regularly but under censorship of
the Japanese Imperial Army. The printing and distribution of the periodicals
were transferred under Osaka Mainichi Publishing Company, established by Manila
Sinbusya Corporation.

The only papers that existed those times were that of TVT, Liwayway, Manila
Shimbun, Shin-Seiki, Bicol Herald and Davao Nichi-Nichi, all under the control of
the corporation.

With the side of the guerrillas they also came up with their own periodicals. These
were typewritten or mimeographed paraphernalias on 8 ½ x 11-inch paper edited
by journalists-guerillas. The publication served to empower the soldiers' and
people's morale and aid as counter propaganda against the Japanese.

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POST LIBERATION
February 3, 1945

After the atrocities of the Japanese and World War II in general, Manila was freed.
At that time came a rapid proliferation of publications with most of them simply
printed like flyers or in single-sheets. Manila Free Philippines became the first post-
Liberation newspaper published by the US Office of War Information. The paper
circulated from February - September 1945.

Some of the periodicals closed by the Japanese made comebacks but those used for
propaganda one by one perished. Those that disappeared included Philippine
Liberty News by Manuel F. Manahan, Manila Post edited by Abelardo Subido and
wife Trinidad Tarrosa-Subido,Manila Tribune edited by Vicente Albino-Pacis and a
certain Morning Sun.

1947

Those that were revived included The Manila Bulletin was further developed.
Philippines Herald, Manila Chronicle, started as "The People's Newspaper" and was
later bought by Eugenio Lopez and Manila Times, re-established by the Roces
family. Likewise, Ramon Roces, son of Don Alejandro, also put out Manila's first
afternoon newspaper called Evening News. Furthermore, his Graphic, renamed
as Kislap-Graphic, Liwayway and vernacular sister
publications: Bisaya, Bannawag and Hiligaynon were also re-launched.

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MARTIAL LAW
September 21, 1972

After more than three decades of free press upon the declaration of Martial Law,
publications were once again halted from their liberal operations. Then Pres.
Ferdinand Marcos issued Letter of Instruction (LOI) No. I which contained the
ordinance, "to take over and control or cause the taking over and control of the
mass media for the duration of the national emergency, or until otherwise ordered
by the President or by his duly designated representative." Almost similar to the
press' situation during the Japanese Occupation, publications were put under
government supervision. Media entities were sequestered or closed down
restraining their operation unless approved by the MMC / MAC agency, which was
tasked to regulate them. Editors, publishers and activist-journalists were put into
jail considering them as threat to the administration. It was in this period when the
likes Geny Lopez, Jr., Chino Roces, Max V. Soliven, Luis Beltran, Teodoro Locsin,
Jose Diokno, Benigno Aquino, Jr. and others were detained at Camp Crame.

The only periodicals that continuously existed were those owned by Marcos' cronies
and relatives. These included Manila Daily Bulletin, then owned by the late Gen.
Hans Menzi who was presidential aide-de-camp, The Times Journal by Benjamin
"Kokoy" Romualdez, brother of then First Lady, Imelda Marcos, and The Daily
Express by Roberto S. Benedicto, who was a family friend.

CONTEMPORARY TIMES
February 5, 1986

When the Marcos' administration ended because of the first PeoplePower revolt, the
press was once again freed. There was an influx of periodicals which was a result
ofthe repression. As forthe case of Manila Times, Ramon Roces decided to revive
the paper on January 1986, registered under his grandson, Alfredo R. Guerrero. He
also brought back La Vanguardia Publishing Co., Inc. which was for his other
grandson, Ramon R. Davila. The newspaper came out February 5, 1986 with his
cousin, Joaquin "Titong" R. Roces as editor-in-chief. The Manila Chronicle was re-
established with publisher Joaquin "Chino" Roces and editor Amando Doronilla. The
weekly, We Forum, also emerged with Jose Burgos as its publisher. Present day
newspapers such as Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Manila Standard and
even Business World were born during those times.

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