The Philippine Press in the Early Years

The history of the free press in the Philippines has its roots in nationalistic newspapers published in Europe and
in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial rule. The aim was to raise the level of consciousness with respect
to oppressive conditions prevailing in the country then. These newspapers were mainly written and published by
the so-called ilustrados.
Philippine press is committed to the true aspiration of its people to progress and prosperity and to the
great tradition of libertarianism
One of the freest press in the world
In the 22nd annual Freedom House press survey:
six Asian countries with press freedom: Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand
with only partly free press: four countries
with press not at all free: 14 countries
Started during liberation in 1945
Its flowering was in 1890s with the Revolutionary Propaganda Movement
No forces curbed the press freedom
fourth estate
Has perpetuated a tradition of service that has made it one of the strongest pillars of our national life.
Tomas Pinpin

Father of Filipino printing; learned the art of printing from Spanish friars and Chinese craftsmen.
1637, Successos Felices (Fortunate Events), a 14-page newsletter in Spanish to satisfy the colonizers
thirst for news about other parts of the country; devoted to the raids by Muslim pirates;.
Newsletter then was in fashion as community newspapers in England and Europe
Comparatively, the first American newspaper, Publick Occurrences, came out in 1690
Hojas Volantes-flying sheets for mass readership entitled Aviso Al Publico (Notices to the Public), 1799;
town criers for the Spaniards in the Phil.; appeared intermittently in 50 years.
Del Superior Govierno
Aug. 8, 1811, first regularly issued publication to satisfy the needs of the Spaniards for information on
development in Spain and Europe
Edited by Spanish pro-consul, Gov. Manuel Fernandez del Folgueras
Folded up after 15 issues over a six months period
Other Newspapers

Spanish authorities and the church exerted strict censorship

La Esperenza, 1846, first daily newspaper which according to historians was dull, colorless, and filled
with long discussions of historical, scientific, and religious subjects, but set the emergence of other dailies;
existed for three years; catered to the Spanish elite; was suppressed by the Governor General after 38 years of
publication, allegedly for inciting the Filipinos to rebel against the Spaniards.
La Estrella, 1847
Diario de Manila, 1848-1852, in monopoly; re-established after Boletin in 1860 till 1899; maintained
correspondence service with Spain; best edited newspaper with long continuous and prosperous existence or 38
yrs; was suppressed by the Governor General after 38 years of publication, allegedly for inciting the Filipinos to
rebel against the Spaniards.
Boletin Oficial de Filipinas, 1852-1860, lasted for less then a decade; daily government organ
El Porvenir Filipino, 1865, appeared with two editions daily.
El Catolico Filipino, 1862, first Phil. religious newspaper
Revista Mercantil, 1865, published two editions daily
El Comercio, 1869, afternoon paper of commerce, industry, agriculture and advice
El Correo de Manila, 1876
La Oceani Espanola, 1877; paper of progressive Filipinos defending their rights to representation in the
Spanish Cortes
Diario de Filipinas,1880

La Regeneracion, 1876, short-lived and succeeded by El Fenix; both usedsensational styles

La Opinion, 1887, started political journalism, first paper to defy the friars and campaigned for the ouster
of the religious, including an archbishop
El Resumen, 1890, published by Pablo Poblete, the first multiple newspaper publisher (founder,
publisher, chief contributor to 20 newspapers); found the secret to make it popular to the public
The Revolutionary Period
The early crusading spirit of the Philippine press played an important role in the fight against Spain
Filipino heroes who emerged from the revolution were connected with newspapers
The mouthpiece of the revolution was La Solidaridad, Feb. 19, 1889, with the policy to work peacefully
for social and economic reforms, to expose the real plight of the Phil. and to champion liberalism and
democracy.
La Sol was published in Spain and smuggled into the Islands forthnightly
All its writers used pseudonyms; included were Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Andres
Bonifacio, Pio Valenzuela and Graciano Lopez-Jaena
Editors of La Sol:
Graciano Lopez-Jaena, for nine months
Marcelo H. del Pilar, left his family, went to Spain and gave his life for La Sol for five years (1889-1895), died in
1896
vigorously exposed the abuses of Spanish administrators in the Phil. & refuted that the Filipinos had no
civilization before the coming of the Spaniards
also founded Diariong Tagalog, 1882, which lamented the wretched conditions of the Phil. and exhorted
fellow countrymen to be patriotic & fight Spaniards injustices.
Policies of La Sol,
Program: to fight all reactions, to hinder all steps backward, to applaud and accept all liberal ideas and to
defend progress; to be a propagandist of democracy
Aims: to collect liberal ideas in politics, in science, arts. letters, commerce, agriculture and industry. to
discuss all problems which deal with the general interest of the nation, seeking solutions. to fulfill our patriotic
duty in defense of democracy
Rizals advise,
Be careful not to publish exaggerations or lies. See that the periodical is just, honest, truthful so that
its opinion may always be respected.
Kalayaan , came out two months after La Sol with only one issue of 2000 copies, put out by the
Katipunan, a secret society of rebels; increased Katipunan members to 30,000; its 2nd issue did not materialize
due to its discovery by the authorities
Other revolutionary newspapers
El Heraldo de Iloilo, Jan. 1, 1898
La libertad, June 20, 1898; edited by Clemente Jose Zulueta
La Independencia, Sept. 3, 1898, by Gen. Antonio Luna & Fernando Ma. Guerrero to castigate both Spaniards &
Americans, to uplift the lowering revolutionary morale; writers included Rafael Palma (organizer of Nationalista
Party), Fernando Guerrero & Cecilio Apostol (poets), Epifanio delos Santos (historian), & Judge Jose Abreu;
survived the Revolution and resisted American imperialism.
El Herldo dela Revolucion, founded by Gen. Aguinaldo who needed the press as an ally when he found his
armies being shattered everywhere La Federacion, 1899 in Iloilo
Ang Kaibigan nang Bayan(fly sheets), 1899, Lipa Batangas
Patria, 1899, Iloilo; La Revolucion, 1899, Iloilo
Gaceta de Filipinas, contained nationalistic pieces, official texts of the revolutionary governments decrees, news
items, poems by Filipino revolutionaries

American Colonial Period

American Newspapers after Manila was subdued on Aug. 13, 1898

Bounding Billow
American Soldier
Freedom
The American
Derogatory remarks found in one of the papers: These islands were rich, untapped sources of American wealth
and capital. The natives, half-evil half-child, insist on playing government; a group of warlike tribes who will
devour each other the moment American troops leave.
Treaty of Paris, 1898.
Filipinos lost faith in their own biased newspaper
La Independencia, folded up in Jan. 1900, (p. 5, Malinao)
Military censorship used to suppress the emergence of nationalistic papers, (p.6, Ramirez)
Aves de Rapina (Birds of Prey), a patriotic editorial in El Renacimiento in 1908which described what it termed
as parasitic activities of certain aliens in the Phil. (p. 7, Malinao), caused the paper to be sued and fined and its
editor sentenced for libel.

Manila Daily Bulletin, 1900

Manila Times, Oct. 1898, Thomas Gowan heard that Amer. soldiers in the Phil. lacked good English
newspaper; sold to Quezon, then to Roces who disbanded it in 1930
The American
Cable News
Phil. Free Press, Mc Culloch Dick, 1908, paid Php1.00 for goodwill, circulation and equipment of the Free
Press
Phil Herald, 1920, first pro Fil., English language publication, by Quezon, to allow vent/outlet of Filipino
sentiments.
Development of the first chain of ownership of newspapers in the Phil. under Alejandro Roces, Sr., the father of
modern journalism (p. 7, Malinao)
TVT Taliba, La Vanguardia, Manila Tribune (ed. Carlos P. Romulo)
DMHM Herald, Monday Post, El Debate, Mabuhay
Local Newspapers and Magazines
Bag-ong Suga (New Lamp), in Cebu; stories & essays with heavy nationalist tone
Lamdag
The Freeman
Other Cebuano publishers who became national figures: Vicente Rama, Nicolas Rafael, Paulino Gullas,
Buenaventura Rodriguez
Japanese Occupation
Most editors hid in the hills
Newspapers in this period
TVT chain of Roces was allowed to operate to benefit Japanese state; under censorship of the Japanese
imperial Army
Liwayway magazine, Manila Shimbunsya, Shin-Seiki, Bicol Herald, Davao Nichi-Nichi

Department of Information checked all copies nightly.

Pres. Laurel of the Japanese installed Phil Republic created Board of Information to control, direct, supervise, &
coordinate all information and publicity of the government.

Dispatches from Domie (Japanese official news agency) and news reportson the achievement of Japanese
military forces in Asia were printed in the newspaper; however, all radios were confiscated to prevent Filipinos
from listening to newscast from the US.

Guerilla newspapers were published to boost the soldiers and the peoples morale, to warn against Japanese
collaboration, to fight the Japs..
in mimeographed short bond paper, edited by journalist guerillas
passed from hand to hand
caught with those sheets meant death
Post Liberation Press

1945, liberation of Manila, liberation of the press

Mushrooming of Phil. newspapers; 250 papers published
Newspapers
Manila Free Philippines by US Office War Information, at first distributed for free then later sold at 5centavos
per copy
Philippine Liberty News, Manila Post, Morning Star
Giants: Manila Bulletin, The Manila Times, Evening News, Manila Chronicle, Philippine Herald
Others: Liwayway resumed publication,Bisaya for Cebuanos, Banawag for Ilocanos, Hiligayon for Ilongo, Bagong-Yuhum for Ilongo
Illustrated comics magazines contained easy to read stories, mainly responsible for the rapid growth of the
Tagalog language in non-Tagalog provinces
Stars, stripes, Daily Pacifican, Yank, Free Philippines
Balita, Bagong Buhay, Courier, Express, Freedom, Star Reporter, Manila Post, Liberty News, Victory News,
Evening Herald, Daily Mail, Morning Sun
The Golden Age of Philippine Journalism
The post-war era to the pre-martial law period (1945-1972) is called the golden age of Philippine journalism. The
Philippine press began to be known as "the freest in Asia."
The press functioned as a real watchdog of the government. It was sensitive to national issues and critical of
government mistakes and abuses. Among its practitioners were a clutch of scholarly, noble-minded writers and
editors - Carlos P. Romulo, Mauro Mendez, Arsenio Lacson, Modesto Farolan, Leon Guerrero, Armando Malay, ,
S.P. Lopez, Jose Bautista, to name a few.
The press during the period was forced into a "marriage of convenience" with large business enterprises and
political groups. Most of the newspapers were wholly or partly owned by large business complexes. Some
newspapers had control and interest in other media particularly radio and television.
In 1952, the National Press Club was organized "to promote cooperation among journalists and uphold press
freedom and the dignity of journalists." In 1964, the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) was organized "to foster the
development and improvement of journalism in the country."
Martial Law Days
Proclaimed on Sept 21, 1972; all papers then were closed, many columnists and reporters were arrested
and detained
LOI (Letter of Instruction) No. 1 take over and control mass media for the duration of national emergency
DPI (Dept. of Public Information) issued the ff. orders:
Order No. 1 all media publications be cleared by DPI
Order No. 2 prohibited publication for mass dissemination without permit from DPI
Presidential Decrees that effectively controlled the media:

PD No. 33, 1972, penalized printing, possession, distribution and circulation of immoral or
which defy Government or its officers or which tend to undermine the integrity of the Govt. or the stability of the
state
PD No. 90, 1973, penalized rumor-mongering as it undermines stability and the objectives of the New Society,
endangers public order, or cause damage to the interest of the State.
PD No. 1834 and 1835, escalated penalties for rebellion, sedition, and other crimes relating to
national security (kept secret for 1 years)
PD No. 1737, Public Order Act, empowered the President to detain persons and entities to prevent them
from acting in a manner prejudicial to national security and to close subversive publications and other media of
mass communication
Media regulating agencies
MMC (Mass Media Council) wastasked to issue permits on mass media to operate;later
replaced by MAC (Media Advisory Council)
PCPM (Phil. Council for Print Media)
KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster), tasked to police its own rank
Major newspapers and broadcast facilities were already in the hands of Marcos cronies and his
relatives. The crony press prevailed up to the fateful four days of Feb. 1986, the EDSA People Power
Revolution.
Press under Martial Law

Daily Express, Times Journal, Bulletin Today

There was a need for alert and vigorously independent press. For in an age of uncertainty
and crumbling faith and moral nihilismof old political heresies revived in delusive forms of evil masquerading as
good, the Filipino journalists had the urgent task of defending the rights of the people and keeping the concept
of press freedom clear and untarnished

Problems of the Press Under Martial Law

The press is objective, fair and impartial in its news, columns and editorials only when it enjoys freedom.
Journalists, friendly to the Marcos administration, because of fear of Martial Law decrees, were power
incarnate and possessing such power, they abused itdanger of the press
Journalists were challenged to report freely a world that has altered its dimension rapidly; required to place
their reports in perspective that will present the events with sense and meaning for the readers.
The press under Martial Law had been accused of not living up to its role as an effective channel of
communication between government & people
did the media fulfill their mandate as guardian of public welfare, molder of public opinion, carrier of information and
reform the world