The Philippine Star facts for kids
| Truth Shall Prevail | |
 |
|
Front page from March 19, 2018
|
|
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet and News website |
| Owner(s) | PhilStar Daily, Inc. MediaQuest Holdings (51%) Belmonte family (21%) Private stock (28%) |
| Founder(s) | Betty Go-Belmonte Maximo V. Soliven Art Borjal |
| Publisher | Philippine Star Printing Co., Inc. |
| Founded | July 28, 1986 (14,202 issues) |
| Political alignment | Centre-left |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | The Philippine Star Building, Amvel Business Park, Dr. Arcadio Santos Avenue corner Sucat Road, San Dionisio, Parañaque, Metro Manila |
| City | Manila |
| Country | Philippines |
| Circulation | Mon–Sat: 262,285 (2012) Sunday: 286,408 (2012) |
| Sister newspapers | BusinessWorld Pilipino Star Ngayon Pang-Masa The Freeman Banat |
| OCLC number | 854909029 |
The Philippine Star is a popular English-language newspaper in the Philippines. It's the main newspaper of the Philstar Media Group. It was first printed on July 28, 1986. Three experienced journalists, Betty Go-Belmonte, Max Soliven, and Art Borjal, started it. It was one of several newspapers created after the 1986 People Power Revolution.
The Philippine Star has several sister publications. These include BusinessWorld, a newspaper about business. There's also The Freeman, an English newspaper from Cebu. Other papers are Pilipino Star Ngayon and Pang-Masa, which are in Filipino. Banat is a newspaper in the Cebuano language. The group also has online news websites like Philstar.com and Interaksyon.
In 2014, MediaQuest Holdings, Inc. bought most of The Philippine Star. This company is part of the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund. The Philippine Star is one of the most widely read newspapers in the Philippines. It prints about 266,000 copies every day.
Contents
The Story of The Philippine Star
How the Newspaper Started
The Philippine Star began seven months after the 1986 People Power Revolution. This event removed Ferdinand Marcos from power and made Corazon Aquino the new president. Before starting The Philippine Star, the founders Betty Go-Belmonte, Max Soliven, and Art Borjal were known as "Mosquito Press" journalists. This was a group of newspapers that spoke out against the Marcos government during the Martial Law years (1972-1981). Betty Go-Belmonte had her own small magazine called The Star before this.
In late 1985, Belmonte, Soliven, and Borjal, along with others, started another newspaper called Philippine Daily Inquirer. This paper became a strong critic of the Marcos government. After the revolution, the founders had different ideas about how to run the Inquirer. This led Belmonte, Soliven, and Borjal to leave and start The Philippine Star. Betty Go-Belmonte became the first chairman of the board. Max Soliven was the first publisher and head of the editorial board.
The Early Years
The very first issue of The Philippine Star came out on July 28, 1986. It had eight pages and no advertisements. The main headline was "Wear yellow and die." This story was about a young man killed during a rally in Manila. The newspaper's motto, "Truth Shall Prevail," was on the front. This motto showed their goal to share both sides of a story. The first paper had sections like World, Nation, Money, Life, and Sports.
The first issue was printed in Manila. It used blue and yellow colors, which became the newspaper's signature look. It cost ₱1.75 and printed a few thousand copies.
At first, the newspaper was only published Monday to Saturday. This was because Betty Go-Belmonte didn't want work on Sundays. To reach Sunday readers, they started a Sunday magazine called Starweek in 1987. Later, in 1988, the newspaper added a Sunday issue because people wanted more news. The company also started other papers, like Pilipino Star Ngayon.
The Soliven Era
Betty Go-Belmonte passed away in 1994. Max Soliven then became the chairman of the board, while still being the publisher. Miguel Belmonte, Betty's 30-year-old son, became the executive vice president. In 1994, the newspaper used the slogan "The only paper you read from cover to cover." This meant they wanted every part of the paper to be interesting. In 1995, The Philippine Star was the first Philippine newspaper to have a colored front page.
The Miguel Belmonte Era
In 1998, Miguel Belmonte became the president and CEO. Max Soliven remained chairman and publisher. In 1999, the newspaper launched "Hotline 2000." This allowed readers to share their opinions using text messages (SMS). This was a new way for newspapers to get feedback. In 2000, The Philippine Star launched its website, philstar.com. This made it one of the first Philippine newspapers to be online.
To reach more readers, The Philippine Star teamed up with the fast food chain Jollibee in 2003. They gave a free copy of the newspaper to Jollibee customers who bought a breakfast meal.
In 2004, The Philippine Star bought The Freeman, an English newspaper in Cebu City. They also bought Banat, a Cebuano newspaper. This helped The Philippine Star grow its presence in the Visayas-Mindanao region. The Freeman is the oldest newspaper in Cebu City, started in 1919.
Max Soliven, the founding publisher, passed away in 2006. Isaac Belmonte, Miguel's brother, later became the publisher in 2012. Ana Marie "Amy" Pamintuan is the current editor-in-chief.
Ownership by MediaQuest Holdings
In 2009, businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan wanted to buy a part of The Philippine Star. His company, MediaQuest Holdings, bought a 20% share in 2010. By 2014, MediaQuest took control of The Philippine Star by buying a 51% share. The Belmonte family still owns 21% and helps manage the newspaper.
In 2015, The Philippine Star also bought a large share in its sister newspaper, BusinessWorld. This helped The Philippine Star become an even bigger leader in the newspaper business.
People Who Write for The Philippine Star
Opinion Writers
- Betty Go-Belmonte†, one of the founders of The Philippine Star.
- Max Soliven†, a founder and former publisher of The Philippine Star.
- Alex Magno, a political scientist.
- Satur Ocampo, a journalist and activist.
Entertainment Writers
- Boy Abunda, a TV host and talent manager.
- Joey de Leon, a comedian and TV presenter.
- Pepe Diokno, a film director and writer.
Lifestyle Writers
- Tim Yap, a TV host and columnist.
- Cheryl Tiu, a lifestyle columnist.
- Lucy Torres, an actress and politician.
- Bianca Gonzalez, a TV host and model.
Sports Writers
- Quinito Henson, a sports analyst.
See also
