The printing press in the Philippines was described to be the liveliest and most free in Asia. This is said because of the extraordinary history and past that Philippines had to go through.
Let's start things off during the Spanish Era.
During the Hispanic times, the Philippines wasn't in a very great place to say the least. The Spaniards saw themselves as people who were more superior compared to the Filipinos. This behavior lead the Spaniards to abuse the Filipino community, which then resulted with the Filipinos revolting against them. These sparked and gave way for Filipino journalists to emerge and arise, also know as the people who would greatly seek to expose and threaten the abusive Spaniards and to fight for our freedom and independence through the use of the printing press. It was also during this time when many of our great national heroes were born, these included people such as Jose Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce, Antonio Luna, to name a few. Some of the famous newspapers that they were able to make include the La Solidaridad, Kalayaan, La Independencia, La Libertad, and El Heraldo de Iloilo,
A few years later, the American regime entered the scene, thus the production and publication of brand new newspaper names were born. These included The Manila Times, The Bounding Billow and Official Gazette, Manila Daily Bulletin, and the Philippine Free Press, some of which are still up and running up until this very day.
A few decades later, after the post-war era, the golden age of the Philippine press was born. The Philippine press began to be known as the "freest in Asia." The press during this time period was forced to in partnership with large business companies and political groups. Majority of the publications where wholly or partly owned by triple A business enterprises. Some newspapers had control and power in other media particularly radio and television.
Then came the Marcos era, or the period in which President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in the whole country of the Philippines. The entire media and printing press during those times were completely under Marcos' strict control and supervision. They were extremely and heavily regulated in terms of the information and news that they were dispersing and spreading to the citizens of the community. But this didn't go very well for him, for it sparked the famous revolution which was known as the 1986 People Power Revolution.
Fast forward to the printing press that we are all familiar to, currently there are a total of 14 "national" daily broadsheets and 19 tabloids published in Metro Manila. Of the 14 broadsheets, only two are in Filipino - Kabayan and Numero Uno. Among the newspapers with the biggest claimed daily circulation are Manila Bulletin (280,000 on weekdays and 300,000 on Sundays), Philippine Daily Inquirer, (260,000 and 280,000 respectively) and Philippine Star (271,687).
In today's world, especially with the advent of new information technologies, most of our national dailies have incorporated and fused computers within their operations. Most of the news press in the current century, are now automated which include the Business World, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin. Most of these newspapers are found online, making it absolutely easier to connect and interact with people, specially those who don't normally read the printed news.
A few years later, the American regime entered the scene, thus the production and publication of brand new newspaper names were born. These included The Manila Times, The Bounding Billow and Official Gazette, Manila Daily Bulletin, and the Philippine Free Press, some of which are still up and running up until this very day.
A few decades later, after the post-war era, the golden age of the Philippine press was born. The Philippine press began to be known as the "freest in Asia." The press during this time period was forced to in partnership with large business companies and political groups. Majority of the publications where wholly or partly owned by triple A business enterprises. Some newspapers had control and power in other media particularly radio and television.
Then came the Marcos era, or the period in which President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in the whole country of the Philippines. The entire media and printing press during those times were completely under Marcos' strict control and supervision. They were extremely and heavily regulated in terms of the information and news that they were dispersing and spreading to the citizens of the community. But this didn't go very well for him, for it sparked the famous revolution which was known as the 1986 People Power Revolution.
Fast forward to the printing press that we are all familiar to, currently there are a total of 14 "national" daily broadsheets and 19 tabloids published in Metro Manila. Of the 14 broadsheets, only two are in Filipino - Kabayan and Numero Uno. Among the newspapers with the biggest claimed daily circulation are Manila Bulletin (280,000 on weekdays and 300,000 on Sundays), Philippine Daily Inquirer, (260,000 and 280,000 respectively) and Philippine Star (271,687).
In today's world, especially with the advent of new information technologies, most of our national dailies have incorporated and fused computers within their operations. Most of the news press in the current century, are now automated which include the Business World, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin. Most of these newspapers are found online, making it absolutely easier to connect and interact with people, specially those who don't normally read the printed news.
Without a doubt, we can all agree that we have truly come a very long way when it comes to the printing press, not just in the Philippines, but also in the entire world. From physical printed copies to online sites that are effortlessly accessible everywhere and anytime, look at where we are now! This is what we call evolution!
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