Why we remember
A page turns today for the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI), and it is both rich with history and filled with gratitude.
History on account of PDI’s 40 years as a chronicler of the Filipino nation’s journey. And gratitude—to our readers, advertisers, staff, management and other company stakeholders—for their impact on the newspaper’s own story of highs and hurdles amid today’s disruptive media landscape.
Indeed, what a story it has been for the P2 daily launched on Dec. 9, 1985, a gutsy “mosquito” let loose in a gusty time by a team of young and veteran journalists led by Eugenia “Eggie” Apostol, in response to the snap elections called by the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and the challenge being accepted by the widow Cory Aquino.
Most of today’s Inquirer editors and other stewards of the newsroom were, uhm, still only in elementary or high school during those pivotal, courageous days. That’s why the mere thought of it humbles us.
And that’s why, as we honor those roots—the legacy that guided the editors and staff who came before us—the pages we turn today are also imbued with appreciation. We dedicate much of this anniversary supplement to recognizing the major milestones of our reportage over the last four decades.
To better capture the spirit of those times, it was necessary to request former or retired colleagues to write some of the essays for this special issue. Current staff members, including provincial correspondents, share personal insights about their beats—the metadata, so to speak, behind their daily grind. There’s a deep dive about the economy, but there’s also mention of pet pythons. We also proudly report about our continuing community engagements and advocacy beyond the newsroom.
May you find our selection of topics and “throwbacks” a pleasure to revisit, knowing that some of them were from a less frenetic, analog era of rotary phones, word processors and fax machines, still a world away from today’s 24/7 overload of Zoom interviews, tweeted quotables and viral news (clickbaits and AI fakes included).
Still, we begin not with pieces of nostalgia but of things here and now. There’s the public works corruption scandal to be plumbed, and the seething public clamor for transparency and accountability that is still far from being met. They all pose new challenges for Filipino journalists.
And that’s why we remember. In the 40-year history we now mark, a period bookended by two Marcos presidencies, 2025 can always take a page from 1985.
Volt Contreras
Executive Editor
