WHAT’S a senior newspaper like the Sunday PUNCH to do when it reaches 67? A lot more than when it was 15, 30, 50 years old!

Unlike many journalists whose physical ages begin experiencing difficulties in movements and memory when they reach 65, The PUNCH’s mission as a community newspaper never ages, never tires communicating the many truths that impact on the lives of Pangasinenses.

As there are new individuals filling up government posts, as there are more members of the civil society engaging public servants in debates, validating claims and propositions, your Sunday PUNCH makes it its appointed task to vet thoughts, ideas and accusations thrown to the public, report successes and failures of public servants, more importantly to give a voice to the marginalized and affected sectors.

At age 11, your Sunday PUNCH already refused to let a politician’s bullets die with our founder. It struggled to keep the fight against corruption going. At age 17, your Sunday PUNCH was at the forefront when martial law was declared until People Power took center stage when it was 31 years old. At 35, your Sunday PUNCH was in the middle of ruins after the 1990 earthquake literally pushed Dagupan City to its knees.

Your Sunday PUNCH, at 65, had to give its all literally particularly during the onslaught of the two-year COVID pandemic period. It chose to continue publishing amid a period of uncertainty. It was not an easy decision because the risks of getting our staff infected by the virus while chasing and writing the news and commentaries was real. But to continue publishing was the only choice if it must be true to the mission the commitment made not only by the founder but by the succeeding generations of PUNCH journalists that breathed and imbibed the life of communicating truth and injustice.

The new challenges posed by the social media cannot distract your Sunday PUNCH. At 67, your PUNCH will maintain the course. It will not yield and race against rampant reporting of fake news. It will continue to report only vetted significant and updated news and commentaries because facts and truth are what matter, not the speed.

For this alone, we, today’s team manning the gates, are grateful to our readers, supporters, advertisers and printer, for helping your Sunday PUNCH sustain its role, strength and position in our communities.

Thank you, fellow PUNCHERS!! On to 68!

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