Maraming salamat po!
WE, The PUNCH editors and staff, thank the Philippine Press Institute for acknowledging your SUNDAY PUNCH as the ‘Best Edited Weekly Community Newspaper’ in the country.
We accept the citation with pride knowing that our mission as defined by our founder Ermin E. Garcia in 1956, is validated not only by national association of newspapers but by the reaffirmation of support and trust as expressed by our readers and accountable public officials in our pages for this occasion.
Nothing can be more inspiring in pursuing this thankless role amid challenges in revenues, compensation and being shorthanded than to be told that our efforts to serve our communities with unbiased news reports and independent opinions by distinguished columnists are respected and appreciated.
We will remain steadfast in our role as defined by our late founder in 1962 in his speech when he was inducted president of the Pangasinan Press and Radio Club. Please read the reprinted speech in this issue to understand us better why we persevered to continue publishing and distributing the news when we didn’t have to, particularly during periods of calamity, the martial law era and the recent 2-year COVID-19 pandemic.
Unknown to many, only The PUNCH was asked by the national government to continue publishing in Pangasinan in 1972, from Day One of the marital law era. It was also the national government that provided us credentials from Day One to be able to freely gather news and information, exempting our staff from travel restrictions and lockdown areas.
May I, on behalf of our editorial staff Leonardo Micua, Eva Visperas, Julie Ann Arrogante, Virgilio Biagtan, Ahikam Pasion, Kim Gealogo, production staff; Rod Ibasan, Rolly Dioquino, our columnists; Gonzalo Duque, Farah Decano, Rex Catubig, Virginia Pasalo, Jesus Garcia Jr., our photojournalists Willie Lomibao, Butch Uka, Cesar Ramirez and Ray Zambrano, thank our online partner Bitstop, our contributor 107.4 IFM Dagupan, our printer Rana Printing Press, and all the correspondents, men and women who painstakingly contributed for the past 60 years to make your SUNDAY PUNCH your ‘Best Edited Community Newspaper’!
Our special thanks to Nickel Asia Corporation (for committing its support throughout the years), to our national and local advertisers, readers and accountable public officials for their unqualified support they continue to lend to us to this day.
Maraming salamat po! – Editor
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