IT WAS back on April 7, 1981 when the first issue of this newspaper rolled off the press. It was some kind of gamble, with founder Danny Fajardo sinking his hard-earned income from his bus business to keep it going.
Fast forward to 2023 – 42 years later. What used to be a weekly tabloid has become a regular and favorite daily companion of readers in Western Visayas and beyond. The gamble has paid off. Time seems to have warped as we recall the early days of this journalistic endeavor that – we have faith – would endure long after the pioneers of this enterprise will have gone out of this world.
We take this opportunity to thank all of you our dear readers, advertisers, corporate partners, and dealers for continuing to partner with us as we further expand our reach beyond the region to the outside world via the internet and social media as the undisputed No. 1 regional daily. Together, we have gone a long way telling your stories and making us your trusted newspaper. We see this partnership going further. Your stories matter to us.
Using newer technologies at our disposal, readers can expect so much more as we enter another exciting phase, pandemic or no pandemic. We aim to make the public become more aware and be more involved in issues that affect their lives with our fearless commentaries and no-nonsense reportage on our printed pages and online.
There has been a lot of talk in recent years about how newspapers may be dying in the digital age and whether, in an age of declining circulation and ad revenues, it’s even possible to save them. But this we are sure – readers want what they’ve always wanted: a source they can trust. Reliable. Accurate. Factual. Panay News believes that this has always been the role of great newspapers in the past. And that role will keep newspapers great in the future.
Forty-two straight years in the field of print journalism. This is no small feat, and we are in high spirits. In our own humble way, we have played our role in making democracy in this country – to borrow a phrase from Lapsus – “alive and kicking.”
