The STAR says Thank You

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

Today, the Visayan DAILY STAR marks the 30th year since it started publication in Bacolod City in what was described as a Quixotic mission by some doubters in the community.

For who would then believe that a publication – a daily one at that - could survive without any capital to speak of, or a “political patron” to support it? But the men and women who came from the media and from local civic clubs who took the chance and contributed the small amounts to start it, dared, even if many of them later confessed that they only did so to accommodate those who were campaigning for it.

Admittedly the DAILY STAR went through the worst of times. In less than a year, the intrepid group who undertook it had run out of funds, and for a while it looked as if the doomsayers were right, the STAR would go the way many others who had attempted such a project had gone.

But they did not reckon with the effectivity of Prayers and community support. The STAR was fortunate that, somehow, it was able to hurdle the so-called perilous years for a newspaper – the first five years.

From then on, it seems as if the community had awakened to the need for a daily newspaper to record the events taking place and to guide them in their decisions.

Oftentimes we are told by media leaders in Manila and other parts of the country that ours is, indeed, a truly community paper. And that is true, because it was through the acceptance and support of the local community that the STAR has survived this long.

It is therefore with great happiness and humility that those of us who have worked so hard and so long to continue presenting this community with its information needs and guidance, offer our profound thanks to all our readers and supporters who have inspired and backed us up all these years.

Thank you all, and please continue to pray and help your DAILY STAR to continue shining!*