The Philippine STAR at 40: Where truth shines
This year marks four decades of The Philippine STAR, first founded on July 28, 1986 after the first EDSA Revolution. We celebrate with a special anniversary issue bannered under WHERE TRUTH SHINES, commemorating the paper beyond a platform for information. For 40 years, it has also been a force that reveals, clarifies, and protects the truth, especially in moments of uncertainty.
The set of stories here speaks to the present and the future. First, it calls to attention the impossibility of a world in which journalism and mass media do not exist. These social forces, while underappreciated in the Philippines, directly shape the beliefs and perspectives of our people; without them, the public cannot make informed decisions and therefore cannot participate in our democracy.
Journalism is a public service, especially in one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. It takes immense grit and courage to search for truth when believing things at face value is often the path of least resistance, and it’s something our media workers choose to do day by day; risks, long hours, and industry troubles be damned.
In celebrating 40 years, we also champion the journalists and cultural workers who continue to heed the call. These writers, cartoonists, and critics from different media sectors all tell the story of our nation.
It takes immense grit and courage to search for truth when believing things at face value is often the path of least resistance, and it’s something our media workers choose to do day by day; risks, long hours, and industry troubles be damned.
The second half of the stories is for the Filipinos lighting the way forward. These are the people and groups pushing Filipino talent on the global stage. From the young stylist behind the iconic costumes of the nation’s girl group to the first Mindanaoan restaurant to earn a prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand, they prove that we can thrive exactly as we are, if only we are given ample support.
Also lighting the way forward are the innovators showing us new ways of thinking and shedding light on what used to be in the shadows. They advocate for bike lanes, offer a new home to retired K9s, push young people to read books amid declining literacy rates, operate the first-ever queer barbershop in the country, and rethink what “healthy” means to be more holistic, among many others.
Alongside the journalists fighting for a more truthful present, these people, whose stories you will get to know in our pages, are building a more just future. With truth as their guiding light, they look at the world now, unfazed by uncertainty, and dare to ask, “What if things could be different?”
