Manila Standard Explained

Manila Standard
Motto:Defining the news
Type:Newspaper
Format:Broadsheet
Owners:Philippine Manila Standard Publishing, Inc.
Publisher:Rolando G. Estabillo
President:Philip Romualdez
Maneditor:Joyce Pangco Pañares
Newseditor:Virgilio Galvez
Opeditor:Honor Blanco Cabie
Sportseditor:Riera U. Mallari
Photoeditor:Lino M. Santos
Political:Centre-right
Language:English
Headquarters:6/F, Universal RE Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas Avenue cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Sister Newspapers:People's Journal
Publishing Country:Philippines
Publishing City:Manila
Founder:Rod Reyes

The Manila Standard is a broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines which, as of 2017, is owned by the Romualdez family. The Romualdezes, through incumbent speaker of the House Martin Romualdez, also own Journal Publications, Inc., the owner of tabloid papers People's Journal and People's Tonight.

Initially established as the Manila Standard in 1987, it merged with another newspaper, Today, on March 6, 2005, and became the Manila Standard Today (MST). In 2015, the newspaper renamed itself as The Standard (temporarily The New Standard), before reverting to its original name in 2016.

History

The Manila Standard was founded on February 11, 1987.[1] The offices were then located at the bustling Ayala Avenue in the Makati CBD.[2]

In 1989, the group of Andres Soriano III bought out the Elizalde group and renamed the company Kagitingan Publications and relocated the offices in the Port Area, Manila.

In June 1991, the group of businessman Alfonso Yuchengco bought into the company and spun off the publishing company. It was incorporated as Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. Kagitingan Publications was renamed Kagitingan Printing Press Inc., which continues to print the New Standard.

In 1997, businessman Enrique K. Razon Jr., chairman and president of the International Container Terminal Services Inc., acquired the shares of the Yuchengcos and bought out the Soriano group to become the sole owner of Kamahalan Publishing Corporation and Kagitingan Printing Press Inc.[3]

Victor Agustin took over as chairman of the Editorial Board in 2008. Under his term, the company formally adopted an advocacy for the environment.

In 2010, just as the Aquino administration took the reins of power, ownership of the Manila Standard Today changed hands again. This time, the Razon group sold its interest to the Romualdez group as Razon established Bloomberry Resorts & Hotels Corporation, owner of the Solaire Resort & Casino.[3]

The newspaper once again was relaunched as The Standard, featuring a tallboy broadsheet format. The format is bigger than tabloids and smaller than newspapers, with pictures as the main inset of the front page. The new format was first implemented in the weekend issues before the full makeover happened in the weekday issues since February 23, 2015.

The Standard was named as the Newspaper of the Year during the 2015 Rotary Club of Manila Journalism Awards for its scoops on hot button issues, like the Mamasapano incident and the Bangsamoro Basic Law payola issues.[4]

On July 25, 2016, the paper reverted to its broadsheet format, and it was renamed as the Manila Standard, the newspaper's original brand name in time for President Rodrigo Duterte's first State of the Nation Address.

Columnists

OPINION, ACTIVE:

BUSINESS

ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE

SPORTS

MOTORING

OPINION, INACTIVE:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Manila Standard – Google News Archive Search. news.google.com.
  2. News: A man of letters; a father of journalists . Manila Times . 16 April 2010 . 6 May 2014.
  3. Web site: Razon sells Manila Standard Today to Romualdez group . Philstar.com . Zinnia . Dela Pena . 16 April 2010 . 6 May 2014.
  4. News: Babe Romualdez. June 14, 2015. Manila Rotary's 19th Journalism Awards. The Philippine Star.