We were probably too busy chasing news stories on the CoViD 19 that we almost forgot it was the MetroPost 20th anniversary this month!
Yes, your community newspaper, the Dumaguete MetroPost, is proud to mark its 20th milestone in the service of the people of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, and its worldwide readership.
We are happy that once in a while, you, our readers, send us emails, text messages, or talk to us about how we are doing, and what we can do to come out with a better paper.
It makes us truly the community paper we were envisioned to be.
And your suggestions have not been for naught.
We have garnered three national awards (and counting) from the prestigious Philippine Press Institute, or the country’s association of newspapers, to prove it.
In our journalistic journey, we find ourselves in the most challenging chapter of the last 20 years.
Due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine, news delivery services have ground to a halt, pushing us to go the extra mile by delivering this newspaper from memory (as the delivery boys have the subscribers’ lists) — to the homes of some of our loyal readers the last 20 years.
Our supplier for the colored metal plates in Cebu has also temporarily closed. Walk-in advertisers are now unheard of, collections have been paralyzed, affecting our bottom line.
We realize we are not alone in facing these tough times. Several community newspapers around the country have temporarily stopped printing their daily or weekly issues.
But aware of the importance of reliable information amidst the deluge of fake news, we are compelled to continue to come out week after week for as long as it takes, or until the economic and physical realities would force our doors to close.
Thank you for being there for us. Together with our talented ace reporters, our incisive columnists, and dedicated staff, we continue to devote every word, every page, and every issue to you.