From news to action: How the Manila Bulletin is shaping lives and communities for a better future

The company celebrates 125 years of service to the Filipino nation 

As society’s watchdogs and the nation’s Fourth Estate, journalists and media companies strive to remain neutral in all situations, ensuring that personal biases do not compromise fair and accurate reporting.

Even in the most challenging circumstances, journalists do their best to maintain detachment—what some might call a stony composure toward their subjects. But this doesn’t mean that reporters and their organizations don’t care. Outside their duties, and after setting aside their journalist hats, they look for ways to go beyond expectations to contribute to nation-building.

MB, celebrating its 125th anniversary this year as one of the oldest news organizations in the Philippines, exemplifies this commitment. Over the years, the company has introduced programs to promote media literacy, encourage sustainability, and assist those in need, particularly during times of calamity.

Honing the youths’ potential
Based on the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) report, the Philippines, out of 80 countries, ranked in the bottom 10 in reading comprehension. Meanwhile, the World Bank’s 2022 data on learning poverty reported that at least 90 percent of Filipino children aged 10 are having trouble reading and understanding simple text. Hence, now more than ever, everyone should do their part to help our youth love reading and develop their critical thinking capabilities. 

Over the years, MB has designed programs and workshops for the youth, such as the Manila Bulletin Junior Journalist Summer Camp, Internet of Things (IOT) Summer Workshop for Kids, and the Books in a Block Share-A-Love, Share-A-Story Drive. 

Reading is one of the priority advocacies of the Manila Bulletin, not because it is our business but because we believe in the importance of reading, especially for the youth.

The MB Junior Journalist Summer Camp is a 10-day program for kids seven to 17 years old, where they learn the process of producing newspapers from news gathering and reporting to actual printing. 

In conjunction with that program, kids are also enrolled in the Internet of Things (IOT) Summer Workshop. This workshop is designed to encourage creativity and innovation by guiding students to create their own project ideas. It’s a fun way to introduce to the students the concepts of coding, electronics, IOT, and robotics and at the same time, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in them.

In the drive Books in a Block Share-A-Love, Share-A-Story Drive, the MB, in partnership with various organizations, donated books to schools like the Nueve de Pebrero Elementary School of Barangay Puray Rodriguez, Rizal. 

“Reading is one of the priority advocacies of the Manila Bulletin, not because it is our business but because we believe in the importance of reading, especially for the young. So we put in extra attention to remind us that it is an important consideration in the projects that we do,” says Badette Cunanan, MB’s public relations manager. “We believe that developing the habit of reading even for just 20 minutes daily helps us appreciate the ideas, images, sounds, and shapes of every single word. It brings us to this state where reading becomes more pleasurable.” 

Long before the word sustainability became a trend in the industry, MB has been a long-time champion of recycling and sustainable practices, from recycling materials and developing functions for everyday objects at the company’s office. In fact, it has tables and chairs made from recycled wood and recycled paper. The light designs are also made from old newspaper plates, and these practices have laid down the groundwork for other programs for the news organization’s readers. 

In 2002, to encourage recycling newspaper copies, the company launched the annual Newspaper-Christmas-Tree competition. Families, groups, or barkadas are challenged to unleash their creativity and resourcefulness and build their own newspaper Christmas tree. 

Since then, the company has received creative outputs not just newspaper trees but also other entries such as church replicas and gowns made from recycled newspapers. 

In times of calamities, journalists are on the front line, putting their lives at risk to inform people about what’s happening on the ground. This is evident for the MB team, who has been part of and has witnessed various calamities that hit the country, including the Taal volcano eruption in 2020, followed by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

After reporting to duties and submitting their stories, journalists, together with the MB management, have always looked for ways to extend a helping hand. In 2020, the company rolled out the #MissionBatangas—Taal Eruption Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Project, where 523 families, more than 1800 individuals, received goods and other basic needs. 

During the pandemic, the company also launched the Bag of Hope project, a CSR program whose mandate was to extend assistance to families affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. This initiative covered different barangays in Manila and reached out to many affected families. 

The Bag of Hope extended beyond the pandemic. When the deadly and extremely destructive super typhoon Odette devastated parts of the country, MB again rolled out this program where they sent food packs to affected areas. 

All of this underscores that MB’s legacy goes beyond the ink on its pages or the pixels on its screens. Through initiatives that nurture young minds, promote environmental stewardship, and provide support during times of hardship, the company exemplifies the spirit of compassion and service at the very core of a truly responsible media organization.

These efforts reflect a deep understanding that a thriving community is the foundation of a thriving society—and that the role of media is not just to inform, but also to uplift and empower.