Published in its print edition on June 7 – 13, 2025
AS this paper celebrates its 14th year of existence on June 11, 2025 while working on living to the expectations of its loyal readers and patrons, it is high time to pay back a share of social responsibility.
A part of the celebration is having a civic activity by handing out goods and other supplies to selected 58 household heads in the city. The act is a meager one but small things would help a bit for the underprivileged families.
Riding on a roller-coaster ride in the community newspapering industry since its inception, the promise of a better service in newspapering is working wonders.
It has been boosted by its digital and online platforms, thankful to the guiding hands of the Philippine Press Institute—the national association of newspapers in the country which the paper is affiliated—which has been working wonders.
Now, fourteen years make us proud and steadfast in catering to readers, patrons, and supporters.
Flashback on June 11, 2011: With sheer courage and carefree risk, founder Villamor Visaya Jr., incumbent news correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and news stringer of GMA7 Kapuso, teamed up with her wife Rose (who is now the publisher), his family members, friends, close associates, and acquaintances to continuously publish this weekly.
Working in a cramped office then was not an easy task. The pressure of a weekly newspaper, much more for the daily stories being churned by its founder for its national newspaper affiliations, is a burden.
Yet, dealing with pressure is a very important challenge for true-blue journalists in the field of mass media. To be always on the go and get the information fast and right. Writing stories is also a part of a big deal in journalism, much more for a community newspaper like Correspondent (named after the frontliner in news reporting. Beating the deadline is a must. The young and future journalists, if well guided, will virtually be the guiding light of those who have been lost in the dark. The paper shares its part of those espousing professionalism in the media industry.
Financial difficulties during its initial two years of operations almost put this publishing entity into closure. At that time, the weekly paper had been brought to printing presses in the province for publishing as the owner could not afford to buy machines. The production cost had tripled with administrative expenses. The infusion of funds came from loans. It survived and eventually got accredited by the courts to publish legal notices. Commercial advertisements also come in trickles. But the founder persisted and survived.
Fast forward. It was able to acquire second-hand offset, letterpress, and digital machines to operate its business, even expanding into printing to earn income for its employees’ salaries.
The rest is history. Now, fourteen fruitful years for Luzonwide News Correspondent Publishing would be more meaningful by sharing graces to the needy. The time has come.#
