This was the message of Star president and chief executive officer Miguel Go Belmonte and Fr. Butch Malana, who officiated a Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral during the 86th anniversary celebration of The Freeman on Monday.
The celebration may not be that lavish, but the accomplishments of the paper a year it officially sealed a partnership with The STAR Group of Publications were more than enough to make The Freeman family proud.
Malana said in his homily that the paper has becomes a part of "our institution" because of three things — it advocates freedom of expression, always speaks for the truth, and stands by its cherished principles to serve the community.
It is for these reasons, he said, that he feels a sense of belonging to The Freeman and reads the paper even while traveling abroad.
After 86 years, Malana said The Freeman is now faced with questions regarding its direction in the coming years, but it would never get lost if it would continue upholding its ideals.
After the 9 a.m. Mass, a short program at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel culminated the celebration that was exclusively participated by the members of The Freeman’s relatively big family.
In his speech at the Waterfront gathering, Belmonte congratulated The Freeman employees for a job well done. He emphasized that while another daily in Cebu City brags of a 16 percent increase in its circulation, The Freeman quietly enjoyed a 100 percent increase in its circulation in the past three months.
Belmonte explained that Banat News, The Freeman’s sister publication, has also achieved more than 100 percent increase in its circulation in the past months. — Freeman News Service