More comments from STAR readers

Here’s the final installment of our series quoting the winners of  The Philippine STAR Sports section’s Christmas contest on why they read the country’s No. 1 newspaper from cover to cover.

Jose Gea, 53, Baler, Aurora. “When  The Philippine STAR started in circulation sometime in the mid-’80s, I became an avid reader. For me, the yellow color symbolizes our fight and sacrifice against tyranny and dictatorship. As a government official residing in San Fernando, Pampanga, assigned in the Civil Service Commission provincial field office in Baler,  The Philippine STAR is a good companion second to my wife when I travel. I made it a habit to buy a copy of  The Philippine STAR every time I travel to my office. What I like most about  The Philippine STAR is when you read the front page, you already have a good grasp of major happenings in the country and around the world. There’s no boredom reading it because of its excellent news coverage, intelligent reports, balanced commentaries and good sense of humor. Your Sports section is very informative because it covers major sports events. Mr. Joaquin Henson’s ‘A Sporting Chance’ and other sports columnists give me a clear view of what is happening in the backroom of every sports event, particularly boxing and basketball.  The Philippine STAR is a total package of news, entertainment and information.”

Norman Morte, 40, Provident Village, Marikina City. “Aside from being the No. 1 and best-selling newspaper in the country, I read The Philippine STAR because of its truthful, balanced and fair reporting of news. Ever since I started reading the newspaper, I already observed that the headlines or news articles do not favor whatever political color, affiliation or status in society.  The Philippine STAR always gets the two sides of the story and reports the facts as they are. I also love reading  The Philippine STAR because of its credible, reliable and competent writers which include Mr. Quinito Henson, my favorite sports columnist and analyst.”

Jonathan Lamug, 34, San Agustin, Isabela. “Home is some 400 kilometers or a nine-hour trip by land from Manila. By the time Glen, our newspaper boy, reaches our doorsteps and shots, ‘Dyaryo!’ as he delivers our copy of  The Philippine STAR, it would be lunchtime. The family looks forward to reading  The Philippine STAR as if it were a hearty meal. In my work as legislator,  The Philippine STAR is a great source of information on politics, business, sports, travel destinations, current events, trends in fashion and technology. It’s a welcome respite from the rigors of local politics with its balanced reportage and content, entertainment with its crossword puzzle and cartoons/comics which I find very helpful in fighting boredom every time I drive my brother to school since I have to wait three hours for him to finish his law classes. The Philippine STAR’s Opinion section is a source of thought-provoking insights for readers to weigh the news behind the news, so to speak. Indeed, when we don’t hear ‘Dyaryo!’ in a day, it’s like missing a meal.”

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Arnulfo Balace, 29, Pio del Pilar, Makati City. “Simula ng aking pagkamusmos ay namulat na sa pagbabasa ng The Philippine STAR. Ang aking mahal na Tata yang nagpakilala sa akin sa pahayagang ito. Nuong una, halos balitang Sports lang ang binabasa ko. Kalaunan, aking napagbigyang halaga pati ang Headlines nito. Dito pa lang nalalaman ko na ang makatotohanang paglalathala ng mga mahahalagang pangyayari sa loob at labas ng ating bansa. Sa Editorial ko naman nababasa ang matalino, walang kinikilingan at patas na opinion sa isang mahalagang paksa. Higit sa lahat, hindi ko makakalimutan ang Classified Ads. Dito ko po natagpuan ang aking kasalukuyang hanapbuhay.”

Crisleo Ordona, 50, Paniqui, Tarlac. “Reading The Philippine STAR makes my day. What more can you ask for in a sports column with Mr. Henson’s ‘A Sporting Chance’? I love reading it because it’s very informative, interesting and not boring.”

Ma. Kristine Grace Ramos, 18, San Ramon, Laguna. “Why do I read  The Philippine STAR? It’s very informative, entertaining, educational, especially for students like me. News, local and foreign, are presented the way they should be. Opinions are incisive, the Lifestyle section gives so much emphasis on the youth, the Entertainment section provides fresh, juicy updates on celebrities and the Sports section is simply the leader in the field – with its exclusive stories that come in handy, superb presentation of news, trivias and the goings-on in the sporting world.”

Norman Lorenz Domingo, 22, Royal Subdivision, Taytay, Rizal. “I read  The Philippine STAR because it’s a complete package. It has better content than any other newspaper ... from news to opinions, to business all the way to entertainment. But for me, sports is one of the best-read sections of the paper, a veritable leader in the field. Very informative and keeps me updated with what’s going on in the sports world whether here or abroad. Scoops and exclusive stories have become a staple.”

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Congratulations to our 25 winners and sincere thanks to the donors of our prizes. For the 12th straight year, our Christmas contest drew thousands of entries. This contest wouldn’t have been possible without the patronage of our readers and the support of our sponsors. It’s our way of sharing the blessings of the season with our readers.

Donors of our prizes were WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission, Hermie Esguerra of the Herma Group, Philippine National Shooting Association president Mikee Romero, Ever Bilena chairman Dioceldo Sy, Games and Amusements Board chairman Juan Ramon Guanzon, Bodyworx owner Kathy Lim Uy, Tony Aldeguer of ALA Promotions, Wi-Tribe through ProSolutions, PLDT, Meralco, Smart Communications, Metro Pacific, Maynilad Water, B-Meg, Ginebra San Miguel, Petron, Ramesh Mirpuri of Beverly Hills Polo shirts, Burlington Industries, Emerald Headway, Sonia Trading, De La Salle University, Accel, Philippine Taekwondo Association president Robert Aventajado, Rain Or Shine, Philippine Basketball Association, Alaska, Barako Bull Energy, Shopinas/Air 21, Radyo Pilipino, Ilustrado Restaurant Intramuros, Planet Sports, Bosch Power Tools, Powerade, Timestudio and The Philippine STAR.