The Philippine Star
The first issue of The Philippine Star appeared on the 28th of July 1986. It carried the headline "Wear yellow and die" about Stephen Salcedo, a 23-year-old bystander killed by Marcos loyalists at Luneta Park. This date marked seven months after the People Power Revolution toppled Ferdinand Marcos. Founders Betty Go-Belmonte, Max Soliven, and Art Borjal had previously worked in the Mosquito Press. These were newspapers critical of the Marcos administration during Martial Law from 1972 to 1981. Belmonte had published a small monthly magazine called The Star before this moment. They also founded the Philippine Daily Inquirer on the 9th of December 1985. Financial questions and diverging priorities caused a rift among those founders. That split led them to create The Philippine Star instead. Antonio Roces served as the first editor-in-chief until his resignation in 1989.
The initial print run reached only a few thousand copies for an initial price of 1.75 pesos. The newspaper used a blue and yellow color scheme that became its signature colors. Early issues ran from Mondays to Saturdays because Belmonte prohibited work on Sundays. Philstar Daily Inc began publishing Starweek on the 15th of February 1987 as a Sunday magazine. By 1988, the paper added a full Sunday issue to meet reader demand. On the 4th of August 1995, The Philippine Star became the first Philippine broadsheet to publish a colored front page. Max Soliven assumed chairmanship after Betty Go-Belmonte died of cancer on the 28th of January 1994. He appointed his 30-year-old son Miguel Belmonte as executive vice president. The newspaper adopted the slogan "The only paper you read from cover to cover" that same year. This reflected a new policy to improve every single section so each could stand alone without the main news section.
Miguel Belmonte became president and CEO in 1998 while Soliven remained chairman. The following year introduced Hotline 2000 which used SMS for opinion polling. This made it a pioneer in televoting within the Philippine print media industry. In 2000, the newspaper debuted philstar.com as one of the first online presences for Philippine newspapers. That website later launched its own editorial team in 2009 to publish independent articles. The company began using computer-to-plate printing systems during that same year. Isaac Belmonte was appointed editor-in-chief in 2000. A partnership with Jollibee fast food restaurants started in 2003. Patrons received complimentary copies with breakfast meal purchases nationwide. Philstar Global Corp operates the website separately from Philstar Daily Inc which runs the physical newspaper and social platforms.
Manuel V. Pangilinan expressed interest in acquiring a stake by early 2009. MediaQuest Holdings acquired a 20-percent stake the following year plus an 18-percent stake in rival Philippine Daily Inquirer. In March 2014, MediaQuest took control after purchasing a majority stake of 51 percent. The Belmonte family retained a 21-percent stake along with management and editorial control. Ray Espinosa became chairman of the board under Pangilinan's appointment. The Freeman newspaper had been established on the 10th of May 1919 in Cebu City. The Star acquired it on the 24th of August 2004 along with Banat tabloid first published on the 23rd of August 1994. Both were owned by the Gullas political family. BusinessWorld became part of their portfolio when they acquired a 76.67-percent stake of Hastings Holdings Inc in 2015. Max Soliven died in Tokyo Japan on the 24th of November 2006 ending his role as founding publisher.
Betty Go-Belmonte served as journalist and founding chairman while married to former House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. Louie Beltran was editor-in-chief of the Philippine Daily Inquirer before joining this publication. Max Soliven acted as founding publisher and chaired the Editorial Board until his death. Art Borjal led The Philippine Star from 1988 to 1990 as president. Teddy Benigno worked as journalist and talk show host during the Corazon Aquino administration. Ricky Lo became entertainment writer and TV host. Ernesto Maceda served as lawyer and Senate President. F. Sionil José wrote novels and received National Artist honors for Literature. Alex Magno taught at University of the Philippines and directed Development Bank of the Philippines. Satur Ocampo represented Bayan Muna party-list group as congressional representative. Ronald Llamas advised President Benigno Aquino III and led Akbayan organization. James Michael Lafferty coached Olympic Athletics while serving as CEO. Boy Abunda hosts television programs and manages talent. Joey de Leon presents Eat Bulaga variety show. Pepe Diokno directed motion pictures and produced screenplays. Tim Yap edited newspapers and owned clubs. Cheryl Tiu edited Lifestyle Asia magazine. Lucy Torres modeled and became mayor of Ormoc. Bianca Gonzalez hosted shows and modeled. Quinito Henson analyzed sports on television.
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Common questions
When did The Philippine Star first issue appear?
The first issue of The Philippine Star appeared on the 28th of July 1986. This date marked seven months after the People Power Revolution toppled Ferdinand Marcos.
Who founded The Philippine Star newspaper?
Founders Betty Go-Belmonte, Max Soliven, and Art Borjal had previously worked in the Mosquito Press. They created The Philippine Star following a split caused by financial questions and diverging priorities among those founders.
What was the initial price and print run of The Philippine Star?
The initial print run reached only a few thousand copies for an initial price of 1.75 pesos. The newspaper used a blue and yellow color scheme that became its signature colors.
When did MediaQuest Holdings acquire control of The Philippine Star?
MediaQuest Holdings acquired a 20-percent stake the following year plus an 18-percent stake in rival Philippine Daily Inquirer. In March 2014, MediaQuest took control after purchasing a majority stake of 51 percent.
Which newspapers were acquired by The Philippine Star portfolio between 2004 and 2015?
The Star acquired The Freeman newspaper on the 24th of August 2004 along with Banat tabloid first published on the 23rd of August 1994. BusinessWorld became part of their portfolio when they acquired a 76.67-percent stake of Hastings Holdings Inc in 2015.