The Philippine STAR celebrates 39 years of telling stories that matter

The Philippine STAR turned 39 with an anniversary celebration along with a recognition of its top advertisers and valued partners through the years.

Held on July 29 at The Westin Manila, the afternoon gathering carried the theme "#R39ENERATE: Ano’ng Papel Mo?” featuring a tribute to "meaningful stories, strong partnerships, and a shared vision for the future where print holds the value of truth.”

PhilSTAR Media Group CEO Miguel Belmonte delivered the opening remarks, where he talked about how The STAR’s role has been clear from the start: “to stand for the truth.”

"Since July 28, 1986, 39 years ago, we have remained committed to journalistic integrity and excellence—to inform, to empower, and to stand by the truth, no matter how hard or uncomfortable,” he said. "It’s the reason we intently keep our ears on the ground each day to chase after stories and print late into the night. It’s what brought this paper to life and what keeps us relevant to this day."

Belmonte pointed out how The STAR has consistently worked with seasoned writers and editors in the country “to deliver news that informs, empowers, and moves the Filipino forward.” 

He noted that the truth “doesn’t survive on its own” and how it “needs people who believe in it,” like journalists, readers, advertisers, and partners.

For her part, Amy Pamintuan, editor-in-chief of The STAR, discussed the role of print in the digital world.

“With the enduring nature of print, we set the bar quite high for being truthful, accurate, fair, and worthy of public trust—your trust,” she said, adding that its news goes through multiple layers of fact-checking as the paper "calls for a high level of responsibility and accountability to the consumers of the information that we present."

“With journalism, we show that we love our work, we love our people, and we love our country,” she continued. "And of course, we love those who continue believing in the printed word and The Philippine STAR."

Content creator Mighty Magulang, meanwhile, talked about the power of meaningful, intentional content for various audiences.

She highlighted the importance of having a clear purpose in creating substantial content, keeping accuracy and ethics in mind whether it’s in short- or long-form.

“For journalists, meaningful content builds bridges,” she said, "and social media can amplify reporting and drive attention to underreported issues.”

Lucien Dy Tioco, the Executive Vice President of PhilSTAR Media Group, celebrated 39 years of The Philippine STAR "not just as a newspaper, but as a platform of truth, a witness to history, and a force for good."

He looked back on how The STAR group has turned into the multimedia powerhouse that it is today with its different titles—The Philippine STAR, BusinessWorld, Pilipino STAR Ngayon, and The Freeman—and how it’s “not just keeping up” with the rapidly changing world, but is “evolving with purpose."

"Over the years, The STAR has embraced what is core to our role as a media entity that stands for truth and sharpened our purpose for nation-building where our content is focused on uplifting the economy, the environment and our society,” he said. "Times have changed, but we believe that our role in the past, present, and beyond carry the foundations of all these.”

The talks were followed by the STAR Partner Awards, which honored the contribution of the newspaper’s top advertisers and partners in its commitment to standing for the truth no matter what. The awardees included Ayalaland, HSBC, Hyundai Motor Philippines, Megaworld Corporation, PLDT-Smart, Robinsons Land, Shang Properties, SM Markets, Rockwell Land Corporation, Wilcon Depot, Toyota, among others.