Newspapers of the Philippines, from Manila to Mindanao

The Philippine press is read mostly in English, through the Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star and the Manila Bulletin, alongside Filipino-language tabloids, the Rappler website, the GMA networks and the PNA news agency, nearly all free to access online.

A press born under Spanish and then American rule

The first printed sheets in Manila date from the Spanish era. The Manila Times appeared in 1898 and the Manila Bulletin in 1900, under American administration. Shut down under Marcos's martial law in 1972, many titles were revived after the 1986 revolution.

Inquirer, Star, Bulletin: the big three dailies

The Philippine Daily Inquirer, founded in 1985, is known for its investigations and critical editorials. The Philippine Star, launched in 1986, mixes politics and entertainment. The more institutional Manila Bulletin gives wide coverage to the provinces and to government affairs.

English, Filipino and regional languages

English dominates the quality press, a legacy of American-era schooling. Filipino, based on Tagalog, is the language of tabloids and television newscasts. Cebuano, Ilocano and Hiligaynon are heard mainly on the radio, in Cebu, Iloilo and northern Luzon.

What to read outside Metro Manila

The SunStar group publishes local editions in Cebu, Davao and Baguio, useful for the Visayas and Mindanao. Radio networks such as Bombo Radyo, present in many provincial cities, put regional news online that national dailies often leave out.

Rappler and news on mobile

Rappler, launched in 2012 and co-founded by Maria Ressa, built its name on investigative reporting and fact-checking. Filipinos get much of their news through Facebook and TikTok, which makes the official GMA News or Inquirer apps a safer choice than dubious reposts.

The Philippine News Agency, a government source

The Philippine News Agency, created in 1973 and attached to the Presidential Communications Office, issues national and provincial wire stories in English. It reflects Malacañang's messaging, so readers pair it with international wires and private newsrooms to get a balanced picture.

PTV, GMA and the legacy of ABS-CBN

The public broadcaster PTV and Radyo Pilipinas remain small next to the private networks. GMA Network leads television news. ABS-CBN, denied a broadcast franchise by Congress in 2020, continues its newscasts online, on cable and through partner channels.

Media for Filipino workers overseas

Several million Filipinos live in the Middle East, the United States or Hong Kong. ABS-CBN's The Filipino Channel and GMA Pinoy TV serve them by subscription, and the Manila dailies run sections on overseas workers, remittances and consular rights.

Business and basketball in the specialist pages

BusinessWorld and BusinessMirror track the Philippine stock market, the central bank and remittances from abroad. In sport, basketball reigns: the PBA, the UAAP college league and the Gilas Pilipinas national team fill the sports pages of every major daily.

Journalists under pressure: what is the context?

The 1987 Constitution protects free expression, yet local journalists remain exposed. The Maguindanao massacre in 2009 killed thirty-two media workers. The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Maria Ressa drew global attention to these risks.

Subscriptions, French readers and cross-checking

Most Philippine news sites are free, while the Inquirer offers a paid digital edition. There is no French-language daily, so French speakers turn to the Asian press online or regional correspondents, and always check a Manila story against several newsrooms.

Comparing with Southeast Asian neighbours

The South China Sea, contested with Beijing, is a central issue in Manila. Reading the Chinese press and its state media alongside the Vietnamese press from Hanoi shows how each capital presents incidents around the disputed reefs.

Following Philippine news from abroad

1. Pick a major English-language daily, the Inquirer or The Philippine Star, and check its homepage or newsletter every day.
2. Add GMA News for television bulletins in Filipino and English, available live or on replay on its website and on YouTube.
3. Subscribe to the Philippine News Agency feed to follow official announcements from Malacañang Palace and the ministries.
4. Follow a regional SunStar edition if you are interested in Cebu, Davao or the Visayas islands.
5. Compare Rappler, the Manila Bulletin and the Manila Times, whose editorial lines differ sharply on national politics.
6. Always check the date of a viral video before sharing it, as old typhoons and earthquakes often circulate as recent events.

Access and subscriptions for Philippine media

Practical pointers on Philippine media

• Languages: English for the dailies, Filipino for tabloids and television, Cebuano in Cebu and Davao
• News agency: Philippine News Agency (PNA)
• Public broadcasters: PTV and Radyo Pilipinas; leading private network: GMA Network
• Paper of record: Philippine Daily Inquirer; business title: BusinessWorld
• Time zone: Philippine Time, UTC+8, with no daylight saving
• Currency for local subscriptions: Philippine peso (PHP)

Reading traps specific to the Philippines

• Taking a Facebook page that imitates the name of ABS-CBN, GMA or Rappler for the outlet's official account, when fraudulent copies are common.
• Confusing a crime-focused Filipino-language tabloid with an analytical daily, even though both sometimes belong to the same group.
• Treating PNA wire stories as an independent source, when they relay the messaging of the government in power.
• Sharing a video of a typhoon or volcanic eruption from a past season as if it had just happened.
• Assuming ABS-CBN has disappeared: the network lost its broadcast franchise, but its newsroom still publishes online.

Your questions about Philippine newspapers