Arroyo to lead centennial of Philippine Free Press magazine

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo will lead the 100th anniversary celebration of the Philippines Free Press, the country's oldest weekly magazine. The centennial celebration will be held at Mandarin Oriental in Makati City on Wednesday. A Malacañang statement said Arroyo will receive a welcome from Philippine Free Press president Enrique Locsin and executive editor Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. Following Arroyo's statement, Free Press president Enrique Locsin will propose a toast to mark the centennial of the Philippines Free Press' "championing the common good by standing for integrity, democracy, good government and Philippine independence." The first issue of the Philippines Free Press came out on Aug.29, 1908 after its Scottish founder, Robert McCulloch Dick, resigned as editor from the then American-owned Manila Times. He bought the rights of the Philippines Free Press, an English-language magazine established in 1907, but had folded up after publishing a few issues. As a court reporter of the Manila Times in 1902, Dick coined the name "Juan de la Cruz," a common name and surname at that time, as generic reference to Filipinos. Noted writers who joined Dick in the early years of the Free Press were Leon Ma. Guerrero, Frederic Marquardt, Leon Ty, Filemon Tutay, Juan Collas, Alfonso Torres, D.L. Francisco, Ramon Navas, Roberto Anselmo, Federico Calero, Jose Joven, Jose G. Reyes and Teodoro Locsin Sr. When Dick passed away in 1960, Teodoro Locsin Sr. took over as publisher and editor. The Philippines Free Press was shut down in 1972 when martial law was declared and resumed publication before the Feb. 1986 snap elections. It has since continued its commitment to good government and the public interest. - GMANews.TV