Marriott Hotel, Pasay City
9 December 2015

President Benigno S. Aquino III called on the Philippine Daily Inquirer to advance the common good in their news stories during its 30th anniversary held at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.

“When you write your stories, may I suggest that you put yourselves in my position: see what we have, what can be done, and at the end of the day, what is being done. If all of that is still lacking and you believe there are ways to do more, then please criticize us in a constructive manner,” the President said. He added that constructive criticisms are what fuel him and his Cabinet to fulfill their duties.

Likewise, he commended the Inquirer for publishing stories aimed at enlightening the younger generations on the atrocities carried out during Martial Law in which, he said, had educated the younger minds to the full significance of the 1986 statement: ‘never again.’

President Aquino also rallied the Inquirer to be vigilant at educating the public especially in the upcoming 2016 presidential election. “In 2016, we will be asked: will we allow the past few years to be a temporary blip on the radar? Will we allow the old and broken status quo to return? Or will we say never again to transactional politics, corruption, and greed — will we demonstrate to the world and to each other that we are a people now more mature, more focused, and more determined to build on the gains we have made?” he said.

In closing, he reminded the members of the Inquirer of their rallying cry made by its founders: “help in bolstering our people’s confidence in themselves…inspiring in them a feeling of helpfulness, a passion for justice…a demand for fair play, and a love of each other of our country.”

Founded on 9 December 1985, the Philippine Daily Inquirer had chronicled the events leading to the historic EDSA revolution — making it the most credible alternative broadsheet that competed with the national dailies controlled by the government under the Marcos’ regime. From selling only 30,000 copies under P1 million seed money, the broadsheet has become to this day the country’s leading newspaper in terms of circulation and readership. It has a daily average circulation of 250,000 and a Sunday circulation of 270,000, and has 2.7 million readers nationwide.

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