Manila Bulletin

MB ANNIVERSAR­Y SPECIAL

- By PATRICIA DELA ROCA PAULINO TAN with wife Nely

The world is ever changing and so has the way people get their news. There are now apps, social media, newsletter­s, websites. As the world evolves along with fast-paced technology, one might think that everyone has moved on to the digital age.

For Betty Tiu Dionisio, 80, and Paulino Tan, 84, two of the loyal subscriber­s of Manila Bulletin, it’s still the print edition of the newspaper that they prefer to read.

Betty Tiu Dionisio has been getting her daily dose of news from MB for the past 40 years.

She shared that her wedding anniversar­y coincides with MB’s anniversar­y. “I look [forward] to the Feb. 2 issue [because] that day coincides with my wedding day,” Dionisio said with a laugh.

She also shared she still keeps a wall clock as a special souvenir that reminds her of MB’s longevity. She said the clock also reminded her of her loyalty to MB.

“I think it was in 2000 you gave away wall clocks. I got one and it is still on my wall, the time’s still very accurate.”

Like the valued clock on her wall, Manila Bulletin is a staple in Betty Dionisio’s life.

“Manila Bulletin is a part of my daily life routine already. If I do not read the newspaper, I think there’s something lacking in my life, so I have to read daily in order to be well informed,” Dionisio said.

Despite already having many gadgets as sources of informatio­n, Betty stressed that her personal preference is still the nation’s leading newspaper. “I get [news] from Viber, text, Facebook, email and others, but Bulletin is still one of my main sources of informatio­n.”

She particular­ly enjoys reading the business section, classified ads, as well as the front page – she thinks they offer great insight into what’s going on in both local and internatio­nal scenes, and they are very important sections of the newspaper.

“[From] 1900 up to now, the year 2023, it’s 123 years already. So, there must be something of value, if not, how could it still run until now?” Dionisio said.

Another loyal subscriber, Paulino Tan, a businessma­n, has been a reader of Manila Bulletin since 1986, the same year the first People Power Revolution took place.

“The People Power Revolution was a significan­t event in Philippine history and Manila Bulletin covered that event extensivel­y,” he said to relate the most memorable story that MB had brought him.

“Throughout its history, the Manila Bulletin has been known for its in-depth coverage of major events and issues in the Philippine­s and around the world,” Tan said when asked to describe MB over the years. He attributed MB’s objective and unbiased reporting has helped it earn the trust of its readers for over a century, including himself.

“For instance, with the advent of digital technology, newspapers have had to adapt their content to the online format, and Manila Bulletin is no exception,” he said, pointing out MB’s efforts to keep with the times.

“In recent years, they have made a significan­t effort to improve their online presence, allowing readers to access news and informatio­n from the newspaper on their smartphone­s, tablets, and computers,” he added.

Both subscriber­s represent a big number of people who get their news from print, online, and social media, but still have kept the habit of reading the newspaper every morning.

'Manila Bulletin is a part of my daily life routine already. If I do not read the newspaper, I think there’s something lacking in my life, so I have to read daily in order to be well informed.' – Betty Tiu Dionisio

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