While many weekly local papers did not make it past 20, with others not able to survive the challenges posed by the pandemic, Guru Press was able to see it through. The operations and weekly publication continued despite the odds it faced.
This July, the local paper is celebrating its 20th year of service to the communities in providing relevant news, stories, and other services needed by the local populace. 20 years and counting!
Guru Press was conceived in 2004 on the idea of a newspaper for Kalinga Province that is based in then Municipality of Tabuk as a channel for stories, events, and important information to be published. The founding members were Estefania W. Kollin, Christine Wangdali, Ghumie Pinkihan, and Daniel Oniel Cagan, who also were writers. The first staff were Ghytee Wangdali, Estanislao Albano, Gary Damian, Marciano Paroy, Bani Asbucan, and Regie Wacas, who spared some of their time after their work hours in agencies and offices they worked at to contribute to the pages of Guru Press.
We owe to these people the maiden publication that was released on July 1, 2004. Because of that bold step they took, this July 1, 2024, issue is here today.
The 20 years has not been a bed of roses, as many from the same industry may know. Some other writers came as others moved. The operations, especially the financial aspect, had some rough years. The first advertisers who began since day 1 and still are with us are Kalinga Lumber and Rural Bank of Tabuk (now Bangko Montanosa Inc). We owe them a debt of gratitude for believing we can walk this far.
In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Guru Press became Guru Press Cordillera with the coming of Brent Martinez and the dedication and commitment of young professionals who came along with him. Guru Press Cordillera emerged as the voice of the voiceless, standing up against corruption and tyranny, and paid the price for it. In the same year, it underwent changes in its digital channels to reach more people and readers. And in 2024, Guru Press Cordillera expanded with a sub-office in the Province of Apayao.
There is more to Guru Press than meets the eye, but all these are nothing without the readers and those people who believe that a local paper has a role and can contribute to more and better-informed communities and in turn better decision-makers. If there is one thing worth noting in its 20 years of existence, it is the fact that it has survived when others thought it would not. Its survival was due to the mercies of each and every individual who contributed to its breath and its movement.
Happy 20th Anniversary Guru Press!
In the next years, Guru Press Cordillera shall continue to grow and reach out to more communities, recording and retelling their stories and being part of their history in the making.
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