We are here to stay

Part of being journalistic, I suppose, is the responsibility of being radical, of deliberately shaping the readers’ perception, in this case, in the language of visual communication – Adonis Durado

Dear readers,

Twelve years ago, on Sept. 19, 2004, Cebu Daily News made history by becoming the first community newspaper in Cebu to go compact.

The CDN heralded its redesign as a “compact for high impact” with the following elements: striking page design, reader-friendly pages and best size for advertising display.

The rationale why CDN went compact is still as relevant today as it was 12 years ago.

“Still a great read in a handy format,” wrote then publisher Eileen Mangubat, with a promise that the compact CDN would still contain “the same fiercely independent spirit of Cebu Daily News in each page.”

Your CDN, today, commits to the same promise of journalistic independence and excellence that it made 12 years ago.

As we forge ahead, facing the challenges from a changing media landscape, CDN will continue to strive to be your news authority, in print and in all its multimedia platforms (website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), in the face of a slew of fake news on the internet.

When CDN began on Feb. 8, 1998, it was considered an upstart that would not even last five years. We proved our doomsayers wrong.

We still have so many great stories to tell and we thank you, our dear readers, for keeping faith with CDN over the last 19 years.

Today, we also launch our twin campaigns — #MyForever (marketing) and #CDNmayforever (editorial) — which express our hope that CDN will forever be in the hearts and minds of the Cebuanos, as an independent newspaper that values journalism that builds communities.

As we enter our 20th year, and with your unwavering support, we make another promise: Your Cebu Daily News is here to stay.

What made you stay with CDN?

Rick Gabuya, Sports editor

Rick Gabuya

WHEN friends are amazed upon learning that I have been with CDN for 19 years, I am more amazed — at them. Because why not stay that long or even longer in a company when work is fun and coworkers are family?

Family because we have each other’s back, we help each other out, share each other’s dreams and look after each other with genuine care.

Which reminds me of an incident late last year, when I had one of the worst hypoglycemic attacks in years. I passed out in the office. When I regained consciousness, I was surrounded by worried officemates whose faces I could hardly make out then.

All of them were offering something insanely familiar to me — chocolaaates! I quickly gobbled up a few bars, and just as quickly hid some in my pocket and rushed home.

You see, when you’re with family, you feel safe and secure. Because they know you better than anyone else, especially when your life is on the line.

With officemates like them and a company that treats its employees with utmost importance, 19 years, believe me, is but a blur.

Here’s to 19 more years with you, dear Siloys. We had struggles in the past, yes. But this time, with stronger and sturdier wings, nothing can stop us from soaring higher!

Grace Caruana-Luspo, Account Executive

Grace Caruana-Luspo

WHAT I like most in being with CDN is the pride of working for a very prestigious company.

I like the working atmosphere where the management and staff mutually respect one another.

The sense of working hard to accomplish our sales target and meeting different types of clients add to the spice of my job.

Jimboy Quiros, Advertising Graphic Artist

MY journey with CDN is a lot more about camaraderie, like playing badminton with my
coworkers. It helps keep me physically fit.

Financially, it contributed to the education of my children and help them become what they are now. I now have two nurses and a civil engineer. I enjoy being a Siloy and I am happy with CDN.

Raffy Escoton, Senior Editorial Coordinator

Raffy Escoton

JOINING Cebu Daily News was a gamble, but I am happy that I made the right decision.

I was already working for another local daily when I got an offer to join CDN that was then new in the industry. I made the big leap because I wanted to prove to myself that there is so much more that I can still do if given the opportunity.

Looking back 19 years ago, I could proudly say that I have grown not only in age but also in experience because I work for a company and with people who consider me as a family member.

At CDN, we have each other’s back. We help each other in the performance of our respective tasks so we can all grow together.

CDN started with only 20 of us. Now the company has more than 50 regular employees and about the same number of contributors, correspondents and part-time employees.

The family continues to grow even bigger each year.

I am very happy to be part of this organization and thankful of how the management took care of me through the years and showed appreciation for all the work that I’ve done.

The close ties that we have for each other makes me feel a sense of belongingness. It also helps me survive my difficult days. I am a proud Siloy and will always be one!

Tonee Despojo, Photo Editor

Tonee Despojo

LOOKING back twenty years ago, when I first moved to CDN, I always thought of it as good opportunity for me to cope with the expenses of starting out my own family. I soon learned that the company wasn’t just a means of income, but it also helped me excel in my craft and boost my professional career.

One of the things that made a huge impact for me despite the ups and downs the publication went through was that the owners were always present to support and show compassion towards their employees. The values they have instilled in me was the sense of responsibility towards my fellow employees.

As one of the only remaining pioneering editors in the paper and seeing new people join the CDN family, I feel a big responsibility to help uplift them holistically, just as what the owners did for me.

Go Siloy!

Dennis Singson, Business Editor

Dennis Singson

I HAVE been with CDN on and off for most of the 19 years of the paper’s existence. There was a time when I left, yet I still returned to work here because of the people, who treated me as family and had given me the chance to grow as the paper had grown.

Aside from the health issues, leaving was personally part of my growing up as a person, and being exposed to different work environments had taught me the importance of working in a workplace where people are family.

In CDN, everybody, especially in the newsroom, is family. I am glad and fortunate to have been given another chance to work with this family — this CDN family.