It was an exciting time to be born. The late unlamented US-Marcos dictatorship had just been dismantled. A popular uprising that was triggered by the assassination of ex-Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. in 1983 finally bore fruit with the assumption into office of her widow, the late Pres. Corazon Aquino. It was a time of new beginnings. To many Filipinos, it was a time to enjoy freedom of expression that the dictatorship tried so hard to stifle. It marked the observance of what would become a byword – one of many of that era – as democratic space. Seizing the opportunity that he had been waiting for, Boy “BG” Guingguing set out on a journey that would become a lifetime passion. It was the birth of a new baby named The Bohol Sunday Post.

The maiden issue, a trendsetter with its lithograph print and lively lay-out, announced its entry into the local community journalism scene with a bang. Guingguing gamely took on his role as the publisher, while reliable hands backed him including the late Mac Agua, the first editor-in-chief, and Prex Tumabang who was also one of the editors. The name is a story in itself albeit a humorous one. Why Sunday, only the hopelessly incompetent would dare to ask. Why Post, Guingguing would answer that in his typical bravado: “this is the sister publication of the Washington Post”. He was joking of course, but many of his hearers laughed heartily with him. It did not take long for Guingguing to realize that the newspaper industry is no laughing matter. The filing of libel cases was one thing. He expected that and, in fact, was itching for it. The more urgent task of keeping the business afloat was an entirely different thing though. It soon dawned on the hardy group that financial health was a much more urgent concern than journalistic skills. Far more than the threats coming from irate subjects was the danger of folding up due to financial losses. Once, a week’s issue was held hostage because the money obligated for the payment for the printing press was used for a more urgent concern.

The staff was threatened with arrest unless they post the bail bond that would grant them temporary liberty. Between the printing press and the prison bars, the choice was very clear. Many people thought it was the beginning of the end. They thought wrong. The Post would not only weather the storm but actually live up to a ripe age of 25. While fending off threats and collection bills, Guingguing cooked up enough recipes to keep the paper selling. Aside from being the pioneer in lithograph printing that altogether changed the face of the local newspapers, the Post also had many firsts that would be imitated by other papers in the years ahead. The Post opened the Jagna edition, the first out-of-town edition that was initially printed in the last page. It did not take long for the Post to establish a beachhead in the port town, the first of many that would light up the other pages of the paper each week. Editions were eventually opened in Tubigon, Ubay and Talibon that would complete the Post’s dominance of Bohol’s port towns. Later editions would be added although they were subsequently incorporated due to printing and cost considerations.

The more pages there were to an issue, the longer it takes for the printing press to complete the runs. The longer the printing time, the longer it hits the streets. From the town editions, another first was conceived – the fiesta supplements. The concept became a smashing success that a fiesta celebration would no longer be complete unless a fiesta supplement chronicled it. The idea just would not die down. From the fiesta supplements, it soon became fashionable for just about every event to be similarly supplemented. Inaugurations, blessings, birthdays and even graduations were complemented with a supplement. The fresh ideas were a testament to Guingguing’s creativity and initiative. For one who is always quick to the draw, Guingguing summed it up in a rather comical but practical way: a person’s resourcefulness is tested most when his resources are disappearing fast. The Post is, of course, not all supplements and special editions. It has acquired a personality that is not much different from that of Guingguing – carefree, colorful, daring and oftentimes entertaining. Combining wit and humor with just the right nose for news, the Post has earned a reputation of being a maverick of sorts. It does not hesitate to poke fun at people sometimes to the point of being irreverent. Once the paper was subjected to a boycott announced over the pulpit over a story that was very controversial at the time not only in form but in substance. Guingguing had more than his share of angry reactions and set a record for the most number of libel suits for a journalist in Bohol. He would declare himself “the best dressed journalist” in Bohol considering the number of libel suits filed against him.

A landmark decision on a libel case that was decided in the Supreme Court bears his name which is not only a testament to his bravado but also a constant reminder of the dangers journalists face year in and year out. It is quite fitting that the Post celebrates its 25 th year at just about the same time when the only son of the late Pres. Cory Aquino would mark his first year in Malacanang. It is even symbolic. The Post which was born from the euphoria of the Cory years is now a fully grown paper at the age of 25. With the celebration over and done with in the next couple of days, the Post can now focus its energies on the next challenge that confronts it: how to survive in the next 25 years. That may seem like a long time, but it no longer looks as intimidating as it was then. After all, most of the time, a fully grown adult has better chances of survival than a baby. Like the first time, the Post would have to earn it in the streets. And hopefully, like love, it would be better the second time around.