By Binsoy Velasquez
MANILA, PHILIPPINES โ One of the country’s largest and oldest media organizations representing the publishing sector, the Publisherโs Association of the Philippines Inc. (PAPI), has elected its new set of board members last June 24, 2025, at the National Press Club in Intramuros, Manila.
The newly elected officials are now-President, Rebecca M. Velasquez (former executive vice president), publisher of Pulso ng Makabagong Caviteno; Executive Vice President, Ian Junio, publisher of Hyperland News Publishing; Re-elected Vice President for Luzon, Alma Omilig Ochotorena, publisher of News Syndicate Digest; Vice President for Visayas, Danilo N. Silvestrece (former board of director for Visayas), publisher of Balita Tirador Publication; Vice President for Mindanao, Anila Anne B. Acosta (former board of director for Mindanao), publisher of Mindanao Expose’; Secretary Reyland Lopez, publisher of Unang Milenyo News Publishing Center; Re-elected Treasurer, Leonida Pascua Cardona, publisher of People’s Monitor Publication; Auditor, May Ann Reyla, publisher of City View Publishing; Re-elected Board of Director for Luzon, Eduardo Cardona, publisher of Rizal Voice Publication, and Dina Diaz, publisher of Tarlac Insider Weekly Newspaper; Board of Director for Visayas, Giecel Albar, publisher of Akeanon News Publishing Services; and Re-elected Board of Director for Mindanao Elpedio Bermas Soriano Jr., publisher of Eagles Journal, and Joseph Denmarc Miranda Avila, publisher of Peryodista Publications.
Held concurrently with its national elections and the mid-year general assembly, bearing the theme ‘Fighting Fake News as a United Mission,’ National Press Club President Leoniel Abasola, Dr. Lily Lim, and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) Undersecretary, Joe Torres Jr. extended their message of support towards the organization, expressing their immense gratitude to PAPI for their enduring partnership over the years.
In his speech, Torres ensured that the status of the late-Chairman Emeritus of PAPI, Juan โJohnnyโ P. Dayang Sr., is taken into careful investigation to obtain justice in its right order. Dayang was shot and killed in the evening of April 29 by now-identified gunmen at his house in Kalibo, Aklan, where he served as its former officer-in-charge mayor after the 1986 Philippine Revolution.
Additionally, veteran broadcast journalist and re-appointed Secretary of the Presidential Communication Office (PCO), Jay Ruiz, showed his full support to the outgoing President, Nelson Santos, and PAPI by attending the event and delivered a speech that empowered wise and critical decisions among the publishers in the age of digital media and the need to forge a collaborative effort in fighting relentlessly with fake news, hence imposing penalties to fake news peddlers.
โKailangan tayo magkaisa, labanan natin itong fake news, at i-impose na dapat sila rin magbayad ng buwis, magkaroon [ng] kahit na papaano regulasyon o pananagutan kung yung plataporma mo ay nagagamit sa fake news,โ Ruiz mentioned.
โMaganda po yung relationship ng PAPI at ng PCO, at โyan po ay magpapatuloy habang nandito po kami. Tiyak po โyan. Kasi nais naming ipa-abot sa mamamayang Pilipino โ hindi lang dito sa Metro Manila, kundi sa buong Pilipinas na ang gobyernong Marcos ay para sa tao. Magtulungan po tayong ipa-abot ang mga programa, aktibidades, at mga polisiya ng gobyerno,โ he added.
Hence, alongside the assembly and elections, PAPI then paid tribute to the 90th birthday of Dayang where his son, Consul General to Turkey Juan โJedโ Dayang Jr., expressed his heartfelt thanks to the organization through a video message emphasizing that remembering is not enough โ if his father were truly honored, shall the memories, contributions, and the legacy left by his father, not only with the organization, but also all over the country that had helped flourish the press freedom, must be carried forward.
โHe believed that journalism was never about comfort, it is about courage. So I ask of you now, letโs not reduce his death to a headline, letโs not treat this tribute as a farewell โ let it be a signal, a challenge, a commitment to speak when it is dangerous, to write when it is unpopular, to never trade truth for access, or silence for safety,โ Dayang said.
In high hopes for the new board members, Jed Dayang also mentioned in his video to continue fighting for press freedom, and moving forward, as their family will always be there to support the organization, just like what his father used to do.
The newly elected officials are set to take office after their oath-taking, which is yet to be announced by the new board, and will serve until 2028.
