I am extremely delighted over the birth of a new community newspaper, the Batangan, and let us hope, of a new era in newswriting, one imbued with a high sense of responsibility, hope for the future, and faith in the Filipino.
The gracious people of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Mindoro, and Palawan will be all the more enriched by a paper committed to responsible journalism, exemplified by its president and publisher, Renato B. Tiangco, who left a good job in plush Makati to fulfill a sense of mission.
I am familiar with his style and values and therefore have no hesitation in encouraging his initiative. I once dabbled in community and parish journalism myself and I understand its needs, problems, and challenges.
This development makes it easy for me to believe that reliable and credible information dissemination will eventually be the norm as we get over our intoxication with our newfound freedom of expression. What you have started should send ripples of encouragement to our colleagues in other parts of the country.
I extend my congratulations to the men and women behind this commendable paper, and may there be more like it.
Batangan News Service. 