In November 2013, when Typhoon Yolanda tore through Eastern Visayas with a force the nation had never known. The Philippines was left stunned—grieving, searching for bearings, and grasping for hope amid unimaginable loss. In those first harrowing days, journalism was tested not only on speed and accuracy, but on purpose and perspective.
The Manila Bulletin rose to that moment by telling the story of devastation with clarity, restraint, and, above all, humanity.
MB’s coverage did not sensationalize suffering. While it chronicled collapsed homes and shattered lives, it also carried stories of courage: neighbors rescuing neighbors; volunteers showing up when they were most needed; communities refusing to yield to despair. These were not merely reports of tragedy. They were narratives that inspired people to act, to help, and to believe that recovery, however distant, was possible.
As the weeks turned into months, the Manila Bulletin stayed the course. It followed the long arc of rehabilitation, an often overlooked phase when attention wanes but the work has only begun. MB reported on government programs, private sector partnerships, and civil society initiatives aimed at rebuilding not just structures, but dignity and livelihood. In so doing, it helped sustain public engagement and accountability that are essential ingredients in any meaningful recovery.
A defining moment came on Jan. 15, 2015, when Pope Francis visited Leyte. Under a rain-soaked sky, in a Mass attended by survivors who had lost everything, the Pope spoke words of consolation that resonated far beyond the Tacloban airport tarmac. MB’s coverage captured more than the spectacle of a historic papal visit. It conveyed the spiritual and emotional significance of the Pontiff’s mission of mercy and compassion.
The images and stories reminded the nation—and the world—that faith, compassion, and solidarity endure even after the fiercest storm.
I write this account 11 years after that visit, conscious of the vantage points I have occupied. At the time of Yolanda and the Pope’s visit, I served in the President’s Cabinet, working within government at a moment of national crisis. Today, I write as part of a mass media institution entrusted with informing the public. These dual experiences underscore a vital truth: journalism must maintain objectivity and perspective, even as it seeks to inspire and empower.
The Manila Bulletin has long understood that to inspire hope is not to gloss over hardship, but to tell the full story—truthfully, responsibly, and with faith in the Filipino capacity to rise. At 126 years, MB continues to prove that stories, when told with purpose, can help heal a nation and move it forward.