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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Manila Bulletin welcomes four new independent directors to board

Manila Bulletin welcomes four new independent directors to board

Published Jul 9, 2026 02:55 pm
From left: Lead Independent Director Dr. Emil Javier, Independent Director Fortunato De La Pena, Independent Director Ivan John Uy, and Independent Director Calixto Chikiamco
From left: Lead Independent Director Dr. Emil Javier, Independent Director Fortunato De La Pena, Independent Director Ivan John Uy, and Independent Director Calixto Chikiamco

Manila Bulletin on Thursday, July 9, welcomed four new board members, bringing together leaders in agriculture, science and technology, information and communications technology (ICT), and economics to help propel the 126-year-old newspaper forward in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

Independent Director Calixto Chikiamco
Independent Director Calixto Chikiamco
Independent Director Ivan John Uy
Independent Director Ivan John Uy
Lead Independent Director Dr. Emil Javier
Lead Independent Director Dr. Emil Javier
Independent Director Fortunato De La Pena
Independent Director Fortunato De La Pena

Former University of the Philippines (UP) System president Dr. Emil Q. Javier, former Department of Science and Technology (DOST) secretary Fortunato T. De La Peña, former Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) secretary Ivan John E. Uy, and economist Calixto V. Chikiamco officially joined Manila Bulletin Publishing Corp.’s 10-person board during the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting (ASM).

The four new independent directors bring decades of experience across the public and private sectors, as well as academe, strengthening the board with expertise in fields increasingly shaping businesses and the broader economy.

They join six board members who are retaining their seats, led by Chairman of the Board Basilio C. Yap and President and Vice Chairman of the Board Dr. Emilio C. Yap III.

The 10-person board also includes former chief justice Hilario G. Davide Jr., Director and Vice Chairman of the Board; former Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr., Director, Executive Vice President, and Publisher; Benjamin C. Yap, Director; and Dr. Enrique Y. Yap Jr., Director and Vice President-Business Development Department.

Lead Independent Director Javier, a National Scientist, adds decades of leadership in agriculture, science, and higher education to the board. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Cornell University, Master of Science in Agronomy from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from UP. Javier is also lead independent director of Centro Escolar University (CEU) and an independent director of Del Monte Pacific Ltd.

Independent Director De La Peña brings extensive experience in science and technology, research, and innovation. A chemical engineering graduate of UP, De La Peña also earned a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering (IE) and a Doctor in Business Administration from the state university. He completed a postgraduate diploma in industrial quality control at Bouwcentrum International Education, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and special studies in operations research at Polytechnic University (NYU Tandon School of Engineering). He is also an independent director of Maynilad Water Services Inc.

Independent Director Uy brings experience in ICT, digitalization, and technology policy to the Manila Bulletin board. He earned his Bachelor of Laws from UP after completing a Bachelor of Science in Legal Management at Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU).

Independent Director Chikiamco, meanwhile, brings decades of economic and policy expertise as president of the Foundation for Economic Freedom Inc. (FEF), a public policy advocacy organization focused on market-oriented economic and governance reforms. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from De La Salle University (DLSU) and earned his Master’s in Business Management from Syracuse University. Chikiamco is also an independent director of Philtrust Bank.

The board renewal comes as Manila Bulletin, one of the country’s oldest newspapers, continues to adapt its 126-year legacy of journalism to the digital era and an evolving media landscape.

The addition of leaders with backgrounds in ICT as well as science and technology complements the experience of Manila Bulletin’s continuing directors in journalism, governance, law, and business at a time when emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), are changing how information is produced and consumed.

Meanwhile, former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary Alberto G. Romulo, Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Maria Georgina “Manay Gina” Vera-Perez de Venecia, former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board member (MBM) Juan D. de Zuñiga Jr., and GoldClass Inc. president Anthony Joseph Y. Gaw will become part of the boards of the newspaper’s affiliated companies.

Romulo served on the Manila Bulletin board since his first election as vice chairman and independent director in 2011. The former senator, Department of Finance (DOF) secretary, executive secretary, and chief Philippine diplomat also chaired the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2007 and state-run Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) from 2017 to 2022.

De Venecia served as an independent director since first joining the board in 2017, while De Zuñiga served in the board since his first election as an independent director in 2020. Gaw was first elected as a Manila Bulletin director in 2021.

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