What does it mean to stand with the truth?

MANILA, Philippines — As The Star marks yet another proud moment in its history, we celebrate once more the newspaper’s role as a member of the Fourth Estate in championing the truth for the Filipino people.

We celebrate 38 years of truth-telling — more than three decades of providing Filipinos news and information, guided by the belief that an informed citizenry is a critical part of nation-building.

This year, we celebrate despite the challenges of fake news and disinformation because we know that understanding the truth has become vital, now more than ever.

The 38th anniversary theme: #W38ELIEVE: STAND WITH TRUTH, is “a clarion call for our readers to look more closely at what they believe; an invitation for thinkers to share what they believe will make Filipinos’ lives better; and, most importantly, an exercise in hope” – just as #W38ELIEVE in the power of journalism to impact lives.

In this issue, the paper’s Business Section takes a deep dive into the different aspects of the economy and the importance of upholding the truth.

Louise Maureen Simeon who covers public finance looks at the government’s debt and raises the question, “Is every Filipino really indebted by P128,571?”

Our macroeconomy reporter Louella Desiderio looks into the reliability of gross domestic product as a measure of the economy; Keisha Ta-Asan, who covers banking and monetary policy, puts the spotlight on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ commitment to truth and integrity, while Jasper Emmanuel Arcalas, our agriculture and commodities reporter, examines the truth about food security and food waste.

Richmond Mercurio, who covers the private sector and capital markets, reports on companies’ sustainability reporting. Is sustainability just a buzzword or is it the real thing?

Brix Lelis, who covers energy, looks into the clean energy race. His story aims to answer the question “is it a green light or a red flag?” Our transportation and telco reporter Elijah Felice Rosales looks at Clark International Airport’s viability amid a multi-airport environment in the Philippines.

This issue therefore is a disentanglement of the different aspects of the economy that affect our daily lives. We hope that with the stories we prepared for you, you may find answers to questions you’ve always wanted to ask or be inspired to raise more questions.

In any case, it is only the beginning as we mark yet another year of standing with the truth, and we continue to record our nation’s long, winding and storied journey.