History

NPC-Cebu: The only chapter in the entire country

When the late National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) based in Manila was under the late Antonio Nieva, a journalist and a literary writer, he established the only NPC chapter in the country in Cebu.

We were elected the first president ruled the club for many years due to my continued reelection by the NPC-Cebu members.

During my stint as NPC-Cebu prexy, I was able to activate it and held several journalism training workshops and also invisted big Metro Manila-based journalists to speak in NPC-Cebu presented forums.

In addition, NPC-Cebu was able to take some of its members to exchange visits to Singapore and other places in the Asia-Pacific region.

In several Singapore trips hosted by the Philippine Embassy and Singapore journalists, at least a 10-man delegation often joined the group.

And after every visit, not only were there improved relations between Cebu and foreign journalists, several stories were also written published, aired on radio and television.

The last NPC-Cebu event which I was able to attend was during the term of the past NPC-Manila President Louie Logarta who inducted the new NPC-Cebu officers at the old Club Cebu at Waterfront Hotel in Cebu city.

That was my last term as NPC-Cebu president and was replaced by the late Manuel Oyson Jr., who was a former vice president.  But after he died, he was replaced by  lawyer Eddie Barrita who was his vice president.

At present, there are new officials of NPC-Cebu.  And the hope of many is to have the group reactivate it’s active existence as a club designed not only th train and retrain people in journalistic excellence but also to improve the relations of journalists as human beings.

The NPC-Manila group has been a great organization that was able to estblished a big NPC building that still exists until today and is used and visited by journalists and their friends.

Many can never forget the past presidents of that group.  Among them are: Tony Zumel, Pat Gonzales, Neal Cruz, Marcelo Lagmay, Joe Aspiras, Kiko Dipasupil, Doroy Valencia,  Tony Nieva, Tony Antonio, Ben
Rodriguez and Louie Logarta.

NPC-Cebu now is run by Emmanuel Mongaya of Superbalita and Sun.Star Cebu.

By Manuel S. Satorre Jr.

NPC-Cebu Past President

Eddie Barrita reads Jun Satorre's message.

* This was read by Jun Satorre’s close friend Eddie Barrita of the Philippines News Agency during the club induction and fellowship last September 25, 2008.