For Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, Inquirer’s editor in chief who died in 2015, the Inquirer is “refuge of the afflicted, the oppressed, the voiceless.”
This remains true today. And beyond providing refuge, the paper prides itself on continuing to give a voice and a platform to those who need to be heard, and in the process enriching the perspective of our readers.
These are just some of the many groups we devote our space to for good reason.
The youth
There are two sections in the Inquirer where you can read the thoughts of young writers—the Youngblood column in the Opinion section and ToBeYou in Lifestyle.
ToBeYou, which has been around since the mid-’90s, has been the platform of generations of student correspondents, many of whom have gone on to conquer the world.
Released on Saturdays, the ToBeYou section publishes stories written by teens (and sometimes even tweens) about the things that matter to them—family, school, friends, sports, music, literature, movies and TV, games, hobbies, politics and the desire to make the world a better place. It’s a section for the youth by the youth.
During the pandemic, our young writers have chronicled their life in quarantine, writing about what they’ve done to help those in need, while also putting the spotlight on the people who inspire them.
They are fearless and smart, passionate and driven, and they give us hope for this country’s future. (Know someone who might want to be a student correspondent? Ask them to email [email protected].)
LGBTQIA
There is no room for homophobia or bigotry in the Inquirer. We love and support the LGBTQIA community, celebrating their wins, and providing them with a platform so they can talk about their continuing fight for equality.
The Inquirer publishes stories about and by LGBTQIA folk not just on Pride Month, but all year round. (Have a story to contribute? Email [email protected].)PWDs
The Inquirer has also published pieces about and from persons with disabilities. We’ve come out with stories written by visually impaired women, a teenager who lost his hearing as a child, and people with disabilities visible or otherwise. (Have a story to contribute? Email [email protected].)Home-based entrepreneurs
Home cooks and bakers have seen their small businesses grow after being featured in Lifestyle’s weekly food section. The exposure they would otherwise not have had access to helped boost awareness. Our food vocabulary—and waistlines—have since expanded to include everything from sushi bakes to mountains of pastries. (Have a story to contribute? Email [email protected].)
Young designers
Lifestyle has a running list of fresh, talented and resourceful fashion designers who use their creations as a medium for their thoughts, obsessions and advocacies. Some of the creatives and their pieces who have appeared on Designers to Watch are Pamela Madlangbayan and her modern terno made of bubble wrap and the “Fragile” packing tape used to seal balikbayan boxes; Maryrose Anne Villena’s edgy Filipiniana leather biker jacket; and Sean Carlo Betco and his daring P*ta collection, which tackles the lack of protection for sex workers.
People struggling with mental health
Many of us were struggling (and trying our best!) with mental health issues even before the pandemic brought with it all sorts of feelings of loss, panic and helplessness. Through it all, Inquirer has been sort of companion or friend to those who have been struggling with depression, anxiety and mental health problems. In our archives are a trove of articles and essays about firsthand accounts of shrink visits and medications, tales from a suicide hotline responder, advice from mental health experts and advocates and stories of hope and healing.
Creatives
The Inquirer has always kept all its formidable senses focused on the emerging creative talent, particularly in areas such as music, cinema, literature and geekdom. We highlighted the works that deserved a chance. The Inquirer was one of the first to report on the phenomenon of Filipino komikeros, such as Budjette Tan and KajO Baldisimo’s “Trese,” Carlo Vergara’s “Zsazsa Zaturnnah,” Manix Abrera’s “Kikomachine” and Kevin Eric Raymundo’s “Tarantadong Kalbo.” Inquirer Super covered the yearly Komikon, then Komiket and now the Philippine International Comics Festival. We love our toys and the toymakers. Super also took a deep interest in the obsessions and the fandoms of our readers and evolved along with them, from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to K-Drama to the next streaming sensation.
Seniors
We love lolas and lolos here at Inquirer—and we give them plenty of space. There’s High Blood the column but there’s also Lifestyle’s S subsection—S as in seniors, which features the voices of Chit Roces-Santos and Gil Yuzon. One senior writer we definitely miss? The brilliant Gilda Cordero-Fernando. INQ
