Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communications (ACSC) – Davao Verbum Dei Media Foundation, Inc.

THE impact of media today is tremendous and is everywhere. Its influence is paramount in the molding of religious and moral attitudes, and the formation of political, social and educational systems.

1950s THE RELEASE OF THE CATHOLIC VOICE

January, 1952. The release of the very first Catholic newspaper in the Philippines named ‘The Sentinel,’ was highly commended by Most. Rev. Gabriel M. Reyes, D.D., the Archbishop of Manila.

Archbishop Reyes said that he was very interested in The Sentinel, because it calls all Catholics to do their duty to read and stand behind their own newspaper.

‘THE SENTINEL’ TO ‘DAVAO SENTINEL’

August 23, 1952. After the Sentinel’s breakthrough in Manila, it was its time to fly down south—Mindanao. Introduced in Davao City, its distribution was managed by the Catholic Action, under the supervision of St. Peter’s Parish Rector, Father Marcel Turcotte, PME. The fifth of provincial sentinels, it was renamed the Davao Sentinel, with 1,000 copies, and followed the general pattern of all provincial Sentinels, retaining 10 pages of the national issue and carrying 2 pages—front and back—strictly for Davao news.

Fr. Clovis Thibault, PME, the Aposotolic Administrator of Davao said, “in order to promote a wider diffusion of the Catholic press, it was deemed necessary to give space to news of local interest…”

1960s

The Vatican, the seat of Catholicism released on December 4, 1963 a decree on the instruments of social communications. This document is known as Inter Mirifica. This decade saw the establishment of the National Office of Mass Media by Bishop Gerard Mongeau, OMI, of Cotabato who was at that time the only Philippine member of the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications. In 1967, the Philippine Bishops petitioned Congress for a national franchise both for radio and television. The bill has passed in both houses of Congress and became a law of the land.

Years later, an instruction on its pastoral dimension was demanded. The council fathers drafted the details and helped in the implementation of the council principles by releasing a related document entitled Communio et Progressio (Communion and Progress) on May 23, 1971.

1970s THE SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

1973. The media apostolate was named: Bishop Thibault Media Center in honor of Msgr. Clovis Thibault, PME, DD, the first Prelate Ordinary, the first Bishop and the first Archbishop of Davao in 1968. It was formed at the Ateneo de Davao College now Ateneo de Davao University under the Directorship of Fr. Rogelio Antalan. Later, the office was transferred to another temporary location at the San Pedro Rectory. Later it was transferred to the ground floor of the Immaculate Conception Community building at Bolton St., Davao City.

‘DAVAO SENTINEL’ TO ‘ANG TABOAN’

It was during the papacy of Blessed John Paul II when under the directorship of Sr. Milagros Banez, DSP, the Davao Sentinel’s name, becoming independent from the national paper changed its identity into Ang Taboan. It became the bi-monthly newspaper of the Archdiocese of Davao and became a member of the Phil. Council for Print Media and the Philippine Association of Publishers, Inc.

With the Davao Sentinel as its precursor, the Archdiocese circulated its own newspaper in a newsletter form, focusing various activities conducted in schools, parishes, and local communities. With the assistance from the Parishes around the Archdiocese, the banking establishments in the city, and Catholic organizations and some private families and individuals as benefactors, the newspaper was published twice a month with a circulation of 2,500 copies per issue.

1980s

“Ang Taboan” copies were distributed to different parishes and organizations in the Archdiocese, specifically in the far barrios where sophisticated antennae, transmitters and attractive printed materials were nowhere to be found. And for small but useful printing production, the mimeographing services of the Center greatly helped in many ways. Workshops on Basic Journalism were conducted; one for the city parishes and the other for the parishes in the Diocese of Digos, Davao del Sur. The newspaper was later named Davao Catholic Herald bringing the prestige of being Asia’s longest-running Catholic newspaper, in 1983 with purpose of evangelizing more people. The TDM sisters also contributed a lot. Today, the spread of the Good News continues as the media apostolate opened its online platforms (web, FB page, etc.), and is moving towards radio re-opening. God bless all supporters.