The Philippine Star
An English-language Philippine broadsheet newspaper and the flagship print brand of the Philstar Media Group.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Philippine Star is an English-language broadsheet newspaper published in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. It was founded in the political and media environment that followed the 1986 People Power Revolution, which ended Ferdinand Marcos's authoritarian rule and brought Corazon Aquino to the presidency. The newspaper was established by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, Max Soliven, and Art Borjal, all of whom had been associated with journalism critical of the Marcos administration. Its first issue appeared on July 28, 1986. The founders had previously participated in the creation of the Philippine Daily Inquirer in late 1985, alongside Eugenia Apostol, Louie Beltran, and Florangel Rosario-Braid. Differences concerning finances and editorial priorities contributed to a subsequent split, after which Belmonte, Soliven, and Borjal created The Philippine Star. Belmonte became the founding chair of the board, Soliven served as publisher and chair of the editorial board, and Antonio Roces was the first editor-in-chief. The paper's motto, “Truth Shall Prevail,” expressed its stated commitment to presenting competing sides of public issues rather than relying solely on the fast-moving scoop culture of the period. The inaugural edition contained eight pages, carried no advertising, and cost 1.75 Philippine pesos. Its leading report concerned the death of Stephen Salcedo during a rally in Manila. The paper initially published from Monday through Saturday and used blue and yellow as its distinctive visual colors. It later broadened its schedule and product range. Starweek, a Sunday magazine, began in 1987, and a Sunday edition of the main newspaper followed in 1988. The publishing company also developed Filipino-language and regional titles, including Pilipino Star Ngayon, Pang-Masa, The Freeman, Banat, Business Star, and Evening Star. After Betty Go-Belmonte died in 1994, Max Soliven assumed the board chairmanship while continuing as publisher. Her son Miguel Belmonte joined the leadership and later became president and chief executive officer. During the 1990s and 2000s, the newspaper strengthened the individual sections of the paper, introduced a colored front page, experimented with SMS-based opinion polling, adopted computer-to-plate production, and expanded into online publishing. Philstar.com began in 2000 as an online repository for the newspaper before developing its own editorial operation and independently produced content. The brand also pursued distribution and regional-growth initiatives. A 2003 partnership with Jollibee made the newspaper available without charge to customers buying breakfast meals at the fast-food chain. In 2004, the company acquired the Cebu-based English-language newspaper The Freeman and its Cebuano sister tabloid Banat, reinforcing its presence in the Visayas and Mindanao. In 2015, The Philippine Star acquired a majority interest in BusinessWorld, a business newspaper that became part of its wider publishing group. MediaQuest Holdings, the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund-backed media company, first acquired a minority stake in The Philippine Star in 2010 and took majority control in 2014. The Belmonte family retained a minority position and, according to the referenced account, continued to exercise management and editorial influence. The broader group now combines print newspapers, digital news and lifestyle properties, regional and vernacular publications, and television or digital-production activities. Its associated properties include Philstar.com, PhilstarLife.com, Interaksyon, Latest Chika, Wheels.PH, PropertyReport.PH, Multiverse.PH, The Freeman, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Pang-Masa, and Philstar TV. In 2025, the group also launched JuanCast, an online platform focused on Pinoy pop culture. The Philippine Star remains an active national newspaper brand operating within a media market increasingly shaped by digital consumption, multimedia ownership, and co…
History
The Philippine Star emerged from the political realignment of Philippine journalism after the 1986 People Power Revolution. Its founders—Betty Go-Belmonte, Max Soliven, and Art Borjal—were veteran journalists associated with publications critical of the Marcos administration. Before establishing the newspaper, they had worked with Eugenia Apostol, Louie Beltran, and Florangel Rosario-Braid on the Philippine Daily Inquirer, founded in December 1985. A dispute over finances and priorities eventually divided the group, leading Belmonte, Soliven, and Borjal to establish a separate newspaper. The first issue of The Philippine Star appeared on July 28, 1986. It consisted of eight pages, carried no advertisements, and reported on the killing of Stephen Salcedo during a rally at Manila's Luneta Park. The paper adopted the motto “Truth Shall Prevail” and initially emphasized balanced presentation of public controversies. It was printed at the Philstar Daily press in Manila's Port Area, used blue and yellow as its principal colors, and began with a relatively small print run. The paper initially avoided Sunday publication, but the company soon introduced Starweek in February 1987 and added a Sunday edition in February 1988. The publishing company expanded beyond the main English-language broadsheet. It developed Filipino-language titles including Pilipino Star Ngayon and later Pang-Masa, as well as business and evening publications. The paper's leadership changed after Betty Go-Belmonte died of cancer in January 1994. Soliven became board chair while remaining publisher, and he brought Belmonte's son Miguel into senior management. The company promoted a broader reading experience in which each section could stand on its own, a direction reflected in the slogan “The only paper you read from cover to cover.” In August 1995, the newspaper introduced a colored front page. In 1998, Miguel Belmonte became president and CEO. The following year, The Philippine Star introduced Hotline 2000, an SMS-based opinion-polling initiative that made the newspaper an early adopter of mobile participation in Philippine print media. In 2000, the company adopted computer-to-plate printing and launched Philstar.com. The website initially served as an online archive or repository for the newspaper, later developing a separate editorial staff and producing original stories. This transition marked the brand's movement from a primarily print operation toward a multi-platform news organization. The company used partnerships and acquisitions to increase circulation and geographic reach. In 2003, it arranged a distribution partnership with Jollibee under which customers buying breakfast meals could receive a complimentary copy. In August 2004, it acquired The Freeman, a long-established English-language newspaper in Cebu, together with the Cebuano-language tabloid Banat. These acquisitions strengthened the group's presence outside Metro Manila and complemented its Filipino-language publications. Max Soliven died in November 2006. Isaac Belmonte later became publisher and chair of the editorial board, while Ana Marie “Amy” Pamintuan became editor-in-chief in 2012. The newspaper's ownership structure changed substantially during the following decade. MediaQuest Holdings, associated with the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund, acquired a 20 percent stake in 2010. It took majority control in 2014 by purchasing 51 percent of Philstar Daily, Inc.; the Belmonte family retained a minority share and, according to the referenced account, management and editorial control. Ray Espinosa was appointed board chair by MediaQuest chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan. The group continued consolidating its publishing portfolio. In 2015, The Philippine Star acquired 76.67 percent of Hastings Holdings' stake in BusinessWorld, strengthening its position in Philippine business journalism. The wider Philstar Media Group now includes the flagship newspaper, regional and vernacular publications, digital news and lifestyle sites, entertainment and specialist portals, and production operations. Philstar.com operates with its own editorial team, while Philstar Daily, Inc. manages the newspaper and associated social-media and niche-site activities. The group has also expanded into newer digital properties, including the 2025 launch of JuanCast. The Philippine Star consequently represents both a long-running national broadsheet and the central print identity of a diversified Philippine media network.
- 2025
JuanCast launched
[1]The wider group launched an online Pinoy pop platform.
- 2015
BusinessWorld stake acquired
[1]The group acquired 76.67 percent of Hastings Holdings' stake in BusinessWorld.
- 2014
MediaQuest becomes majority owner
[1]MediaQuest Holdings acquired a 51 percent majority stake in Philstar Daily, Inc.
- 2004
Regional newspaper acquisition
[1]The company acquired The Freeman and Banat in Cebu.
- 2000
Philstar.com launched
[1]The newspaper established an early Philippine newspaper presence on the internet.
- 1999
Hotline 2000 SMS polling launched
[1]The newspaper introduced SMS-based opinion polling and reader participation.
- 1995
Colored front page introduced
[1]The newspaper introduced a colored front page.
- 1994
Leadership changes after Betty Go-Belmonte's death
[1]Max Soliven assumed the board chairmanship and Miguel Belmonte entered senior executive leadership.
- 1988
Sunday newspaper edition added
[1]The main newspaper began publishing on Sundays.
- 1987
Starweek introduced
[1]The company launched Starweek as a Sunday magazine.
Products and positioning
A national English-language newspaper positioned around broad news coverage, established journalism, opinion leadership, and a multimedia publishing presence.
Daily newspaper · 1986
The Philippine Star
The flagship English-language broadsheet, covering national and international news alongside politics, business, lifestyle, entertainment, sports, and opinion. It began as a small post-revolution newspaper and developed into a national print title supported by a broader digital and publishing network.
Sunday magazine · 1987
Starweek
A Sunday magazine introduced to extend the newspaper's weekend offering. It complemented the later Sunday edition of The Philippine Star and provided a separate magazine-style format within the group's print portfolio.
Digital news platform · 2000
Philstar.com
The group's principal digital news platform. It began as an online repository for The Philippine Star and subsequently developed a separate editorial team that produces original reporting and other digital content.
Regional newspaper · 1919
The Freeman
A Cebu-based English-language newspaper acquired by the company in 2004. Its regional identity and long publishing history broaden the group's reach beyond Metro Manila and support coverage of the Visayas and Mindanao.
Filipino-language tabloid
Pilipino Star Ngayon
A Filipino-language tabloid developed within the newspaper's publishing portfolio to reach readers outside the English-language broadsheet audience.
Cebuano-language tabloid · 1994
Banat
A Cebuano-language sister publication associated with The Freeman and acquired as part of the company's regional expansion in Cebu.
Marketing campaigns
- 2003Jollibee breakfast distribution partnership
Philippines
The Philippine Star partnered with Jollibee to provide complimentary newspaper copies to customers purchasing breakfast meals, using a nationwide retail network to increase sampling and readership.
Outcome. The initiative made the newspaper available through a large fast-food distribution channel and was described as a first of its kind among Philippine newspapers.
Brand decisions
2015
BusinessWorld stake acquisitionM&ABackground
The group aimed to strengthen its position in Philippine newspaper publishing and business journalism.
Action taken
The Philippine Star acquired 76.67 percent of Hastings Holdings' stake in BusinessWorld.
Aftermath
BusinessWorld became part of the group's expanded newspaper portfolio.
2014
MediaQuest majority acquisitionM&ABackground
MediaQuest had held a minority stake since 2010 and sought a stronger position in Philippine multimedia.
Action taken
MediaQuest Holdings acquired a 51 percent majority stake in Philstar Daily, Inc.
Aftermath
The Belmonte family retained a minority interest, while the newspaper became part of MediaQuest's broader media portfolio.
2004
Acquisition of The Freeman and BanatM&ABackground
The company sought to strengthen its presence in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Action taken
It acquired the Cebu-based newspaper The Freeman and its sister publication Banat.
Aftermath
The acquisitions expanded the group's regional and Cebuano-language publishing footprint.
2000
Move into digital publishingStrategyBackground
Internet use was creating a new distribution channel for Philippine newspapers.
Action taken
The company launched Philstar.com and introduced computer-to-plate printing.
Aftermath
Philstar.com later developed an independent editorial operation and became a central digital property of the group.
1987
Launch of StarweekProduct launchBackground
The newspaper initially did not publish on Sundays, limiting its weekend presence.
Action taken
The publisher introduced Starweek as a Sunday magazine.
Aftermath
The company later added a Sunday edition of the main newspaper while continuing Starweek.
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