Makinaugalingon, the oldest and longest-running vernacular newspaper in pre-World War II Iloilo, has been officially inscribed in the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) National Register of the Philippines’ Memory of the World program.
The Hiligaynon newspaper, founded and managed by Rosendo Madrazo Mejica, is the fourth documentary heritage collection included in the National Register, joining the film Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?, the FPJ Film Collections, and the Bangsamoro Peace Records.
The document for the inclusion of the newspaper was received personally by Pilar Martinez, one of the heirs of Mejica and the owner of Makinaugalingon Printing Press, during a ceremony held on Monday, February 23.
Makinaugalingon has 30 volumes (2,972 issues) from 1913 to 1941, with a brief return in 1946 and a special issue in 1952.
“It spanned almost three decades, the most extensive repository of accounts of early 20th-century Iloilo and the Philippines. It is a rich resource for tracing and understanding Iloilo, Philippines, and other subjects in the context during the American period,” Martinez said in her acceptance speech.
“It also served as a platform for Ilonggos to share their ideas and opinions on the changes taking place around them,” she added.
The recognition, according to Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas, complements the city’s distinction as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
“Just as our culinary heritage tells the story of our people through flavors carefully passed down through generations, through traditions lovingly preserved, and through shared tables that bring families and communities together, Makinaugalingon tells our story through words, ideas, and printed pages that shaped public thought and civic life,” she said.
“One nourishes the body; the other nourishes the mind. Both sustain our identity. Both are powerful expressions of who we are as Ilonggos – creative, resilient, and deeply rooted in culture,” the mayor further said. IMT
