DAVAO CITY — One of the oldest newspapers here will publish its last page tomorrow July 3, after the management has decided to close shop in the midst of business unrest due to coronavirus-19 pandemic.
Editor-in-chief Jon Joaquin in a Facebook post on July 2 stated, “The day has come. The Mindanao Daily Mirror is printing its last issue tomorrow, July 3”.
He said “COVID-19 hit us hard and management has decided to close down the paper. As the Mirror writes 30, I want to thank all of you who journeyed with us in our long and short-run”.
The Mirror was first published in 1950 and is the first daily newspaper in Mindanao with the late dean Demetrio and Mrs. Anita Flaviano on board.
Their eldest daughter, the late Marrietta Flaviano-Siongco was the last editor-in-chief until new management took over on October 1, 2018.
Joaquin in the same post added “We had long-term plans that would honor the paper’s status as an institution in Davao City. I am thankful to the management for seeing us through the dark days of the pandemic, but in the end, the harsh realities prevailed”.
In ending his post, he said “I am especially thankful to our team which worked hard to keep the Mirror fresh and relevant. It’s been an honor. I’m sure we will be bumping into each other frequently as we continue the work of journalism. Thank you all”.
The Sunstar Cagayan de Oro also printed its last on June 30, the management opted to go digital.
The closure of Mindanao Daily Mirror displaced about 30 employees but some writers have already taken options as correspondents to other Davao-based Newspaper.-Editha Z. Caduaya/Newsline