National Press Club of the Philippines Honors Departed Journalists with Memorial Markers

Manila — The National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) has long memorialized its departed members through unique markers at its headquarters. Established in the 1950s, the NPC building includes a memorial monument to commemorate the contributions of deceased media members such as novelists, poets, essayists, news writers, broadcasters, and photographers.

According to a news release by Philippines News Agency, the original monument was inaugurated on December 30, 1955, by then-President Ramon F. Magsaysay and First Lady Luz Banzon-Magsaysay. The memorial marker, in the form of an inwardly curved scroll, was installed behind the ground floor structure of the building and was blessed by the officiating priest at the time. Among the first names to appear on this marker was that of Pablo Bautista, who died in a tragic plane crash with President Magsaysay on March 17, 1957.

Over the years, several other names have been added to the monument, including Luciano C. Millan, the first NPC president in 1952, and Ermin Garcia Sr., founder and editor of Dagupan City’s Sunday Punch. However, some notable names like Gen. Carlos P. Romulo, the first Filipino Pulitzer Prize winner, were not included due to lack of space.

In 2011, a new memorial was unveiled at the NPC grounds to honor the 32 journalists killed in the Maguindanao massacre on November 23, 2009. Then NPC President Jerry Yap stated that the marker serves as “an eternal reminder of the violence faced by journalists.”

The NPC building was originally designed by Architect Angel Nakpil and constructed by Engineer Alberto Abaya. It was inaugurated on December 30, 1955, following the first NPC general election in 1952. The construction of the building was completed during the term of Teodoro “Ka Doroy” Valencia, a veteran newspaper columnist and broadcaster who served as the NPC president in 1955.