A vow of a lifetime; Keeping the fire of public service burning

Matriarch Maria Santillan-Fajardo has been, and will always be, the hearth of her family and, by extension, of the men and women of Panay News.
Matriarch Maria Santillan-Fajardo has been, and will always be, the hearth of her family and, by extension, of the men and women of Panay News.

WITH Panay News welcoming its 43rd chapter headstrong, matriarch Maria Santillan-Fajardo, or “Madam Mary” as she is fondly called, reminisces about why she and late husband Daniel “Danny” Gumban Fajardo founded the now-leading newspaper in Western Visayas.

Although Madam Mary has already retired from being hands-on in the operation of Panay News, her guidance and wisdom remain a strong support system and inspiration of the entire workforce.

As she pays tribute to the people behind the newspaper’s decades-long success, she also reflects anew on acts that inspired and changed lives through noble journalism and its corporate arm, the Daniel G. Fajardo Foundation Inc. (DGFFI).

Sir Danny and Madam Mary’s desire to serve the public brought about the idea of starting a newspaper company.

With the vision of creating a credible and reliable daily in the Visayas, they pulled out all the stops to come up with Panay News’ maiden issue.

Madam Mary sifts through some things in the office of her late husband, Daniel G. Fajardo, in the old Panay News office in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

According to Madam Mary, Sir Danny even shelled out from his pocket just so the paper could carry on with its operations. This was just the beginning of the paper’s fair share of struggles during its maiden days.

“The success of the paper did not come overnight,” says Madame Mary, adding that it required arduous labor and a lot of patience. 

Now, over four decades have passed, and Panay News has become a household name for Ilonggos. As it gets a year older, Madam Mary cannot help but express her cheers and elation.

Though the Fajardo matriarch has already retired from being hands-on in the operation of the company, her guidance and wisdom remain a strong support system and inspiration to the entire workforce.

“Happy gid ako kay rigyan gihapon kita. Kabay mapa-sige ninyo,” she said, attributing the sustained success to the loyalty and hard work of all the men and women of Panay News, from the editorial, operation, circulation, marketing, and admin departments, and now, the digital team.

Madam Mary has always managed to look past every hump and bump that comes her way every day and smile or laugh heartily.

Madame Mary makes it a point that every time Panay News celebrates its anniversary, the paper renews its mandate envisioned by its founders to continue serving the public by delivering reliable news and reaching out to people.

Panay News has touched many lives through its community outreach activities, ranging from medical and dental missions to gift-giving programs and scholarships. The beneficiaries include children, senior citizens, frontliners, and indigent families, among others.

“Thank you sa tanan nga naga-support sang sini nga pagpaninguha para mabenepisyuhan gid ang tanan,” Madam Mary said. “Madamu gid nga salamat, ginsakdag naton ang pagpaninguha ni Danny nga makahatag sang benepisyo sa tanan ilabi na gid sa mga kubos.”

The matriarch also expressed gratitude to those who incessantly support the legacy that Sir Danny left, specifically the readers, subscribers, and dealers, who have made Panay News a part of their daily lives.

Madame Mary, like Sir Danny, believes that the print medium will survive despite the changes brought about by modern technology, owing it to the men and women of Panay News who stood their ground by being resilient and adaptable.

“It needs to continue. It has to go on,” she said, noting that as long as Panay News delivers news and gives back to the community, the legacy of its founder lives on./PN

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