The Manila Times
The Manila Times is an English-language daily newspaper in the Philippines; founded in 1898, it went through many changes of owner, closures and revivals, and has been owned by Dante AngDante AngDante Arevalo Ang (1942–2026) was a Filipino journalist, publicist and newspaper publisher who bought The Manila Times in 2001 and served as its publisher and chairman emeritus; he chaired the Commission on Filipinos Overseas and was a presidential envoy for international public relations.Open the full entry since 2001.
Contents12 sections
Key facts
October 11, 1898Founding
The Manila Times was launched on October 11, 1898 by Thomas Gowan, an Englishman who had lived in the islands for some time.[1]
It was the first American daily in the Philippines; a 1927 press history spells the founder’s name Thomas Cowan.[2]
1899–1907The Sellner Years
George Sellner, the paper’s business manager, bought it from Gowan, sold it to a group of American businessmen in 1902 and bought it back three years later; in 1907 Thomas C. Kinney bought the paper from Sellner.[3]
c. 1907–1926: Changing Control
Kinney incorporated the Times Company with American and British businessmen on its board; about 1917 the majority stockholders sold control to a Filipino group headed by Manuel Quezon; about August 1920 the controlling block passed to George H. Fairchild, who directed editorial policy until September 1926, when the paper was sold to the local merchant J. Rosenthal.[2]
1928–1930Fire and Closure
The paper’s offices burned down in 1928 and it ceased publication on March 14, 1930.[1]
1945–1986The Roces Years
On September 5, 1945 the paper resumed daily publication under the Roces family’s TVT publications; it closed again when martial law was imposed in 1972 and stayed shut for 14 years until Ramon Roces revived it on February 5, 1986 with Joaquin “Titong” Roces as editor in chief, after which the family sold it to John Gokongwei.[4]
1999Estrada Suit
A February 16, 1999 business story in the paper described President Joseph Estrada as an “unwitting ninong (godfather)” to a power contract, and Estrada filed a P100-million libel suit on March 9. On April 8 owner Robina Gokongwei-Pe printed a front-page apology, prompting senior editors to resign, and Estrada then dropped the case.[5]
July 1999Sale
In July 1999 the Gokongwei family sold the paper for P20 million to Katrina Legarda and Reghis Romero; the last issue under the Gokongweis, on July 23, carried a “Closed” banner.[5]
August 2001Dante Ang Buys the Paper
In August 2001 Mark Jimenez sold the paper to Dante Arevalo Ang, who in 2002 founded what is now The Manila Times College.[4]
April 2019The “Matrix” Story
On April 22, 2019 the paper ran a story on an alleged plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte, with a matrix sourced to the presidential palace that named Rappler, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), among others. Critics called it “poorly sourced.”[6]
Days later managing editor Felipe Salvosa II resigned.[7]
May 5, 2026Death of Dante Ang
On May 5, 2026 the paper announced the death of its chairman emeritus and owner, Dante Arevalo Ang.[8]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
The Manila Times: Official website: https://www.manilatimes.net/ (opens in a new window)[1]
X: Official account: https://x.com/TheManilaTimes (opens in a new window)[1]
YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: Official account: https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaTimes (opens in a new window)[1]
LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: Official account: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-manila-times (opens in a new window)[1]
Sources
- About Us | The Manila Times (opens in a new window)
- History of Philippine press / Carson Taylor. (opens in a new window)
- A glimpse of the past (opens in a new window)
- The Manila Times’ roadside markers since 1898 (opens in a new window)
- Is the Inquirer's impending sale a Manila Times redux? (opens in a new window)
- Seares: Manila Times had the right to print it. Critics slam the way it was done (opens in a new window)
- Manila Times editor resigns over 'oust Duterte' matrix (opens in a new window)
- The Manila Times Chairman Emeritus Dante Arevalo Ang passes away (opens in a new window)