Famous Filipino Journalists

Marcelo H. del Pilar was a Filipino lawyer, writer, freemason, and journalist. Along with Graciano López Jaena and José Rizal, Del Pilar became known in Spain as the leaders of the Reform Movement. He is considered the Father of Philippine Journalism for his 66 editorials and 150 essays. He is also regarded as the Father of Philippine Masonry.

Filipino-American journalist and author Maria Ressa is the co-founder and CEO of Rappler, an online news website. She was a lead investigative reporter in Southeast Asia for CNN for almost two decades.  A court in Manila found her guilty of cyber libel in 2020. This move was condemned by human rights activists as an attack on press freedom. 

Carlos P. Romulo was a Filipino statesman, diplomat, journalist, soldier, and author. He is best remembered for his service as the Minister of Foreign Affairs on three occasions between 1950 and 1984. Among several other important posts, he also held the office of the Secretary of Education from 1965 to 1967. Romulo was the recipient of numerous honors and awards.

Nick Joaquin was a Filipino journalist and writer. He is best remembered for his novels and short stories written in the English language. Counted among the most prominent Filipino writers of all time, Nick Joaquin was the recipient of many prestigious awards such as the National Artist Award and Ramon Magsaysay Award for Literature.

Amado V. Hernandez was a Filipino labor leader and writer. He is best remembered for his participation in the communist movement, for which he was arrested and imprisoned. Amado V. Hernandez criticized the social injustices in the Philippines through his writings and often included his experiences as a labor leader and as a guerrilla in his socio-political novels.

Isabelo de los Reyes, also known as Don Belong, was a prominent Filipino politician and activist who co-founded the independent Philippine church Iglesia Filipina Independiente. A labor leader and author, too, he served as the senator of the Philippines. He also wrote extensively on folklore, religion, and history.

A former broadcast journalist, Loren Legarda was known for anchoring shows such as The World Tonight, before she stepped into politics and rose to be the President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines. The former senator is also a prominent environmental activist.