The board and management of Manila Bulletin Corporation are pleased to announce the appointment of executive vice president Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. as publisher of the Manila Bulletin effective May 1, 2021, replacing Dr. Crispulo J. Icban, who passed away on April 5, 2021.
Mr. Loreto D. Cabañes has also been named editor-in-chief of the Manila Bulletin effective May 1, 2021, also replacing Mr. Icban.
Prior to joining the Manila Bulletin as executive vice president, Sec. Coloma served under three former presidents. He was in the cabinet of former President Benigno Aquino III as communication secretary and presidential spokesperson. He served as transportation undersecretary in former President Joseph Estrada’s administration, where he headed the Philippine delegation to the International Maritime Organization. Under former President Corazon Aquino, he was head of the presidential management staff, deputy executive secretary, and undersecretary for transportation and agrarian reform. Sec. Coloma took up Political Science at the University of the Philippines and obtained a Master in Business Management degree with distinction from the Asian Institute of Management, where he later worked as dean for executive education and program director for development management before becoming president of the University of Makati. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the School of Organization Development at the Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute.
Succeeding Dr. Jun Icban, Mr. Cabañes is the 13th man to hold the post of editor-in-chief at Manila Bulletin since it was founded 121 years ago, on Feb. 2, 1900.
Mr. Cabañes majored in agribusiness at the UP College of Agriculture, where he earned a degree in agricultural economics. He has been business editor of the Manila Bulletin since February 1992. He joined the news organization in January 1972 as a business reporter, covering the banking beat and the business community, particularly the Central Bank of the Philippines, for nearly two decades. Prior to becoming business editor, he served the Manila Bulletin as assistant business editor. As editor-in-chief, he will continue his post as business editor in concurrent capacity.
Founded on Feb. 2, 1900, the Manila Bulletin has been chronicling Philippine life for 121 years, reporting, producing, distributing (now across multiple platforms), and obtaining the news. It has over the past few decades assumed the role of “exponent of Philippine progress.”