Inquirer Bandera is a daily Taglish tabloid newspaper based in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is published by the Inquirer Publications, Inc with editorial and business offices located in Makati.

Inquirer Bandera
TypeDaily newspaper (1990–2020)
Online newspaper (2020–present)
FormatTabloid
Owner(s)Inquirer Publications, Inc.
Founder(s)Ralph Chekeh
Danny Mariano
Ricky Agcaoili
PublisherEileen Mangubat
EditorDona Policar
Associate editorJimmy Alcantara
FoundedSeptember 10, 1990; 33 years ago (1990-09-10)
Political alignmentIndependent
LanguageFilipino, Taglish (Bandera Luzon & Visayas)
English (Bandera Mindanao)
Ceased publicationJuly 5, 2020
(print edition)
CirculationNationwide (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao editions) (until 2020)
Sister newspapersPhilippine Daily Inquirer, Inquirer Libre, Cebu Daily News
WebsiteBandera's website

History edit

Bandera (initially called the Metro Times) was first published on September 10, 1990 by Manila Times journalists, Ralph Chekeh, Danny Mariano and Ricky Agcaoili, with Lito Bautista as the pioneering managing editor (up to his retirement in 2014). It was then the sister newspaper of Manila Times under the Gokongwei family who acquired the broadsheet in 1989 from the Roces family. The tabloid's first head office was located at the Manila Times Compound in Quezon City before it was relocated to Mandaluyong. English was primarily used in its articles until they shifted to Tagalog in the 2000s.

Bandera was known for hosting erotic columns and Page 3 girls, among those featured were Rosanna Roces and Margie Holmes. Its had three sister tabloids: the "raunchier" Bandera PM, Bandera Tonight, as well as Bandera International Edition which catered to Overseas Filipino Workers in Hong Kong and the Middle East.

In 2001, the Prieto family, owners of Philippine Daily Inquirer, acquired Bandera from the Gokongweis. During the acquisition Bandera ditched its sexualized content in favor of a more wholesome image.[1]

Bandera, which had three editions specific for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, moved to an online only format after its last print issue was published on July 5, 2020.[2] Bandera is published online through Inquirer Plus digital subscriptions.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Inquirer-Bandera: 10 years after the Big Change". Inquirer.net. Inquirer Interactive Inc. August 9, 2011. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023. Bandera today is a far cry from its original format that was "for men only". Under the new ownership of the Inquirer Group, which acquired Bandera in 2001[...]
  2. ^ "Inquirer Bandera goes fully digital: IPI official statement". Inquirer.net. Inquirer Interactive Inc. June 5, 2020. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.