Last night, on the eve of Christmas, our Facebook followers, you included, grew to more than 8,000.
The other day, we broke our website’s record-high traffic.
Today, Christmas 2019, it is exactly four months and seven days since we started operations as the pioneer digital-first paper in Negros island.
Like any start-up venture, as new businesses are often called now, the voyage is fraught with dangers, uncertainties, and pain.
We were like a small, frail boat four months ago when we set sail.
We still are.
It is because of you that we grew brave, braver each day.
Like those seafarers of olden days who held tightly to their quivering masts, seaspray on their faces, the taste of salt in their mouths, we clung to each other.
And you.
Every story was a victory.
Every victory an inspiration for us to continue serving, doing journalism as best we could, mindful, always mindful that our first loyalty is to the public.
To you.
Dangers lurk everywhere, inside and outside the newsroom. Challenges face us, from the “competition,” from ourselves.
We have surmounted challenges, faced problems, we have overcome most, failed in some but we plod on.
We hold on to the faith that a paper is a public trust, that we are bound to serve you the best we could.
And so today we thank you for that most precious gift you have given us.
Trust.
Merry Christmas.