PHILIPPINES

Media Market Description

General economic situation (38 percent) for Philippine Star and 661,000 (34
The Philippine economy grew at its fastest pace in three percent) for Manila Bulletin. Some respondents read two
decades in 2007 with real GDP growth exceeding 7%, or more broadsheets, explaining why the total exceeds
but growth slowed to 4.5% in 2008 as a result of the 100 percent.
world financial crisis. High government spending has
contributed to the growth, but a resilient service sector The Synovate results translate to about 742,000 daily
and large remittances from the millions of Filipinos who readers on average for the Inquirer, 636,000 readers for
work abroad have played an increasingly important role. Star and 620,000 for Bulletin.
Although the general macroeconomic outlook has
improved significantly, the Philippines continues to face The latest Media Index, conducted by Nielsen Media
important challenges. The inflation rate was estimated at Research, covers a rolling sample of 6,000 respondents
9.6% in 2008. aged 10 and older in 21 cities in Luzon, the Visayas and
Mindanao. They were randomly selected and were
Performance of newspapers vs. other media interviewed from February to August 2008.
The government owned several television and radio
stations; however, most print and electronic media were Conducted from July 2007 to June 2008, the Synovate
privately owned. The media were active and expressed survey interviewed 8,028 representative respondents
a wide variety of views without restriction. Broadcast aged 15 to 64. The Synovate survey covers Greater
and print media were freewheeling and often criticized Manila Area and 24 cities in the rest of Luzon, the
for lacking rigorous journalistic ethics. They tended to Visayas and Mindanao.
reflect the particular political or economic orientations
of owners, publishers, or patrons, some of whom were Though they differ in methodology, both surveys show
close associates of present or past high-level officials. the wide lead of the Inquirer over Star and Bulletin in
Special interests often used bribes and other key areas across the country and among the upper
inducements to solicit one-sided and erroneous reports classes.
and commentaries that supported their positions.
Journalists continued to face harassment and threats of The Nielsen survey results show the Inquirer leading in
violence from individuals critical of their reporting. “yesterday broadsheet readership” in all urban areas
nationwide, especially in Metro Manila."
Readership
Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group Plc., In Metro Manila, Nielsen has found that the Inquirer
a marketing services firm based in London, said that 31 has a 47-percent readership among those who said that
percent of Filipinos between 15 and 64 years old read they read a broadsheet the day before. Bulletin is in
newspapers while 28 percent read magazines. second place with 36 percent, while Star is third with 34
percent.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer has surged ahead in terms
of readership in Metro Manila and all urban centers, Nielsen’s Metro Manila results show an 8-percentage-
solidifying its position as the most preferred newspaper point climb for the Inquirer from its market share of 39
in the Philippines, according to two readership surveys percent in the second quarter (MI 2008 Q2).
conducted in 2008. Conducted by two independent
polling firms, the surveys found the Inquirer to be the The Inquirer also leads in broadsheet readership in Mega
No. 1 newspaper among economic classes ABC. Manila (41 percent), the rest of Luzon (40 percent), the
Visayas (70 percent), and Mindanao (53 percent). Mega
The Nielsen Media Index study in the third quarter Manila covers Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna,
2008 shows that the Inquirer accounts for 49 percent of Rizal and Pampanga.
respondents who said they had read a broadsheet the day
before. The Nielsen survey has found that the Inquirer is No. 1
in all seven days of the week, both in Metro Manila and
The Media Atlas of Synovate also shows that the in other urban areas.
Inquirer is the daily newspaper of choice for about half
(44 percent) of those who read English dailies every day Nationwide, the survey shows that the Inquirer has
in urban areas nationwide. Synovate is the market a 52-percent “yesterday broadsheet readership” from
research arm of Aegis Group, a London-based marketing Mondays to Saturdays, and 53 percent readership on
service firm. Sundays.

The Nielsen results translate to about 964,000 Star has a 43-percent readership from Mondays to
(49 percent) daily readers for the Inquirer, 738,000 Saturdays, while Bulletin has 32 percent. On Sundays,

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 PHILIPPINES
Star has 42 percent and Bulletin, 37 percent, according
to Nielsen.
In Metro Manila, Inquirer’s “yesterday broadsheet
readership” is 47 percent from Mondays to Saturdays
and 45 percent on Sundays.
By contrast, Star has a 40-percent readership in Metro
Manila, while Bulletin has 36 percent in the six days to
Saturday. On Sundays, Bulletin has 43 percent and Star,
41 percent.
The latest Nielsen survey results have also found the
Inquirer leading in “yesterday readership” nationwide
among upper and middle class ABC broadsheet readers
with 51 percent. Star has 37 percent and Bulletin, 34
percent.
Inquirer Publications’ Bandera is still the most-read
tabloid in the Visayas (61 percent) and Mindanao (32
percent).
Of the 6,000 Nielsen respondents, 2,000 were
interviewed in July and August 2008. The other 2,000
respondents were interviewed in February and March
for the MI Q1 study, and in April through June for the
MI Q2 study.
Nielsen Media Research used to release the Media Index
annually. It started conducting the readership survey
twice a year in 2006.
Synovate also found the Inquirer leading across the
country, including the Greater Manila Area (GMA).
In GMA, the Inquirer’s daily reach is 586,000 compared
with Star’s 553,000 and Bulletin’s 540,000.
In the Synovate survey, GMA covers Metro Manila and
the adjacent areas of Antipolo and Cainta in Rizal,
Bacoor in Cavite, Meycauayan in Bulacan and San Pedro
in Laguna. Outside GMA, the Inquirer’s daily reach is
156,000 – nearly double that of Star (83,000) and
Bulletin (81,000).
The Synovate survey has also found that about half of
the 1.1 million ABC readers who had read an
English daily the day before (more than 556,000
Filipinos) said they read the Inquirer. Forty-two percent
said they read Star, while 35 percent said they read
Bulletin.
Among the regional dailies in the Visayas, Cebu Daily
News, the Inquirer’s regional newspaper, is the second
most read.
Synovate has also found that Hinge Inquirer
Publications’ Game magazine is among the Top 10
Source: CIA – The World Factbook; US State Department; Agence France Presse; Philippine Daily Inquirer
736
general-interest magazines, with an average issue
readership of 126,000.
Synovate used both telephone and face-to-face
interviews with its 8,028 representative respondents,
who were asked about their media consumption,
ownership of a range of products, lifestyle, values and
attitudes.
Its surveys cover GMA and the cities of Angeles, San
Fernando, Baguio, Batangas, Calapan, Dagupan, Laoag,
Legazpi, Naga, Olongapo and Santiago in Isabela in
Luzon.
The cities of Bacolod, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Tacloban,
Tagbilaran, Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue in the
Visayas, and the cities of Butuan, Cagayan de Oro,
Davao, General Santos and Zamboanga in Mindanao.
Online / Digital Publishing
There were no government restrictions on access to the
Internet or reports that the government monitored
e-mail or Internet chat rooms. Individuals and groups
could engage in peaceful expressions of views via the
Internet, including by e-mail. Internet access was
available widely.
Media / Press Laws
The constitution provides for freedom of speech and of
the press, and the government generally respected these
rights in practice.
A law proposed in February 2009 to guarantee the right
of reply to anyone who feels they have been poorly
treated by the media is said by NGOs to threaten press
freedom in the Philippines. The Right of Reply Bill,
which had wide bipartisan support in the House of
Representatives and Senate, proposed heavy fines and
jail terms for media groups who do not comply.
A version of the bill has been passed in the Senate, while
the House is debating a counterpart bill, although
officials say it too is likely to pass. No date has been
given for a consolidated version of the bill by
a committee of both houses.
Other Factors
Human rights NGOs frequently criticized the
government for failing to protect journalists.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines
accused the police and the government of failing
adequately to investigate these killings and of subjecting
journalists to harassment and surveillance. In some
situations it was difficult to discern if violence against
journalists was carried out in retribution for their
profession or if these journalists were the victims of
random crime.
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NEWSPAPERS – WORLD PRESS TRENDS 2009
 PHILIPPINES
3.b Total average circulation per issue
Change (%)
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2008/04 2008/07
Total dailies 3,905 3,895 3,920 3,954 3,870 -0.90 -2.12
Total paid-for dailies 3,790 3,780 3,780 3,760 3,760 -0.79 0.00
Total free dailies 115 115 140 194 110 -4.35 -43.30
Source: 2004-2006 WAN assessment; 2007-2008 WAN estimate (paid-for dailies);
WAN assessment (free dailies)

5.a Newspaper reach (2008)

(%)
Reached
All adults 1 31
Source: Synovate’s Nationwide Urban
Media Atlas Survey 2007-2008 Wave 1
1
Aged 15-64

6.d Internet subscribers and users

(000) Change (%)
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2007/03 2007/06
Internet subscribers - - - - 2,500 - -
Internet users - - - - 5,300 - -
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Map: CIA – The World Factbook

6.e Broadband Internet

2.a Population by age and sex (2008)
(000) Change (%)
Age All individuals Male Female 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2008/04 2008/07
000 % 000 % 000 %
Broadband subscribers - - - 496.2 968.0 - 95.08
0-14 34,101 35 17,393 36 16,708 35
Source: 2007 International Telecommunication Union (ITU); 2008 International
15-64 58,062 60 28,986 60 29,076 61
Telecommunication Union (ITU) via Internet World Stats
65 + 3,898 4 1,682 3 2,216 5
2008 data as of March 2008
Total 96,061 100 48,061 100 48,000 100
Source: CIA – The World Factbook
7.aa Gross domestic product
(Philippine peso, bln)
2.b Population by social class and sex (2005)
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Social class All adults Male Female
000 % 000 % 000 % GDP 4,316.0 4,872.0 5,444.0 6,033.0 6,648.0

A+B 538 1 268 1 270 1 Source: ZenithOptimedia

C1 3,764 7 1,877 7 1,887 7
C2 9,678 18 4,826 18 4,851 18 7.ab Gross domestic product per capita
DE 39,786 74 19,842 74 19,944 74 (Philippine peso, 000)
Total 53,765 100 26,813 100 26,952 100 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Source: National Statistics Office, ZenithOptimedia GDP per capita 53.2 58.8 64.4 69.9 75.6
Based on estimates made in 2002 by the TV Research Council; Source: ZenithOptimedia
Definition of adult status:
AB = monthly household income of Peso 50,001 and over,
C1 = monthly household income of Peso 30,001-50,000, 7.ac Ad spend as a % of GDP
C2 = monthly household income of Peso 15,001-30,000, (%)
DE = monthly household income of Peso 15,000 and below 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Ad expenditure 2.19 2.32 2.56 2.38 2.32
3.a Number of titles Source: ZenithOptimedia
Change (%)
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2008/04 2008/07
7.ba Advertising expenditure per medium
Total dailies 28 28 29 29 28 0.00 -3.45
(Philippines, peso, mln)
Total paid-for dailies 27 27 27 27 27 0.00 0.00
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
National paid-for dailies - 22 22 22 22 - 0.00
Regional and local - 5 5 5 5 - 0.00 Press 11,592 12,007 8,866 10,653 11,527 12,340 13,421 14,483
paid-for dailies Newspapers 8,694 8,551 7,305 8,763 9,418 9,988 10,728 11,487
Total free dailies 1 1 2 2 1 0.00 -50.00 Magazines 2,898 3,456 1,561 1,890 2,109 2,352 2,693 2,996
Source: 2004 WAN assessment; 2005 WAN from public sources; WAN assessment Television 82,204 105,188 108,875 110,528 128,467 131,825 140,807 144,906
(free dailies); 2006 WAN from public sources; 2007 WAN estimate; Radio 19,461 22,120 24,122 24,010 28,491 29,442 31,639 34,002
WAN assessment (free dailies); 2008 WAN estimate (paid-for dailies); Total 113,257 139,315 141,863 154,191 168,485 173,606 185,867 193,390
WAN assessment (free dailies) Source: NMR PMS; NMR; AdQuest Millennium; ZenithOptimedia
Before discounts; excludes production costs; excludes classified; excludes agency
commission

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 PHILIPPINES
Top newspaper advertising
7.f 7.gTop newspaper advertisers Top owners (2007)
categories (2007) (2007) Owners
Advertising sector Expenditure Advertiser Expenditure
Philstar Daily
(Philippine peso, 000) (Philippine peso, 000)
Philippine Daily Enquirer
Telecoms 1,171,900 Shoesmart 518,300 Manila Bulletin Publishing
Retail 794,400 Smart Communications 372,900 Business World Publishing
Banks/finance 677,900 Globe Telecom 254,800 Philippine Business Daily Publishing
Entertainment 666,000 Ayala Land 153,700 Mindanao Times
Real estate 544,800 Samsung Electronics 132,600 Philippine Journalists
Auto 425,600 Toyota Motors 118,500 Sun Star Publications Network
Education 398,000 Digital Telecommunications 111,600 Monica Publishing
Government agencies 349,400 Fortune Tobacco 98,900 Rural Press Com. Rep.
and public utilities Philip Morris 92,700
Source: Nielsen Adquest Millennium;
Office equipment 329,300 Robinson’s Recreation 89,000 ZenithOptimedia
Travel 229,800 Source: Nielsen Adquest Millennium;
Source: Nielsen Adquest Millennium; ZenithOptimedia
ZenithOptimedia Based on rate cards
Based on rate cards

8.ba Top paid-for dailies (2008)

Title Founded Language Publishing company Circulation 1 Readership 2 Cover price usual Format Full page ad rate
Mono Colour
(year) (000) (000) (Philippine peso) (Philippine peso)

Remate - Filipino Bagong Sibol Publications Inc. 620 - - Tabloid - -

Bulgar - Filipino - 601 1,337 - Tabloid 65,835 118 503
Pilipino Star Ngayon - Filipino Pilipino Star Ngayon Inc. 418 615 - Tabloid 40,320 64,512
Abante - Filipino Monica Publishing Corporation 418 820 - Tabloid 46,200 83,160
Abante Tonite - Filipino Monica Publishing Corporation 278 358 - Tabloid 42,000 75,600
Philippine Daily Inquirer 1985 English Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. 260 1,258 10.00 Broadsheet 157,410 283,338
Manila Bulletin 1900 English Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation 220 1,051 - Broadsheet 150,255 270,459
Philippine Star 1986 English PhilStar Daily Inc. 200 1,048 10.00 Broadsheet 154,440 277,992
Manila Times 1902 English Manila Times Publishing Corp. 187 184 10.00 Broadsheet 102,555 184,599
Malaya (Free) 1981 English 3 People's Independent Media, Inc. 150 84 - Broadsheet 89,910 161,838
Source: ZenithOptimedia; Nielsen Media Index; Nielsen Media Advertising Information Service; Malaya; Wikipedia; WAN from public sources
1
2005 data
2
Nielsen Media Index Q1 2008 (urban M/F, aged 10+, read yesterday)
3
Malaya shifted to English when its sister publication, We Forum, was closed down by the Marcos government in 1983 after it came out with a story exposing the fake
medals of former strongman.

8.bb Top free dailies (2008)

Title Founded Language Publishing Circulation Readership 1 Full page ad rate
company Mono Colour
(year) (000) (000) (Philippine peso)

Inquirer Libre 2
2001 Filipino Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. 110 157 53,340 96,012
Source: Nielsen Media Index; Nielsen Media Advertising Information Service; Inquirer.net
1
Q1 2008
2
Distributed for free in the stations of Light Railway Transits 1 and 2, the Metro Railway Transit, the SuperFerry and selected
McDonald’s stores between 6 and 10 a.m.

11. Research 12. Taxes (2008)

Tax %
Circulation is audited by Standard VAT 12
Newspaper circulations were first audited in 1989 by VAT on:
the Print Media Audit Council (PMAC). The Council Single copy sales 0
only ever conducted fifteen audits over eight years, and Tax on profits – standard rate 35

No audit has been conducted for the last six years. Some Source: Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu; Distripress
publications still use figures from the last audit as their
official circulations, other circulation figures are simply
claims made by individual publishers. Some parties plan
to revive the audit process.

Readership is measured by
Readership information is produced by:
1. Social weather station; 2. Asia Research Gallup;
3. AC Nielsen

738 WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NEWSPAPERS – WORLD PRESS TRENDS 2009