Among the subscribers and avid readers of the Mindanao Cross are soldiers in the headquarters of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division in Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. (John Unson Photo)
COTABATO CITY โ One of the country’s oldest community newspapers has quietly earned recognition for telling a different story in a region more often associated with conflict and insurgency. The Mindanao Cross, a nonprofit Catholic tabloid that has promoted interfaith understanding in Central Mindanao since the late 1940s, was recognized by the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) as one of the Philippines’ best-edited community newspapers.
Ceremonies held June 4 at Hotel Lucky Chinatown in Binondo, Manila conferred the award, which Panay News, another respected regional publication in the Visayas, shared.
For readers across the Bangsamoro region, however, the recognition felt deeply personal. Published every Friday and circulated throughout Cotabato City, neighboring communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and parts of Region 12, the Mindanao Cross is widely regarded as the country’s longest-running community newspaper. Its first issue rolled off a printing press in Cotabato City on February 6, 1948, emerging from the postwar efforts of Filipino and foreign missionaries of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI).
Since then, the newspaper has chronicled nearly every defining chapter of Central Mindanao’s modern history โ armed rebellions, peace negotiations, political upheavals and community rebuilding efforts โ while consistently advocating dialogue among Muslims, Christians and Indigenous peoples.
Drema Quitayen-Bravo, manager of the equally historic DXMS radio station in Cotabato City, also owned by the OMI congregation, accepted the citation on behalf of the newspaper during the symbolic awarding ceremony in Manila.
Bangsamoro lawmakers lauded the recognition the Mindanao Cross received. “We are happy with that recognition that the Mindanao Cross got from the Philippine Press Institute,” said BARMM Health Minister Kadil Sinolinding Jr., a physician and ophthalmologist who also serves as a member of the region’s 80-seat parliament. “We have been seeing for so many years now how it has been struggling to propagate ecumenism and the need for unity among Christians and Muslims in community peace and development initiatives,” he said.
Other Moro lawmakers echoed that sentiment. BARMM parliament members Ishak Mastura and Zulfikar-Ali Bayam said the newspaper’s editorial discipline distinguished it from many others operating in conflict-affected areas.
They credited the publication’s careful use of language and conflict-sensitive reporting for helping foster understanding rather than inflaming divisions. “The reports of Mindanao Cross are well edited and have good insights, educating readers that peace and unity among the local culturally divergent communities is very important,” Mastura said.
The connection between the newspaper and Moro communities runs deep. Mastura noted that his father, lawyer Michael Mastura โ a former representative of the then-undivided Maguindanao province and a supporter of the peace process that eventually led to the creation of BARMM in 2019 โ once wrote columns for the publication. Bayam recalled elders in his clan in Kabuntalan and Cotabato City reading the Mindanao Cross since his childhood.
The newspaper’s history has not been without sacrifice. During the martial law years under President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., military and police authorities halted its publication because of its criticism of authoritarian rule and intolerance of dissent. It resumed operations only after its publisher agreed to refrain from publishing articles opposing the regime.
The paper endured, however.
Ramon Piang Sr., a Teduray leader, BARMM parliament member, and former mayor of Upi, said the publication consistently highlighted Indigenous struggles often overlooked by mainstream media. He expressed gratitude for its sustained coverage of Teduray efforts to preserve their culture, protect their ancestral domains and pursue peace and sustainable development. “For that, we are grateful,” Piang said.
Military officials also acknowledged the newspaper’s role beyond journalism. Major Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said both the Mindanao Cross and DXMS have actively helped encourage public support for reconciliation initiatives aimed at countering violent extremism.
He cited their assistance in promoting community awareness of disarmament efforts under the Small Arms and Light Weapons Program of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, part of the broader peace agenda involving Moro communities.
The recognition of the Mindanao Cross represents more than editorial excellence. It is an affirmation that journalism rooted in patience, historical memory, and respect for difference still matters.
Nearly eight decades have passed, through martial law, insurgency, and a fragile peace; the newspaper has chosen not merely to report on coexistence in Mindanao. It has insisted that coexistence is possible.
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