The ucanews.com Philippines bureau is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

The office in Manila filed its first batch of stories on Aug. 7 1985 that were the first to be edited outside the then-UCAN headquarters in Hong Kong.

“Please join us in giving thanks to God for his generosity with blessings,” writes NJ Viehland, Head of Operations for the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN) in the country.

“Foremost among them is the vision of our founder, Father Robert (Bob) Astorino. He worked to liberate and enable Asian Catholics to tell the story of their Church’ to the rest of the world.”

Since its beginnings, the Philippines office has faced many challenges including the deaths and killings of reporters, military coups, threats and harassment, sometimes uncooperative Church sources and financial crises.

But Viehland says these have been overcome thanks to colleagues’ firm sense of mission and strong leadership.

“From [Father Astorino’s] time until today, under Father Michael Kelly, we have been blessed with passionate leaders … who offer “a vision of people speaking freely and sincerely of their faith.”

“We have also been blessed with their expert leadership through challenges of our times.”

The Philippines office of ucanews.com is planning a range of face-to-face and online events over the coming months to celebrate the anniversary.

They include a thanksgiving Mass and gathering in Manila this September and orientation and training seminar for reporters later this year.

Above all, the office will continue to play its part as a vital contributor to ucanews.com’s work in the region.

“We have a long way to go with our goals,” says Ms Viehland. “But we have geared up to do our share in developing a self-sustaining news agency that will be the source of news, views, information and images of Church in Asia.”

Related reports
Aquino’s ’straight path’ a work in progress
Covering Bishop Francisco Claver

PM10748.1614