Pangasinan’s The Sunday Punch folds after 70 years

THE SUNDAY Punch, one of the Philippines’ longest-running community newsweekly, published its final edition on July 5, 2026, marking the end of a storied seven-decade chapter in community journalism. The headline for the farewell issue, dated July 5-11, captured the poignance of the passage: “Our last hurrah: Final issue after 70 years of punching”.

The closure of the English weekly based in Dagupan City in Pangasinan is part of an ongoing trend of news publications folding in Luzon. It has followed Baguio Midland Courier, the longest-running publication in Northern Luzon, which ceased publication after 77 years in July 2024. The Sunday Punch reigned as Pangasinan’s longest-running community newspaper, never missing an issue, serving its community as a trusted chronicler of major events, including disastrous floods, earthquakes, and the COVID-19 pandemic.  

A Legacy Forged in Courage

Founded on July 15, 1956, by visionary journalist Ermin E. Garcia Sr., the Dagupan-based English weekly was established to deliver a “Sunday punch.” The paper’s commitment to fearless reporting was cemented when Garcia was assassinated in his editorial office on May 20, 1966. Under pressure to stop the exposé of a government payroll-padding scheme, he refused and was killed by a local politician and two companions, 

The paper had described its legacy as “deeply rooted in the courage and commitment of our founder, who used his pen to champion the truth, even at the cost of his life. The Sunday Punch was born out of a relentless pursuit for public service, to serve as a beacon of hope, and to deliver a “Sunday punch” — a powerful, decisive blow in the struggle for truth, integrity and a better society.”

His son, Ermin Garcia Jr., took over the publication at the age of 20, transforming it into one of the most profitable and recognized among leading community papers in Asia. Under his leadership, The Sunday Punch became a watchdog of power in Pangasinan’s four cities and 44 municipalities, earning accolades nationwide, as well as the UNESCO award for its success as a community publication.

The Final Edition

The commemorative final issue presented reports on its history, collected memories from staff and journalists who had worked at the paper, and included tributes from members of the community. 

Eva Visperas, who joined the publication as a reporter and columnist in 1991, said the discipline, integrity, and values instilled by Garcia Jr. remain among the greatest gifts of her journalism career.

“It is a treasure that we will carry until our last breath,” she said.

The decision to fold, while not officially detailed by the new management, was driven by the crushing financial pressures experienced by other print media nationwide: declining advertising revenues, rising newsprint costs, and the migration of readers to digital platforms.

A Significant Void in Local Media

The chronicle of provincial news and stories had served as a vital channel of information about local politics, its city and provincial administration that are largely ignored by national media. Its demise will be felt most by the communities it served. But the void will be felt by journalists around the country, particularly those who knew its founders, who were among the active leaders of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), a long-standing national association of editors, publishers and working journalists. 

Industry experts say its closure reflects the deepening crisis of print media, and is deeply felt by independent newspapers based in the provinces. Most of these organizations are increasingly dependent on the publication of government legal notices to survive. 

As the “watchdog” of Pangasinan falls silent, the loss is felt as well in classrooms where generations have been taught by a generation of journalism students who have been taught to regard the community paper for its much-needed service as a community-based press, delivering free and independent news, a model for responsible journalism.