THAT’S right. You won't spend anything to have a copy of this newspaper. And you can get it every morning, Monday to Friday, at selected stations of the Light Rail Transit and Metrostar.

Libre  is published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the country's leading English-language newspaper. As such, we will try to give you similar excellent and valuable information and knowledge tool.

Why a free newspaper, you may ask.

Two reasons.

First, we want to reach out to more readers.

Second, we want to help cultivate the reading habit among the young and old alike.

This is a big challenge, particularly with the onset of free and cable television and the Internet. Radio remains a stiff competitor, too.

But we feel we can achieve our goals. How?

By giving you the latest news both here and abroad, practical tips to help you, advice columns on legal issues, health, beauty, business opportunities, even matters of the heart.

Of course, you'll also read the latest in the entertainment world as well as sports.

We'll be using a lot of color visuals and graphics to spice up our pages.

And we'll also have a fun page featuring horoscope, crossword puzzle, trivia, and comic strips.

So, we would like you to pick up a copy of  Libre  on the days it is available, share it with the other members of the household, your classmates, your co-workers, your friends, or simply keep it for handy reference.

After all, the best things in life are  Libre !

Ni Cathy C. Yamsuan

MARAMING maling akala tungkol sa mambabasa ng tabloid. Una na ang interes na limitado lamang sa mga istoryang sex at karahasan.

Pangalawa’y ang ’di pagpansin sa mga “malalalim” na isyu tulad ng mga desisyon at pagkilos ng mga lider ng bansa. O ’di kaya’y mga diskusyon tungkol sa kanyang trabaho, relasyon sa kapwa at mga ispiritwal na bagay.

Hindi ko alam kung saan nagsimula ang ganitong pang-iinsulto pero sa unang taon ng labas ng Inquirer  Libre , nakakita kami ng maraming patunay na hindi angkop sa mambabasa ng tabloid ang mga nasabing paniniwala.

Matinding magbigay ng reaksyon ang mambabasa, maging sa mga tao, pangyayari o bagay na sinusuportahan o mga isyung sinasalungat. Maraming mambabasa ang tumatawag pa sa opisina ng  Libre  upang makapagbigay lamang ng kuro-kuro.

Kung totoong hindi nag-iisip ang mambabasa ng tabloid, ewan ko kung sasabihin pa nila sa amin kung alin sa mga istoryang nailabas ang gusto o ayaw nila. O bakit pa magtatanong tungkol sa mga tao at lugar na kanilang nabasa ang nakapukaw ng atensyon; o pilit aalamin kung saan puwedeng tawagan o sulatan ang mga ito.

Madali ang maghusga. Mas mahirap ang magbukas ng isip tungkol sa ibang tao. Pero kung susubukan natin, hindi lamang lumalalim ang ating pagkilala sa isa’t isa. Lalo rin tayong natututo tungkol sa mga bagay na hindi pa natin alam.

Ni Cathy C. Yamsuan (Nov 20 2003)

HINDI lahat ng tulong ay may bayad. Kasi nga, the best things in life are  Libre , hindi ba? Napatunayan na ’yan ng maraming mga tao at grupong naisulat namin dito sa Inquirer  Libre .

Mga nanghingi ng tulong, gustong tumulong, o hindi kaya’y may adhikain o negosyong gustong ipaalam sa madla.

Matapos mailabas sa  Libre , marami sa kanila ang nagulat sa tindi ng reaksyon ng mga mambabasa.

Tulad halimbawa ng Institute for Social Studies and Action na pinupog ng mga tawag sa telepono at e-mail sa araw na lumabas ang feature tungkol sa Kikay Kit.

O ng sikat na manunulat na si Ricky Lee na nagsabing “pinakamaraming tawag na natanggap” niya upang magtanong tungkol sa kanyang ABS-CBN scriptwriting workshop ay mula sa  Libre  readers.

Siyempre hindi lamang mga malalaking organisasyon ang nakakatanggap ng ganitong feedback.

Ang inang si Vilma Dee na mag-isang nagbubuo ng samahan para sa mga biktima ng Wilson’s disease ay tinawagan ng iba pang kaanak ng may ganitong sakit matapos lumabas ang kanyang istorya sa  Libre .

Samantalang ang mga nasa likod ng Sweets N More, isang bagong bukas na tutorial school ay nawindang sa dami ng tumawag upang nagtanong tungkol sa baking at cooking lessons na inaalok nila.

Wish nga ni Aileen Dy ng Sweets N More, sana raw ay tulungan pa ng  Libre  ang ibang small entrepreneurs upang mabigyan buhay rin ang kanilang mga negosyo.

Ang ibang readers ay sumulat din upang ipaalam kung paano nakatulong ang  Libre  sa kanilang mga problema.

Ani Arnulfo Gonzales, natupad ang matagal na niyang pangarap na magkaroon ng hearing aid bagama’t hindi niya kayang bumili nito.

Nabasa ni Mang Arnulfo ang isang anunsyo sa  Libre  tungkol sa foundation na namimigay ng hearing aid.

Sariling “kakulitan” lamang daw ang naging puhunan niya hanggang sa napiling beneficiary ng Rotary Club of Makati Central.

Ani Mang Arnulfo, hindi sana siya natulungang makarinig muli kundi nataunan ang anunsyo sa  Libre .

Sa iba namang readers, kanya-kanyang sulat tungkol sa paboritong sections sa  Libre .

Bukod sa pagbabasa ng  Libre , maraming nagbanggit na pinapasa pa nila ito sa mga kaibigan at kamag-anak.

Anang reader na si Ozbert Dizon, bukod sa pantanggal ng inip habang naghihintay o nakasakay sa tren ay maganda ring pamaypay ang  Libre .

Ni Cathy C. Yamsuan

HINDI namin alam kung saan galing ang tsismis na kailangan nang magbayad para makakuha ng kopya ng  Libre .

Hindi po totoo ito. Bakit pa tatawaging  Libre  kung babayaran din, hindi ba?

Ayon kay Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, presidente at chief executive officer ng Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc., sisiguruhin ng kompanya na hangga’t maaari ay walang bayad ang  Libre .

“Umaasa kaming ipamimigay nang  libre  ang  Libre  forever,” aniya sa isang panayam.

Nang inisip kasing maglabas ng babasahing ganito, ang layunin ay hikayating magbasa ang mga tao.

At ano pa ang mas magandang paraan na manghikayat kundi mag-alok ng libreng babasahin na disente at may kabuluhan?

Layunin din ng mga opisyal ng Inquirer na sa pagbigay ng  libre  nguni’t de kalidad na babasahin ay makatulong sa pagtaas ng antas ng literacy sa bansa.

Sinabi ni Romualdez, hindi naging madali para sa kompanya ang desisyong maglunsad ng libreng babasahin.

Sa katunayan, taon ang binilang bago tinuloy ang proyektong Inquirer  Libre .

Si Dave Valdes, senior vice president for corporate services, ang unang nagmungkahi noong 1999 ng ideyang maglabas ang Inquirer ng libreng babasahin.

Ito’y matapos niyang makita ang tagumpay ng ganitong babasahin sa ibang bansa nang minsang mag-attend siya ng conference sa abroad.

Nguni’t nagdalawang-isip ang ibang mga opisyal ng kompanya sa ganitong ideya dahil sa mga problemang pang-ekonomiya nang panahong iyon.

Ang mangyayari kasi, hindi sisingilin ang mga taong kukuha ng kopya ng babasahin.

Sa pondong mula sa advertisements manggagaling ang kikitain ng diyaryo upang magpatuloy.

Hindi nga naman sigurado kung magki-click ang ganito. Paano kung walang magbasa? Paano kung malugi?

Naungkat lamang muli ang ideya ng libreng diyaryo nang si Romualdez naman, kasama nina Inquirer editor-in-chief Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc at managing editor Joey Nolasco, ang nakasaksi kung gaano ka-epektibo ang mga libreng babasahin sa ibang bansa.

Dalawang taon na mula nang ilunsad ang  Libre  sa Baclaran terminal ng Light Railway Transit 1.

Mula 100,000 ay naging 115,000 na ang circulation.

At bukod sa LRT 1 at 2, ipinamimigay na rin ang  Libre  sa Metrorail Transit system, arrival area ng terminal 1 ng Ninoy Aquino International Airport at sa WG&A Superferry terminal sa Manila south port area.

Napuna nga ni Romualdez na ibang magbigay ng feedback ang mga mambabasa ng  Libre  kaysa mga nagbabasa ng Inquirer.

“Mas positive sila, saka matindi ang koneksyon ng mga readers sa  Libre . Sa feedback pa lamang, lalo na sa e-mail, ay masusukat na ang ganito,” paliwanag ni Romualdez.

“Dito natin mare-realize na kailangan talaga ng tao na malaman ang balita sa araw-araw. At ang mga commuters ng MRT at LRT ay walang matatawag na babasahin na tanging kanila lamang,” dagdag pa niya.

Hindi nga akalain ni Romualdez na magiging ganito kainit ang pagtanggap ng mga mambabasa sa  Libre .

“Alam natin na ang tao’y naghahanap ng produktong mataas na kalidad sa mababang halaga. Paano pa kaya kung mataas na kalidad at  libre  pa?” ani Romualdez.

Dati-rati basta ganitong uri ng pahayagan, dapat malaswa, madugo at malisyoso; naiba ito noong Nob. 19, 2001

SA LOOB ng tatlong taon, binago ng Inquirer  Libre  ang pagtingin ng mga advertisers sa tabloid. Puwede palang makaakit ng mambabasa ang isang tabloid kahit ’di sensationalized o may halong bastos ang balita.

Hindi na tuloy nakapapangambang maglabas ng anunsyo ng mga bagong produkto basta’t positibo ang image ng tabloid kung saan nakalathala ito.

Anang isang kilalang advertising executive, taliwas noon sa mga advertisers ang maglabas ng anunsyo ng mga bagong produkto kung tabloid ang pinag-uusapan.

Malimit kasi’y iba ang interes ng mambabasa ng tabloid bukod sa disenteng balita at mga anunsyo ng produkto.

Pero nag-iba ang sitwasyon nang dumating ang  Libre , ani Venus Navalta, managing director ng Universal McCann Philippines.

Aniya,  Libre  “effected a paradigm shift because it does not have the negative image associated with tabloids and so, advertisers now have a print vehicle to reach the mobile market without compromising their brands’ image.”

Aminado si Navalta na kumpara sa mga diyaryo o broadsheets, mas marami ang mambabasa ng mga tabloids.

Lamang ay nakaiilang ngang maglabas ng anunsyo ng bagong produkto sa tabloid dahil ayaw ng mga kompanyang naglalabas “to be associated with sensationalism and sleaze.”

Paniwala din ng mga advertisers na iba ang mindset ng mga mambabasa ng tabloids.

“They do not expect tabloids to be their source of information for most products and services,” ani Navalta.

Dahil dito, pulos mga anunsyo tulad ng “return-to-work notices” lamang ang nilalabas sa mga tabloids.

“Libre , although tabloid in format, is considered more of a broadsheet when it comes to content,” obserbasyon ni Navalta.

Dagdag pa rito, bilib din ang mga advertisers sa kakayahan ng  Libre  na magsagawa ng “creative media executions.”

Kabilang dito ang mga false covers sa front page na mas nauunang nakikita ng mambabasa bago ang banner story.

Paniwala ni Navalta, mas mabuting ituloy ng  Libre  ang kasalukuyan nitong posisyon bilang “clean tabloid if it wants to have advertising as its source of revenues.”

Ni Cathy C. Yamsuan  (Nov 21 2005)

KABILANG ang pagpapalaki ng anak, edukasyon at mga karapatan ng mga disadvantaged sectors sa mga isyung napiling i-advocate ng Inquirer  Libre .

Nabuo ang desisyong magkaroon ng advocacy ang  Libre  dahil na rin sa magandang feedback mula sa mga mambabasa, ani Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, president ng Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc..

“The reader is able to make more informed decisions because of  Libre . Also, the news stories inspire them to take action on relevant issues,” ani Romualdez.

Natural consequence na marahil sa pagdebelop ng  Libre  ang pagpili ng mga isyung babantayan at ipaglalaban nito.

Ani Romualdez, naangkop na talakayin ang mga parent issues tulad ng child rearing at kalusugan ng mga bata dahil marami sa mga pasahero ng tren ay working parents.

Pasahero ng tren

Ang mga isyung nakapaligid sa edukasyon ay tatalakayin din dahil ayon sa mga pag-aaral, marami rin sa mga pasahero ng tren ay mga estudyante.

Samantala, ang mga disadvantaged sectors tulad ng street children at kababaihan ay napili rin upang bigyan ang mambabasa ng pagkakataong mas unawain ang kanilang sitwasyon.

Hindi naman kaila sa mga pasahero ng LRT 1 and 2 at MRT kung gaano kabilis maubos ang mga kopya ng  Libre  tuwing umaga kapag may pasok ang mga opisina at paaralan.

Tantiya ng mga taga-Inquirer, bawat piraso ng 110,000 kopya ng  Libre  na pinamimigay sa mga tren ay pinapasa sa limang iba pang katao ng sinumang kumukuha nito.

“Intuitively, we know that the pass-on rate is quite high, about five persons although we need to get a little more data to support this,” ani Romualdez.

Ibig sabihin, posibleng higit kalahating milyon ang nagbabasa ng  Libre  limang beses isang linggo.

Apat na taon na ngayong nagbibigay ng makabuluhang impormasyon sa mga pasahero ang  Libre .

Dagdag ni Romualdez, malaki ang posibilidad na dagdagan pa ang 110,000 kopya ng  Libre  na pinamamahagi bawat araw mula Lunes hanggang Biyernes.

Puna niya, umakyat ng 40 porsyento ang bilang ng mga pasahero ng LRT at MRT sa nakalipas na dalawang taon.

Sa kasalukuyan, tig-450,000 kada araw ang sumasakay sa lines 1 and 2 ng LRT, ani Jinky Jorgio, media consultant ng Light Railway Transit Authority.

Kalahating milyon

Umaabot naman sa kalahating milyon bawat araw ang sumasakay sa MRT, dagdag niya.

Ani Romualdez, marahil ay dahil sa hindi masyadong nagtataas ng pasahe ang LRT at MRT kaya ganito.

“This also means that  Libre  reaches out to a market that is continually growing. And since readership also continues to expand,  Libre  becomes a good vehicle for advertisers to reach out to more consumers,” paliwanag ni Romualdez.

Isa pa sa mga plano ng Inquirer para sa  Libre  ay pag-ibayuhin ang reader feedback sa pamamagitan ng text.

Posibleng magkaroon ng permanenteng sistema ang  Libre  kung saan ang feedback mula sa mambabasa ay ite-text na lamang sa isang cell phone number.

“Like if there’s something in the community that others have to know, also suggestions from readers, please alert us,” ani Romualdez.

“We are coming to an age where relevance to the reader is necessary (to the newspaper). The reader is bound to ask ‘How will this information help me today?’ So the feedback will help us cater to the readers’ needs,” paliwanag niya.

Ni Cathy C. Yamsuan (Nov 20, 2006)

AGRESIBO man ang pagsalakay ng Internet sa ating mga buhay, dedma lang ang karamihan sa mga mambabasa ng Inquirer  Libre .

Kasi naman, kung nais ng fast and easy-to-read na balita, kailangan pa bang mag-access ng kung anu-anong website?

Eh, huhugot lang ng isang sipi ng  Libre  bago sumakay ng tren, okay na!

Kumpiyansa si Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, pangulo ng Philippine Daily Inquirer, na hindi threat ang very popular na Internet sa readership ng  Libre .

Obserbasyon niya: “Despite the fact that the Internet is gaining (ground), I still think that  Libre  is able to cater to a market where Internet penetration is not very high.”

Kasi naman,  Libre  “provides easy and available information and riding in the trains allows people time to read,” aniya.

Ibang-iba rin ang serbisyong bigay ng  Libre  kumpara sa news websites ng Internet kasi “ Libre  summarizes (all the important) news for the reader already. The news is tailor-made for the busy commuter,” ani Romualdez.

Patok sa ibang bansa

Dagdag pa niya, ang konsepto ng free newspaper ay patok na patok kahit sa ibang bansa.

May mga lungsod nga sa ibang bahagi ng mundo na dalawa o higit pang free newspapers ang naggigirian sa pag-attract ng mambabasa tuwing umaga sa train stations.

Nang inilunsad ang  Libre  noong Nob 19, 2001, layunin ng Philippine Daily Inquirer na palawakin ang kaugalian ng pagbabasa sa mga Pinoy.

Kapag na-develop nga naman ang ganitong kaugalian, malaki ang lamang ng frequent reader dahil mas marami siyang nalalamang mga bagay na nakatutulong sa paggawa ng mga desisyong may kinalaman sa pamumuhay.

“ Libre  has become part of the day of the commuter because it gives helpful tips and information (that may be necessary) in their lives. As long as  Libre  sticks to its mission to cater to readers’ needs, it will stay relevant to the public,” ani Romualdez.

By Cathy C. Yamsuan

LIBRE , THE PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER’S FREE newspaper, and the country’s first will continue to prevail in the tabloid market, despite technological advances in the delivery of news via the Internet and broadcast media.

This is because the readers of  Libre  belong to a different demographic— between 20 to 29 years old, mostly blue-collar workers with no easy access to the Internet.

Inquirer president Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez said she was very happy and proud that  Libre , now on its fifth year, is bigger than ever.

She noted that readers had made the free newspaper, which is published in Filipino, an integral part of their workday mornings.

Libre  was launched on Nov. 19, 2001. Its primary aim, then and now, is to encourage reading among the commuting public.

Inquirer took the risk coming out with a free daily paper because it believed in developing the habit of reading among Filipinos and giving them access to information.

“Despite the fact that the Internet is gaining ground, I still think  Libre  caters to a market where Internet penetration is not very high,” Romualdez said.

“ Libre  continues to provide easy and available information, and continues to have value for the commuter because it summarizes the news for them. The news is tailor-made for the commuter. They can read everything within the time spent in the train,” she said.

Mission

Romualdez added that as long as  Libre  “sticks to its mission to cater to the readers’ needs, it will stay relevant” to passengers of the Metro Rail Transit and the Light Railway Transit systems.

In the latest 2006 Nielsen Media Index,  Libre  is the No. 5 choice among tabloid readers in Metro Manila.

Libre  ranked No. 8 in a similar Nielsen study in 2004. Since then,  Libre  has displaced Pilipino Star Ngayon and People’s Journal among tabloid favorites of Metro Manila readers.

Libre  churns out 110,000 copies per issue and is available in selected stations of the MRT, LRT1, LRT2 and the Superferry terminal at the Eva Macapagal Port in Manila. It is also distributed in selected McDonald’s outlets.

The Nielsen Media Index also showed that 80 percent of  Libre ’s readers come from Class D.  Libre ’s biggest readers are between 20 to 29 years old while 40 percent of its readers are blue-collar workers.

Prayer on the run

There was an outpouring of positive feedback from readers in anticipation of  Libre ’s fifth anniversary.

Rudy P. Cruz of Montalban, Rizal, a regular train commuter, said he would always look for the “Dear Lord” daily prayer printed in the upper right-hand corner of  Libre ’s front page.

“It allows me to pray while riding the MRT or LRT. At times my personal prayer is similar to that expressed in  Libre —it was like  Libre  and I are asking for the same things from the Lord,” Cruz said in his e-mail to  Libre .

Arlene Reazon, “a grandmother at 45,” thanked  Libre  for keeping her abreast with show biz news.

“Friends used to think I’m so ‘out,’ for not being familiar with simple topics like Philippine movies or Hollywood gossip. But reading the news in Inquirer  Libre  while on the train, has made me ‘in’,” she said in her e-mail to  Libre .

Lorenzo Blancaflor, a reader from Malabon, listed his favorite sections: job vacancies, movie reviews, sports, crossword puzzle and horoscope or the infamous but humorous “Kapalaran.”

By Cathy C. Yamsuan  

INQUIRER  LIBRE  TURNS ADvocate.

The country’s first free newspaper has chosen parenting, education and the rights of the child as some of the issues it will tackle as it marks its fourth anniversary today.

Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, president of the Philippine Daily Inquirer Inc., said the topics were among the concerns of commuters of the metropolis’ train systems—Metrorail Transit (MRT) and Light Railway Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2.

That  Libre  had chosen to promote the issues was a natural consequence of its growth, Romualdez said, as the free paper had proven itself an effective and relevant source of information for its readers.

“Readers are able to make informed decisions because of  Libre . Also, the news stories inspire them to take action on issues,” she said.

Studies show that working parents compose a sizable portion of MRT and LRT commuters,  Libre ’s market.

Daily habit

Although the paper’s impact on its readership has yet to be accurately measured, advertisers concede that  Libre  has become a daily habit among the commuters.

At present,  Libre  has a circulation of 115,000 copies—larger than the circulation of many daily newspapers in the country.

Copies are distributed on a staggered basis in selected stations of the MRT which runs along Edsa from Quezon City to Pasay City.

Libre  copies are also given free in stations of the LRT Lines 1 and 2 which pass through Caloocan City, Pasay City, Quezon City and Marikina City.

Advertisers realize the advantages of promoting their products in a free paper.

Captured market

Romualdez explained: “What you have is a captured market. When advertisers take the MRT and LRT, they see that our readers are very engaged. Commuters are busy people and  Libre  helps them be more aware of the products available out there and even helps them to make choices.”

She said  Libre  helped to expand the Inquirer’s readership and “it is still growing.

Romualdez added that  Libre  was not only read by train commuters.

“Intuitively, we know that the pass-on rate is quite high, about five persons, although we need to get a little more data to support this,” she said.

So it is quite possible that  Libre  reaches more than half a million readers a day, five times a week.

Since operations began in November 2001,  Libre ’s editorial and circulation offices have received requests to distribute more copies because commuters wouldn’t want to miss their daily fix of the free paper.

Clamor

Romualdez said the Inquirer management was aware of the clamor. “We are considering increasing the circulation because commuter volume had also increased by around 40 percent in the past two years,” she said.

The LRT line accommodates 450,000 passengers daily. The MRT line transports as much as 500,000 people every day.

Romualdez said this was because the train systems had kept their fares low vis-à-vis the bus and jeepney fares which had been affected by rising fuel prices.

By Cathy C. Yamsuan

IF IT’S Inquirer  Libre , it’s OK to advertise in a tabloid. And that is something to celebrate on the third anniversary today of the Inquirer’s version of fast-food—the country’s first free newspaper.

“ Libre , although tabloid in format is considered more of a broadsheet when it comes to content,” noted Venus Navalta, managing director of Universal McCann Philippines, the country’s biggest ad agency.

Libre ’s news stories are sourced from the Philippine Daily Inquirer and translated into Filipino.

Navalta said  Libre  projected an image so unlike the usual newspapers in tabloid format that  Libre  all by itself had brought about a change in companies’ attitudes toward advertising in tabloids.

Libre , according to Navalta, “effected a paradigm shift because it does not have the negative image associated with (other) tabloids.

“In the past, despite the higher readership of tabloids compared to broadsheets, advertisers (shied) away from using (them) as a media vehicle because of the editorial environment,” she said.

Navalta was apparently referring to the tabs’ daily fare of barely dressed actresses on the front pages and screaming, sensationalized crime stories.

Positive image

Navalta said companies that wished to place ads preferred “to project a positive image and would not want to be associated with sensationalism and sleaze.”

The ad executive added that companies traditionally chose not to advertise in tabloids because their readers “have a different mindset for buying (them).”

Thus, ad placements in tabloids were usually limited to “return-to-work notices,” Navalta said.

Circulation:115,000

Then  Libre  began publication on Nov.19, 2001.

For it to survive, it had to have revenues from ad placements as it is distributed free Monday to Friday mainly in the two Light Railway Transit (LRT) and in the Metrorail Transit (MRT) systems that shuttle some 400,000 commuters through Metro Manila every day. And  Libre  got the ads to sustain it. Today,  Libre  has a circulation of 115,000, a print run significantly larger than some of the broadsheets of national circulation.

Navalta added that aside from  Libre ’s positive readership image, advertisers preferred to put placements “because of the paper’s flexibility in doing creative media executions.”

Libre  innovated the use of false covers that allow readers to view advertisements on the front page before turning to the banner story.

By Chito dela Vega

Editor in Chief ,  Libre

INQUIRER  Libre  had a special interest in the cell phone convergence story mainly because the topic affected the bulk of its readers— LRT and MRT commuters.

Most  Libre  readers, who commute daily to work or school, have either had a first-hand experience of cell phone theft or have a relative, friend or acquaintance who have had one.

Using the statement ur celfone or ur lyf? :-( as a springboard,  Libre  reporter Cathy C. Yamsuan, produced three stories for the convergence series. For Day 1, we came out with the story “Segunda mano? Ingat kayo d’yan,” which warned the public that second-hand phones could be stolen goods. Day 2 had the story of a chronic cell phone theft victim, “Ayoko na ng cell phone.”

Our concluding story was how the police solved the case of Christian Reyes, nephew of famed hairstylist Ricky Reyes. The younger Reyes was shot and killed when he refused to give up his cell phone (“Nasa-yang na buhay dahil sa naka-wan”).

Libre  had the exclusive photos of the suspects.

By Chito de la Vega
Editor in Chief,  Libre

A NEWSPAPER to be given away for free? You’ve got to be kidding.

Now, two years after that serious idea was born, nobody is laughing at Inquirer  Libre , but the multitude of readers of the tabloid-sized English-Filipino daily is certainly having a good time.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer Inc. publication is distributed for free primarily in the Metrorail Transit and the Light Railway Transit 1 and 2 systems.  Libre  is also available in the arrival area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the WG&A Superferry terminal at the Manila port area.

“We knew it was risky [financially] but we felt we needed to provide something that would help encourage reading among the commuting public,” said Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, Philippine Daily Inquirer president and chief executive officer.

The encouragement is apparently working.  Libre  now has a daily circulation of 115,000—or 15 percent more than its first print run on Nov. 19, 2001.

These figures are backed by a periodic audit by Punongbayan and Araullo-Grant Thornton. This year alone,  Libre  has been audited four times.

Fast-food news

One of the objectives of the Inquirer group in publishing a free-newspaper was to expand readership among those who are not natural readers of the parent paper. Basically, these were people who either could not afford to buy a newspaper every day or did not have the time to open a broadsheet newspaper because they were on-the-go.

Libre  provides these nonreaders a chance to read up on the news, fast-food style.

A survey commissioned by the Inquirer last September showed that 95 percent of  Libre ’s readers come from the broad C and D socioeconomic group, two segments of society that broadsheet newspapers hardly reach.

More female readers

Libre  is everything that most Philippine tabloids are not: decent, wholesome, positive. This has obviously attracted a substantial number of female readers.

Traditionally, Filipino female readers have shied away from tabloids because of their racy image. In the case of  Libre , however, 55 percent of its readers are women.

Libre  also has a substantially young readership. According to the survey, 48 percent of its readers are in the 18-29 age bracket.

Intense reaction

While it may be a bite-size version of PDI,  Libre  has been able to elicit the same passion from its readers as its hugely successful parent newspaper.

Throughout its 18-year history, Inquirer readers have shown a “we-own-this-newspaper” attitude, which has been acknowledged as one of the reasons PDI has remained the industry leader.

Libre  readers have shown the same intense reaction.

“People value high quality at a low price,” said Romualdez. “Imagine how they respond to high quality that comes for free.”

Testimonials

Last October,  Libre  published an announcement about a free scriptwriting workshop to be conducted by the multi-awarded Ricky Lee. The reaction of  Libre  readers surprised Lee.

He said that aside from those who saw it on TV, the most number of calls received by the workshop were from people who read it in Inquirer  Libre