The Visayan DAILY STAR, the only community newspaper that extensively covers the entire Negros Island and more, turns 24 today.

And today the DAILY STAR not only has thousands of readers throughout Negros Island and some parts of Panay, it has thousands more worldwide who read the news on its website www.visayandailystar.com.

To show our appreciation to our readers, many of whom have made us part of their daily routine since we began publication on April 12, 2002, we are launching a raffle of fun prizes for them this year to culminate on our 25th anniversary next year, DAILY STAR editor-in-chief and president Ninfa Leonardia announced.

To be part of the raffle, all readers have to do is cut out coupons from their DAILY STAR newspaper that will be raffled off monthly for minor prizes and for a grand prize on April 12 next year, she said.

Details of the raffle will be published in the DAILY STAR next week.

When the DAILY STAR began 24 years ago it was ran on a shoe-string budget from investments put in by 39 journalists and civic leaders, and a meager editorial staff of four.

Today the DAILY STAR has reporters in beats from the Capitol, City Hall, police, army, Hall of Justice, business, environment to sports in Negros Occidental.

On top of that it has a bureau in Dumaguete City led by Rene Genove to bring the news from Oriental Negros to its readers, and reporters in Panay Island, and the international wire agency Agence France Presse for news from the rest of the country and the world.

And to analyze the news the STAR has columnists who are veterans in journalism like Leonardia, Primo Esleyer, Rolando Espina and Juan Mercado, Gywne Dyer who brings the STAR readers a perspective from the rest of the world, and leaders in the community Rex Remitio, Andy Hagad, Rowena Guanzon and Lyndon Caña.

It also has Alex Pal, Proceso Udarbe and Benjamin Calderon who give their views from the Oriental side, and Roy Aguilar who expresses his opinion in his daily STARtoon.

Recognizing the importance of preserving environment, the STAR has also allocated a regular page to views and news on it with environmentalists Dr. Angel Alcala and Errol Gatumbato as columnists.

For the lighter side of things we have columnists who cover the arts, entertainment, and society events like Edouard Garcia, Ivy Visitacion, Buddai Piccio, Manolet Teves and Radjie Caram Jr.; and Willy Tortosa who writes the daily horoscope.

And for Sunday it's the lighter side galore for the DAILY STAR with Starlife Sunday edited by Allen del Carmen.

But the DAILY STAR had not just been all about news and entertainment, it has been a newspaper with a soul that has launched campaigns for numerous people in dire need of help, many of whom were sick children whose lives have been saved, thanks to the generous donations of its readers .

The newspaper has also helped bring long-lost relatives and friends together through its news read here and abroad.

The STAR as it promised when it began, has strived to be a newspaper that would serve and belong to the community and is constantly working at doing just that.*CPG

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