SunStar Davao
Towards the end of the Marcos dictatorship, Elpidio G. Damaso came out with Peryodiko Dabaw, a bi-weekly newspaper to serve as an alternative press in Davao City. A year later, it was coming out five times a week.
On September 7, 1987, the community newspaper, with new investors, was relaunched using desktop publishing while its competitors still used letterpress.
Today, it is known as Sunstar Davao, an English-language community newspaper still serving the now progressive city, but as part of the Sunstar network of newspapers.
It took on its new identity in 1995 when Sunstar Cebu, under the leadership and vision of Atty. Jesus B. Garcia started his mission to set up a network of community newspapers in the country, and tapped Peryodiko Dabaw, owing to its strong presence in the area.
It would again distinguish itself by becoming the first community paper available online, way before the SunStar News Network (Sunnex) was established and ahead of its affiliates across the country.
While readership of newspapers in national circulation has dwindled, Sunstar Davao remains steady enough to rank second among leading regional newspapers in Mindanao with an audience measurement of 0.18%, based on Nielsen’s 2023 Quarter 2 Philippine Media Landscape Report.
Sunstar Davao is now owned and operated by SunsStar Publishing Inc., with Armson Corporation, the holding company owned by the elite Garcia clan in Cebu with a 30 percent stake, as its biggest stockholder.
Audience Share
0.18%
Ownership Type
Private
Geographic Coverage
National
Content Type
Paid Content
Media Companies / Groups
SunStar Publishing, Inc.
Ownership Structure
SunStar Davao is owned and operated by SunStar Publishing, Inc., which is majority owned by the Garcia clan of Cebu with total combined shares of 70% which they hold through their 30% shares held by their family’s holding company, Armson Corporation and the remaining 40% shares distributed among other family members.
Armson Corporation is wholly owned by the wife and children of Jesus B. Garcia Jr., the founder and former chairman of SunStar. His wife, Armi, owns 0.003% shares while their children — Marie Kalinaw G. Evans, Michelle Himaya G. Shlachter, Gahum Vincent L. Garcia, and Bayani Jess L. Garcia — each have a 24.99% stake.
Meanwhile, the Gaisano family indirectly owns 23.2912% of SunStar through their 77.6632% stake in the wholesale and retail trade business, White Gold, Inc. Six members of the Gaisanos are listed as shareholders of SunStar, but with 0% in total shares due to their meager PhP1,000 paid-up capital (around US$17.99 as of 2023). Joseph Davidson C. Gaisano Jr. sits on the board of directors of SunStar Publishing as treasurer.
Meanwhile, two other companies — One Italasia Group Corporation and Edgewater Global Holdings, Inc. — indirectly own SunStar Publishing, Inc. through their stakes in the White Gold, Inc. One Italasia Group Corporation and Edgewater Global Holdings, Inc. each indirectly own 3.3487% in SunStar because they each own 11.166% shares in White Gold, Inc.
The individual owners and officers of One Italasia Group Corporation and Edgewater Global Holdings, Inc. were not identified.
However, the general information sheet of White Gold, Inc. stated that the offices of two companies are located in Gaisano Mall Building in Bajada, Davao City. One Italasia Group Corporation is on the 4th floor, while Edgewater Global Holdings, Inc. is on the 5th floor.
Voting Rights
Missing Data
Individual Owner
Group / Individual Owner
The Gaisano Family
The Gaisano family owns 77.6632% combined shares in White Gold, Inc., their wholesale and retail trade business, which has a 29.99% stake in SunStar Publishing. The Gaisano clan also owns the Gaisano Grand Malls in Visayas and Mindanao.
General Information
Founding Year
1985
Affiliated Interests Founder
founded SunStar Davao (formerly Peryodiko Dabaw) during the twilight days of the Marcos dictatorship.
Affiliated Interests Ceo
is the President of SunStar Publishing, Inc.
Affiliated Interests Editor-In-Chief
is the Editor-in-Chief of SunStar Davao.
Affiliated Interests other important people
is the Chairman of SunStar Publishing, Inc.
is the Corporate Secretary of SunStar Publishing, Inc.
is one of the stockholders of SunStar Publishing, Inc.
is one of the stockholders and a member of the Board of Directors of SunStar Publishing, Inc. He is the husband of Joyce Garcia-Dizon, sister of Nelia Garcia-Neri and Jesus B. Garcia Jr. Dizon is also involved in banking, finance, software development, and human resource industries aside from publishing. He is the President and CEO of Sun Savings Bank and concurrently the Chairman and President of Project Quest Corp., an investment fund he organized in 1996. He is also Chairman of BPO International and Phoenix One Knowledge Solutions and serves as Independent Director of the Makati Medical Center.
is the Treasurer of SunStar Publishing, Inc.
is one of the stockholders and a member of the Board of Directors of SunStar Publishing, Inc.
is one of the stockholders and a member of the Board of Directors of SunStar Publishing, Inc.
is the Assistant Corporate Secretary of SunStar Publishing, Inc.
is the General Manager of SunStar Davao.
Contact
Office Address: SunStar Building, P. del Rosario St., Cebu City
Telephone Number: (032) 254-6100 ; 2541478
Website: www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu
Financial Information
Revenue (in Mill. $)
1,859,340 US$ / 102,961,126 PhP
Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
Missing Data
Advertising (in % of total funding)
Missing Data
Market Share
Missing Data
Further Information
Meta Data
Audience share is based on Consumer & Media View survey for newspapers under Nielsen’s Philippine Media Landscape Report for Quarter 2 of 2023.
Conversion rate on Nov. 28, 2023: PhP55.459 per US$1. Meanwhile, the end-of-period exchange rate for 2023 is PhP55.567 per US$1.
Sources
Media Landscape Report for Quarter 2, 2023, available upon purchase from Nielsen Company (US), LLC
