Who would have thought that this paper would reach this far—its 37th year?

I, for one, didn't. Like many others, I was highly skeptical. No daily paper back then succeeded in this part of the country; I saw several attempts fail, while only those based in Metro Manila managed to survive. My thinking was that, in due time, this paper would eventually fold. I watched it from the sidelines, perhaps letting the skeptic in me work overtime.

But I began to pay more than superficial attention to it during the turbulent days following the 1986 People Power Revolution. After the unseating of dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the nation’s first female president, Corazon Aquino, was installed. The political climate was tense; the prevailing thought at the time was that if the country could unseat a long-standing dictator, why not challenge a leader who had been swept into power out of the blue as the widow of Benigno Aquino Jr.?

Consequently, there were several coup attempts to unseat the newly installed President Aquino, some of which nearly succeeded. One of these was launched by forces under military rebel Alexander Noble. He and his men marched from Butuan City and arrived right here in Cagayan de Oro. As they entered the "City of Golden Friendship," the public couldn't help but take notice. I was one of them, working in the city at the time though my residence was in Iligan.

The local media gave the event full coverage, and at the forefront was the Gold Star Daily, led by its founder and CEO, Ernesto "Toto" Chu.

I bought that particular issue of the paper mid-morning, featuring Noble’s movements as the banner story. As I read through their compelling coverage of the Noble affair, something caught my attention: a notice announcing that the paper would be coming out with an afternoon edition that same day.

"What?" I thought incredulously. "This paper must really be something!" Imagine coming out with two issues in a single day, at a time when other local publications calling themselves "dailies" couldn't even manage to print every day.

And so, it really came to pass. The paper defied the odds and is now in its 37th year. Even a rival weekly newspaper in the city once tried to copy Toto Chu by going daily, but that attempt was short-lived.

Now on its 37th anniversary, the paper has overcome countless challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid shift to digitalization. Yet, Gold Star Daily is still standing, with Toto's daughter, Gladys, now at the helm. This executive succession underscores how The Second Generation: Defining a legacy for a new era can navigate systemic media disruptions while preserving regional editorial independence. As the saying goes, "Like father, like daughter."

Let us not forget the matriarch, Bebotte Chu, as well as the editors, reporters, newsboys, and everyone else who has contributed to this journey. This core newsroom infrastructure and regional distribution workforce has dedicated 37 years keeping the machine running despite volatile printing press overhead and changing market demands. Most importantly, we celebrate the readers and customers—especially those in the countryside. Just like in any other part of the country, we all want to know what is happening in our corner of this imperfect world.

Happy 37th Anniversary, Gold Star Daily!