Rod Reyes

Rodolfo T. "Rod" Reyes (August 10, 1935 – April 14, 2016) was a Filipino journalist and media executive. During the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, he was general manager of two television networks: GMA Radio Television Arts from 1974 to 1975, and the Maharlika Broadcasting System (MBS) from 1980 to 1984. Reyes served as Cabinet Press Secretary to two presidents — Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph Estrada. He was also the founding publisher and editor-in-chief of Manila Standard, from its inception in 1987 until 1990.

Career Newspaper Reyes began working in the newspaper industry at the age of 12. He was a sports writer of The Manila Times at the age of 16, later designated as an investigative reporter.

In 1961, Reyes was accorded the Journalist of the Year award due to his exposé on heroin drug syndicates in the suburbs of Malabon disguising as a drug addict. His exposé was adapted into a full-length film in 1977 entitled Sa Piling ng mga Sugapa, with Gil Portes directing the film and Mat Ranillo III portraying his role.

He was also awarded as the Ten Outstanding Young Men awardee and a Nieman Fellowship from the Harvard University. From the Times (where he was also a news editor), he moved to the Manila Chronicle (as the editor-in-chief until the closure due to martial law). He then published the magazines TV Times, Celebrity, Woman's Home Companion and Ginoo, the latter of which was ended in 1977.

After the People Power Revolution in 1986, Reyes planned to set up a newspaper with the help of the Elizalde family. He founded Manila Standard on February 11, 1987, with 19 pages on the maiden issue. He was the first publisher, editor-in-chief and chief operating officer of the paper from the first issue until 1990. Reyes also writes a column in the same newspaper, entitled "A Journalist's Memoirs" every Wednesday, of which he detailed his experiences both as a newspaper and broadcast executive.

Broadcasting Reyes served as the executive vice president and news director of ABS-CBN in the 1960s, becoming his first foray in the broadcasting industry. In 1977, Reyes joined the government-owned media agency called National Media Production Center (NMPC) at the invitation of Gregorio Cendaña. He was also a member of the Manila International Film Festival organizing committee from 1983 to 1984.

He is also a counsellor of the Philippine embassy based in Washington D.C. It was later reappointed by then-president Joseph Estrada and served from June 1998 to April 2000. He was later appointed as chief of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office - Taiwan.

Death Reyes died at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa on the evening of April 14, 2016 due to heart failure. He was 80.