Joaquin "Chino" Roces (June 29, 1913 – September 30, 1988) was the founder of Associated Broadcasting Corporation (now known as TV5) and a former owner of ''

The Manila Times ''The Manila Times'' is the oldest extant English-language newspaper in the Philippines. It is published daily by The Manila Times Publishing Corp. (formerly La Vanguardia Publishing Corporation) with editorial and administrative offices at 2/F ...

''.

Early life

Roces was born on June 29, 1913, to Alejandro "Moy" Roces and Antonia "Nena" Pardo from

San Miguel, Manila San Miguel is a primarily middle-class residential area of the City of Manila, and is one of the city's sixteen traditional districts. Background Much of San Miguel is located on a riverine island, separated by the mainland by the Estero de ( ...

. He had seven siblings: Ramón Roces, Filomena "''Nenita'' " Roces de Verzosa, Isabel "''Bebeng''" Roces, Mercedes Roces, Rafael "''Tuti''" Roces, Antonia "''Chucha''" Roces de Prieto and Marcos "''Taling''" Roces. He started his publishing career at his father's newspaper chain TVT (''Tribune'' - ''La Vanguardia'' - ''Taliba'') before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Don Chino later headed the Roces family media empire composed of newspapers ''The Manila Times'', ''Daily Mirror'', ''Sunday Times'', ''Taliba'', ''Women's Magazine Variety'', and the Associated Broadcasting Corporation, which first consisted of radio stations DZMT-AM, DZTM-AM, and DZWS-AM and the television station DZTM-TV. He also organized media groups, the Philippine News Agency (PNA), and Philippine Press Institute. Roces was arrested and jailed when

Martial Law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Martia ...

was imposed in 1972, together with

Ninoy Aquino Benigno "Ninoy" Simeon Aquino Jr., (; November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983) was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac. Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aqui ...

, Pepe Diokno, Lorenzo Tanada and other journalists. As soon as he was released, he took to the streets to openly protest the Marcos government. After the assassination of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. in 1983, he further intensified his protest and during a vigil on

Mendiola Mendiola Street (simply known as "Mendiola") is a short thoroughfare in Manila, Philippines. The street is named after Enrique Mendiola, an educator, textbook author, and member of the first Board of Regents of the University of the Philippi ...

Bridge, Roces was drenched by water cannons. On October 15, 1985, Roces founded the Cory Aquino for President Movement (CAPM). It was launched at the National Press Club. He gathered over one million signatures from all over the nation to draft

Corazon Aquino Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People ...

to run against Marcos. After the EDSA revolution he returned to publishing, first joining forces with

Geny Lopez Eugenio "Geny" Moreno Lopez Jr. (November 4, 1928 – June 28, 1999) was the chairman emeritus of ABS-CBN Corporation from 1997 to 1999. He was known within the Lopez Group of Companies as "''Kapitán''" ( Filipino for "Captain"). His great-gra ...

at the

Manila Chronicle The ''Manila Chronicle'' was a newspaper in the Philippines founded in 1945. Its founding newspapermen sold it to Eugenio López, Sr. It was closed down when martial law was imposed by Ferdinand Marcos in 1972. It was published daily by the Man ...

, and then later once more the publisher of the family owned The Manila Times. On July 22, 1988, President Aquino conferred on him the Philippine Legion of Honor Award (degree of chief Commander), the highest honor the country can bestow on a civilian.

Personal life

He was married to Dona Pacita Carvajal and had four children namely: Joaquin "''Joaqui''" Roces Jr., Arturo Roces, Edgardo "''Eddie''" C. Roces, and Rocio Rosalinda Antonia Roces.

Death

He died of cancer on September 30, 1988, at the age of 75 in Manila, Philippines. In that same year, Pasong Tamo Street, one of the main roads in

Makati Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...

, was renamed Chino Roces Avenue in his honor.

Legacy

File:MendiolaStreetjf2529 08.JPG, "Tulay ng Kalayaan" Historical marker ("Freedom Bridge" or "Chino Roces Bridge") File:MendiolaStreetjf2545 10.JPG, "Chino Roces Bridge" File:MendiolaStreetjf2545 16.JPG, Facade of Mendiola Street

Early life

Personal life

Death

Legacy

References

See also