Disclosure: I have no official relationship with any of the media companies mentioned below, but the editor-in-chief of INQ7.net is a good friend. And no, he did not ask me to do this.The Philippine Daily Inquirer is celebrating its 20th anniversary this Sunday, July 3, with a party in Makati City (you can register online). [Correction: July 3 marks the beginning of the celebration for the Inquirer's anniversary in December.]
However, INQ7.net is more than just the online version of the Inquirer. It is, in fact, a "joint venture between two giants in Philippine media—the Philippine Daily Inquirer Inc., the country's most widely circulated broadsheet, and GMA Network Inc., the most awarded broadcast company."
And so, of course, video from some of GMA 7's shows are available. Its video archives include shows (i.e., "24 Oras" and "Unang Hirit") broadcast over the past three days, plus special events like Cardinal Sin's funeral rites. And the best thing about them? No commercials! But you will need to download Windows Media Player (free!) in case you don't have it yet.
Then, there is also content that is available only on INQ7.net, of which "Breaking News" has been the most valuable, for those interested in knowing more about events as they happen. And if you think INQ7.net pages are loading slowly on your screen, then there is probably a story (e.g., congressional hearing or a celebrity died) that many are following online. What can you do? Switch to the Low Graphics version. RSS feeds (beta) are also available. If you can't go online, you can also subscribe to INQ7.net through your mobile phone.
There's more, of course: INQ7money (business), Global Nation (OFWs), JobMarket (job hunting), YOU (youth), RoadTrip (travel), Hackenslash (gaming). Some have content from the Inquirer, but others don't. The latest issue of Newsbreak, the weekly magazine, is also available in full text (tip: click on the sidebar on the left to read the stories).
Finally, what I like most about INQ7.net, which other Filipino newspapers online don't have, is the fact that links to its stories are permanent. They may not be available in the Archives after a week, but if you link to a story, you can still access that story through the link a day, a week, a month—even years!—after.
Series: Filipiniana Online
