Meet The Capiz Times Columnists

Marchel Espina is a journalist and press freedom advocate from Bacolod City. She is the chair of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Bacolod and a fellow of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

She is also a reporter and editor for Digicast Negros and a correspondent for Rappler.

She was previously a reporter of the Visayan Daily Star and the editor-in-chief of SunStar Bacolod.

 

Niño Manaog obtained Bachelor of Arts, major in Literature at the Ateneo de Naga in 1996. In his senior year, he edited The Pillars, the college school paper.

In 1998, he was named fellow for poetry in English at the 4th Heights Writers Workshop by the Ateneo de Manila University’s Department of English. His poetry appeared in anthologies published by the De la Salle University, Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

In 2005, he settled in Iloilo City and edited The Guardian, a daily newspaper with national circulation. Currently he edits The Capiz Times, a weekly newspaper based in Roxas City.

Ms. Fe Gomez-Villarruz has been a veteran English teacher and edited The Capiz Times for fifteen years.

President of Kool Earth, Aklan, the environmental arm of Aklan. She is an investigative journalist for decades now in the verge of retirement. She holds a rank of Commander in the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Fr. Rey A. Villanoy Jr. was born on November 10, 1959, in Sigma, Capiz. He had his seminary formation at St. Pius X Seminary and UST Central Seminary. He was ordained on April 15, 1985by the Most Revv. Vicente H. Navarra, DD. He finished his Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Angelicum University in Rome and Doctorate in Philosophy at the Colegio de la Purisima Conception. He started his column Now and Then in the late 80s in The Capiz Times. He joined five national writing workshops: Graciano Loez Jaena (UP-Diliman), Fray Luis de Leon (USA-Iloilo), Iligan (MSU-Iligan), Lamiraw (NSSU-Calbayog), and Iyas (DLSU- Bacolod).

Virgilio S. Clavel is a journalist, historian, poet and community servant leader.

After graduating from St. Pius X Seminary High School, Fr. Erno B. Diaz finished theology and philosophy from the UST Central Seminary.

Following his ordination in 1969, Fr. Erno B. Diaz served in the priestly ministry in the Philippines and later in the United States. In 2015, he retired from active ministry as an incardinated priest of the Archdiocese of New York where he served as first Filipino Pastor and Filipino Apostolate Coordinator. He founded the Blessed Lorenzo Ruiz Movement in America.

In 2019, he celebrated his 50th sacerdotal jubilee. Father Diaz has written eight books, the latest being “The Sin I Knew,” his personal recollection on the late Cardinal Jaime Sin.

After finishing Junior Secretarial Course at the Colegio De la Purisima Concepción in Roxas City, Edalyn Baralla Acta took Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education at the Capiz Institute of Technology. Currently, she is the Operation Manager of The Capiz Times.

He has been in and out of the communications industry for over a decade. He became a student of the craft of journalism while he was still a college student and keeps returning to his first love despite working for a contact center company.

Is a graduate of Bachelor in Arts, major in Journalism at West Visayas State University, Iloilo City and Master in Public Governance in the same University.

He is a former anchorman/reporter of Bombo Radyo Philippines, a talent of Radio GMA/DySI Super Radyo Iloilo and currently LGOOIII of Department of Interior and Local Goverment – Capiz.

He is also the author of “Mainabyanon nga Paghusay: Isa ka Talamdan Sa Katarungang Pambarangay ” published in Roxas City 2019.

He is currently the contributor of Tigbatas History in The Capiz Times, Opinion page.