ANG Kalatas newsmagazine officially announced its closure after 10 years of publication at a ‘Tribute’ and presentation lunch on Sunday, January 24, 2021 in St Joachim’s church hall, Lidcombe NSW, said Mr Jaime Pimentel,veteran journalist and prime mover of the association Filipino Press Group of Sydney.Publisher and managing editor Maria ‘Milllie’ Marcial received a glass plaque from the Filipino Press Group of Sydney, presented by parish priest Father Eduardo Orilla at the event.
PHOTO : Publisher Millie Marcial, left, at receiving a memento from Father Eduardo Orilla, centre, and Charles Chan, of the Filipino Press Group of Sydney, right, at St Joachim church hall, Lidcombe, NSW.
The newsmagazine launched its first issue in October 2010 as a monthly newspaper for the Filipino-Australian community in the Sydney metropolitan and some areas in NSW. Its final issue was in December 2020, two months after celebrating 10 years of continuous publication.
Early in its existence, Ang Kalatas became the first Filipino community news medium to publish across three formats: as print, digital, and online editions. Along the way, the publication received a national award for leading the trend in going print-digital-online ahead of all ethnic publications in Australia.
Inscription on glass plaque presented to Ms Marcial read: ‘In recognition of 10 continuous years in the practice of journalism in unselfish service to the Filipino community and mainstream Australia, this memento is awarded to the publisher and managing editor MARIA ‘MILLIE’ MARCIAL of Kalatas Media, publisher of Ang Kalatas newsmagazine in print, online and digital editions. Presented by members of the Filipino Press Group of Sydney on this day, Sunday, January 24, 2021.’