Multi-awarded journalist and media practitioner Paul Gutierrez was a two-term director and president and is currently the Secretary of the National Press Club (NPC) of the Philippines, one of the country’s oldest but biggest organization of active members of the Philippine press.

His career in mass media and journalism took off by the turn of the millennium in 2000 when he served as the Editor of The Pilipino Reporter, a magazine in the vernacular for Filipino Overseas Workers.

Between 1988 and 2000, Paul rose to the ranks to become Technical Assistant to the Senior Vice President of Refractories Corporation of the Philippines (RCP), a member of the Alcantara Group of Companies (Alsons). In this role, he served as RCP’s official representative to the Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCI), the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), and the Industry Development Council, as well as PCCI Industry Commodity Expert (ICE) at the Bureau of Customs. Prior to his career in the mass media, Paul had also served in various positions in both public and private sector agencies and institutions.

In October 2000, prior to the start of the impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada, Paul became a part of Estrada’s Media Bureau. This engagement also saw him help strategize in the political and electoral campaigns of Estrada’s ‘Partido/Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) until the 2007 elections. Paul also became a correspondent of The Daily Tribune with a special focus on political issues.

From 2005 to the present, Paul has been connected with the Philippine Journalists, Inc. (i.e., the publisher of the People’s Journal and the People’s Journal Tonight) as a regular columnist and Senate reporter.

Among his awards as a journalist include the Plaque of Appreciation given by the Region 4B Police Office in 2006 and 2009 and the Most Enterprising Reporter of the Year given by the PJI in 2017. Paul was also given the Outstanding Journalist Award during the 16TH MCLE Convention hosted by the Public Attorney’s Office.

Paul Gutierrez is reckoned to be one of the few journalists in the country who has been vocal in expressing his favor for strengthening Philippines and China relations. In his own words, he wrote the following not only to lay down his conviction and views of China but mainly to correct all misconceptions and biased stances made against China over the years owing to the overbearing influence of the West, primarily the US.

“Even before I became a student activist during the martial law years, I was always drawn to the study of history, especially the history of other countries in the fight against the abuses and rapacity of Western/US Imperialism, of which the most absorbing is the history of China and its struggle for independence from foreign domination. Thus, at an early age (Grade 6), I was already reading the works of Chairman Mao Zedong (‘On Contradiction,’ ‘On Practice;’ ‘People’s War,’ among others).

“For me, China and the Philippines are ‘brothers’ bound by their shared history and their common struggle for national independence and against Western/US Imperialism. I had always noted that long before Western colonialists arrived on Philippine shores, China and the Philippines had always been friends and trading partners. They fought together during the Filipinos’ struggle for independence, first against Spanish Colonialism, US Imperialism, and then against Japanese militarism.

“In 2017, as NPC President, I immediately signed a partnership agreement (memorandum of agreement) with the All-China Journalists Association (ACJA) that made the NPC a member of the broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China. I made it a point that officials of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and the Chinese Embassy were among the witnesses to make the ceremony ‘semi-official.’

“Aware of how Western Imperialism and their local cohorts manipulate the Philippine mainstream media, in May 2020 and even as the COVID-19 pandemic rages, I established Pinoy Exposé, primarily as an avenue to counter Western propaganda and help promote the views of China knowing they represent the truth in any issue as well as other articles that promote global peace, common prosperity, and understanding.”

This year, the Award for Promoting Philippines-China Understanding (APPCU) recognizes all efforts and contributions made by Paul Gutierrez through his craft, not only in facilitating a greater awareness of the historical ties between the Philippines and China but promoting every aspect of strengthening their friendly and brotherly relations.