Danilo Luis Mariano: A life of integrity, passion, and purpose; 71

Danilo Luis Mariano, 71, is fondly remembered for his passion for saying, “Ain’t knowledge grand.”

The world of Philippine journalism suffered a great loss on September 16, 2024, with the death of retired journalist and newspaper columnist Danilo Luis Mariano.

He was an excellent editor-writer to many in the media community who knew him.

He always loved to say: “Ain’t knowledge grand.”

Dan Mariano, sixth from the left, with his former media co-workers during his wife’s wake in February. Photo courtesy of Teena Kuizon

He was 71.

People who had worked with him called him “Dan.” He wasn’t just a man of words; he was also a man of principle and discipline. He was committed to truth and fairness and had changed the habits of staff members who needed improvement.

In a moving Facebook post that same day, his son OJ Mariano confirmed his death: “Please join us in celebrating the life of our beloved Dan, who blessed all of us with his presence. Join him in happiness as he gets back together with his sunshine.”

Despite the sad and shocking news, the message revealed how much Dan loved his family and how much he brightened their lives.

His cause of death was not mentioned. But he was a great journalist to those who knew him, as he will always be remembered for his principles.

In the late 1970s, Dan Mariano started his job in an ad agency. But he knew journalism was his true calling. He was known for his fearless reporting and dedication to finding the truth. These qualities landed him important editing jobs at some of the country’s prominent newspapers.

In the early 1980s, Dan’s first editing work for a major newspaper was in the Times Journal. In the mid-1980s, he found a job in The Philippine Star. He was a desk editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer in the late 1980s to early 1990s and later the Philippine Daily Globe and its sister publication, Diyaryo Filipino. He moved to the Manila Times (Gokongwei era) later in the year as managing editor.

In 1995, he co-founded Isyu All-Opinion News Magazine. He sat as editor-in-chief of the magazine. As part of his job, he wrote razor-sharp columns regularly on the hottest political topics of the time.

He was seen as a strong leader in the newsroom, and when he was named editor in chief of ABS-CBN News Online in the 2000s and then the network’s ombudsman, he cemented his reputation as a man of integrity in Philippine media.

Dan was described as a great mentor. Despite his strictness and authoritative presence, he was loving to his staff because he pushed those around him to do their best.

Teena Kuizon, a former section and copy editor for ABS-CBN news.com, had noteworthy moments with him:

“Well, sinindak niya muna tayo (He elicited fear on day one). Haha! We feared but absolutely respected him.”

Another ABS-CBN news online editor recalled: “Sir Dan gave us so much anxiety as EIC, but we learned so much from him.”

Kuizon added that when Dan Mariano expected the best from his staff, he taught them the most valuable lessons of their lives.

“For me, Sir Dan made an impact in so far as he advocated for truth. He hated inaccuracy in reporting issues and events. He kept us on our toes because he wanted us to create stories that are fair and accurate. He challenged us to keep learning because, as he always said, knowledge is grand.”

She said that Dan made the editorial office an environment where his staff were always learning, intimating that they wanted them to get better all the time.

“We had weekly learning sessions. We discussed style guide entries. And then I came back from my Reuters training in London. He asked me to share what I learned with everyone via learning sessions,” she said.

Former coworkers of Dan,  Ray Enano (former ABS-CBN news.com deskman), and Jim Libiran (former Diyaro Filipino deskman now documentary and movie director), recalled how he pushed his staff to be masterful in their craft. “He taught us how to be honest and fair.” “Malaki impact niya sa bagong staff sa newspaper training,” Enano said. “Pare-pareho tayo sinisita pag mali Filipino natin,” Libiran said.

Those tributes show that Dan’s standards were rigorous. During his Diyaryo Filipino stint, Dan always reminded reporters and editors that when writing in Filipino, they must also write with the same level of discipline and accuracy as they do in English.

Dan Mariano’s wake begins on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at the Arlington Memorial Chapels in Quezon City from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. until Thursday morning. On September 19, at 10:00 a.m., a funeral mass and cremation. Masses are also held every night at 7:00 p.m. —ACerojano