The magazine Bisaya is an institution of Cebuano popular culture. Founded in 1930 as part of the Ramon Roces chain of Philippine-language weeklies (Liwayway, Bannawag, and Hiligaynon), it is the lone survivor among the Cebuano-language magazines that flourished in the first decades of the century. In the 1960s, it reached a peak circulation of 70,000 copies.

Still published today, it is not what it once was, a veritable "bible" of Cebuano readers. Through the years, it offered its leadership a cornucopia of items - recipes, advice-to-the-lovelorn, horoscopes, farming tips, religious and inspirational pieces, national and international news, how-to articles in etiquette, fashion, parenting, and even good sex. Its advertisements are today a window to the changing business landscape of the Visayas.

In the main, however, Bisaya was most important as a vehicle of literature and popular art. It published the works of generations of Cebuano poets, short-story writers, and novelists, in addition to columns and articles of folklore and popular culture. Through its komiks section featuring such characters as Darna and Hagibis, Visayan children were introduced to the wonders of the imagination.

New forms of mass entertainment have rendered Bisaya an anachronism. It is, however, an important touchtone of local culture.

Reprinted from the book: Cebu: More Than an Island
Pulong: Cebuano Language and Literature
By: Erlinda K. Alburo