Where Are They Now?
As I was eating my tuna sandwich, I could not help but remember a series of circa 1990 canned tuna commercials that featured news personalities. The likes of Cathy Santillian (RPN 9), Sandra Dayco (PTV 4), Christine Jacob (PTV 4), Gel Santos-Relos (ABS-CBN 2), and many others had their share of endorsements for the many-flavored product. Makes me wonder, where are these people now? I know Gel Relos has migrated to the US but still does some hosting work for ABS-CBN’s "The Filipino Channel" (TFC). I know Christine Jacob has (or used to have?) a cooking show on GMA7. But where are Dayco and Santillian?
I was a TV news junkie and the names of many reporters and anchors (who may be obscure to many of you) somehow got stuck on my mind. Here are some of them and as far as I know, here is what they are doing now:
- Mari Kaimo (GMA) is with Studio 23.
- Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel (GMA) is a party-list representative.
- Atty. Romy Macalintal (PTV) is the President’s election lawyer
- Veronica Pedrosa (ABS-CBN, CNN) is with Al-Jazeera.
- Cathy Yap-Yang (ABS-CBN) is with Bloomberg.
- Rico Hizon (GMA) is with CNBC and BBC.
- Mon Isberto (GMA) is the public affairs officer of SMART Communications.
- Marga Ortigas (GMA) works for Al-Jazeera.
- Coco Quisumbing (who used to work for RPN, Asia Business News and CNBC) was a consultant for ANC during the ASEAN summit in Cebu.
- Angelique Lazo is with NBN.
- Veronica Baluyot-Jimenez (GMA) is now with NBN.
- Candice Giron (ABC) is now with GMA.
- Anthony Pangilinan (PTV) runs his own consultancy firm.
- David Nye (SBN) is now with Channel News Asia.
- Chi-Chi Fajardo-Robles (PTV and ABC) is a UP professor (i think!)
- Eric Eloriaga (ABC) is with RPN.
- Pete Roa (RPN), I guess, is still undergoing therapy for the stroke he suffered a while back
- Cristina Pecson (GMA, PTV) is now with RPN.
- Joma Carlos (ABC, RPN) is now news manager of RPN(?)
- Kata Inocencio (ABS-CBN) is with Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s group
- Arlene dela Cruz (ABS-CBN) is with Net 25.
- Gina dela Vega Cruz (PTV) is with First Quadrant (methinks) and IBC.
- Gabbie Concepcion (RPN) is now with GMA’s Unang Hirit
- Carmina Constantino (ANC) got married and migrated to the US but still contributes for TFC.
- Kathy San Gabriel (ABS-CBN) is now with NBN.
- Aladin Bacolodan (ABS-CBN) migrated to the US where his wife is a nurse.
- Aljo Bendijo (ABS-CBN) is with RPN.
- Connie Sison (ABS-CBN) is with RPN and still has a show on ANC.
- Vivien P. Zalvidea (ABS-CBN and ABC) is with TFC’s Balitang America.
Then there are the "old timers," people who are still around and have remained loyal to their mother station:
- Freddie Abando (NBN)
- Toby Nebrida (NBN)
- Flor "Zaldy" Perez (NBN)
- Nina Castro (GMA)
- Alex Tinsay (GMA)
- Lulu Pascual (RPN)
- Jimmy Gil (GMA)
- Veronica Cleofe (NBN)
- Justine Espina (NBN)
- Marigold Haber (RPN)
- Mao dela Cruz (GMA, but with DZBB now)
- Dodie Lacuna (RPN)
- Precious Hipolito (IBC)
- Wheng Hidalgo (ABS-CBN) is a TV reporter
- Ina Reformina (ABS-CBN) transferred from Cebu to the Manila office
- Lester Chavez (ABS-CBN) is Executive Producer of SOCO
- Irene Javier is (ABS-CBN) is Associate Producer of Magandang Umaga Pilpinas
Sadly, here are other news personalities who have gone into obscurity:
- Ruth Abao-Espinosa (PTV and ABS-CBN)
- TG Kintanar (IBC and ABC)
- Issa Rodriguez (PTV)
- Ida Bernasconi (IBC)
- Manuel Llige aka Manolet Ripol (IBC)
- Grace Choa (IBC)
- Neil Santos III (IBC)
- Melissa Gecolea (GMA)
- Patricia Evangelista (GMA)
- Harry Gasser (RPN)
- Lee Andres (IBC)
- Teresa Guanzon (PTV, RPN and IBC)
- Vince Alingod (IBC)
- Cielo Villaluna (RPN)
- Bobby Guanzon (GMA)
- Buddy Lopa (RPN)
- Ida Vargas (RPN)
- Caren Bayhon (IBC, ANC)
- Leslie Espino (GMA)
- Mike Lacanilao (GMA)
- Ynna Yulo (IBC)
- Cara Javier (RPN)
- Anna Marie Soriano (IBC)
- Ed Nanquil (RPN)
- Eliza Romualdez-Valtos (ANC)
- Ronald Estella (ABS-CBN)
- Manny Mojica (IBC)
- Nitz de Onon (IBC)
- Anne Palorina (ABS-CBN)
- Mandy Francisco (ABS-CBN)
- Israel Cando (ABS-CBN)
- Ronnie Azurin (RPN)
- Liezel Castro (ABS-CBN)
- Mylene Acuña (ABS-CBN)
- Weng Papasin (ABS-CBN)
I’m having a memory gap now so I guess there will be a part 2.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Haha! iba ka talaga Pyugs!
I know where Cielo Villaluna is! Philippine Airlines Flying School!
February 27th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
ano ba yan pyugs! hahaha! all that from eating a tuna sandwich? anong brand yan? who knows, my memory might improve after trying that.
March 24th, 2007 at 8:10 am
Kalurky!
June 28th, 2007 at 9:37 am
galing ng memory
astig
March 10th, 2008 at 10:16 am
i was googling Chichi Robles and I ended up in this blog.
She’s in ADMU now, teaching for the department of communications. And she’s also this school year’s president of Phil. Assoc. of Comm. Educators.
Thanks for posting this.
March 13th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
wow! that’s great! thanks for the info.
November 11th, 2008 at 12:30 am
You missed a few that I know of..or worked with (I worked with Ruth Abao,Iza Rodriguez,Flor Perez,Romy Macalintal,Louella DeCordova in Balita Ala-Una with PTV 4). Mons Romulo is now with newspaper Philippine Star?? I now live in Portland, Oregon USA.
Good job, you pretty much have everyone on your list who worked in tv news after People’s Power.
November 13th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Neil Santos III is back on IBC, newsbreaks I think
December 11th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Vince Alingod, formerly of IBC 13, migrated to the U.S. His brother, Butch Alingod, who worked at PTV 4 migrated to Canada and is working as an Announcer for Skywords Radio Network. Christine Ong of PTV 4 also migrated to the U.S. and now writes for Ignites, a financial magazine based in New York.
January 5th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Ang malaking question pyugs ay kung asan na si DORIS BIGORNIA????? nwala na lang parang bula yun…sayang naman, lagi ko pa naman inaabangan sa ABS mga field reports nun…anu na ngyari dun????
January 10th, 2009 at 6:35 am
TG & I are happily married and we have two sons. We travel a lot as TG’s been a director of a foreign multinational company for over ten years.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:50 am
chi-chi robles has been teaching at the Ateneo for a long time now…she was my prof for a comm class in 1998!
June 6th, 2009 at 4:32 am
How about Adrian Ayalin and David Bataican? Im such a big fan of david, wish he makes a comeback or at least join another station. He looks so good for news though hehe… better join showbusiness i guess…Ive seen Adrian doing ABS CBN correspondents, hope David, Adrian and Precious Hipolito would do a newscast again, all three of them.Express Balita way back (?) Let me know where David is.hehehe
July 7th, 2009 at 9:09 am
me mga blogs na ganito rin na hinahanap at ipinapaalam kung ano na ang mga nangyari sa mga nawawalang mga tagapag balita sa tv news and public affairs. ngunit sa GMA7 wala ni isa sa kanila ang bumanggit o naka alala ki CANDICE GERON. nasaan na siya? kumusta na siya? isa sa pinaka magaling na news (reader) anchor sa flash report si ms geron, ngunit bigla na lamang nawala. si ms geron ang isa sa hinahangaan ko sa pag bigkas ng balita. sweet, ngunit malinaw at naiintindihan. suabe, sayang at di siya nabigyan ng malaking break sa GMA NEWS, except sa hourly news na flash report.
July 17th, 2009 at 3:17 am
Hahaha kakatuwa naman to. Oo nga i used to watch express balita because of David Bataican and Precious Castelo, sya ata ang youngest newscaster then na nag a anchor ng hard news.. hehe.. Heard he did a coffee commercial, mas pogi daw ngayon hehe fans club…sino ba si pyugs?
December 1st, 2009 at 7:05 am
Xoxo, its so interesting, thank you!