AS SEEN ON TV
Ilonggo news idol
If there’s American Idol where singing talent and physical flaws are judged by brat pack Cowell, Abdul and Jackson, a different talent search drew crowds in Iloilo City last Saturday. It was not your usual sing and dance routine, but a quest for the best young newscaster in the land.
Contestants were judged according to their television projection, newscasting skills, delivery and overall appeal! Finalists are made to deliver short Hiligaynon, Filipino and English news scripts before an audience which includes supporters from their respective schools and the general SM City mall traffic a.k.a. total strangers. The concept of a fast paced newscasting competition (the brain child of News Anchor and ABS CBN Iloilo Station Manager Charie Ginete-Ilon) has the novelty of a talent search, while it promotes television journalism as a serious career for young Filipinos.
A newscasting competition may be rare (elsewhere) but it is quite common in Iloilo. ABS CBN TV 10 Iloilo did a great job in institutionalizing it in the last 7 years. Today it is a competition endorsed by the Department of Education to help hone communication skills of elementary and high school students. This explains the overwhelming number of students (encouraged by parents and schools) who auditioned (in the thousands, according to ABS CBN Iloilo News Head Gemma Villanueva-Valderama). ABS CBN TV 10 Iloilo benefits from the activity which helps the station establish a pool of local news talents. At least 5 of its past and existing reporters were winners of past competitions.
The collegiate level (which is considered the main event) fosters fellowship among Mass Communication students and the schools that offer Journalism and Mass Communications courses in Iloilo City. Ilongga Masscom guru and competition judge Menchie Robles tells me, television journalism is a constantly growing field in Iloilo. Menchie (considered “an institution” in the masscom education) said enrolment is rising in all established colleges and universities already offering Mass Communication courses, while other schools are considering opening a Masscom program.
Each university supported its own contestant and even schools that do not offer Masscom courses joined in the spirit of healthy competition. John B Lacson Colleges Foundation’s bet was a Marine Technology student, while University of San Agustin had fielded a nursing student. This year’s winners are St. Paul University of Iloilo’s El Maico Armada (Champion), West Visayas State University’s Bea May Zarragoza (2nd Runner Up) and Central Philippine University’s Gianina Garpa (3rd Runner Up).
Now here’s the thing, the thought of huge crowds actually watching someone anchor the news like it’s a concert scared me a tad. For the past 15 years that I’ve worked as a news anchor, all I had in the studio were a cameraman, a floor director and a teleprompter. I never had an audience in the studio so I salute the finalists for putting up with a jampacked SM City activity center (by a crowded food court no less). You all scored perfect in the courage department!
It was an honor for me to have been invited as one of the judges of the Interschool Newscasting Competition’s collegiate category, sitting alongside Ilonggo news greats Bobby Rodriguez, Rowena Barte Zulueta, Bing Bing Josue and Josel Banias. The number of contestants and crowd supporters was overwhelming, like watching the UAAP championships with all that cheering, fanfare, and confetti.
It was a highly entertaining news show!
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My 23-hour furlough in Iloilo over the weekend to judge the Interschool Newscasting Competition was also a great opportunity to binge on some Ilonggo food. Dinner at Tatoy’s in Villa Beach satisfied months of craving for Kinilaw, Lechon and Talaba. There wasn’t much time (and tummy space) to eat the other delicacies that I missed, but being with family and seeing old friends made up for lack in food trip.
Before the Interschool Newscasting Competition at the SM City activity center began, I had the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and familiar faces, such as UP schoolmate Jingo Pama (a doting father to Enzo Pama who competed in the elementary category), Jingo’s sis and my batchmate Alice “Inkee” Pama-Naranjo, TAGUPCI old timer Becks Catedrilla and former ABS CBN colleague (now News Today fellow writer) Florence Hibionada. It was nice seeing you all again!
I also bumped into Ruth Bagaforo, widow of my former DYIC superior, the late Mike Bagaforo, and Mae Ann Falcis-Toney’s niece who also joined the newscasting competition at SM City.
Spent a good 15 minutes chatting with old friends Donnie Ledesma and Theodore Somo (at the SM City school supplies section of all places), before meeting up briefly with close friends Jennifer and Cyril Sorupia with their daughter Kishi (now walking and kikay) at Guess Iloilo. And I thank them profusely for that whole bag of Roberto’s Siopao, over and above the Roberto’s King Siopao my sister bought for me. That’s a whole lot of Roberto’s siopao to feed legions!
This particular trip had its crazy moments such as flights getting delayed, cabs running out of gas, Iloilo PAL check in counter computers conking out, and deplaning via ramp at the NAIA tarmac drenched. But after reuniting with family and friends even for what seemed like just a split of a second? None of that mattered.