Mario Teodoro ‘Ted’ Failon Etong: Making a promdi’s dream bigger than reality
By Joel M. Sy Egco, Assignments Editor
HE was a battered young dreamer who frequently got a beating from an illiterate father who only aspired to see his son become one of the best auto mechanics in a sleepy little city down south. He stowed away to escape the wrath of an angry father, went to nearly a dozen schools and took on some of the oddest jobs before deciding to jump into the rat race in the big city.
“My life as a young adult was wayward. My father was a driver who didn’t know how to read and write. My mother was a market vendor. It was my older sister who watched over me. I learned to smoke in my first year in high school and eventually learned to drink alcohol. My father and I often argued because he wanted me to become a mechanic which I never really liked. He used to beat me up real hard so I had to leave the house in numerous occasions and escape,” recalled Mario Teodoro “Ted” Failon Etong, one of giant network ABS-CBN’s most successful radio and television anchors, about his ordeal in the hands of an unforgiving father.
Up until he became one of the most popular media personalities in the country, Ted carried this burden of having to disobey his old man in pursuit of his own small dream of becoming a broadcaster, armed only with nothing but his God-given gift: his voice.
“I never imagined that I would make it this big. My dream was only simple. To be heard on radio in our province. I never wanted anything else because hearing myself talk on air was enough for me. When I finally did, I used to record my own audio clip and listen to it at home.
To become a famous broadcaster was farthest from my mind. I never planned it,” said the 49-year-old Failon, who co-anchors TV Patrol and Radyo Patrol Balita: Alas Siyete with former Vice President Noli De Castro.
At present, he also hosts a weekday morning commentary program over dzMM entitled Tambalang Failon at Webb with Pinky Webb. This show is the successor of one of ABS CBN’s top raters, Tambalang Failon at Sanchez with Korina Sanchez, wife of politician and presidential timber Mar Roxas.
Rough sailing
As a high school junior, Ted was already working as a full-time hotel room boy in Tacloban City. He also worked as a waiter and a construction worker. He had to work and help his parents who, at that time, were struggling to make ends meet. At one point, he even became a tricycle driver to earn a decent living.
Ted grew up both in San Dionisio, Parañaque and Tacloban City, Leyte.
Ted’s father, Jose, who hails from the town of Jaro, worked as a jeepney driver plying the Baclaran-Divisoria route. His mother, Josefina, from Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, was a market vendor in Parañaque.
According to Ted, he only managed to attend college with the help of his sister, Teresa. He took up AB Economics in Colegio de San Juan de Letran while working as a disc jockey (DJ) in a small joint along EDSA in Cubao, Quezon City.
Ted moved back to Tacloban again in 1980 and shifted courses from AB Economics to AB Mass Communications at the Divine Word University.
He continued working as a DJ at different local discos until he applied and was hired in 1982 at DYPL-AM, a local radio station, as a driver/reporter.
It was at this point that Ted officially started his career in radio broadcasting.
“Poverty is a common problem. For me it was even harder because I had to contend with a lot of emotional problems and stress. I used to think life was made very difficult for me because besides being poor, I had a father who was very mad at me,” Ted said.
“When I became a DJ, that was when I discovered that I have a talent. Prior to that, I took a lot of blue collar jobs. I learned how to mix gravel and cement at the construction site where I worked. Then, while working as a local DJ, I drove a tricylce to earn extra. I followed my dream to become an announcer. And when I got that small break in Tacloban City, I decided to try my luck in the big city,” he added.
Inspiration
According to him, he was inspired by the success of a fellow Leyteno, retired Channel 9 news anchor Gabby Aurillo who, for reasons still unclear to Ted, suddenly left the limelight.
“I sought help from him and after he did, he just went away. Suddenly, we lost track of him,” Ted said of his “idol.”
In 1983, Ted got married at 21 to Trinidad Arteche with whom he has two daughters—Katrina and Karishma Tedrina.
“We eloped and got married. Necessarily, I had to quit school. One day, I went home to see my father to tell him that finally I have a real job.
Still, he did not approve of it. My mother, on the other hand, ever loving as she was, was very happy,” Ted further recalled.
He had to quit school and work full-time as an announcer and production head in DYPL-AM. It was in 1987 that, at only 25 years old, Ted became the station manager of DYPL-AM.
In 1988, Ted tried his luck in Manila but it was not his time yet to make it big. While working at DYPL-AM, Ted met the owner of DWGV-FM, a local station in Angeles City, Pampanga, who convinced him to work as a program and production director for the station while he was looking for a job in Manila. Ted accepted the offer and relocated to Pampanga.
However, he kept going back to Manila to apply at different networks.
Faced with the challenges of an early marriage, a fledgling career and a resentful father, Ted saw his life was getting more complicated. Among all his heartaches, it was his father’s anguish that weighed heaviest.
“But I never lost hope. Slowly, I made a name for myself until eventually my father began to appreciate what I was doing. Time came when he would boast to everyone that I am his son. Wherever he went, he always announced that Ted Failon is his son. Maybe he finally realized that this stubborn son of his can be of good use anyway,” he guffawed.
Reconciliation
Ted finally mended his severed ties with his father when, prior to the latter’s death in 2000, he treated him to an all-expenses paid trip abroad and bought his father a truck.
“I really planned for that trip. I wanted us to be together. Just the two of us. It was only then that we were able to talk man to man. I
released all my angsts and frustrations. I told him how hard it was for me to live with such a heavy burden. After that, all went well. Our relationship as father and son became smooth. It was the happiest day of my life,” recounted the world-renowned broadcaster.
Famous and all that, Ted said he was never ashamed of having a “no read, no write” father, stressing that he will forever hold dearly the fact that despite his old man’s deficiencies, he managed to send all his kids to school. The third in a brood of four, Ted is glad that all of them graduated from college and became professionals.
“I will always be proud of my father. It was his hard work that placed us all where we are now. In that aspect, he excelled,” he pointed out.
College degree
While working, Ted realized the importance of having a college degree and so in 1994 he enrolled at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines where, in 1996, he finally got to graduate with a degree in Broadcast Communications. He also took up Law at the Arellano Law Foundation in Manila but his tight schedule and heavy workload did not permit him to continue on.
Earlier in May 1990, Ted applied at ABS-CBN News for the third time and was finally accepted as a desk editor. A few months later, Ted was given a break on dzMM where he became anchor of the 2-4 a.m. show, Gising Pilipinas! Opportunities both in radio and television kept pouring in and Ted soon became a regular anchor of DZMM. He co-hosted Bayan Ko, Sagot Ko and Bahay Kalinga, apart from hosting Mission Exposé and Wanted on TV Patrol.
Biggest break
Ted got his biggest break at his home network when he covered an incident where an entire coastal village was wiped out by a huge wave in his hometown in Leyte. Arriving in Manila to air his material, he was asked by the late Frank Evangelista and Rolly Cruz to fill in for Noli de Castro who failed to report for work that day.
For Ted, it was the start of a career in television. And at the same time his successful radio career continued. For ABS CBN retained his radio programs.
“The first time I was asked to do live TV reporting, I could’nt believe it,” he declared.
Ted introduced to the station the public service program, Aksyon Ngayon! where he and Korina Sanchez’s tandem started. Ted then became anchor of the would-be phenomenon TV program, Hoy! Gising together with Korina where their partnership would become wellknown and admired.
In 1995, Ted was appointed as Radio News Manager of dzMM. He also did Pulso Aksyon Balita—the late night news program that took over World Tonight and MIB: Mga Imbestigador ng Bayan.
Ted is public service personified. And because his programs have always been in the interest of the masses, different award-giving bodies have recognized his journalistic talent. His radio program, Aksyon Ngayon has received numerous awards including Best Radio Public Service Program by the Catholic Mass Media Awards. The unparalleled program Hoy! Gising received many accolades as well, such as those from Star Awards for Best Public Service Program. It was even recognized by Gawad CCP as “Isa sa pinakamahusay na programang pangtelebisyon . . . [one of the most excellent television programs].”
Ted himself has garnered numerous awards including Best Public Service Program Host for Hoy! Gising.
Congressman Failon
He ran for Congress for the First District of Leyte in 2001 as an independent candidate against an incumbent political giant whom he defeated. During that time Ted did radio once a week with Korina. He also became host of his own show for the ABS-CBN News Channel called Good News that received the Catholic Mass Media award for Best TV News Magazine Show in 2003. After serving for only one term, he realized that politics was not for him and so he returned to his real love—broadcasting.
Currently, Ted has programs both in radio and television. Just recently, Anak TV Seal named Ted as one of the 10 Most Admired Personalities in Television. He can be seen on TV every night in the primetime newscast program of ABS-CBN, TV Patrol World. On radio, he can be heard delivering the news at 7 a.m. for dzMM Radyo Patrol Balita, awarded by the KBP as Best Radio Newscast and Ted as Best Radio Newscaster.
At 8:30 in the morning, Ted is heard again alongside Korina in the multi-awarded commentary program of dzMM, Tambalang Failon at Sanchez where he delivers his signature sharp and witty commentaries. And because of his background in FM radio as a DJ, this top-rater is filled with new gimmicks, amusing segments and entertaining sound effects, music and all.
Tragedy
Ted’s life was again in shambles following the sudden and tragic death of his wife, Trinidad, in April 2009. Depression started to set in when besides his loss, he was even blamed by some people for the incident.
The police even considered him a suspect at one point until further investigations proved that he was innocent of all the allegations.
Asked how he managed to survive this tragedy, Ted replied: “I went back to my comfort zone and best friend—the microphone. Two months after the tragedy, I came back to the station and began airing again. That helped me recover. Doing what you love the most will help you survive such an ordeal.”
For young aspiring broadcast journalists and writers, Ted has this advice: “Read, read and read. Read everything, even the Bible. Read it over and over. The voice is just a tool. An instrument. What comes out of that voice is different. What you’re saying is much more important than how you say it.
“Keep on dreaming. Consider yourself lucky for having a talent. Always think ahead of the competition as you continue to pursue that little dream. Most importantly, if you have to give anything to your family then, by all means, give them what is due to make them happy. You will never know when life will be over until it is over. In this world, everything is borrowed,” he emphasized.
Promdi
Ted’s lifestory reflects his belief that there are no small dreams for a big dreamer. Armed with an inherent talent and the passion to learn and work and survive, he hurdled the greatest challenges of life.
Forever grateful with what God has given him—a golden voice—Ted dedicates all to the people by touching their hearts and widening their knowledge.
Ted continues to change people’s lives. He is simply a living proof that a promdi like him can do well in the big city given the right attitude and talent.
As to his lost love and broken heart, Ted has not yet fully recovered. But would he choose to love again in the near future?
“Only time will tell,” is the only answer that this great announcer can offer.
(The Manila Times wishes to thank Katrina Arteche Etong and the Failonians on Facebook for providing much of the details in this story—Ed)
Monday, May 2, 2011
ARNOLD CLAVO'S RISE TO FAME
Arnold Clavio: Tondo’s prized dishwasher
BY JOEL M. SY EGCO Assignments Editor
EVERY Filipino household knows his name. He has a distinct face that goes with an equally distinct voice, delivering timely newscasts and sharp commentaries from sunrise to sundown. Considered to be among his network’s jewels, this hardworking news anchor, whose wits are admired by many, practically goes to work earlier and returns home later than most of his company’s employees.
“I am like a security guard: I have very little time to sleep. I usually go home past midnight and return to work at dawn for Unang Hirit,” said Arnold “Igan” Clavio, who hosts many of GMA network’s television and radio programs.
Igan, as many of his colleagues in the media and hordes of fans call him, has immense reserves of energy that he even spends his free time for charity. In between his hectic work schedules, he still attends to the Igan Foundation that he formed years ago to help the needy and those who have less in everything.
“My biggest challenge is how to change people’s lives, especially the poor because I was once like them. I grew up in Tondo in a house owned by a relative. Even food was a problem for my family then. As a broadcast journalist, I believe my duty is not just to inform or educate the public. It is not just all talk. The real challenge is how I could personally make the difference in people’s lives,” Clavio declared, recalling how difficult it was for his father to make ends meet and to see his son go through college.
Far from the improved socio-economic status he now enjoys, the broadcaster used to wear old school uniforms while taking up journalism at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). Years prior to graduation, his father lost his job and the young Arnold faced the prospects of dropping out from college.
However, he never entertained the thought and went out of his way to sustain his studies.
“When my father went jobless, I applied for work at the Roxas Boulevard branch of Kentucky Fried Chicken [now KFC]. I was called in and I took the opportunity. When I arrived at the branch, I was in my best attire. There, I was issued my brown uniform and cap. That was the day when I officialy became a working student,” Clavio related.
“Then I was assigned as busboy and waiter. The hardest part of all was when I was assigned to wash the dishes. I was a dishwasher and utility man rolled into one. I made sure that the utensils, plates, the sink and even the floor are clean. I never complained because I needed the job,” he said.
In school, he became the laughing stock of some of his classmates because his uniform “smelled [of] chiken.”
“Arnold Dishwashernegger” was how some would mock him. The alias was a take-off from action star Arnold Schwarzeneger, whose films at the time were all box-office hits.
“I ignored the taunts. I was very good at washing the dishes because I used three sets of water with varying temperatures. Hot water easily washes off grease,” Clavio said.
Sacret job
Despite the ridicule, he managed to keep his dishwashing job a secret from his father until the secret was given away by a mashed potato. “They became curious when I frequently gave my grandmother [a] mashed potato which I personally prepared at the branch.”
But his fledgling career as a dishwasher did not last long. He lost his job when he was declared absent without official leave after he joined the EDSA Revolution in February 1986. For his failure to report that day, he got fired.
“I pleaded and explained that I was not able to inform the branch that I would be absent because there was an ongoing revolt,” Clavio said, adding that his pleas went for naught.
“But I was glad I lost that job a month before graduation. At that time, my main concern was to finish my course,” he added.
It was at Kentucky Fried Chicken where he first developed his journalistic instincts. One evening, a group of people came in. They looked very familiar to him. As the guests were chatting, Clavio’s curiosity was bolstered when he came to realize that the group were the same National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) election canvassers who walked out from the Cultural Center of the Philippines allegedly after being told to twist the results of the snap elections in favor of then President Ferdinand Marcos.
Clavio remembered the walkout and the fact that he actually met the election canvassers led him to ask questions and to search for answers. He himself became a Namfrel volunteer only to resign from the group later over some disagreements with Namfrel officials.
The news anchor maintained that it was his job at the fastfood restaurant where he developed his skills in relating to people from all walks of life. There, he met the kindest and the meanest customers.
During his first day on the job, a satisfied customer sent him a rose in gratitude.
But he will never forget the night when a group of rowdy guests ganged up on him, ridiculed and embarrassed him in front of other guests. One even went to see him at the pantry, dangled his car keys and told Clavio, “Do you know what this is? This is a car key and you don’t have one. You’re nothing.”
Clavio admits that the encounter made a deep impression on his thoughts and feelings, so deep that until today, he remembers each word that the guest uttered. He said the incident fired up his desire to succeed. Now, he fancies sports cars and sport utility vehicles that his handsome salary as a top-caliber broadcast journalist could buy.
“I am what they call the Beemer type of guy,” he said, alluding to his fetish for a British-made luxury car. “But these cars are loaned,” he added with a laugh.
On a more serious note, however, Clavio said that he was now very thankful to that anonymous customer. He said that he wanted to see the customer again but never had the chance.
If they met, he said that this is what he would tell that old customer: “Thank you very much for making me seek out the best in me. Thank you for teaching me how imortant it is for anyone to aim for success and for showing me how painful it is to be maligned and embarassed for being poor. That way, I learned that I should not be like you and that I should strive. That I should share my blessings instead of looking down at others for not having what I possess.”
Clavio’s real break came in 1986 when a few months after graduation. dwIZ, then a sister company of dzRH, announced that it had an opening for newswriters, newscasters and radio announcers. He recalled that it was veteran radioman Ron Macatangay who made the announcement.
“I wasted no time and scheduled an audition. Because Joe Taruc was already a big name in the industry and the company itself, I mimicked him in my audition report. I was hired,” he said.
His first job was to translate English broadsheet news articles into Filipino—still a bit far from his dream of becoming a newscaster. He said that he developed his love for radio, specifically the AM band, because his grandmother was an avid AM radio listener.
“I usually listened to Rey Langit, Caloy Castro, [Rafael] Paeng Yabut and Joe Taruc,” Clavio said.
Then in 1998, Bobby Guanzon, who is among Clavio’s earliest friends in media, transferred to dzBB. Not long after, he said that he was asked by Guanzon to join him there. GMA-dzBB has been Clavio’s home network since he joined. He remembered how difficult it was for him to explain to Joe Taruc his reason for leaving.
“I was more comfortable with Bobby back then because we were already friends for quite [some] time. Also, Joe wanted to transfer me to the House of Representatives. My beat then was the Senate. Then, I told Joe that have already given my word to BB [Guanzon] and that I can not take it back,” Clavio narrated.
For a while, he did voiceovers for the station until he was noticed by GMA Network executives Marissa Flores and Jessica Soho. His name and voice was becoming popular but not everyone knew how he looked like.
Later, Clavio was asked to join the weekly program Brigada Siete and was eventually pulled out by Miguel “Mike” Enriquez from the Senate to host his first daily radio show, Double A sa Dobol B, alongside Ali Sotto.
In 2001, the two began writing columns for The Manila Times.
“Everything started from Brigada Siete. It was followed by Unang Hirit, Saksi, Emergency and now, Tonight with Arnold Clavio. I am, up to now, very thankful to GMA Network for trusting me and for giving me all these opportunities,” the veteran newscaster said.
Unlike others who may claim to have secrets for success, Clavio claimed that he has none and that only diligence and hard work were his tools in crafting the dishwasher in him into a well-loved and admired broadcast journalist.
“If there’s an opportunity, grab it. If you are offered work, no matter how difficult that job could be, take it,” he advised.
“In the first place, being offered such means you are trusted and that they believe you can d the job very well. Who knows? It could be a step toward something better. I accepted positions then that required that I don’t sleep. I took them,” Clavio added.
Humility and love for dignity are his greatest assets. The television journalist said that his father raised him in the belief that nobody should complain about anything that they lacked and to refrain from asking too much favors.
“I feel happy whenever I meet my former colleagues in the beat. I treat them the way I did when I was with them. Success should not bloat our egos. Also, I always make it a point to help people who are in dire need because, as I said, I was desperate too. I wasn’t raised with a silver spoon in my mouth. But what I had were golden rules from my parents that went into my ears and [into] my heart. I may have lacked luxury as a young man but my dad taught me how to value dignity,” Clavio said.
He remembers Ka Paeng Yabut’s advice during one of their meetings.
This advice reverberates in his mind, he said, whenever there were “temptations.”
“He told me, Arnold, never sell your soul.”
Clavio claimed that he never regretted any decision he made, especially joining media. Poverty, he said, was what fueled his ambition to become exactly what he is right now.
“If my life was better back then, I would never have turned into what I am. Hardships make one hard, tough. [These] did it to me,” he added.
Asked if there remains a “soft” spot in him that these hardships failed to harden, Clavio curtly replied, “It is my concern for the poor.”
BY JOEL M. SY EGCO Assignments Editor
EVERY Filipino household knows his name. He has a distinct face that goes with an equally distinct voice, delivering timely newscasts and sharp commentaries from sunrise to sundown. Considered to be among his network’s jewels, this hardworking news anchor, whose wits are admired by many, practically goes to work earlier and returns home later than most of his company’s employees.
“I am like a security guard: I have very little time to sleep. I usually go home past midnight and return to work at dawn for Unang Hirit,” said Arnold “Igan” Clavio, who hosts many of GMA network’s television and radio programs.
Igan, as many of his colleagues in the media and hordes of fans call him, has immense reserves of energy that he even spends his free time for charity. In between his hectic work schedules, he still attends to the Igan Foundation that he formed years ago to help the needy and those who have less in everything.
“My biggest challenge is how to change people’s lives, especially the poor because I was once like them. I grew up in Tondo in a house owned by a relative. Even food was a problem for my family then. As a broadcast journalist, I believe my duty is not just to inform or educate the public. It is not just all talk. The real challenge is how I could personally make the difference in people’s lives,” Clavio declared, recalling how difficult it was for his father to make ends meet and to see his son go through college.
Far from the improved socio-economic status he now enjoys, the broadcaster used to wear old school uniforms while taking up journalism at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). Years prior to graduation, his father lost his job and the young Arnold faced the prospects of dropping out from college.
However, he never entertained the thought and went out of his way to sustain his studies.
“When my father went jobless, I applied for work at the Roxas Boulevard branch of Kentucky Fried Chicken [now KFC]. I was called in and I took the opportunity. When I arrived at the branch, I was in my best attire. There, I was issued my brown uniform and cap. That was the day when I officialy became a working student,” Clavio related.
“Then I was assigned as busboy and waiter. The hardest part of all was when I was assigned to wash the dishes. I was a dishwasher and utility man rolled into one. I made sure that the utensils, plates, the sink and even the floor are clean. I never complained because I needed the job,” he said.
In school, he became the laughing stock of some of his classmates because his uniform “smelled [of] chiken.”
“Arnold Dishwashernegger” was how some would mock him. The alias was a take-off from action star Arnold Schwarzeneger, whose films at the time were all box-office hits.
“I ignored the taunts. I was very good at washing the dishes because I used three sets of water with varying temperatures. Hot water easily washes off grease,” Clavio said.
Sacret job
Despite the ridicule, he managed to keep his dishwashing job a secret from his father until the secret was given away by a mashed potato. “They became curious when I frequently gave my grandmother [a] mashed potato which I personally prepared at the branch.”
But his fledgling career as a dishwasher did not last long. He lost his job when he was declared absent without official leave after he joined the EDSA Revolution in February 1986. For his failure to report that day, he got fired.
“I pleaded and explained that I was not able to inform the branch that I would be absent because there was an ongoing revolt,” Clavio said, adding that his pleas went for naught.
“But I was glad I lost that job a month before graduation. At that time, my main concern was to finish my course,” he added.
It was at Kentucky Fried Chicken where he first developed his journalistic instincts. One evening, a group of people came in. They looked very familiar to him. As the guests were chatting, Clavio’s curiosity was bolstered when he came to realize that the group were the same National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) election canvassers who walked out from the Cultural Center of the Philippines allegedly after being told to twist the results of the snap elections in favor of then President Ferdinand Marcos.
Clavio remembered the walkout and the fact that he actually met the election canvassers led him to ask questions and to search for answers. He himself became a Namfrel volunteer only to resign from the group later over some disagreements with Namfrel officials.
The news anchor maintained that it was his job at the fastfood restaurant where he developed his skills in relating to people from all walks of life. There, he met the kindest and the meanest customers.
During his first day on the job, a satisfied customer sent him a rose in gratitude.
But he will never forget the night when a group of rowdy guests ganged up on him, ridiculed and embarrassed him in front of other guests. One even went to see him at the pantry, dangled his car keys and told Clavio, “Do you know what this is? This is a car key and you don’t have one. You’re nothing.”
Clavio admits that the encounter made a deep impression on his thoughts and feelings, so deep that until today, he remembers each word that the guest uttered. He said the incident fired up his desire to succeed. Now, he fancies sports cars and sport utility vehicles that his handsome salary as a top-caliber broadcast journalist could buy.
“I am what they call the Beemer type of guy,” he said, alluding to his fetish for a British-made luxury car. “But these cars are loaned,” he added with a laugh.
On a more serious note, however, Clavio said that he was now very thankful to that anonymous customer. He said that he wanted to see the customer again but never had the chance.
If they met, he said that this is what he would tell that old customer: “Thank you very much for making me seek out the best in me. Thank you for teaching me how imortant it is for anyone to aim for success and for showing me how painful it is to be maligned and embarassed for being poor. That way, I learned that I should not be like you and that I should strive. That I should share my blessings instead of looking down at others for not having what I possess.”
Clavio’s real break came in 1986 when a few months after graduation. dwIZ, then a sister company of dzRH, announced that it had an opening for newswriters, newscasters and radio announcers. He recalled that it was veteran radioman Ron Macatangay who made the announcement.
“I wasted no time and scheduled an audition. Because Joe Taruc was already a big name in the industry and the company itself, I mimicked him in my audition report. I was hired,” he said.
His first job was to translate English broadsheet news articles into Filipino—still a bit far from his dream of becoming a newscaster. He said that he developed his love for radio, specifically the AM band, because his grandmother was an avid AM radio listener.
“I usually listened to Rey Langit, Caloy Castro, [Rafael] Paeng Yabut and Joe Taruc,” Clavio said.
Then in 1998, Bobby Guanzon, who is among Clavio’s earliest friends in media, transferred to dzBB. Not long after, he said that he was asked by Guanzon to join him there. GMA-dzBB has been Clavio’s home network since he joined. He remembered how difficult it was for him to explain to Joe Taruc his reason for leaving.
“I was more comfortable with Bobby back then because we were already friends for quite [some] time. Also, Joe wanted to transfer me to the House of Representatives. My beat then was the Senate. Then, I told Joe that have already given my word to BB [Guanzon] and that I can not take it back,” Clavio narrated.
For a while, he did voiceovers for the station until he was noticed by GMA Network executives Marissa Flores and Jessica Soho. His name and voice was becoming popular but not everyone knew how he looked like.
Later, Clavio was asked to join the weekly program Brigada Siete and was eventually pulled out by Miguel “Mike” Enriquez from the Senate to host his first daily radio show, Double A sa Dobol B, alongside Ali Sotto.
In 2001, the two began writing columns for The Manila Times.
“Everything started from Brigada Siete. It was followed by Unang Hirit, Saksi, Emergency and now, Tonight with Arnold Clavio. I am, up to now, very thankful to GMA Network for trusting me and for giving me all these opportunities,” the veteran newscaster said.
Unlike others who may claim to have secrets for success, Clavio claimed that he has none and that only diligence and hard work were his tools in crafting the dishwasher in him into a well-loved and admired broadcast journalist.
“If there’s an opportunity, grab it. If you are offered work, no matter how difficult that job could be, take it,” he advised.
“In the first place, being offered such means you are trusted and that they believe you can d the job very well. Who knows? It could be a step toward something better. I accepted positions then that required that I don’t sleep. I took them,” Clavio added.
Humility and love for dignity are his greatest assets. The television journalist said that his father raised him in the belief that nobody should complain about anything that they lacked and to refrain from asking too much favors.
“I feel happy whenever I meet my former colleagues in the beat. I treat them the way I did when I was with them. Success should not bloat our egos. Also, I always make it a point to help people who are in dire need because, as I said, I was desperate too. I wasn’t raised with a silver spoon in my mouth. But what I had were golden rules from my parents that went into my ears and [into] my heart. I may have lacked luxury as a young man but my dad taught me how to value dignity,” Clavio said.
He remembers Ka Paeng Yabut’s advice during one of their meetings.
This advice reverberates in his mind, he said, whenever there were “temptations.”
“He told me, Arnold, never sell your soul.”
Clavio claimed that he never regretted any decision he made, especially joining media. Poverty, he said, was what fueled his ambition to become exactly what he is right now.
“If my life was better back then, I would never have turned into what I am. Hardships make one hard, tough. [These] did it to me,” he added.
Asked if there remains a “soft” spot in him that these hardships failed to harden, Clavio curtly replied, “It is my concern for the poor.”
LIFE STORY OF DEO MACALMA
*AS PUBLISHED IN THE MANILA TIMES
Deo Macalma: The rise of a ‘bubuwit’
BY JOEL M. SY EGCO ASSIGNMENTS EDITOR
HE was a typical working student who took odd jobs as a lowly paid janitor in a textile mill and later as a roomboy in a middling motel, among others. But his ambition, fueled by perseverance, hard work and a burning passion for writing, steered Elpidio “Deo” Macalma’s rise as one of the broadcast industry’s most respected icons.
Now Manila Broadcasting Co.-dzRH assistant vice president and assistant station manager, Macalma is best known for his satirical commentaries and his 19-year-old Espesyal na Balita, a segment that features blind items sent in by moles whom he aptly calls bubuwit (mouse). The term is his radio adaptation of the comic character, Ikabod Bubuwit, created and popularized by Nonoy Marcelo in the 1980s.
“From shame to fame” is how Macalma typifies his rise to media stardom. It was not at all a walk in the park but a long crawl from the bottom to the top of his career ladder.
Humble beginnings
“Nahihiya ako noon na sabihing ang trabaho ko eh janitor [I was ashamed then to say that I was a janitor],” recalled Macalma, who went to work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and attended class from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. He cleaned up toilet mess for three years to earn a living and support his studies.
In the mid-1970s, Macalma was taking up Business Administration at the University of the East when he thought of applying for a janitorial job at the Jewish-run United Textile Mills to make ends meet. He says that his first job was the hardest and dirtiest, literally.
“It was hard to clean toilets in a factory than, say, in a motel or a hotel. Every morning, I prayed sana hindi barado ang kubeta [that the toilets were not clogged]. That was when I developed inferiority complex,” Macalma said.
The “dirty job” eventually took its toll on him and one day he just decided to quit. From the toilets, Macalma’s zest for success landed him on the corridors of the defunct Vinta Lodge (now Victoria Court) where he worked as a roomboy. For him, the new job provided a reprieve from the ordeal of having to endure the foul smell of factory chemicals and human wastes. Plus, his new career in the motel business offered higher wages and handsome tips from patrons.
“I had an ambition. When I was a janitor, I usually sat down on my boss’ table and pretended that I was manager. My co-janitors just laughed at the thought. As a roomboy, I believed I had a greater chance to succeed. The job was quite rewarding especially because of the tips. That was the time when I decided to quit school,” Macalma said.
Though he fancied journalism in his early days in school where he actually joined several writing contests, he claimed that he was “influenced” by a friend and former classmate into taking up journalism at the Lyceum. But the young room boy’s job at Vinta Lodge was on a rotation basis, meaning he had little time for college unless he opted for promotion.
“Aside from my friend who influenced me to shift courses and transfer to Lyceum, the bell captain in the motel was also a working student.
He encouraged me to apply for a regular position so I can go to school. I did and from there I was promoted to telephone operator, then cashier. My last job in the motel was bookkeeper,” Macalma said.
Promising career
Armed with a journalism diploma, he began his search in 1980 for “greener pasture” and found an opening in what would become his home network for three decades—Radio dzRH.
Upon graduation, the young Macalma took on the job of newswriter, a position he held for years until he became newswriter/reporter and was assigned to cover events. He rose to become the network’s managing editor and assistant news director. It did not take long until he assumed the post of news director and, after that, assistant vice president and assistant station manager since 1991.
“Ever since I entered media, I have been with dzRH. I never entertained the thought of transferring to another station because I am already at home here. Sometimes I do write columns for some newspapers but that’s the all I do for them,” he explained.
As a cub reporter, Macalma remembered idolizing Rey Langit, Rod Navarro, Ric Radam, Joe Taruc, Noli de Castro and Rafeal “Paeng” Yabut. He studied their styles and later created his own. He also recalled a public relations man, Jose Ayllon, who advised him to establish his own niche in the industry and to avoid ending up as a copycat. This piece of unsolicited advice led to the birth of Macalma’s highly popular Espesyal na Balita.
Overcoming inferiority
“I used to be ashamed of my job as janitor. Slowly, my job as a room boy widened my perspectives because it was then when I got elbow-to-elbow with many friends and people in high society. There were politicians, actors and many others. However, I remained shy somehow,” the veteran newman quipped.
“Pag nagsasalita ako sa radyo, parang ang yabang-yabang ko pero sa totoo lang mahiyain ako [When I talk on radio, I think I sound arrogant but in reality I am shy],” he said.
Macalma got his biggest break in May 1991 when his boss and fellow broadcaster Rey Langit decided to join another network. He said that he was also offered a higher paying job by the rival station but his loyalty to dzRH prevailed.
“Radio Veritas was pirating broadcasters, announcers and reporters from its rivals. Rey Langit took the offer. The dzRH management talked to me but I really had no plan of leaving the station because I thought dzRH was more stable. Most of Rey’s programs were given to me including the Eveready newscasts and Espesyal na Balita, which at the time was featuring trivias. I wrote scripts for Rey but when I finally took over the program and with a little creativity, I changed the format and transformed it to become a segment for blind items,” said the soft-spoken news anchor.
“Illicit affairs of politicians, government officials and celebrities are my favorite subjects and they continue to tickle the audience up until
today,” Macalma added.
Initially, his bubuwits (informants) were former workmates—motel and
hotel room boys, waiters and security staff whom he came to know especially when he was president of a hotel labor union.
“They were my sources. My past job helped me gather blind items that I air. Then Espesyal na Balita dominated the airwaves and was even declared the No. 1 program. Modesty aside, it is the first to feature blind items on radio, then others followed,” Macalma said.
Not long after, his sources were no longer confined to motel and hotel personnel.
“Maniniwala ka ba na mga senador, congressman at Cabinet officials na ang aking mga naging bubuwit [Would you believe that senators, congressmen and Cabinet officials have become my informants]?” Macalma revealed.
Death threats, libel
As a journalist, Macalma admitted that he is not immune to harassment and threats. His most frightening moment came in the mid-1990s when men with dubious characters began gathering information about him from his neighbors.
“I was subjected to surveillance by these people. I was really afraid because they followed me everywhere and they were asking for information like what time I usually arrive home and where my children were studying. Eventually, I sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation. It is better to be charged with libel than be killed.”
Macalma covered upheavals in the 1980s, including the historic EDSA People Power Revolution and the seven coup attempts against then President Corazon “Cory” Aquino. He also remembered when Cory called the newsroom to seek public support for the mutiny in Camp Aguinaldo against Ferdinand Marcos.
“During the 1989 coup, our mobile patrol unit was fired upon by rebel snipers. That time, there were no clear guidelines as to how reporters should report troop movements. Little did we know that airing their positions and movements would enrage the rebels. I was with Eloi Aquino when we were shot at. She was taken to the hospital. In another occasion, a sniper shot at our patrol unit, hitting a civilian on the leg,” he said.
P-H-D spells success
The small and reticent bubuwit that was Macalma has grown to become one of the country’s biggest and most eloquent media personalities. He said that he owes his success largely to his PHD principle—patience, hard work and determination. Despite the odds, Macalma persevered and proved to the world that by sheer true grit and value for education, virtually nothing would be unattainable.
“The secret formula is PHD. If you failed to set your goal, you’re heading nowhere. Your first goal should be to finish school. With a little luck and faith above, one’s goals will be achieved. I never dreamt of becoming this big because I only wished for a stable job. But because of hard work, I was given a break,” he said.
Despite the hardships and challenges he faced along the way, according to Macalma, he is fully satisfied with his career. His passion for writing has been completely realized, his expectations in the industry even surpassed by becoming who he is today.
“If asked to choose a career again, I would still go for this one. This is what I wanted,” he said.
No to politics
Prodded by some friends and provincemates, Macalma said he toyed with the idea of entering politics but later rejected it because his experiences in the media had shown him how similar politics is to the toilets he used to clean as a factory janitor.
“Here, for you to become a successful politician, you somehow need to be corrupt. Besides, a politician’s life is always under threat. It’s kill or be killed,” he explained, saying that he despises political corruption and violence.
Macalma encourages future journalists to adopt his PHD principle to succeed. A struggling and virtually unknown reporter, he said, necessarily starts from the bottom. A rookie media person, according to him, is normally the so-called lowest mammal in the world of journalism.
“Start from the bottom and be patient. Persevere. At the end of the day, your talents and skills will not go unnoticed. You will be discovered and be given due break.”
Except for the well-regarded name, today’s Deo Macalma is no different from the Deo Macalma of yesteryear. Aside from his PHD principle, the well-liked network executive and broadcast journalist embraces the virtue of humility, saying that his success offers no excuse for him to forget or deny his humble past.
“Pusong janitor pa rin ako [I am a janitor at heart],” he added.
Deo Macalma: The rise of a ‘bubuwit’
BY JOEL M. SY EGCO ASSIGNMENTS EDITOR
HE was a typical working student who took odd jobs as a lowly paid janitor in a textile mill and later as a roomboy in a middling motel, among others. But his ambition, fueled by perseverance, hard work and a burning passion for writing, steered Elpidio “Deo” Macalma’s rise as one of the broadcast industry’s most respected icons.
Now Manila Broadcasting Co.-dzRH assistant vice president and assistant station manager, Macalma is best known for his satirical commentaries and his 19-year-old Espesyal na Balita, a segment that features blind items sent in by moles whom he aptly calls bubuwit (mouse). The term is his radio adaptation of the comic character, Ikabod Bubuwit, created and popularized by Nonoy Marcelo in the 1980s.
“From shame to fame” is how Macalma typifies his rise to media stardom. It was not at all a walk in the park but a long crawl from the bottom to the top of his career ladder.
Humble beginnings
“Nahihiya ako noon na sabihing ang trabaho ko eh janitor [I was ashamed then to say that I was a janitor],” recalled Macalma, who went to work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and attended class from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. He cleaned up toilet mess for three years to earn a living and support his studies.
In the mid-1970s, Macalma was taking up Business Administration at the University of the East when he thought of applying for a janitorial job at the Jewish-run United Textile Mills to make ends meet. He says that his first job was the hardest and dirtiest, literally.
“It was hard to clean toilets in a factory than, say, in a motel or a hotel. Every morning, I prayed sana hindi barado ang kubeta [that the toilets were not clogged]. That was when I developed inferiority complex,” Macalma said.
The “dirty job” eventually took its toll on him and one day he just decided to quit. From the toilets, Macalma’s zest for success landed him on the corridors of the defunct Vinta Lodge (now Victoria Court) where he worked as a roomboy. For him, the new job provided a reprieve from the ordeal of having to endure the foul smell of factory chemicals and human wastes. Plus, his new career in the motel business offered higher wages and handsome tips from patrons.
“I had an ambition. When I was a janitor, I usually sat down on my boss’ table and pretended that I was manager. My co-janitors just laughed at the thought. As a roomboy, I believed I had a greater chance to succeed. The job was quite rewarding especially because of the tips. That was the time when I decided to quit school,” Macalma said.
Though he fancied journalism in his early days in school where he actually joined several writing contests, he claimed that he was “influenced” by a friend and former classmate into taking up journalism at the Lyceum. But the young room boy’s job at Vinta Lodge was on a rotation basis, meaning he had little time for college unless he opted for promotion.
“Aside from my friend who influenced me to shift courses and transfer to Lyceum, the bell captain in the motel was also a working student.
He encouraged me to apply for a regular position so I can go to school. I did and from there I was promoted to telephone operator, then cashier. My last job in the motel was bookkeeper,” Macalma said.
Promising career
Armed with a journalism diploma, he began his search in 1980 for “greener pasture” and found an opening in what would become his home network for three decades—Radio dzRH.
Upon graduation, the young Macalma took on the job of newswriter, a position he held for years until he became newswriter/reporter and was assigned to cover events. He rose to become the network’s managing editor and assistant news director. It did not take long until he assumed the post of news director and, after that, assistant vice president and assistant station manager since 1991.
“Ever since I entered media, I have been with dzRH. I never entertained the thought of transferring to another station because I am already at home here. Sometimes I do write columns for some newspapers but that’s the all I do for them,” he explained.
As a cub reporter, Macalma remembered idolizing Rey Langit, Rod Navarro, Ric Radam, Joe Taruc, Noli de Castro and Rafeal “Paeng” Yabut. He studied their styles and later created his own. He also recalled a public relations man, Jose Ayllon, who advised him to establish his own niche in the industry and to avoid ending up as a copycat. This piece of unsolicited advice led to the birth of Macalma’s highly popular Espesyal na Balita.
Overcoming inferiority
“I used to be ashamed of my job as janitor. Slowly, my job as a room boy widened my perspectives because it was then when I got elbow-to-elbow with many friends and people in high society. There were politicians, actors and many others. However, I remained shy somehow,” the veteran newman quipped.
“Pag nagsasalita ako sa radyo, parang ang yabang-yabang ko pero sa totoo lang mahiyain ako [When I talk on radio, I think I sound arrogant but in reality I am shy],” he said.
Macalma got his biggest break in May 1991 when his boss and fellow broadcaster Rey Langit decided to join another network. He said that he was also offered a higher paying job by the rival station but his loyalty to dzRH prevailed.
“Radio Veritas was pirating broadcasters, announcers and reporters from its rivals. Rey Langit took the offer. The dzRH management talked to me but I really had no plan of leaving the station because I thought dzRH was more stable. Most of Rey’s programs were given to me including the Eveready newscasts and Espesyal na Balita, which at the time was featuring trivias. I wrote scripts for Rey but when I finally took over the program and with a little creativity, I changed the format and transformed it to become a segment for blind items,” said the soft-spoken news anchor.
“Illicit affairs of politicians, government officials and celebrities are my favorite subjects and they continue to tickle the audience up until
today,” Macalma added.
Initially, his bubuwits (informants) were former workmates—motel and
hotel room boys, waiters and security staff whom he came to know especially when he was president of a hotel labor union.
“They were my sources. My past job helped me gather blind items that I air. Then Espesyal na Balita dominated the airwaves and was even declared the No. 1 program. Modesty aside, it is the first to feature blind items on radio, then others followed,” Macalma said.
Not long after, his sources were no longer confined to motel and hotel personnel.
“Maniniwala ka ba na mga senador, congressman at Cabinet officials na ang aking mga naging bubuwit [Would you believe that senators, congressmen and Cabinet officials have become my informants]?” Macalma revealed.
Death threats, libel
As a journalist, Macalma admitted that he is not immune to harassment and threats. His most frightening moment came in the mid-1990s when men with dubious characters began gathering information about him from his neighbors.
“I was subjected to surveillance by these people. I was really afraid because they followed me everywhere and they were asking for information like what time I usually arrive home and where my children were studying. Eventually, I sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation. It is better to be charged with libel than be killed.”
Macalma covered upheavals in the 1980s, including the historic EDSA People Power Revolution and the seven coup attempts against then President Corazon “Cory” Aquino. He also remembered when Cory called the newsroom to seek public support for the mutiny in Camp Aguinaldo against Ferdinand Marcos.
“During the 1989 coup, our mobile patrol unit was fired upon by rebel snipers. That time, there were no clear guidelines as to how reporters should report troop movements. Little did we know that airing their positions and movements would enrage the rebels. I was with Eloi Aquino when we were shot at. She was taken to the hospital. In another occasion, a sniper shot at our patrol unit, hitting a civilian on the leg,” he said.
P-H-D spells success
The small and reticent bubuwit that was Macalma has grown to become one of the country’s biggest and most eloquent media personalities. He said that he owes his success largely to his PHD principle—patience, hard work and determination. Despite the odds, Macalma persevered and proved to the world that by sheer true grit and value for education, virtually nothing would be unattainable.
“The secret formula is PHD. If you failed to set your goal, you’re heading nowhere. Your first goal should be to finish school. With a little luck and faith above, one’s goals will be achieved. I never dreamt of becoming this big because I only wished for a stable job. But because of hard work, I was given a break,” he said.
Despite the hardships and challenges he faced along the way, according to Macalma, he is fully satisfied with his career. His passion for writing has been completely realized, his expectations in the industry even surpassed by becoming who he is today.
“If asked to choose a career again, I would still go for this one. This is what I wanted,” he said.
No to politics
Prodded by some friends and provincemates, Macalma said he toyed with the idea of entering politics but later rejected it because his experiences in the media had shown him how similar politics is to the toilets he used to clean as a factory janitor.
“Here, for you to become a successful politician, you somehow need to be corrupt. Besides, a politician’s life is always under threat. It’s kill or be killed,” he explained, saying that he despises political corruption and violence.
Macalma encourages future journalists to adopt his PHD principle to succeed. A struggling and virtually unknown reporter, he said, necessarily starts from the bottom. A rookie media person, according to him, is normally the so-called lowest mammal in the world of journalism.
“Start from the bottom and be patient. Persevere. At the end of the day, your talents and skills will not go unnoticed. You will be discovered and be given due break.”
Except for the well-regarded name, today’s Deo Macalma is no different from the Deo Macalma of yesteryear. Aside from his PHD principle, the well-liked network executive and broadcast journalist embraces the virtue of humility, saying that his success offers no excuse for him to forget or deny his humble past.
“Pusong janitor pa rin ako [I am a janitor at heart],” he added.
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