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Luchi Cruz-Valdes on TV5’s ‘Bilang Pilipino’ Election Coverage: ‘When it comes to news, we are never far behind’

Award-winning and seasoned journalist Luchi Cruz-Valdes said in a recent interview that TV5’s election coverage dubbed “Bilang Pilipino” is the most extensive data-driven news coverage of the upcoming May 9 national elections.

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TV5’s ‘Bilang Pilipino’ boasts of having one of the widest and fastest coverage of the forthcoming May 9, 2016 elections as it partners with media giants like the Social Weather Stations, Radio Mindanao Network, Voyager, PLDT, Smart Communications (including Sun Cellular and Talk ‘N Text), Cignal TV, Aksyon TV, The Philippine Star, Business World, Radyo Singko, Interaksyon.com and Bloomberg Philippines. Other cooperating institutions include NAMFREL, PPCRV, CBCP, KBP; academic communities of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Ateneo, UP, FEU and UST; Makati Business Club, Philippine Business for Social Progress, Philippine Chamber of Business Commerce and Industry.

Prior to the elections, ‘Bilang Pilipino’ has been notable for staging the historical and much-talked about ‘PiliPinas Debate’ in Cebu and for the Manny Pacquio interview which hit global headlines.

Here are excerpts of the interview with Luchi Cruz-Valdes during the pocket presscon held at the Dome Restaurant in Shangri-La Mandaluyong City on April 27, 2016…

On Bilang Pilipino’s coverage of the May 9 elections:

“Sa News 5 Everywhere, you will find us on Facebook live stream and all the reporters will be reporting through their live stream phones. Maya’t maya magrereport sila and I think that’s exciting.”

“This has got to be the most exciting election post-Marcos, it has to. The race is so close. And even now na may nagpu-pull away, the feelings are so strong! Grabe sa social media.”

On Bilang Pilipino’s Manny Pacquiao interview that exploded on the internet:

“As journalists, we have to report that. True enough, Manny Pacquiao’s initial reaction was that we took him out of context so we released the whole video and when he saw that we didn’t cut anything, he apologized. Again, that’s an example of what we do even in traditional journalism, but we had to be careful when it comes to stories like that. We had to watch it over and over again because we know we’re going to be scrutinized thoroughly.”

On preparing questions for the Second PiliPinas Debate which was held in Cebu:

“You have to be really careful in trying to avoid any kind of situation that might give rise to suspicions that you’re trying to aid or put down any of the candidates. We had two days of brainstorming on what questions to ask. And we changed the questions at least four times. To the very last minute, I was still asking what is the basis of this or that question if asked. We were also anticipating that we might be criticized by other media outlets or even the candidates themselves so we had to be transparent about where we’re getting our data. We need to show where we sourced or got the information for certain questions.”

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On the competitiveness of News5 (TV5’s news and public affairs):

“We felt that we were able to prove that even though we’re the third network and the smallest broadcast news organization, our skills equal and rival those of our competitors. And at the end of the day, we have proven that it’s not just the numbers, it’s really the teamwork that goes into mounting such a debate. With the validation we got from the debate, we’d like to assure our viewers that we can walk step by step with our competitors. The only difference is that maybe your favorite telenovela is there in the other networks but when it comes to news, we are never far behind.”

On her ‘Red Sea’ moment during the second Presidential debate:

“Being a journalist your happiness should derived from telling a story everyday kasi kung ang happiness mo ide-derive mo dun sa kasikatan mo hindi mangyayari yan unless God gives you a defining moment na hindi mo sinasadya. E tignan mo naman ang defining moment ko palpak (during the 2nd Presidential debate) but still, kaya nga ang tawag ko nga ‘Red Sea’ moment ko ito e, nagmilagro e biglang nagpatawa ng nagpatawa si Duterte dun before I knew it the debate was about to start and the debate itself saved us so it became my defining moment and I don’t even know it. I am 55 now and ngayon lang ako nakilala, sabi nga nung isang comment ‘I don’t even know you existed’ (laughs) may ganun sa social media, nakakatawa.”

“But most of us will never have those so we just have to be happy in doing our work, ako above all else, loving your work that’s more important sabi nga nila if you love your work you never have to work a day in your life.”

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On social media’s coverage of the election against the networks’:

“We’re also building our online community, we are! By the way, our 28-hour coverage will not just be on TV ha and radio. I will not just be on traditional media, it will be put also online. Ang maganda pag online you can be yourself. So far lumalaban na rin kami dun, we’re building our programming in social media, we have to, that’s where the world is going. We have come to accept that. But TV will not die. TV’s strength will always lie in live coverages and precisely TV’s strength will lie in news. The future of TV is not just in Game of Thrones. I think the big screen has a purpose.”

On being a journalist and her advice to those who aspire to be one:

“Matagal na ito e pero lagi kong sinasabi sa mga masscom students, kung gusto nilang maging sikat, huwag na kayong mag-journalist. There’s nothing glamorous about the job of a journalist. And not only that you know if you get into journalism para maging sikat and you find na hindi kayo sumisikat…there’s only so much room at the anchor level, remember that, sabi ko nga ito ang mga advantages naman ng journalist, sa entertainment mabilis kang sumikat pero nakapashort naman ng shelf life mo. Pagdating mo ng 28 medyo laos ka na. Dito hindi e, may Tina Palma pa kami di ba? Mga Che-Che Lazaro at ako’y malapit na dun (laughs) pero you become more valuable when you become older so iyon naman ang advantage nun BUT only if you are a true journalist. If you’re just a news reader para ka ring entertainment star. Kaya lagi kong sinasabi kung gusto niyo talagang tumagal kailangan mahalin niyo ang trabaho kasi yung first 10 years niyo, dusa yan. Pipitsugin talaga ang bayad sa inyo dyan. At diyan talaga namin nalalaman kung sino ang dedicated. Sa akin nga ang rule ko e kapag wala ka pang sampung taon na reporter, hindi ka pa tunay na reporter.”

Here are some of the videos of the said interview…

Luchi Cruz Valdes on Defining Moments and the Future of Journalism:

Luchi Cruz Valdes Talks About TV’s ‘Bilang Pilipino’ Election 2016 Coverage:

Luchi’s take on being a journalist and her advice to those who aspire to be one:

1 Comment on Luchi Cruz-Valdes on TV5’s ‘Bilang Pilipino’ Election Coverage: ‘When it comes to news, we are never far behind’

  1. briggs // May 7, 2016 at 8:46 am //

    Next time hwag ka nang tatanga-tanga ha..ipinahiya mo kasi si Binay sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng maling impormasyon.

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