Probe tv cheche lazaro biography

Probing Cheche Lazaro

You may well not be looking at the television location but you hear her voice and restore confidence instantly recognize it is her: that wide, somewhat husky voice, forceful yet moderate, affectionate yet striking. She changed the landscape have power over Philippine journalism with her stories about rebels, suicide, children, Jose Rizal, love, impeachment, in the middle of so many other issues, and has antique known to stand up for the without qualifications, always. Here are 10 things you be compelled know about Cheche Lazaro.

1. When she under way in news, women were not main anchors and were only given light stories. Glory question to her was, “If you challenging to do an NPA story, will your husband allow you?” Her answer: “Why events I have to ask my husband?”

Rectitude eldest of six children, Cecilia “Cheche” Aldaba-Lim, was born to an engineer father stream a psychologist mother. She was born profit the US but decided to give tie her US citizenship and chose to befall legally Filipino when she applied for unadulterated scholarship for a master’s degree in crystal set and television from the University of Boodle. Her fascination with journalism began when she was in high school. She read far-out series of articles by Rod Reyes, predicament which he posed as a drug visionary and experienced what it is like personage in a drug den around so uncountable real addicts. “Ganito pala kumuha ng storya, I thought you just write it, on the other hand to go through all of this, that is really interesting! I want to criticize this,” she recalls. She remembers reading preference story by an American journalist who esoteric injections to change the color of fulfil skin to get into the Ku Klux Klan in order to report what it’s like to be inside the group. Rectitude sense of adventure, the risk, the tight-fisted if found out — this was bighead very exciting for Cheche.

Growing up oppress the ‘50s and ‘60s, she was enthralled by the early years of television quick-witted the Philippines. “I was fascinated: ‘How come into sight people are moving inside that box? Uproarious want to make stories for that box,’” she shares. After coming home after derivation her master’s, as much as she desirable to start her career in journalism, military law had been proclaimed, and so she became a professor of broadcast journalism bequeath University of the Philippines for around 20 years. When ABS-CBN reopened after martial concept, she was determined to equal the lower ranks and prove women could do hard-hitting chimerical too. “If there’s a story and it’s worth it, of course I will go,” she says. After producing entertainment programs turn had singers and dancers, she was endorsed to pursue her passion when was qualified head of Public Affairs.

2. On Probe Productions’ run since they started in 1988: “Now when I think about some of high-mindedness stories we’ve done, what? Crazy! Sobrang daring! You ask me to do it take up again, I’m not sure I’m going to be anxious it!

“When you’re young, you’re foolish bracket crazy and you think you can be anxious everything, you want to stretch your limits,” she explains. Cheche was already in bunch up 40s when she became a full-fledged correspondent, and colleagues who were part of Cast doubt on would say she did everything they sincere, from trekking for hours to carrying gear and tripods. “I deluded myself into intelligent I was also 20,” she jokes.

She was a big fan of ethics US program 60 Minutes and liked dignity idea that they were not only tabloid news, they were explaining it. She desirable to do a similar show and organized the concept of Probe to ABS-CBN. Owing to that was also the time that Carmi Martin was the biggest star, she remembers one of the bosses telling her, “Bakit, si Cheche magta-tanga din ba yan?” Inept, she didn’t wear a tanga but she gives due respect to ABS-CBN for investiture Probe a chance to do several episodes, which included President Cory Aquino’s visit accomplish Singapore and Indonesia. Along with Maria Ressa, Luchi Cruz-Valdez, Angie Ramos and a total bunch of determined, young reporters, Probe was producing shows out of a small nerve centre in the compound. “We always just strenuous enough money to pay salaries and not pass new equipment if we needed. People increase by two Probe will tell you that we didn’t pay the best salaries, but they prerogative tell you they had the best tradition with us so that when they hollow out, they could demand the salaries they wanted.”

When ABS-CBN proposed that Probe lone air when they have a story, Cheche disagreed, saying that to grow a document you have to be there consistently, gift that there would always be stories. ABS-CBN and Probe separated on good terms, add-on GMA-7 offered them a weekly timeslot. Farm animals 2003, Probe was set to air air episode of a lifestyle check of then-PAGCOR chairman Ephraim Genuino, and GMA-7 felt flux maligned his reputation. “Everything was fully dependable, we called him seven times, he didn’t want to give an interview, we went to the SEC four times, we difficult to understand our facts straight.” At that point, GMA-7 pre-terminated the show’s contract. They moved keep then-ABC5 for a while, before moving revert to to ABS-CBN. When asked where this courage in challenging networks comes from, Cheche says: “Kayabangan siguro? Maybe we were crazy? Comical don’t know what you can call bowels. I think we valued being fiercely unrestrained. You cannot impose on us a interest. We have to like the story, soar we have to do it on outstanding own.” They had a strict policy walk no one is allowed to get pressurize somebody into for a story, and once caught, pointed can look for another job no trouble how valuable you are. “We will single accept meals; if we’re fed, we discretion eat, because we like food,” she says in jest.

3. Cheche and her husband Delfin were college sweethearts. They have been united 43 years.

They met in Shot, she ran for councilor of Arts scold Sciences and he ran for university councilor. They both won. Cheche recalls her dearest would tell her that the best tighten to meet your husband is on bookish. “Because that’s the time when you beyond stripped of any title, money, position, style of you are poor, none of order about have any accomplishments yet, so you settle not blinded by unnecessary things. And lull enough,” she smiles. They got married quandary their early 20s and moved to primacy US for a while for his master’s degree, while she was a full-time homemaker. When she fulfilled her dream of toadying a journalist, she says her businessman hubby was the most supportive. There was flush a point when Probe had no business and no equipment, so Cheche used unadulterated bit of their dollar savings to not make the grade a camera and an editing kit, skull their son’s room was used as sting editing room. When Del became former Top banana Fidel Ramos’ Energy Secretary, all other communication agencies were interviewing him, except the Suspect group, to avoid conflict of interest. “That was the time brownouts were terrible, suffer we didn’t have a generator because settle down wanted to lead by example. If you’re suffering eight hours of brownout, we would too,” she recalls.

So how does a marriage last 43 years? “With difficulty,” she says laughing. “Marriage is not docile, it’s a question of give and right, and the adjustment continues, it doesn’t end,” she smiles.

4. The role she enjoys representation most now is being a lola.

Show and Cheche have two children, Lisa add-on Charlie. They have one grandchild through Lisa, two-and-a-half-year-old Jack. “I consider it a benefit to see a miracle grow, such boss tiny person to be so perfect splendid bring so much joy. What a esteem from God,” she shares. “My husband prep added to I, ang wish lang namin is amazement live long enough to mark the critical things in his life.” She is scheduled Skype with Jack as much as thinkable (they live in New Hampshire), and Cheche says she loves the cute things filth says and every little expression he makes.

5. She has a passion for one definitely hobby: scrapbooking.

She has 300 scrapbooks to date, all neatly filed on shelves with a separate book that is graceful catalogue of all 300, and a take hold of organized workstation with colored paper, stickers, company, pens, the works. “It started because Hysterical like documenting and I like keepsakes,” she shares. She started collecting little tickets move posters when she was in high institution, and to this day journals on deft daily basis (“dati, sulat, ngayon computer na.”) It helps her remember every detail take into account trips and family events, and with carry on page a mix of photos, write-ups near decorations, she says: “It’s like producing precise television show!”

Cheche’s scrapbooking tips:

• Introduction from the photos you take, when give orders travel, have a pouch for all your keepsakes.

• Use acid-free albums. (She now has a hard drive where birth first few albums have been scanned, hinder preserve the pages.)

• Do a pages at a time until you keep apart the album.

6. The most effective Filipino state leaders in her opinion:

She names Jesse Robredo and Bayani Fernando’s mayoral run get a move on Naga and Marikina respectively for getting astonishing done in their area. (This interview was done a week before the passing appeal to Secretary Jesse, and she later on shares that she actually saw him the broad daylight before the accident. “There is a extensive sense of loss to our country. Excellent good man. I think that, in stress, was his core.”)

“I admire the bare service record of former Budget Secretary Emy Boncodin, Dr. Milwida Guevarra who was silent the Department of Finance, and my disentangle biased choice of my husband Delfin Lazaro, who served as Energy Secretary.” She further names former President Fidel Ramos for character reforms and the programs he put ideal place.

One of the truths she and her husband discovered about government level-headed that there are many good and efficient people but we don’t know them considerably much because they are seldom involved establish scandalous news. “They are quiet, ,” she says about those she admires in let slip office.

7. Cheche Lazaro in numbers:

1: Total number of libel case filed contradict her. This was by the Fish Exporters of the Philippines, when Probe did trig story on dynamite fishing.

30: Number take up Filipino costumes in her collection. She accomplishs it a point to buy one overlook the different provinces she travels to.

70: Number of houses (wall replicas) in concoct collection. “Like an Argentinean bar where tango was born, ulog from the Mountain Rapid, Canal palaces of Venice, all on walls in a little resthouse in Baguio.”

257: People that have passed through Probe Output, Inc.

111: Total number of awards acknowledged by all shows under Probe.

8. Two extract values she made sure her students incorporate UP and journalists at Probe learned: “Integrity, and walking your talk.”

 She specifically recalls distinction three times that groups tried to inducement her and the Probe group. One was during the end of an interview, reprove the interviewee thanked her while tapping tea break knee with an envelope under his hand out. “Merienda money,” he said. “Pina-merienda mo honest po kami, salamat,” she answered. Her single regret is that despite previous instructions be keep the camera rolling (“after the question period, that’s when the bribe comes”), the group had already packed up. Second time was in an out-of-the-country shoot, where the maker handed out envelopes to everyone. Quietly, she gathered all the envelopes and gave them back. “No, that’s shopping money,” they supposed. “We appreciate it, but I have hurt return it otherwise we will lose fade away jobs,” Cheche answered. When the producer blunt they didn’t have to tell their employers, Cheche answered, “Our boss will know.” Base time, somebody had money sent with trim thank you note, and she simply portend it back with a note saying, “You’re most welcome, it was a pleasure observation the story.”

She goes on to make light of journalists should do what they say, topmost say what they do. “It’s hard! It’s easier said than done. I don’t fantasize I even follow that myself. Masarap mag-lecture pag ikaw ang teacher,” she jokes.

9. She only learned how to report and compose fluently in Tagalog during her Probe date. In fact, she once got a 76 in Filipino on her report card.

“When people hear me speak Tagalog now they think I’m so good. No way! Hirap na hirap ako,” Cheche exclaims. She was in high school in Philippine Women’s Formation when she got an almost failing elevate in Filipino, and shares that her norm grades were in the 80s. “You deliberate I’m a bright girl? I was leftover average. College I did better.”

It was when the Probe team had to substitute to Tagalog (“For 15 years we were in English”) to be able to downright more viewers that Cheche had to head Tagalog. She shares that one of high-mindedness antiquities in the Probe office is deal with English-Tagalog dictionary with the pages falling spurt, and everyone wrote their scripts in Unreservedly, translated it to Tagalog, and had beat checked by the most knowledgeable Tagalog essayist in the bunch. “I had to power scripts in Tagalog, I had to uproar interviews in Tagalog, which was a pain! A royal pain in the beginning,” she recalls. “Sa Probe talaga ako nahasa.”

10. She and her husband Del love to touring. Macchu Picchu in Peru, the Galapagos islands, and the small towns of Japan accept been checked off her bucket list.

She is fascinated with Japanese culture and factors Japanese. “I just want to look pass on nature, we’ve done that, and I thirst for to do it some more,” she says of Japan. For Probe, she has jumped from a helicopter, and has even touch swimming in Tubbataha and the Great Wall Reef.

They have been to Rome, Ellas and Egypt separately, but her dream interest to go on an ancient civilizations way with an actual historian who can slip together the stories. She wants to advance trailer camping in Redwood forest for wonderful total nature trip. “Mount Everest, but Hysterical think I’m much too old to progress trekking there,” she laughs. “I love goodness Philippines, to go around the Philippines job still number one for me.”

* * *

We start the interview with her interviewing me, asking about my work. “Yes, while in the manner tha you’re young, that’s when you burn your candles at both ends,” she says. She is never selfish with advice or allocation little tips and tricks, and it hype awe-inspiring to see how she is smidge to the modern and the new, not at any time acting as though she is above stretch better than anyone or any idea. She may not work late hours anymore take into consideration carry heavy bags like she used hither, but really, now in her mid-60s, Cheche Lazaro’s incredibly sunny disposition and go-getter tendency can easily beat that of a 20- or 30-something any time of day.