How Pia combines career and family

Pia Hontiveros is a broadcast journalist, body and soul. In the same intensity, she’s a devoted wife and mother. Having been with ABS-CBN since 1989, Pia’s first break at a regular anchoring job was with the Weekend News after years of pinchhitting for various hosts on TV Patrol and The World Tonight. Today, she is the host of Strictly Politics on ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel aired every Tuesday at 9 p.m.

Having tied herself once to a post in the middle of a super typhoon while doing a live coverage, Pia is now tied to her career and family. Check out this conversation I had with this bright and beautiful woman.

In a short period of time, you have risen to be one of the most respected broadcast journalists in the country. To what do you attribute your success?

Success? I haven’t even really reached that peak. But if this is success for now, then I can only attribute it to hard work and dogged determination. You know what they say about a journalist: "You’re only as good as your last story." I prefer to add to that. I believe that a journalist is as good, not just as his last story, but as his or her whole body of work is concerned. People say that success comes to those who arent’ thinking of it. Over the years, I wasn’t too concerned about being a "star." I was really more into being a good journalist, into telling people the truth and giving them the facts. I also attribute my "success" to my family. I couldn’t have done it without my husband’s support and encouragement, and not to mention. . . critique! When Ces Drilon and I guested in your show (Private Conversations with Boy Abunda, Wednesdays 9 p.m. at the ANC), I wanted to answer your question about who was my worst critic. I would have said "R’win," But he’s also my best critic. Our kids should also be mentioned here. . . nine year old Zach, six year old Zoe and 10-month-old Zed. Beside’s R’win, they’re my inspiration.

Tell us briefly, how did you land in the broadcast industry?

I landed in the industry by accident. I was getting bored in school (Ateneo), when ABS-CBN opened its doors once again in 1986. Since my uncle was program director, I asked if I could take on anything. I began to "hang out" at ABS-CBN doing P.A. (production assistant) work for shows such as Intuxicating and wrote the spiels for ABS-CBN’s signature ladies. Then, I sort of "drifted" into public affairs then headed by Che-Che Lazaro. I workd for her, writing for Probe. I got to work with Luchi Cruz-Valdez and Tony Velasquez and Olive Villafuerte. They gave me my baptism of fire. I also did some work for News, pinchhitting once for Angelique Lazo and even Mel Tiangco. Of course, I was a "nobody" then. And then I missed graduation in 1988, so I finished an extra sem the next school year. After which I sort of got detoured to Secretary Manglapus’ office at the Department of Foreign Affairs for just three months. Then I went to work for News in September 1989 under Angelo Castro, Jr., Jing Magsaysay and Pal Marquez.

Are you happy where you are today?

Happy? In a way, yes. Because if you think about it, ABS-CBN Channel 2 is THE channel. Yes. like I said on your show, I do have The Weekend News and Strictly Politics on ANC. I still do hope there’s space for me on free TV besides the weekend newscasts. I did a pilot for a show back in mid-99 and FMG (Freddie Garcia) approved it but there was no time slot at inuna na nila ang Pipol and Pinoy Exposed. Then I got pregnant in late ’99 and when Dong Puno Live had to go off the air, they were going to put in my show but the difficulty was me looking like a balyena. ha, ha! That’s funny! Now I just realized that it has been a very long and difficult climb and many times along the way, people were not willing to help you at all, to give you that push. But you know what they say about the ANC, it’s a different medium altogether and although your audience is limited, it is a very challenging, and yes – rewarding – audience. Like you said, though, sorry my thoughts are skipping here and there, it’s not about "appeal sa masa" I don’t know.

Tell us about that anecdote where you were tied to a post while covering a typhoon…

The "tied-to-a-pole" anecdote belongs to the pages of ABS-CBN news history. That was super typhoon Rosing. I was reporting from PAGASA, trying to bring down to ordinary person level the weatherman’s jargon. It got more exciting and I thought, why not make the report more visually exciting? By that time, Weng Orejana had already reported live outside right in the middle of Rosing’s wrath. It was only common sense to report about an event if you’re in the middle of it, and it would be funny to talk about a super typhoon in the comfort of a cold room. But you see, the winds were much too strong. And since I didn’t weigh much, I had to have some sort of an anchor. I remember reading Dan Rather’s autobiography where he said he had to tie himself to a tree to report about a storm. I did the same. The foreign press picked it up. But I have to admit the ropes weren’t strong enough… I was in danger of getting wrapped around the flagpole myself.

Who are your mentors? Who do you look up to in your profession?

My mentors, I feel were those I worked with. People like Che-Che Lazaro. All you have to do is say her name and you’ll know what I mean by good journalism. I look up to Angelo Castro and Tina Palma. I grew up watching her smirk on TV. I look up to Mel Tiangco. I want to be able to interview people as well as she does. I admire Noli De Castro. He knows how to bring down a story to gut level, and well, he just connected. And yes, I look up to many other reporters of my generation and those who followed us and came before us. And even those many unsung heroes, our cameramen who have done the most wonderful work, our producers, editors, production assistants.

Describe your style of interviewing? Of news reporting?

My style of interviewing is very "reporter." Makulit lang ako and I tend to latch on key words. When Carlos Padilla, LDP congressman who wants to be speaker once said, "in the guise of a coalition," sabi ko, "guise…??!?" Marami pa iyon. Some people say I have this knack for making side comments. A friend of mine, my husband’s classmate from PMA, texted me and said I should stop it. What do you think? I just can’t help it. Matagal na kasi ako nag-cover ng pelikula. News reporting for me is not just giving facts. It’s also about color, nuance, context, history. Things happen and people say things for a reason. I love writing a story and by the way, I’m very finicky about my video. It’s one of my passions.

Any embarrassing moments?

It’s during the third or fourth episode of Strictly Politics. Dead air for three seconds and then I admitted I had forgotten what I was supposed to ask. Dead air is the worst thing that can happen to an anchor. Also, two months ago, I went to a 7-11 store, the one at the corner of EDSA and Kamias. Last time I went there, you had to push the door open. That time I went back, I pushed it and then suddenly, the door SLID open! I was so embarrassed because people were looking at me. I wanted to announced who I was and apologize and explain why I did that. Pero deadma nalang. I just got out of there as soon as I could, and when I did, I let the door slide open.

How do you handle guests you don’t like?

Handle guests I don’t like? I talked about it with the executive producer of Headlines, Mariel Gaceta-Catbagan the right answer. She knows what to do pero sabi niya, "Sabihin mo nalang na trade secret…"

What is your proudest moment as a broadcast journalist?

December 1990. On coverage in Ragay, Camarines Sur. In a poblacion reached only by a two-hour walk along a carabao road. While preparing to move out, a group of some 50 NPAs attacked and opened fire. It was the longest two hours of my life…images and memories were flashing in my mind. I really thought I was going to die? The bullets were missing me and my cameraman Lito Layola by two inches. My other proud moments are when people tell me they appreciate the work I’ve done, whether as a news reporter or anchor, or as a talk show host. And yes, the three years that I’ve covered the 10th House of Representatives from 1995 to 1998.

Who are your dream interviews?

The Pope. And I‘d like to try and sit the three former Presidents together. Cory, FVR and Erap. How’s that for a "dream interview?" Panaginip talaga…to think Erap would want to sit with Cory and FVR. (To Be Continued….)