Anthony on solo flight

MANILA, Philippines - He may hit corrupt politicians and lazy government officials in Dos Por Dos, his morning program with Gerry Baja on DZMM. But he softens those biting comments when Anthony Taberna does his Chinese timecheck, complete with singsong intonation.

“Even the Chinese think I’ m one of them,” says an amused Anthony, his chinky eyes disappearing into slits.

But Anthony is not Chinese. He hails from Nueva Ecija and is proud of his roots. So why the Chinese intonation?

Anthony clearly remembers how it all started.

“It was Sept. 8. 1992. I was 17 and in second year college,” he recalls. “I applied for a job in DZEC and in Jollibee. Gipit ako noon kasi wala ng magpapaaral sa akin.”

Anthony passed up the Jollibee offer because he felt working as part-time newswriter in DZEC fits his background as a Mass Communication student more. He observed the late Al Mendez for two years and absorbed everything like a sponge. Thanks to the veteran broadcaster, Anthony learned how to inject humor even in the most serious of topics.

“For instance,” he relates, “ Al would say, `Ayon kay Secretary Teofisto Guingona Jr. at sinabi ni Jr.” He’d say, “ Sinabi ng matabang si Senador Drilon.”

The little bits of humor softened otherwise hard-hitting tirades.

Another stress buster his mentor bequeathed him is Anthony’s now-popular way of telling time, Chinese style.

“Al kept a list of time checks in Chinese,” recounts Anthony. “When he passed away, I figured it won’t do any harm if I use it on air. Besides, I had Chinese friends from whom I learned the right intonation.”

The formula worked. Anthony turned out to be the only one in his league who broke the seriousness of the newscast with his Chinese time check. Listeners called to say they liked the idea. Anthony’s Chinese friends grew.

So he came up with another idea. Why not translate some of the political commentaries from English to Filipino? If Panchito can translate English lyrics into Tagalog with Dolphy, why can’t Anthony and Gerry do it in Dos Por Dos?

The duo hit upon a goldmine again,

“Instead of people venting their anger at government, they end up laughing about it,” observes Anthony. “That’s very Pinoy. Nakikita yan sa pondahan at umpukan. People will say, salbahe si ganito, then out of the blue, someone will say something funny.”

Anthony’s knack for keeping listeners glued to the radio and viewers stuck in front of the TV set caught the attention of Studio 23 executives. They chose him from a sea of candidates to host Iba-Balita, a news/talk show which airs Mondays to Fridays at 9 p.m. The show, Anthony’s first full-length solo program, will see him dissecting the hottest issues with help from ABS-CBN News and DZMM correspondents and resource persons.

Anthony knows Studio 23 has a young audience that may switch channels when they watch serious news topics. So he has found a way to go around that.

“I can speak the language of the streets if need be,” he explains.

For instance, Anthony reveals that he ended up asking jueteng whistle blower Sandra Cam if Local Government undersecretary Rico Puno,tagged as one of the recipients of jueteng payola, ever courted her. He also asked Cam in the dry run for his show if she had a jueteng lord for a boyfriend.

The trick, Anthony explains, is to bring the show to the level of the ordinary young person on the street.

“You can water down the issue so your guest (in the show) won’t get hurt,” Anthony goes on. This way, he can be hard-hitting without being upfront about it. Guests – even the ones at the receiving end of a complaint -- won’t walk away from his show with a long face and a frown. Anthony’s punchlines may even put a smile on their faces.

“I’m not just a broadcaster,” Anthony explains. “I’m also a listener. I turn my transistor on the minute I wake up at 3:15 a.m. I listen to as many radio programs as I can.”

In picking up the best pointers, Anthony is not only learning a lot. He is also giving listeners and viewers something to think and smile about, first thing in the morning.