Kapuso newscasters Pia Arcangel and Connie Sison on the lighter side of news

Pia Arcangel and Connie Sison are two of the most beautiful and most respected female newscasters in GMA Integrated News. They are regularly seen and heard delivering the news on television and radio. But behind their serious faces on cam are funny moments they shared happily on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda.”

According to Connie, she was accidentally left behind at home by her driver who thought she was already seated inside the car on their way to GMA Network. There were times when people would hug her from behind while she was doing a live report.

She recalled, “Mahirap lalo na kung ni-re-report mo trahedya. Pero luckily at that time I was doing a traffic situationer. Biglang may yumakap sa akin galing sa likuran. ‘Hello po. Hello na rin kayo. Ano hong pangalan nyo?’ I-ninterview ko na. Nandiyan na siya, eh.”

Meanwhile, Pia had to ride on top of a refrigerator’s styrofoam and was pushed by the news crew due to flooded streets to reach her destination in one of her coverages. She said it is a true test for a newscaster to resist laughter during funny moments while doing live inside the studio. Pia shared that a floor director had to lie down on the floor in front of them while they were doing a broadcast. “Lahat sila sa studio, lahat ng cameramen tawa ng tawa. Ako lang ang seryoso sa buong studio, Tito Boy. Grabe iyon.”

Was there ever a time when Connie and Pia were encouraged to enter showbiz since they are both attractive?

Connie Sison remembers being accidentally left behind at home by her driver, who thought she was already seated inside the car on their way to GMA Network. — Photos from newscasters' Instagram accounts

Connie looks like Aiko Melendez who has one of the most beautiful faces in the local entertainment industry. Unknown to many, she is the aunt of actor Martin del Rosario and her brothers also previously went into showbiz.

As a child, she had a cameo role in a popular weekly drama anthology series. “May nag-shoot sa bahay namin. Di ako kasama sa script kaya lang nakita nila ako naglalaro sa gilid. Sabi ng director, ‘Kunin mo na iyan. Kunwari na lang may anak sila.’ So apparently those days pala parang pwede kang magsingit ng mga characters. Ako naman wala akong kamuwang-muwang. Sabi nila mag-smile lang ako.”

Connie is a shy person. She even had to study how to become more sociable since her work in the media industry required her to do coverage while presenting the news.

Pia’s baby photo was submitted by her mom in a contest that searched for a baby powder model. However, Pia was not selected because she was a chubby baby then.

Reporters are supposed to be detached from the news but they are human beings who can be emotionally affected by the sad stories they cover. The two female newscasters admitted they also become emotional while reporting the news.

Pia said, “Especially ‘pag nasa field at nag-i-interview ka. Kasi iba iyong napapanood mo na on TV, pero ‘pag nasa field ka tapos i-ni-interview mo sa harap mo umiiyak, kinukuwento sa iyo ang istorya nila.”

Aside from being colleagues in GMA Integrated News, Pia and Connie are good friends on- and off-cam. They pray only the best for each other.

Connie shared, “Ang dasal ko para kay Pia is for her to be always happy, have peace of mind, and be healthy. Ganoon din siyempre iyong kanyang family.”

Pia’s prayer for Connie is for happiness with her family and to continue sharing her faith and touching other people’s lives the way she does now.