ABC-5 reporter leaves behind one-year-old daughter

A piece of "major news" that ABC-5 reporter Hazel Recheta-Calimag broke to her friends in 2004 was her pregnancy. She had been waiting to have a baby since her wedding in 2000.

Last week, Hazel was at Malacañang showing off the latest photographs of her one-year-old daughter, Sacha Ekaterina, to her friends and colleagues. Hazel had looked so happy and pretty then.

Her cell phone’s ringtones were Sacha’s laughter and giggle. The baby was indeed Hazel’s best source of joy.

Last Saturday, however, Hazel left her one-year-old daughter for good. This reporter remembered Hazel as saying she would just take care of Sacha if she could, but that she had to work to give her a better future.

Sacha’s devoted mother and the life of every reporter’s party is gone.

Hazel, her cameraman Arnel Guiao and crewmember Ismael Cabugayan died in a vehicular accident on Maharlika Highway in Camarines Sur Sunday afternoon after covering the imminent eruption of Mayon volcano in Albay.

News about her death that spread around 5 p.m. was not easy for her friends in the media industry to accept. Many of her colleagues dialed her cellphone number to check on her and prayed softly that she would answer. But the phone just kept ringing.

President Arroyo, in her statement paying tribute to the ABC-5 news crew, said: "Indeed, it is a sad day for Philippine journalism and the Filipino public, as well."

Mrs. Arroyo said she and the First Family would like to share the grief of the families, friends and co-workers of the three, who perished after completing their duty of reporting the news of the Mayon eruption and evacuation efforts in Albay province to the public.

"A former member of the Malacañang Press Corps, Hazel is remembered for her fair and objective reporting. She and her crew will be missed by public officials and other leaders who have benefited from their keen desire to present events as they unfold in a straightforward and timely manner," Mrs. Arroyo said.

Responsible

Regino Calimag, Hazel’s husband of five years, described her as a "responsible" wife and mother.

Hazel was always at her husband’s side on outings and it was hard to interview him for this article. He does not talk too much and is the exact opposite of his wife, who is best remembered as bubbly, funny, brutally frank and witty.

They got married after a four-year courtship and Regino said he had always been thankful for Hazel’s patience.

He heard about the accident over the radio but did not think it was Hazel who had been killed in the collision. He also had no premonition at all that she would die when she left the house for her coverage.

"That day, Sacha and I were just waiting for her to come home," he said over the phone. "She would frequently call because of Sacha. There was nothing in her actions that would make me think it was her time to go."

Hazel and her family resided in Novaliches, Quezon City to be near ABC-5, where she had been a reporter for the last 11 years.

Her colleague, Jove Francisco, said Hazel’s forte was the live reporting of rallies and disasters. She had become a well-rounded reporter having covered almost all beats, particularly the political circuit.

Francisco said Hazel landed a job at ABC-5 after she personally approached its big bosses during a coverage as a reporter for cable channel RJTV.

"She just told them she wants to apply and was accepted. Very Hazel, gutsy," he said.

"Since then she never left and had become one of our senior reporters. She is now assigned to do special reports since she has covered almost all the beats already," Francisco added.

Hazel was born in Tuguegarao, Cagayan and finished Mass Communications at the University of the Philippines. She turned 37 in March.

Cabugayan, prior to his employment with ABC-5, worked on the staff of former Quezon City Rep. Chuck Mathay and his colleagues in the local government unit of Quezon City remember him for his kindheartedness and perseverance at work.

Fondly called "Maeng" by friends, Cabugayan was a resident of San Miguel town in Bulacan and he is survived by his wife and two young children.

Guiao was described as a "funny guy" by his colleagues in the broadcast industry and he liked playing basketball with reporters covering the Philippine National Police (PNP) during his free time.

Francisco said Hazel’s voice was very distinct, as was her ability to do live coverage with ease: "That is her trademark at ABC."

When off-duty, Hazel enjoyed singing as well and she could sing love songs melodiously and with great depth of emotion.

Friends remember her antics, sense of humor, and her persistence in getting them out of the house to join her for dinner or other get-togethers. — With Christina Mendez