"Hindi ako mahilig magluto, but I supervise the kitchen," Mel says, "I take care of managing the house, like delegate a lot of things to the helpers, but I’d like to think I’m in control of my household."
Two of her grown-up children are already based in the United States; two are living with her, including singer and songwriter Wency Cornejo.
Her usual day takes her to the GMA Kapuso Foundation’s office – where she is executive vice president and COO – in the morning until 2:30 p.m. when she goes home to get a short nap and to change for Front Page, Channel 7’s 6 o’clock news program.
Mel has a lot of production meetings during the week, and on weekends she tapes her spiels for the popular drama show Magpakailanman. Then, there is also her long-running talk show with Jay Sonza, Partners Mel and Jay. She is also a member of the editorial board of the GMA news department.
"I don’t get to do it every day, but when I get the chance to clean the house, I do it. It’s therapy for me. Mahilig ako makialam sa bahay," says Mel, despite having a busy life.
It is this rare combination of credibility and authority, coupled with her affiliation with public service, her popularity with the masses, and the fact that she is also a homemaker, that makes Mel Tiangco one of the most popular names that crop up when companies look for a celebrity for their campaigns.
Nevertheless, Mel Tiangco remains very selective when it comes to accepting endorsements. Most recently, Shellane tapped the broadcast journalist for their latest "Be Shellane Smart" campaign, which seeks to make the public aware and vigilant about illegal LPG refilling and its possible hazards. Moreover, it encourages Shellane customers to call a nationwide toll free number, 1-800-10-Shellane to check if they’re buying from an authorized outlet.
Asked why she agreed to this campaign, "Because it’s Shellane. We’ve been using it ever since I can remember. And of course, it’s the public service aspect." Mel says. "In the campaign, we are informing the public against buying illegally filled LPG. That was very important in my consideration."
Reading the news daily, she says she’s heard so many stories about fire breaking out in houses because of faulty gas tanks. "I’m a very wise spender although I would not put my household at risk."
Considering she already appears on TV almost daily, she doesn’t worry about getting too much exposure if only to send the message of safety to households in the country as well as the beneficial values one gets in using Shellane, a quality-trusted product for over 35 years.
"This campaign is relevant to people’s safety. We also want to make sure that people who work an honest day will not be deceived into buying under-filled and unsafe LPG. Therefore, we want them to make sure they get Shellane only from its authorized retail outlets," says Mel.