TOYM awardee Rico Hizon: A Pinoy in the BBC

It came as a surprise to his colleagues when BBC reporter and news anchor Rico Hizon was recently named one of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM). It was not that he did not deserve the recognition but because many simply assumed that he was already a part of that select few.  

It was not difficult to make the mistake. As the first and currently the only male Filipino international broadcast journalist, he is the acknowledged authority in Asian business news. Captains of industries have come to rely on him for accurate information and in depth analyses on the true state of the Asian region’s economy. Yet despite his numerous accomplishments, Rico managed to remain humble, with his two feet firmly planted on the ground. 

"Everything I have achieved is really because of my family. I am so lucky to have very supportive parents who encouraged me to work hard whenever I wanted something. And my wife Melannie has kept me grounded. She makes sure that I stay true to my values and focused on my goals. And of course my son Migo is my inspiration. I would never have gotten this far without them," he said. 

But Rico has certainly gone the distance. A few months before the TOYM, he was also named Outstanding Manilan for International Journalism with the likes of former President Fidel V. Ramos, basketball legend Carlos Loyzaga, and educator Preciosa Soliven as fellow awardees. His website, www.goodnews-pilipinas.com, was a finalist at the recent Philippine Web Awards. And his palette art collection is about to conclude a year-long campus tour and will be exhibited at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in March 2007.  

I am so blessed! It has been a very good 2006. I am really so grateful to God that He has been showering me with so much blessings. For me, this really proves that there is nothing you can’t achieve with hard work. When I was in school, I didn’t really get very high grades. But I just kept working and working to be the best I can be. I guess I can say that I turned out okay," said Rico. 

Indeed, Rico turned out to be more than okay. But the journey to success was a very long one. As a baby, his Mom recalled that Rico was about two years old already before he started talking. But when he finally found his tongue, the problem was getting him to stop! 

It was within the kitchen of fast food chain McDonald’s where Rico truly learned the value of hard work and the joy of earning his own money. He was 16 years old when he became a trainee, and stayed on until he was in second-year college. He peeled potatoes, worked the counter, mopped the floors, and assembled Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Within the kitchens of the famed golden arches, he learned a valuable lesson that helped shape his future–that no job was too small to deserve anything less than his 100% attention and effort.  

His entry to the broadcast industry was as a production assistant for Uncle Bob’s Lucky 7 Club. He eventually found his way into the newsroom via the hourly GMA News Live. His first big break came by way of Dong Puno’s Viewpoint and another public affairs program called Issues and Answers. He served as a reporter/segment producer for both shows. A few years later, he became the anchor for Business Today, an early morning program that launched his career as the face of business news.  

While the rest of the country slept, Rico would be up at 4:30am, making his way to the studio to scan through 15 or more newspapers for relevant business information, write the news, and be on air by 7 a.m. After the show, he would make his reportorial rounds and return to the studio by 4 p.m. By 6 p.m, he would be writing the script for the next day’s show and would edit his pieces by 8 p.m. He goes home at 9 p.m. but does not end his day until 11:30 p.m. when all the other public affairs programs are over. Then the cycle would begin again the following day.  

In 1995, he received a call from Hong Kong offering him to be a part of the CNBC Asia–NBC’s business cable channel–where he became the network’s very first Filipino news anchor. He hosted Today’s Business and Morning Call, and served as a stand-in for Talk of Asia and Money, Money, Money. He eventually anchored CNBC Business News, Wake Up Call, CNBC Today, Power Lunch, the evening primetime newscast Asia Nightly News, and the weekend Asian market-wrap program Asia This Week.  

His dedication caught the eye of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and he joined them in November 2002 through BBC World in Singapore, where he is still presently affiliated. He anchors Asia Business Report while reporting on economic, corporate, stock and currency stories on the BBC’s World News Service Radio, as well as the latest business and corporate issues on BBC World’s global business program World Business Report. 

Despite living abroad for over a decade surrounded by Americans and Brits, Rico has managed to stay very Pinoy. He speaks without a twang, loves eating Filipino food, and spends his free time catching up on local soap operas. He has the complete CD set of Gulong Ng Palad and can get into a heated debate on the emotional struggles of Jacqui and Celine of Maging Sino Ka Man.  "I am proud to be a Filipino!" Rico enthused. "And I am happy that I am Pinoy! It is an honor for me that I get to represent our country everyday that I go on air at BBC. And this is something I hope I can continue to do for a long time."