Atom Araullo, from physics, activism to journalism

(INTRO) Atom Araullo finished a course in Applied Physics at the University of the Philippines in Diliman but was drawn into the field of broadcasting because of his exposure to media at an early age. He was one of the kiddie reporters of the children’s show “Five and Up” (produced by Cheche Lazaro’s The Probe Team) when he was just 10 years old. He also did several commercials until he was 14.

“Theirs (Probe) was a great organization. Even if I was still very young then, I learned a lot. I guess I was influenced by the work ethics of their team from conceptualization to editing until the airing on TV. The team is not that big but they get the work done. They don’t have big resources compared to the big networks, yet they get the job done. Lumalaban sila at ang galing nila gumawa ng istorya,” recalled the now 26-year-old Atom. If an opportunity arises, he would love to be part of The Probe Team. 

“It helped that I was exposed to that kind of field, but what really brought me or drew me to broadcasting was when I became a part of the student council when I was in college and I got to know the people from the streets, drivers, employees, people from all walks of life and because of that I wanted to tell their stories. That’s why when I graduated and saw myself that I’ve always been involved in media, I gave broadcasting a try,” added Atom, who took up Applied Physics because he was interested in science.

It has already been a year since Atom, Anthony Taberna, and Sol Aragones began to brave the streets and immerse in the lives of people they meet to unveil the many faces of the society on “Kalye: Mga Kuwento ng Lansangan” on ABS-CBN.  

Looking back at a year full of adventures and realizations, the three anchors have told many unforgettable stories, which have challenged them as journalists and affected them as Filipinos. 

Atom also chose a “dangerous” story as his most memorable. He once swam in murky waters to show how young children in Baseco risk their lives to dive for scrap metals to sell. “Apart from the health hazard since the water is filled with garbage and domestic waste, there is also the danger of being pinned down underwater by heavy pieces of metal. Someone actually died because of this.” 

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GMA 7 brings back the tandem of Jennylyn Mercado and Mark Herras via the primetime show “Ikaw Sana” which premiered Monday night on the Kapuso network.

Mark and Jennylyn, the first winners of the reality-based artista search “Starstruck,” are no doubt the biggest stars to have emerged from the pioneering artista search. They have gone through many career challenges as well as personal struggles but have remained steadfast with regards to their respective careers. They have weathered the storms, so to speak.

Mark and Jennylyn have also matured as performers and can now go beyond the strife that marked their relationship before. And even if they have gone on separate ways, they have remained friends.

“Ikaw Sana” is a fitting reunion for Mark and Jennylyn who were last seen in the afternoon drama, “Sinenovela Presents: Paano Ba Ang Mangarap?”. Suffice to say their comeback as onscreen partners ended up as a remarkable success—one that can only be paralleled by a follow-up television project.

The new series, directed by Joel Lamangan, also stars Paulene Luna, Tirso Cruz III, Maritoni Fernandez, Mariz Ricketts, Marissa Delgado, Tony Mabesa, Luz Valdez, Alicia Alonzo, Vaness del Moral, Janna Roxas, Arthur Solinap, Joey Paras and Vivo Ouano.

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Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and award-winning actress Charie Pineda were among the celebrities who attended the launching of the CCTV (Closed Circuit TV) facility in Taguig City held recently.

Through the facility, everything that is happening on the streets could be seen within the 1.5 kilometer radius. This is helpful for crime prevention as the streets could be monitored for possible crimes and suspicious movements of people.

The CCTV is a project of Blue Media, headed by Aries Castillo (Chairman), Rico Abarrientos (CEO-Blue Media), and Erwin Manalili and Jimy Labampa, councilors of Taguig City.

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After becoming the top-grosser at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and the most awarded after winning Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Editing and Best Sound, “Astig” gets its commercial run starting today at Robinson’s Galleria Indiesine.

“Astig” is also the official entry of the Philippines to the Pusan International Film Festival this October. The movie stars Dennis Trillo, Sid Lucero, Arnold Reyes, Edgar Allan Guzman and Glaiza de Castro.