But this TV news reporter never thought she would end up covering the entertainment beat. Niña started out as a cadet in the ABS-CBN News Department’s reporter training program. Like most news reporters, she had to earn her stripes covering the police beat – where most of her stories focused on local crime, bloody accidents and incidents of child or spousal abuse. "That’s where the bosses find out if you have the guts to make it in this business," she narrates. "You can’t be squeamish or week-kneed since you have to be able to keep on working even if you‘re standing in a pool of blood at the scene of an accident, or when the battered wife or child cries on your shoulder and appeals for help."
While it may seem like an unnecessary rite of passage to test a lady reporter’s mettle, Niña believes that this experience opened her eyes and helped her as a journalist.
From covering the police beat, Niña ‘graduated’ to covering national news stories for Studio 23. She was assigned to cover Malacañang and the Senate, where she got her first taste of local politics. She was eventually promoted to Channel 2 to become a reporter for the network’s flagship newscast, TV Patrol. She was working in the General Assignments beat when her bosses decided to assign her to cover entertainment news.
At first, Niña resisted, and even resented the idea. "At that time, I felt that I was being demoted," she confessed. "A lot of people kasi think that entertainment news is all fluff and chikahan, and that it shouldn’t be taken seriously." Little did she know that it was in this beat that she would make her mark. "I realized showbiz is very similar to politics, where you often have a number of people telling you different sides of an issue, and it’s up to you to find the truth of the story in all their soundbites. Madaling mapaikot sa showbiz if you don’t know what’s going on and what the issues are."
ABS-CBN management apparently recognized Niña’s natural flair in the entertainment beat and decided to make her host the showbiz segment in the network’s morning show Magandang Umaga Bayan, along with Ogie Diaz. Last October 2004, she was also chosen as one of the main hosts of the network’s new daily entertainment talk show, Showbiz No. 1.
It was also reported that Niña would be given a hosting slot on ABS-CBN’s flagship newscast, TV Patrol, as the entertainment anchor. She was even asked by the management to defer her Chevening Scholarship to the U.K. because of this new assignment. However, with TV Patrol’s recent reformat, everything is still up in the air. "I was flattered to have been considered for the position," Niña recounts, "I grew up watching TV Patrol and the newscast is such a vital part of every Filipino’s life."
Despite the hectic schedule of hosting two daily shows, Niña says she still looks forward to going out and doing field reports. "This is where I started, and this is where I get my credibility," she humbly asserts. "People can see I know what I’m talking about because my information comes from the field – from first-hand interviews."
Such credibility has won for her not just the respect and trust of ABS-CBN’s regular televiewers, but the attention and interest of the advertising community as well. After all, with her mestiza features, long, flowing hair and ultra-feminine demeanor, it’s not surprising how people actually mistake her as a showbiz personality. But she doesn’t mind at all when people walk up to her and ask for her autograph.
It’s that same charm that endeared her to the owners of Natasha, the Filipino-owned direct selling company that specializes in shoes, apparel, personal care products and cosmetics. The company recently introduced its line of Paradiso Shimmer Colognes. The new brand comes in three variants: Capri (Fruity Dewberry), Tahiti (Citrus) and Rimini (Cucumber Melon). Aside from their fruity undertones and aloe vera extracts, the fragrances also contain a dash of pearly glitters that give the skin a radiant sparkle.
"I’m very flattered Natasha got me to endorse this product," Niña exclaims. "I had the pleasure of contributing to the research and development of Paradiso. I made sure it has everything I want in a cologne. I hand-picked the scents and made sure they had a potent moisturizer. The pearly glitters add a nice touch for day or evening wear."
Aside from the Natasha line, Niña is also gearing up for a string of beauty product endorsements in the near future. But this isn’t even the tip of her multi-faceted talents. Niña is equally adept at hosting corporate functions and other prestigious affairs.
She is in a unique situation where she works with the network’s news and entertainment groups. As entertainment journalist, she knows her job requires more than just getting the juiciest gossip or the most scandalous stories. "Hard news is there to inform, while showbiz serves to entertain," she explains, "but I don’t think you need to sacrifice one for the other."
While some people appreciate the kind of reporting Niña does for the entertainment news, others still advise her that she’d be better off reporting ‘hard news.’ But she believes there’s a purpose in what she’s doing. She believes that people need role models – especially the young. She hopes that somehow, through her reports, she can inspire people to look up to celebrities who use their fame and influence to help others. She can never forget an interview she did with Bishop Socrates Villeges. "I asked him how he copes with his ‘celebrity status’ while being a priest. He told me that he believes our society focuses too much on celebrities and celebrity status. He said. ‘Our country doesn’t need celebrities; what we need are heroes.’"