Palmones, station manager of DZMM, ABS-CBN’s AM station, learned that early on in his career. He says it was hard work that helped him climb from reporter at DZXL (where he spent six years before he was hired by ABS-CBN) to his current position where he is responsible for the station’s programming and marketing. Under his leadership, DZMM has strengthened its hold on the No. 1 position among AM radio stations in Metro Manila.
According to Palmones – fondly called Kuya instead of "boss" or "sir" by colleagues – the biggest challenge he faces as station manager is ensuring that the station stays No. 1. Secondary to that is the task of managing people, specifically the "big guns" of DZMM like Korina Sanchez and Ted Failon whose morning program, Tambalang Failon at Sanchez, is one of DZMM’s top raters.
Palmones particularly enjoys "mentoring" people and bringing them up through the ranks. Among those he brought into the DZMM fold are Radyo Patrol reporters Melo del Prado, Neil Badion and George Cariño. "They all started with us as writers-production assistants," says Palmones.
Whenever he brings trainees up through the ranks, he challenges them to prove themselves. "I tell them, the challenge is, after three months, at PA (production assistant) ka pa din, you’d better quit." Fortunately, all the people he has trained have responded to the challenge.
Part of the reason that they do is that Palmones is a living example of the value of hard work. It’s hard not to listen to someone who does not just preach the gospel of hard work, but actually lives it. "They should be there all the time," says Palmones, who, when he was just starting out, would often stay beyond his normal working hours. He was also a constant presence in the newsroom – such that whenever the regular newscaster was absent, he was the one who was tapped to pinch hit. Eventually, the late Frankie "Ka Kiko" Evangelista, then DZMM’s head honcho, made Palmones a newscaster. When Ted Failon left, Palmones was promoted to manager of the newsroom, then to news manager.
When Ka Kiko retired in 1998, who else would he recommend to take his place as station manager, but Palmones?
Just because he’s now DZMM station manager doesn’t mean Palmones has stopped learning. In fact, he recently went to the US upon the invitation of the US government. He joined more than 30 journalists and broadcasters from all over the world to observe how the US media report on and handle matters of national security.
"Fear of terrorism in the US is very high right now," says Palmones. "What we observed there is applicable to the Philippines, because we also live under threat. Ang importante, imbes na takutin mo (sa media) ang tao, you train them so they become your allies."
But Palmones also knows there’s no place like home. "I don’t expect to learn so much from the program, because in terms of preparedness, the Philippines is the best place to learn. It’s more mind-setting, because sometimes media is very slow to adapt. You have to educate everyone, and not just the media."
Aside from the value of hard work, these are the valuable lessons Palmones is now trying to pass on to his younger colleagues. His is the valuable voice of experience, one that will reverberate in the industry for years to come.