DZMM: Celebrating 30 years of Una sa Balita, Una sa Public Service

Thirty years of being on air is no small feat. Hence, DZMM Radyo Patrol 630, the flagship AM radio station of ABS-CBN, the country’s leading media and entertainment company, marked this milestone in grand fashion recently at The Marriott Grand Ballroom with a celebration that brought together the past, the present and the future of DZMM.

Gathering the people who have become part of the station in the past three decades, it was very much like a family reunion, a golden chance for the people of DZMM to get to know each other, relive memories  and look forward to a bright future for the organization they all love. The event was a mix of glitz and glamour, tributes and nostalgia, and a reminder of DZMM’s purpose — to be the first in delivering news and public service.

Reporters, anchors, crew and staff let their hair down and dressed up like princes and princesses together with ABS-CBN’s top bosses and other prominent personalities. After much reminiscing early in the night, the event took an exciting turn when the partitions of the ballroom opened and revealed a stage set smack in the middle with jumbotrons and lights as if it were a concert. And the performers? Who else but DZMM’s very own. Little did the other guests know, the station’s anchors and Radyo Patrol reporters have changed from their suits and gowns to their costumes.

As an opening act, the trio of Kyla, Morissette Amon and Jona set the tone. Later, Doris Bigornia belted Isang Linggong Pag-Ibig with Imelda Papin much to everyone’s delight. Anthony Taberna, Gerry Baja, DJ Richard, Dr. Carl Balita and Gus Abelgas followed it up with classic songs with Rico J. Puno. Then Ahwel Paz, Neil Badion, Robert Mano, Marc Logan and Jerson Cruz danced their hearts out alongside DZMM belles Niña Corpuz, Jasmin Romero, Raya Capulong, DJ Cha Cha, DJ Bea, Gretchen Fullido, lawyer Claire Castro, Toni Aquino, Maresciel Yao and Angel Movido to the hits of the ‘80s up to the present. A performance by Kabayan Noli de Castro of Ed Sheeran’s super popular Thinking Out Loud also got everyone off their seats, even the bosses of the Kapamilya network were surprised to see the renowned radio anchor take on a modern song. 

The celebration took a somber turn as Darren Espanto led a tribute to members of the DZMM family who have already passed away, Radyo Patrol reporter-turned-anchor Jun Lingcoran, Ernie Baron, Frankie “Ka Kiko” Evangelista and Fidela “Tiya Dely” Magpayo-Reyes, to name a few. But the mourning would eventually be replaced by hope, as the station announced near the end of the program that two Radyo Patrol reporters finally got their call sign numbers, a badge of honor among DZMM Radyo Patrol reporters. Zandro Ochona and Zhander Cayabyab are now known as Radyo Patrol 48 and 49, respectively. 

Similar to the constant exit and entry of old and new blood, change is also constant in DZMM. In her speech, ABS-CBN Integrated News & Current Affairs head Ging Reyes emphasized DZMM’s continuous evolution to keep Filipinos updated on things that matter to them, in order to help them make informed decisions in their day-to-day lives. 

“The excitement of building upon the gains of Teleradyo and transforming it to a nationwide platform is just one of the reasons DZMM will continue to be relevant to our audience. Expect stronger programming, more current affairs content and fusion of style and substance that will continue to improve as technology evolves and as we become more and more present in the digital space,” she said.

In fact, that night, DZMM launched its new noontime newscast, a stand-alone program for DZMM Teleradyo called Headline Pilipinas. Helmed by veteran anchor Tony Velasquez, together with ABS-CBN Cebu’s Leo Lastimosa and ABS-CBN Davao’s Melanie Severino, the program aims to provide Filipinos with the latest and most relevant news gathered from all over the country, leaving no stones unturned and giving voice to Filipinos from different regions in the nation. 

It’s a move that’s not surprising for DZMM to make, having taken risks and pioneered formats before. For one, it was first to simulcast radio programs on TV in the country in what we know now as Teleradyo, letting the audience see, and in a way be with the anchors as they do work inside the radio booths.

While, the station has kept its leadership in terms of news, it has also kept public service as a top priority. ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak said that public service is at the heart of DZMM.

“We have two larger goals. The first is to stay relevant to our audience and continue to deliver useful information that matters to them by the people that matter to them. Our second goal is to fulfill our mission to be in the service of the Filipino people. It means we’re not just journalists and nation builders. We are also advocates that champion the causes that are closest to our values as an organization. It means that we need to help find solutions to the problems that we discuss on air,” he said, highlighting DZMM’s many public service programs, including the Teaching Learning Caring (TLC) classroom and clinic-on-wheels that served victims of calamities in all their years on the air.  

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, DZMM produced the 30/630: Kwento ng DZMM documentary, which aired on ABS-CBN’s Sunday’s Best and had the Kwento ng Tatlong Dekada segments, wherein former and present DZMM anchors and reporters shared the back story and their personal experiences covering news and events such as the aftermath of EDSA, the coup attempt and sea tragedies in the ‘80s, the Luzon killer quake and Pinatubo explosion in the ‘90s, up to the uprisings and elections that occurred after.

It also staged a Grand Kapamilya event that provided free medical consultations, business workshops, feeding program and raffle to more than a thousand people. Red Alert also held an emergency expo were students and teachers were trained on the basics in disaster preparedness and emergency situations. These were done as if to say that DZMM values public service as much as bringing timely, current and accurate news reports to the Filipino people for whom they strive to serve in every capacity. 

To finally close the program and start the party that night, male singing superstars Jed Madela, Arnel Pineda, Noel Cabangon and Piolo Pascual joined forces to sing the iconic DZMM Teleradyo theme. With everyone singing along with them — whether aloud or silenty — the spirit of DZMM was very much felt. 

Thirty years of being on air and being part of the lives of Filipino families is no small feat, indeed. But the people of DZMM are not done serving the public yet. After all, they would not be here today if not for the very Filipinos they have vowed to serve.