The year 2020 turned out to be life-changing for broadcaster Rico Hizon. After working abroad and making a name for himself in international news TV for more than two decades – first with CNBC (Consumer News and Business Channel) for seven years and then with BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) World News for 18 years – Rico packed his bags and returned home.
He wants to spend time with his 92-year-old dad that was why he opted to stay here. His mom passed away in 2013 and his dad now lives alone. A local network had an offer for Rico back in 2010. In 2018, he had three more offers from other local networks. Yet, he only decided early last year to be based again in Manila.
Initially, Rico and his wife, Melannie Syquia-Hizon, even planned to have a vacation in the US in April last year with their only son, Migo. But the inevitable happened and the pandemic changed a lot of things worldwide.
Rico returned in March 2020 and before the lockdown was declared, he was compelled to start his work right away with CNN Philippines, where he took on the positions as senior news anchor and director for content development.
After only 14 months with CNN Philippines, Rico has reaped quite a number of awards. “I’m truly humbled that despite being a newcomer at CNN Philippines, I have been able to give honor to the news network,” he beamed.
The Final Word with Rico Hizon won the 2020 Best News Program in the Philippines at the Asian Academy Creative Awards. At the UP Gandingan Awards 2021, Rico took home three honors: Best News Anchor for CNN Philippines’ flagship evening news program, The Final Word, Best TV Program Host for the weekly business program, The Exchange; and Most Development-Oriented News Story for The Final Word.
“The accolades wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my talented colleagues who work so hard every day to bring you ‘News You Can Use and News You Can Trust,’” Rico granted. “To God be the glory.”
He is truly honored after receiving the UP Gandingan Award virtually for Best News Anchor for The Final Word. “As a nation, we are facing challenging times,” Rico said. “We are fighting an unseen and unpredictable enemy. While our brave frontliners are protecting and saving lives, we in media also have a vital role in response to COVID-19. We face a different battle.
“As a broadcast journalist, my responsibility is to give the public an accurate, truthful, unbiased account of the news. Being objective is my duty.
“Day in and day out, I have to fight the rumors and the misinformation. I have to keep spreading the facts, to empower people with information they need and trust.
“To all of us journalists, we have a responsibility not only to our professions and to the organizations we represent, but most importantly to our audiences and to the general public.
“In these trying times of our lives, we must be responsible to know the truth, speak the truth and deliver the truth. We have to set the record straight – 24/7 – to understand what’s known and what’s unknown about this virus.”
Even if he has faced the cameras for more than three decades now, Rico, admittedly, still gets the jitters when conducting interviews with big name personalities. “I still do get nervous, because I want to do my best in every show that I anchor,” he said. “I never take any news item, segment and show for granted.
“In the thousands of news programs that I’ve anchored from GMA News, CNBC, BBC World News and now CNN Philippines over my 33-year career, I check every script with a fine tooth comb,” Rico insisted. “I truly believe in the saying, ‘I’m only as good as my last newscast.’”
Sharing some of his biggest milestones working abroad, Rico is truly proud that he has been a trailblazer for Filipino broadcast journalists. He is the first Filipino to anchor for two of the world’s biggest international networks, CNBC and BBC World News. Today, Rico considers it a true honor to work for CNN here in the Philippines.
“Having been able to work overseas for CNBC for seven years and BBC World News for 18 years were personal major achievements,” Rico asserted. “It was not only working for the networks that were milestones for me overseas, but also giving back to the Filipino communities in Hong Kong and Singapore, where I lived and worked for the most part of my 25 years.”
Rico also served as president of Filipino community organizations in Hong Kong and Singapore, where he helped his kababayan in weekend activities.
Yet, he is strongly aware the buck doesn’t stop after his work in the international news networks ceased, but continues even more at present, as he will do a greater deal for his kababayan now that he’s back in Manila.