MANILA, Philippines — Kapuso broadcast journalist Atom Araullo has hit the headlines again with speculations that he is dating fellow journalist Zen Hernandez.
Araullo greeted Hernandez for her birthday on his Instagram account by posting photo booth pictures of themselves, with fellow journalists Karen Davila and Pinky Webb commenting greetings and teasing remarks.
People who frequently watch daily news programs will be familiar with Araullo's name, but who exactly is he?
Background
Araullo was born Alfonso Tomas Pagaduan Araullo and he graduated from the University of the Philippines-Diliman with a degree in Applied Physics.
He got his start in broadcasting since his childhood years in the '90s, rising to fame via the then ABC-5 show "5 and Up," produced by Probe Productions.
He then joined GMA, featuring on the "ATOMic Sports" segment of long-running show "24 Oras," before moving to rival company ABS-CBN in 2005.
It was during his stint with ABS-CBN where he got nationwide recognition, when he was reporting in Tacloban during Super Typhoon Yolanda amid heavy rains and strong winds.
Four years later, he left ABS-CBN in hope of pursuing other ventures like documentaries, returning to GMA that same year. To date, Araullo is a frequent anchor on "24 Oras."
Araullo has dabbled in acting, featuring in Mike De Leon's comeback film "Citizen Jake" as a journalist who is the son of a Marcos crony.
Beyond the camera, Araullo was appointed as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador in 2019, being an advocate for the refugee cause through field missions to Mindanao, Jordan, and Bangladesh.
Related: WATCH: Atom Araullo shares his top 5 travel tips
On love and relationships
In a 2018 interview with Philstar.com, Araullo admitted to not liking Valentine's Day.
"There's so many people everywhere — there's traffic, it's expensive — I'd rather stay at home," Araullo said, though he was single at that time and did not consider himself "one of the most eligible bachelors around."
For the journalist, love is "doing everything to make your prtner happy, but not losing yourself in the process."
As for the age-old question, "Mahal mo o mahal ka?," Atom said, "Why can't it be both? I think you should aspire for both, it's possible," adding that he looks for passion in a potential partner.
Araullo believed that exes can remain friends if they had a good break-up, and that embracing feelings and the magic of time can mend a broken heart.
Araullo's last publicly known relationship was with Patty Laurel, his co-host in the Studio 23 morning show "Breakfast." Laurel, who is now married to a production company owner and has two kids, is currently a content creator and host. — Videos by Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
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