Kuya Kim, Emil & Patricia go ‘international’ on Dapat Alam Mo’s first anniversary

MANILA, Philippines — A year has passed since the triumvirate of Kuya Kim Atienza, Emil Sumangil and Patricia Tumulak was introduced to headline the daily news magazine show, Dapat Alam Mo! on GTV. They have lived up to what one may call the bearers of news, information and Serbisyong Totoo, the Kapuso brand of public service. The hosts will celebrate their show’s milestone beginning tomorrow, Oct. 31.

“Has it been a year already? Like what Kuya Kim said, time flies when you’re having fun,” said Patricia in a virtual press conference that also featured Kuya Kim and Emil. “It has been a crazy ride. (Most of it is) fun, but challenging in a good way.”

From Mondays to Fridays at 5:30 p.m., the three take on the challenge to serve viewers the latest goings-on around the country and features that bring good vibes.

“What I can say about the show is ang pagbabalita natin ay seryoso (the news reporting is serious) and very timely, but the delivery is very outside the box, nakakaaliw,” shared Kuya Kim, who was referring to the use of graphics in the show.

“Sobrang bilis lang, an hour show, it’s like a minute for us,” added Patricia, “kasi ang bilis ng programa, ang bilis ng flow and it’s fun, which is good. (It can be likened to a) TikTok (content) (good) for 15 seconds but informative.’

As for Emil, he had this to say: “For one year, the show and the hosts had the chance to showcase a different kind of news reporting and bringing public service (to people).”

Since Dapat Alam Mo! was launched in the pandemic times, the show’s public service segment also focused on online scams and provided help to victims and reminders to viewers, said Emil. While he was reporting on all this, the host also learned from it.

Same goes for Kuya Kim, who, according to him, reads two to four trivia daily. “Ang dami ko pang ‘di alam at ang dami ko pang natututunan dahil dito sa show na ito (There are things that I still do not know and I’m learning a lot from the show). So, it’s very exciting,” said he.

With Patricia, she also picks up new things from the program segments and “from our banters, opinions and thoughts, marami akong natututunan from Kuya Kim and Sir Emil. (The show is) really a good place (for one) to grow and to learn more. So, I’m lucky to be here in this show.”

The GTV program, Dapat Alam Mo!, keeps viewers informed and entertained.

“Here, in Dapat Alam Mo!, we are trained to interact with the graphics. If there’s graphics, hindi basta lang lalabas yan. You need to talk to the graphics… It takes some skill and it takes a while before you get used to it while you’re reading (the news from) the (tele)prompter at habang kinakausap mo yung dinosaur, mannequin or whatever, at gumaganda pa lalo yung mga graphics namin,” said Kuya Kim.

“May kasamang acting yung delivery ng balita rito (there’s acting aspect in the delivery of the news), So, you’re delivering the news that is straightforward, but the delivery is very outside the box.” He acknowledged the hard work of the people behind the show, like the news personnel, who are responsible for the well-curated lineup, and the artists, who create the interesting graphics. “The three of us appear good because the people behind us are even better. So, it’s a team effort, yung synergy,” added the host.

What makes the show interesting, too, is the language it uses. Viewers of Dapat Alam Mo! encounter words of the Gen Z or the language of the young, as Kuya Kim described it, and colloquial and common terms that people can relate to, said Emil, who also emphasized that the delivery of news should catch the viewers’ attention.

“Ang maganda sa amin (What’s good in our show) is, it’s interactive and relatable,” said Patricia, “and our target audiences range from the young to adults. Sanay ako sa mga lengwaheng ganyan, para lang akong nakikipagkwentuhan sa kausap ko sa camera (I’m familiar with such language and I feel like I’m just talking to someone when in front of the camera). It’s fun-filled learning.”

Aside from being a news personality, Patricia is also a Sparkle talent, whose main focus, for now, is Dapat Alam Mo!. “Let’s cross the bridge when we get there,” she said of possible assignments in the future. “Sabi ko nga (it’s about) God’s timing. If there’s additional blessing (or work), thank you, Lord. If there’s none, let’s (just) focus on this one (or what I have now).”

What sort of surprise do the hosts have for the Dapat Alam Mo! viewers?

“For our first-year anniversary, magugulat kayo (you’ll be surprised),” said Kuya Kim. “Dahil hindi (lang) kami pupunta sa isang bansa, pupunta kami sa maraming bansa at mag-li-live kami sa maraming bansa (We will not just go to one country, but to many. And we will do live coverage). The cameras are ready as well as our itinerary.” As a teaser, he said that they will present news in Busan, South Korea.

One thing is for sure though: Kuya Kim, Emil and Patricia will carry on to bring the latest news, information and public service to viewers.