It’s Korina Sanchez’s triumphant season

KORINA Sanchez-Roxas celebrates the final quarter of 2021 as she continues to thrive as PMPC Star Awards For Television recently honored her with its coveted Excellence In Broadcasting Lifetime Achievement Award as a fitting tribute to her prodigious career as one of the country’s most respected and most accomplished broadcast journalists.

For almost four decades, Korina has consistently reinvented herself as one of the most trusted leaders in the broadcasting industry from being the main anchor of some of ABS-CBN’s top groundbreaking shows such as Hoy Gising, The World Tonight, Bandila, Balitang K, Rated K, TV Patrol, and her current magazine show Rated Korina which airs weekly on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z Kapamilya Online Live, The Filipino Channel, TV 5, and Cignal TV One PH as well as some of DZMM most iconic shows such as Tambalang Failon at Sanchez and Korina Sa Umaga while being the Chief Correspondent for the Integrated News and Current Affairs Division of ABS-CBN for over two decades.

As a broadcaster, Korina has won every major award in the Philippines and a handful of international awards, including the prestigious Ka Doroy Broadcaster Of The Year trophy, making her recent recognition in PMPC Star Awards For Television another feather in her cap as she joins the company of the accolade’s past winners namely Bong Lapira, Noli De Castro, Tina Monson-Palma, Mike Enriquez, Maria Ressa, and Luchi Cruz-Valdez among many others.

When asked how she felt when she got the Excellence In Broadcasting Lifetime Achievement Award, Korina gushes, “I feel old. Hahaha! When you’re awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award it’s like you’re ancient. I’m elated still, of course. You know, I do things for me and my standards, mostly. Meaning, if I were to want to make a real difference through my work, I’ll do it according to my standards of effectivity, efficiency, and meeting the target of making that difference. It is never one-dimensional for me. May effect dapat. And that effect I like measuring. It’s idiosyncratic in a away. But I happen to think we must all lead a purpose-driven like and do purposeful work. I’m happy that the PMPC appreciate this, they saw it in my body of work, and got awarded as a bonus! What a thrill! But, make no mistake. I’m hardly done.”

Korina also reveals that she dedicates the award to God who blesses her with sustained health, energy, and opportunity; and to her family who are all so supportive of her purposes especially now that she chooses to continue working despite being a busy mother of two. “Heaven knows we need more and more workers, hopefully, for the greater good – in our own small ways,” says Korina. “I also dedicate the award to the people I work with. They’re the unsung heroes every time one individual goes up a stage and receives a trophy. I even used to have made replicas of my trophies to distribute to staff! Without the people who work around us, with us and for us, we are nothing.”

Korina is also very grateful to her home networks, “To my home networks and producers who have allowed me to just be. They all know I can hardly be bossed, hahaha! But I think they know I do my best and try my darnest to comply with rules. But mavericks I guess can’t be boxed in as solutions to problems are attainable in a thousand different ways. Basta, sagot ko ang hinihingi nila. And we have developed mutually respectful relationships. To MBS Channel 4 my first job where I made coffee for Mel Tiangco (she didn’t know) and cut paper for the Xerox machines, as a weathergirl and cub reporter. They were my first family.”

Korina reminisces about her early days with ABS-CBN, “They saw me through transitioning to ABS-CBN where the Lopezes saw the 20 something Korina to the Lola Korina hahahaha! So much history in ABS-CBN where I traveled the world telling stories through my eyes. I winged it many times pero, pasado naman hahaha! The Golden Years of unoppressed free journalism happened in ABS-CBN and what a blessing to have been part of that history. The Lopezes fought for me to stay on several times. They gave me all the room to grow: to be a reporter, a host, an executive producer, to learn lighting and directing and editing, to produce, to do the news…even entertainment! I will forever be grateful.”

And in these difficult times, Korina is also very grateful to TV5, A2Z, and to Brightlight Productions for picking her up when her home network was closed down. They believe in her as she does her best for them no matter what.

Truly, Korina’s career is having an amazing run coupled with a life that she has been gifted with to do the one best job in the world – a life in broadcast where she could make such a difference.

And with that comes all the learnings. Korina explains that a life in broadcast journalism is not easy. It is not about the glamour. It is about and should always be about doing what it takes to churn out only the best, given all limitations – she used to paint her own set and put on her own make-up on her interviewees. She and her team swam, climbed, hid, and fought. The legwork really is for the young, But Korina believes that the wisdom of the elders is priceless.

For Korina, it’s all for nothing unless you have purpose and attain that purpose, “One has to make a difference. It cannot and should never be touch and go. Follow through until not just the truth comes out but doing something to change for the better. Media is powerful and broadcast journalists have an obligation.”

“Having said all that and for all I’ve put in, it is not all of you. It is not everything,” Korina explains. “Life is so short and multi-faceted, you must learn to balance it with many other passions that may have nothing to do with broadcast. Like having kids and raising them past 50. Like saving animals from cruelty. Like deep sea diving and traveling the Philippines and the world. Don’t forget that God gave us so much.”

And as for the next chapters of her career as an icon in broadcast journalism, Korina says, “These are uncertain times but we have managed to keep going. I believe and claim it will all get better and that the worst is almost over. And with all of it re-opening, I can only hope we all emerge as better human beings because this dark chapter must have taught us some things. We have to prove we are worth evading extinction. And then after the darkness, light once again. It is so exciting. Who knows what’s next? The sky is the limit.”