Mel Tiangco is 'most trusted' TV news, current affairs host

“It took me 44 years to get to this.”

It took much longer than 24 hours for award-winning “24 Oras” news anchor Mel Tiangco to reach the “ultimate achievement” in her profession—being recognized as the Most Trusted TV host for News and Current Affairs.

Tiangco received the honor on Friday, April 4 at the 27th ‘Trusted Brand Awards’ ceremony of international magazine Reader's Digest in Pasig City.

“Thank you for telling me here and now that I have been doing a good job,” she said in her speech.

“It took me 44 years to get to this. Forty-four years and my heart is filled with overwhelming happiness, joy, and fulfillment at the thought that I have attained the ultimate achievement in my profession—to be acclaimed as the most trusted, having been determined solely by the general public in an extensive and transparent voting process of the Reader’s Digest.”

'My heart is filled with overwhelming happiness,' 24 Oras news anchor Mel Tiangco says. BEA PINLAC

The veteran newscaster said she is “truly blessed” to be a part of the Kapuso Network, particularly the GMA Integrated News team—with people who, from its leaders, to its writers and editors, to its production assistants, to its reporters and anchors, and even the cameramen and technical team, are “all committed to the highest standards of trust, credibility, integrity, ethics and responsibility in our individual, specific tasks.”  

“I will cherish this recognition as the most trusted news presenter for this is the true measure of success, not just in my profession but also in any and all other professions for that matter,” Tiangco added.

Simple, but not easy

Building a trustworthy character in spite of the temptations and challenges in life is crucial in earning public trust, according to Tiangco.

“Malaking hirap ang makamtan nang buong-buo ang pagtitiwala ng publiko sa ’yo. Malaking hirap. Bakit? Kasi dapat matino ka. Mahirap ‘yun…’Yun ay patuloy na pagsisikap, pinagsisikapan mo at kapag ‘yun ay naging character mo na, nasa pagkatao mo na, madali na,” she said in an interview on the sidelines of the ceremony.

(It’s really difficult to achieve the public’s full trust in you. Really difficult. Why? Because you have to be sensible, and that’s hard…If you continue working for it, and it becomes your character already—a part of who you are then, it’ll be easy.)

Trust, Tiangco said, is earned when people do the right thing.

“Gagawin mo kung ano ‘yung tama at kapag itong ginagawa mo ay parating tama, It becomes you. This is your character. It’s not going to be difficult anymore kasi ikaw na ‘yun. It becomes natural,” she added.

(You’ll do what’s right and when you’re always doing the right thing, it becomes you. This is your character. It’s not going to be difficult anymore since it’s you. It becomes natural.)

Aside from Tiangco’s coveted recognition, GMA Network also bagged its ninth straight platinum award for Most Trusted TV Network. —KG, GMA Integrated News