Remembering Amado Pineda, the original trusted face of TV weather

He was the first face of GMA weather—nay, the first widely recognized weatherman in the Philippines.

He was the man Tessie Tomas first gained recognition for by spoofing: PAG-A-SA-A (accent on the last syllable). He was already made before Steve Martin appeared in "L.A. Story" as a wacky TV meteorologist in 1991.

Mang Amado was the only weather presenter in the 1970s and 1980s when I joined the network as a TV news writer.

He usually ended his weather forecasts with the words "and that’s the latest from PAGASA." Housewives took their cue from him: Pwede na ho kayo magkula bukas. Small fishermen waited for his high tides and low tides, full moons and whatever other announcements they needed to know before setting out to sea or deciding against it.

He would point to a map with a broken antenna from one of their radios at home, and drive to work in his beat-up white VW Beetle. He was forever cheerful and cracking jokes in his Kapampangan accent.

This morning, he passed on at the age of 77. The family has not yet received the exact cause of death, but it is believed he died of cardiac arrest.

Shortly before his death, he had been hospitalized and operated on for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He was also hypertensive, but had made a full recovery until he complained of pain and having difficulty breathing this morning. He died in the hospital.

He is survived by his wife Carmina, daughter Christina Pineda-Manaluz, and grandchildren Christian Joshua, 17, and Carl Jason, 5.

Public viewing of his remains will start at 11 p.m. tonight at Evergreen-Pasig. — BM, GMA News