Ging Reyes, head of Integrated News and Current Affairs (INCA), has to be credited with actually making integration happen.
It was a 20-year-old vision that would make news coverage more comprehensive yet less costly, more up-to-date and exponentially synergistic by sharing manpower, equipment and facilities across the breadth of broadcast, narrowcast and digital platforms. It was indeed a challenge to integrate structures, platforms and work flows when people were not used to consulting or coordinating with other divisions or departments.
The work involved standardizing skills and competencies, managing different people, looking after their needs and providing them with the tools of the trade. The goal was to establish a steady pipeline of talent that could cover Filipinos from the farthest rural areas to the urban hubs and also overseas where millions of our kababayan reside.
In the last five and a half years, Reyes has slowly but surely won over the thousandstrong INCA workforce, enabling the transition to a truly integrated news organization.
Functionally integrated
“It is still a work in progress, but we are getting there. We are functionally integrated already, but there are still some administrative matters to iron out,” she says.
Integration has allowed INCA to discover and harness fresh talent for the various formats needed by effective storytelling. In the interim, the digital platform abs-cbnnews.com is undergoing steady improvement in terms of layout and to increase download speed; ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) was relaunched with a new look and a greater balance between general and political news and business content; and ANC has put up a new studio in Rockwell Center, Makati, to be closer to the action, so to speak.
Reyes had always felt a deep sense of community with the news organization, sharing in the triumphs and failures of the whole team. Although new faces have come up, as colleagues from the 1980s have either retired or moved on to other endeavors, her friendship and professional relationships with fellow news people from within and outside ABS-CBN, young and old alike, have endured.
The next big thing
And after 30 years with ABS-CBN, Reyes is still working on the next big thing.
“I want our content to be at par with international news agencies. I want ABS-CBN to be recognized as the best and most trusted news source beyond Philippine shores. I want our people to become respected journalists with a global perspective. My dream is for me to be in a foreign country and find that the person next to me is online and reading a story on abs-cbnnews.com.”
While Reyes expects “TV Patrol” to remain as the top-rating news program nationwide, she believes ABS-CBN reporters are good enough to come up with stories that have universal appeal. For this reason, she has strengthened the news gathering and research capabilities of INCA, supporting an investigative reporting group and continuously training reporters so that they can pursue important stories that have an impact on people’s lives.
Emergency preparedness training
On the local front, DZMM TeleRadyo is bound to grow its scope beyond Metro Manila to the national level. DZMM reporters have actually undergone training in TV production, for them to gain insight on how to produce stories with a more visual appeal. And just about everyone has had training in emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction.
“It is always a challenging time when a big disaster strikes. You get worried about your people. You want them to have the presence of mind to survive the situation, to take the right action for the good of the team. For example, when Yolanda struck (in November 2013), it took almost an entire day before word got to us that our teams on the ground were safe,” Reyes says.
While retirement is still quite some time into the future, she is already doing some succession planning, not only for herself as head of INCA, but for the entire organization, referring to that “steady pipeline of talent” that would endure and keep world-class news coming to our screens (TV, laptops or mobile phones) or radios, no matter what.
Her message to LopezLink readers: “We call on our Lopez Group kapamilya to sign up as Bayan Patrollers. Take an active part in the elections by guarding your vote in your community. Send us photos and reports using the hashtag #halalan2016 and tune in to our coverage on TV or on your tablets and mobile devices. You just might see your report on the news.” (Story/Photos by: Carla Paras-Sison)
Published on Thursday, 20 August 2020 | Hits:1014
Kapamilya love reached more Filipinos as ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.’s (AFI) “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig: Isang Daan, Isang Pamilya” campaign distributed food packs and ligtas bags outside Metro Manila for those greatly
Published on Thursday, 18 June 2020 | Hits:1006
Local government units (LGUs) found it challenging to quickly provide relief to families affected by the quarantine. That is why several mayors in Metro Manila and nearby provinces have expressed
Published on Thursday, 18 June 2020 | Hits:949
As Filipino families continue to struggle with the loss of jobs, ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI) moves to the second phase of the “Pantawid ng Pagibig” campaign with the aim of
Published on Tuesday, 19 May 2020 | Hits:1106
The “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig” campaign of ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI) has raised P350 million in cash donations and pledges for the benefit of over 600,000 families in Metro
Published on Thursday, 06 February 2020 | Hits:1012
NO evacuee will be left behind. This is the promise of ABSCBN as it launches the “Tulong-Tulong sa Taal” campaign, which aims to unite the nation in helping Filipinos affected
Published on Friday, 23 June 2017 | Hits:4878
ABS-CBN Foundation Europe CIO joins public and private support for the victims of the massive fire that hit the 24-storey residential London Grenfell Tower in West London on June 14
Published on Friday, 17 February 2017 | Hits:5070
A state of calamity has been declared by the Mayor of Surigao City. Relief and rescue operations are underway for the barangays that have been affected.
Published on Tuesday, 19 May 2020 | Hits:1809
The Rural Workers Association of San Rafael (RWASR) based in Bulusan, Sorsogon, which runs Nasipit Eco-Agri Farm, has a simple message for their fellow Filipinos: “There is no problem we
Published on Thursday, 16 April 2020 | Hits:1605
ABS-CBN helps arm Filipinos with relevant information to stop the spread of disease through its “Ligtas Pilipinas sa COVID-19” campaign on radio, TV and online.
Published on Thursday, 16 April 2020 | Hits:1756
HELP came through for health workers in East Avenue Medical Center after ABS-CBN delivered masks and other protective gear and snacks to show support and Kapamilya love to those leading
Published on Monday, 09 March 2020 | Hits:1421
“Maraming, maraming salamat po sa award na ipinagkaloob ninyo sa amin. Alay namin ito sa kapatid kong si Gina Lopez,” said “G Diaries” host and Bantay Bata 163 executive director
Published on Monday, 09 March 2020 | Hits:1477
She could hardly contain her joy and excitement when she saw her son walking towards her. She welcomed him with tight hugs and happy tears as a loving mother would
Published on Monday, 09 March 2020 | Hits:1365
ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. (ALKFI) renamed its building Gina Lopez Building in honor of its late chairperson and founder of ALKFI programs Bantay Bata 163 and Bantay Kalikasan.
Published on Thursday, 06 February 2020 | Hits:1468
ACCORDING to UNICEF, 95 children in the Philippines die every day because of malnutrition. This is one of the reasons Alaska Milk Corporation supports the advocacy of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya
Published on Monday, 16 December 2019 | Hits:2195
IN 2015, Unicef and the Council for the Welfare of Children conducted the National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children in the Philippines, which indicated that eight out of 10
Published on Friday, 05 January 2018 | Hits:1906
For the Love of Children For the Love of Children These children live everyday making ends meet without losing hope that a better future awaits them. Together, let’s keep their hopes alive
Published on Wednesday, 20 December 2017 | Hits:2250
New World Hotels and Resorts gears up for another exciting edition of Run & Raise in 2018. Now on its fourth year, Run & Raise 4 will be held at