What We Lost When We Lost Mike Enriquez

When news broke that Mike Enriquez passed away, it wasn’t entirely unexpected, but still came as a shock to many. He had been unwell for months and was MIA in the early evening newscast 24 Oras on GMA Network for at least a couple of years. While viewers had begun getting used to not seeing him on their TV screens every night, his passing still leaves a huge hole in Philippine broadcasting that will likely never be filled ever again. 

Most viewers know him for his delivery of the news in Tagalog, but those closest to him know that he could do the news just as well, if not better, in English. One of his first jobs in broadcasting, after all, was as a radio DJ for an FM radio station. From there he would transition into AM radio and join GMA Network in the 1990s. Besides his preternatural voice, he was known for his off-the-cuff wit and charm and had a knack for taking ordinary things and making them interesting.

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There are those who would claim that he did not exactly possess the conventional good looks required to become a TV anchor, but it is a testament to his natural talents and gifts that he became one anyway. For millions of Filipinos, he became the conduit through which we learned about what was going on in the world. Along with his colleagues, he gave us the news—good, bad, and worse—with integrity and a steely resolve to make sure it was understood. Insiders say he would consult with writers and producers to replace words that he thought might have been too confusing or highfalutin before he uttered them on air.  

He was a hardworking journalist if there ever was one. Many times he stepped out of the comfort of the airconditioned news studio and delivered the news from remote locations close to where the action was. Whether that was in a far-flung province devastated by a typhoon or a war-torn city overseas, Enriquez wasn’t one to shy away from covering the news and not just reading it to the public. 

Besides his anchor duties he hosted the long-running public affairs show Imbestigador, and, of course, initiated healthy discourse and helped shaped opinion through his radio program on DZBB. As if all that wasn’t enough, he also held an executive position as SVP for News and Current Affairs, overseeing the operations of one of the country’s most trusted names in broadcasting. 

He was not immune to mistakes, but he turned these gaffes into pockets of unexpected tickles. Who can forget how he punctuated an involuntary cough with a wry “Excuse me po!”? Often at the end of a newscast he would engage his co-anchors in light banter and gentle, good-natured ribbing, momentarily shattering the illusion of a staid, intensely authoritative TV news presenter with someone who was more approachable, more human.

And while he will probably always carry that reputation of being gruff, imposing, and larger-than-life, those who worked with him and knew him best tell a different story. When the cameras weren’t rolling, they speak of someone who was pleasant, considerate, approachable, and fun. In the hours after his passing, colleagues former and current took to social media to pay tribute to the man beyond his newsroom persona. Reporter Nelson Canlas says Enriquez pushed peanuts and watermelon seeds into his hands at random moments when they saw each other in the newsroom. Former news administrator Kelly Vergel De Dios recalls his regular ration of pan de sal that he’d order for the folks working in the newsroom. Former Kapuso talent Love Añover shares how he’d always give her a hug and ask about her family each time they saw each other. Add similar stories of dozens, even hundreds of colleagues and friends, and we can begin to see the portrait of a man who was every inch a consummate professional, and one who developed close personal relationships with people he worked with. It’s proof of just how much he wasn’t just a news anchor, but a deeply committed and caring colleague and friend. 

My own encounters with the man were, admittedly, limited and therefore shallow. We had short interactions during my days in GMA, but even then I can personally attest to all the stories of him being the opposite of scary and snooty. In the years after I left the network, I had occasional run-ins with him at a coffee shop close to where he lives, and each time he did not hesitate to pull his wallet out and buy my coffee (and pastry) for me. It’s rather ordinary and perhaps inconsequential, but it’s a personal memory I’ll always carry.

When we lost Mike Enriquez, we lost much more than a chronicler of events and transmitter of news; we lost a shining light, a beacon of integrity and trust, and, perhaps more importantly, a genuinely good person. There will never be another like him.