Dad we Love: Anthony “Ka Tunying” Taberna

What does he think of the RH Bill? Is he for or against divorce? Does he think additional years will improve the educational system? For the first time, TV and radio news anchor / reporter / commentator Anthony “Ka Tunying” Taberna is on the hot seat – not familiar territory, since he’s usually the one asking questions in the segment ‘Punto por Punto’ of ABS-CBN’s morning show Umagang kay Ganda (UKG) - but he indulges us in an exclusive interview, occasionally dropping explosive revelations that are too scandalous to publish.

His hard-hitting commentaries have earned him a few enemies, some even exerting efforts to “make their presence felt”. In April of last year, Ka Tunying tells us that an improvised explosive device was set off in their neighbor’s house in a case of mistaken identity.

“I came from a speaking engagement in Tacloban with my wife. Pagbalik namin the next day which is a Sunday, mga 10 am, ang daming pulis sa labas ng bahay ko. Sabi ko sa pulis, ‘Ano meron?’ “Yung kapitbahay ninyo, tinamnan ng bomba sa garahe.’ The incident took place around 4:30 in the morning. Nung hapon, bumalik yung mga pulis, diniretso na ko. ‘Sir, we believe that you were the target of that IED.’ ‘Bakit ako?’ Sabi nya, ‘your house description is the same as the house na binomba’. E eto pa naman si misis, she religiously goes to Church every Sunday, and she leaves the house at around 4:30 in the morning. So kung nagkataon na nandun kami, at sakaling hindi nagkamali kung sino mang kamote yun na naglagay nun, palagay ko the damage could have been bigger. Mabait din sa akin ang Diyos.”

Occupational hazards, he calls them, but Ka Tunying is not one to waiver easily. He confesses though that he fears not for his life, but for the security of his family – Rossel, his wife, and their two daughters, Zoey, turning 3, and Helga, 1. “If you’re a journalist, moreso kung komentarista ka, you make opinions and you influence people’s opinions, mas mabigat yung responsibility mo. May mga nasasagasaan ka, may nagagalit sa yo.”  

Finding a partner for life who would understand the nature of his work took a while. “Ang pinakamahabang relationship ko yata (before getting married) was 1 and a half years. On average, 3-6 months lang noon, dahil siguro di sila maka-adapt dun sa lifestyle ko na sobrang madaming ginagawa.”

Besides that, Ka Tunying was particular about a certain quality: “Gusto ko yung mabait sa magulang, dahil mabait ako sa nanay ko. Tapos na-meet ko si Rossel, at yung mommy nya nakikinig pala sa radio shows ko, so medyo plus ko na yun kasi kilala ako ng nanay nya.” No one seemed to mind the 11-year age gap, which Ka Tunying says works for them. After going out for a few months, he proposed to Rossel who just graduated from college, and they got married in June 2008. 

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A Social Conscience
He says he never imagined that he would get to where he is now, since it all began just as a means to survival. “Kaya lang ako nag-apply sa radio station ay para makapag-aral ako. Pero habang tumatagal ka sa trabaho, una maliit lang yung nakikita mo, tapos lumalaki nang lumalaki. Pupunta ka sa pinaka-depressed na community. Makikita mo yung social problems natin. Sabi ko, dapat may gawin tayo dito, hindi pwedeng wala.” Almost twenty years since he began his broadcasting career, he still loves his job with a passion, and believes with conviction that media can do something good for the society.

“Pero naaalala ko, bata pa lang ako, mahilig na akong pumuna. Bago kasi ako makarating sa school namin, I had to travel 4 to 6 kilometers, at yung isang parte nung daan, sira-sira. Yun yung unang isinulat ko sa school organ namin, high school pa lang ako. Siguro hindi ko lang napansin nun, pero baka ang talagang papel ko sa buhay is to criticize, pero constructively naman.” 

Raising kids
Uncompromising as he may be at work, Ka Tunying is a self-confessed softie when it comes to his daughters. “Lumaki ako sa pamalo, pinalo ako ng nanay at tatay ko. Pero ako, hindi ko pala kayang paluin ang anak ko, lalo na parehong babae.”

He and Rossel share with us the lessons they want their kids to learn:

1. To be grateful. “Maturuan ko lang silang magpasalamat sa mga bagay na tinatanggap nila, lalo na sa pasasalamat sa Diyos, palagay ko malaking bagay na yun.” He tells us an incident when Zoey woke them up at 3 in the morning urging them to pray with her. Asked why, she answers, “Kasi sick ako e.” Ka Tunying was so touched. “Parang gusto kong umiyak nun. May naituro pala ako sa bata. Hindi ko man siguro sinadya, pero natutunan ko silang magtiwala sa magagawa ng Diyos sa aming lahat. Sabi ko, magandang umpisa ito para sa magiging katauhan nya hanggang sa paglaki nya.”

2. To live simply. Ka Tunying is proud of his roots. Born and raised in Nueva Ecija by a father who worked as a bus driver and a mother who stays at home, he knows how to value what he has. According to Rossel, “marami akong natutunan (kay Anthony), tulad ng, pag kumain ka, ubusin mo yung pagkain mo. Na lahat ng bagay papahalagahan mo, wala dapat nasasayang. Very practical kami, wala kaming kino-collect na mamahaling paintings, hindi kami mahilig sa branded, simple lang talaga.” Anthony sums it up by saying, “Mula sa maliit, naging malaki tayo, wag naman sanang lumiit ulit dahil lang sa pagiging bulagsak sa paggamit ng kung anuman yung meron tayo.”

3. To treat people equally. “Tinuturuan naming sila na wag maging mapangmata ng kapwa. May isang insidente na may pinuntahan kami, sabi nung panganay, “It smells bad here, saka dirty.” Pinagsabihan ni Rossel. Dapat malaman nila na hindi lahat ng dadatnan nila palaging nandun yung comfort.”

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4. To be respectful. “May nagtanong sa akin kung ano daw bang lengguwahe ang dapat ituro sa bata. Sa mga anak ko, sabi ko turuan nating mag-Tagalog, kasi ang Ingles walang ‘po’ at ‘opo’. Yun ang kaibahan ng lengguwahe natin. Kahit nga hindi ka pa mamupo, pag sinabi mong “kayo”, o “nyo”, (magalang pa din). Gusto ko silang maging magalang dahil malaking bagay yun sa personalidad ng isang tao, para sa akin.” Rossel adds, “Yung mga kaklase ni Zoey, karamihan hindi marunong makipag-usap sa matanda. Ang pangit pakinggan e, kung ako ang kakausapin ng anak ko nang ganun, hindi ako magiging komportable.”

5. To learn the value of fellowship with others. “Ten years from now, gusto kong makita yung mga anak ko na kapareho ko ring mag-isip pagdating sa pakikipagkapwa-tao, dahil 75% ng oras, ang kasalamuha ko ay mga maglulupa, yung natitirang 25% ay mga may pinag-aralan. Sana dumating yung panahon na yung mga anak ko kayang makipag-usap kahit kanino.”

 

Time for the family
Both Anthony and Rossel have their hands full at work, but they make time to play with their kids, never mind that it usually starts at 11 PM and ends after midnight. “Pagdating namin, nagigising sila para makipaglaro at ang tagal bago sila matulog ulit,” says Rossel.

Because of his work, Ka Tunying says he’s in the studio practically the whole day. “I wake up at 4 am, aalis before 5 am” to make it to his radio show Dos por Dos with Gerry Baja on DZMM. “After UKG ng 8:30 may fieldwork ako, minsan TV Patrol, minsan XXX. 5:30 pm may Dos por Dos ulit.” He has two hours to kill from 6:30 to 8:30 before he again goes live on Studio 23 for the 9:00 news. “Natatapos araw ko ng 10:00, nasa bahay ako ng 10:30, dun pa lang ako kumakain, para kasabay ko pa yung misis ko.”

Since Rossel co-owns Outbox Media, an events and video production business, she’s a bit more flexible when it comes to her schedule, which allows her to go with the kids to field trips and attend school activities.

For his part, Ka Tunying makes up for lost time by calling up his little darlings everyday, “kahit paulit-ulit lang yung tanong mo na ‘What did you do in school?’” to which Zoey would proudly reply, “Di ako nang-away.”

“Napakaimportante na may communication kahit di kayo magkita madalas. At minsan nakakapunta pa ko sa school. Yung maliliit na oras na ganun, nakikita ko pa din sila lumaki. Yung mga laro namin kapag gabi na kahit hilo na kami sa antok. Yung early morning na naririnig nila yung yabag ko sa floor nagigising na sila. Saka iba talaga pag niyayakap mo yung anak mo, hindi man ako 24 hours na nakatutok sa kanila.”

Rossel adds that they also take advantage of long breaks like Holy Week or holidays to bond as a family. “Nakakabawi kami pag ganoon. Alam na din nila na pag weekdays, papasok sa office si Mommy Sel at Daddy Tunying, at pag Saturday at Sunday, pasyal naman kami, or a-attend ng kiddie party.”

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Hot issues
We couldn't pass up the chance to ask Ka Tunying about his thoughts on today’s hottest issues:

Reproductive Health Bill
Anthony: Pabor kami dyan. Kung sino pa kasi yung hand-to-mouth lang yung survival, yun pa ang maraming anak. Sa palagay ko, ok lang yung maraming anak, pero dapat may spacing, at pangalawa, kaya mo bilang magulang. So napakaimportanteng aspeto ng RH bill na i-educate mo yung parents on the number of kids that they can have para din sa kapakanan ng mga bata.

Rossel: Ako, yung emotional attachment as a mother. Minsan nakokonsensya ako na magkasunod sila Zoey at Helga, hindi mo masyadong mabigyan ng atensyon, what more kung sunod-sunod yung anak mo? Pag hindi nabibigyan ng atensyon, dun na nagsisimula yung they turn to other things. Problema na.

Divorce
A : Tingin ko hindi na masosolusyunan ang isang problema ng isa pang problema. Tutal klaro naman ang sinabi ng bible dyan: kung hindi kayo magkasundo, e di maghiwalay kayo, pero mag-ayos kayo – sa akin yun ha? Pero kung may divorce, at papayagan mong mag-asawa ulit, e pano kung magka-problema ulit? So dumadami lang yung problema mula sa isang problema.

K + 12 years basic education
A: Sa tingin ko, sapat na yung 10 taon na education, but on several conditions: Ayusin mo yung educational system, yung kalidad, teacher, classroom. Palagay ko nga, sobra pa  and sampung taon sa isang sitwasyon na maayos ang teacher, maayos ang classroom, sapat ang libro, sapat ang support service ng gobyerno, meaning mga feeding program sa public schools, etc.

Si Marcos produkto ng sampung taong edukasyon. Si Blas Ople, hanggang high school lang yan, hindi nag-college yan pero katakot-takot na honoris causa ang nakuha. Pero kung talagang sobra-sobra pera natin, at sasagutin ng gobyerno ang pamasahe, matrikula, mga pangangailangan sa schools, mga gamit. O sige. Kahit another ten years pa.

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Does he have plans to go into politics?
A: Wala. Zero. Magsasalita ako ng tapos. Ang pamilya ko nga e, hirap akong buhayin, paasahin ko pa sa akin yung mas maraming tao? Maraming beses na akong nilapitan, nung 2007 pinapatakbo akong congressman sa amin, nung 2010, pinapatakbo din ako. There were 2 billionaires who approached me and promised that they will bankroll my campaign. Kako, gastusin nyo na lang ho sa iba yung pera nyo, hindi ko ho linya yan. Mas gusto ko yung ako pumupuna kesa ako pupunahin.

Is there such a thing as a good politician?
Palagay ko, meron. Sa tingin ko, lahat naman ng politico natin magaganda siguro ang intensyon: palakihin ang sarili para pag may muscle na sila, makakatulong na sila sa kapwa nila. Kaya lang, pagka nandun na, yung naririnig natin na kinakain ka ng sistema? Dati, pag nagpagawa ka ng isang tulay, 5% nun mapupunta sa pulitiko. Sabi nung ibang pulitiko, yung 5% daw na yun, gagamitin naman daw nya sa mga humihingi ng tulong, kasi araw-araw naman may kumakatok sa pinto ng pulitiko, mga namatayan, nasunugan. Kaya lang yung iba, “ok ito, easy money”, nababago na pati lifestyle. Dati yung 5% pambigay lang, ngayon pati kapricho nya, pati kapricho ng misis nya, ng barkada nya.

Lahat yan magaganda intensyon sa umpisa. Baka nga yung iba maganda pa ang intension ngayon kaya lang nagpapatangay na lang sa agos ng sistema dahil pwede naman, nakakalusot naman. So ako, ayoko nun. Ayokong magkaron ng ganung power dahil baka di ko kayanin. Palagay ko pag naging pulitiko ako baka magaya din ako sa kanila, kahit gano pa kaganda yung upbringing mo, kahit pa mataas ang moral values mo, pag nandun ka na. Power corrupts, alam naman natin yan.

Plans for another baby?
Siguro pag 25 years old na si Zoey.

Dreams for his country
As a father with big dreams for his children, Ka Tunying is hopeful that the fruits of his labor now will be reaped by the future generation. “Kung may maliit akong kontribusyon para mabawasan yung corruption, mabawasan yung crime, mabawasan yung sobrang politicking sa bansa, baka naman 10 to 20 years from now, mas maganda na yung community we will live in. Magiging masaya na ako masabi lang ng mga anak ko na, ‘uy, bahagi ang tatay ko nyang pagbabago na yan.’”

Photos by Ben Lim

Shot on location at Discovery Suites, Ortigas, Pasig