Investigative journalism is a serious endeavor that requires hard work, patience, and discipline. These are virtues that seasoned broadcast journalist Luchi Cruz-Valdes has been holding on to and hopes today's journalists also think highly of. Luchi shares that, she knew she wanted to have a career in journalism when she was six years old. “I didn’t even know what it was called. I remember watching Jose Mari Velez on TV, and I asked my mom what he was called. Sabi niya, ‘broadcast journalist.’” Since then, she’s worked hard to become one of the pioneers in the industry.

Luchi celebrates her 30th year in the industry this year, and she sat down with Female Network to share her experiences at work, her thoughts on where the industry is headed, and her advice for career-oriented moms like herself. Keep reading for more insights from this media maven.


ON HER CAREER AND HOPES FOR THE INDUSTRY

Luchi Cruz-Valdes has helped mold Philippine investigative journalism for TV as we know it today. Whenever people talk about investigative journalism for broadcasting, the name Luchi Cruz-Valdes comes to mind. She and colleague Cheche Lazaro started the kind of news documentary commonly seen on TV today. Luchi, who currently works as the News and Information Head of TV5, recounts the days when she was still with public affairs program The Probe Team (which was later renamed to Probe). It was her stint on the show that have strengthened the values that have helped her get to where she is today.

“I was with Probe for 12 years,” she shares. “If there was a story I can lay claim to, it was during my time with Probe.” She remembers in particular a story she produced on the Japayukis. “I was the first one to introduce the word ‘Japayuki’ in media. I’m pretty proud of that. As far as I know, I was the first sent to Japan to make a story on the Japayukis. I was also the first one to interview the first Filipino AIDS patient. There [were a lot of things about] AIDS that people didn’t know about back then.” Luchi admits that these are the kinds of stories she misses doing. “In general, I’m really proud of what we did at Probe. Probe set a tradition of journalistic excellence.”

You can sense a bit of frustration, however, as she talks about the state of broadcast journalism now. “Ngayon kasi nakakalungkot. All programs now are subjected to the pressure of ratings. We now tend to choose our topics based on whether they are going to be watched or not. That’s why I miss Probe kasi wala pang ratings, noon e, because the technology didn’t allow it to be reported on a minute-per-minute basis. Hindi katulad ngayon, you see the ratings the very same day. Excited na excited ka, pagod na pagod ka, tapos makikita mo, ito lang? (You get so excited [about a story], you exhaust yourself working on it, then you'll see the rating is [that low and ask], 'Is this it?') It’s sad.”

Although Luchi now enjoys the respect and admiration of colleagues and others in the industry, getting to where she is now was no easy feat. “I’ve had my share of career boo-boos, in fact, to the point where I lost a job,” she shares. “But I would like to think those situations served me very well because I learned from them and I made it a point to learn from them. There’s nothing to regret as long as you use it to propel you to become a better person.”


Even the challenge of playing the ratings game doesn’t bring her down. Instead, she focuses on what she can get out of her job as a journalist, and this is what she reminds the media of today about. “The fun of it is in the learning. We get to interview people that ordinary people don’t have access to. Focus on the opportunity to change the way people think, not on how you look and how you can become famous. To me, it’s really something to be thankful for. And I’m hoping that all journalists have this appreciative attitude.”

When asked for her advice for journalists who are just starting out, Luchi shares, “I don’t know if you realize what a blessing it is. You have this chance every day--even if it’s just one minute on primetime news--to change the way people think. Even if it’s just a report and there’s no opinion involved, you can still change the way people think if you craft the story in a way that will affect them and make them think twice. That is a fantastic opportunity.”


ON FAMILY LIFE AND BEING A MOM

There's no doubt that Luchi Cruz-Valdes is an empowered woman—she’s successful in the field of broadcast journalism, and she’s a loving mom and wife too. Luchi’s husband suffered a stroke five years ago, and he suffered an 80-percent paralysis as a result. This situation has made the whole family stronger and more focused on their priorities.

For Luchi, home is where she seeks refuge at the end of a long, busy, and tiring day. “I don’t have a night life. I hardly go out. A normal day is regaining strength, spending time with the kids, sleeping when I can. We’re a happy family--we laugh a lot, we’re closely knit, we laugh a lot. I’m quite proud that, despite my husband’s stroke, our marriage is very strong and our family life is very strong. It’s very peaceful. We have our share of challenges, but it’s not something we brew on. Home is where we let the storm pass.”

Luchi has three children. Her eldest son is a violin scholar in the US, her second son is a Visual Arts student in the University of Sto. Tomas, and her youngest son, while only nine, is also showing an interest in the arts. “I’m a strict mom and boss. Hindi naman ako terror. I’m strict with quality. Nagsi-strikto ako sa work. I don’t take it out on the person, but on the quality of work. Hindi ako naninigaw, but I tell it as it is.”

On a work day, she gets home at around 8:00 PM to have dinner with the family and catch up with them. She says, “Dinner is a noisy one. It’s not always laughing. It’s mostly catching up on each other, giving each other’s opinions and then rest.” Luchi relishes the fact that her family is a happy one and that everyone is very supportive of each other. She makes it a point to spend quality time with her family when she can, and she’s thankful that, in turn, they understand the demands of her job. “Ang ginagawa ko lang talaga, and they [TV5] know this, please don’t touch my weekends. Yun lang ang request ko. And the boss knows this. They know my situation. I can’t make that a part of my week. The weekends are not a normal part of my work week.”

Since she’s got such a wealth of experience at her disposal, you would think that she would be the first person to volunteer tips for career-oriented moms in the same situation. But Luchi doesn’t consider herself an expert. “The last thing I really want to do is dish out advice. I don’t think I’m an expert on family life and work life, and even as a journalist. It’s a generic thing to me. Love covers a multitude of sins. I always tell my family, 'Look, I’m not perfect. I will disappoint you, but know that I am devoted to you.'” And while she may be hesitant to offer advice, we can certainly learn by her example and apply to our own lives this level of humility and understanding of our strengths and limitations.


(Photos by Mike Dee)