Patricia Tumulak grows intellectually with anchoring job

CEBU, Philippines — Time sure flies fast when one’s having a ball, and such was the sentiment of the hosts of “Dapat Alam Mo!”, GTV and GMA Network’s daily news magazine show that recently marked its first year.

“Has it been a year already?,” asks aloud Patricia Tumulak, who banners the show with broadcast veterans Emil Sumangil and Kim Atienza.

“It’s been a crazy ride, mostly fun and challenging, but in a good way. Sobrang bilis lang. An hour is like a minute for us because the show is so fast-paced and it’s so fun. It’s like TikTok na 15 seconds lang, but informative. Nakakagulat na isang taon na pala.”

Tumulak, 34, debuted as a television host in 2015 in the long-running noontime show “Eat Bulaga” before branching out as an actress in Kapuso teledramas.

These days, acting has taken a backseat for the Sparkle GMA Artist Center talent as she directs her focus in honing her anchoring skills via “Dapat Alam Mo!”

With the segments assigned to her ranging from food, to fashion, travel, and the latest trends, Tumulak said this allows her to expand her knowledge and not remain stagnant.

“Mostly every day, every segment, especially with our banters…I learn a lot from Kuya Kim and Sir Emil. It’s a good place to grow and learn more, so I feel lucky to be in this show. I’m with the right people, people that I look up to. Plus, those behind the show will really guide you,” she said.

Whereas she used to avoid the news cycle for her “mental health”, Tumulak said hosting for “Dapat Alam Mo!” has forced her to keep up to speed with current events.

“Before pandemic, hindi ako ma-phone. I became an introvert at one point,” she shared.

“For this show, mas naging updated ako sa lahat – from latest chika, to trending news, mga bagong susubukan, Tagalog words, English pronounciations, K-pop idols. Mas lumawak ang aking kaalaman.”

“Dapat Alam Mo!”, airing weekdays at 5:30 p.m. on GTV, has consistently trumped its rival shows since its October 2021 pilot, and continues to amass followers and views online.

Based on Nielsen TAM ratings data, since its launch in GTV on Oct. 18, 2021 up to Oct. 13, 2022 (data inclusive of its simulcast in GMA from February 14 to March 18, 2022), the program logged an average people rating of 7.7 percent in Urban Philippines. It is way ahead of TV5’s “Frontline Pilipinas”, which only got 1.9 percent in Urban Phils. for the same cover period.

Online, its official Facebook page saw massive growth with more than 600,000 followers. During this period, “Dapat Alam Mo!” generated more than 72 million engagements on the platform. On TikTok, the show has more than 84,000 followers, over 743,000 likes, and has chalked up more than 49 million views.

Thrown in with a seasoned journalist and a trivia expert, Tumulak had expressed during the show’s launch last year how she felt like “the weakest link.”

“Sa totoo lang, ganoon pa rin ang posisyon ko,” Tumulak said when asked if she has already gotten her stride. “I still feel like the weakest link, but in good way because I’m in the right group na matatalino at magagaling. It’s a win-win for me.”

Atienza was quick to disagree. “You’re not the weakest link,” he addressed his co-host. “You’re the strongest link. Kung walang Patricia…sakto lang kami ni Emil. Ikaw maganda ka, beauty queen material.”

Tumulak, who has a degree in Child Development and Education, is a Miss Philippines Earth-Fire 2009 title-holder, a Binibining Pilipinas 2011 Top 15 finalist, and represented the country at Miss Multiverse International 2014 in the Dominican Republic.

“She’s so humble, she doesn’t know her impact to others. Kung umasta ito, parang wala siya sa TV,” Atienza added. “But she’s made such a big impact on the show. Ang galing bumasa, charming and matalino ito…teacher ito eh. Siya ang nagpapaganda ng show namin. She’s our muse, at the same time our mascot, because she’s so fun to be with.”

Sumangil also praised her authenticity in an industry replete with celebrity fakery. “Sa lahat ng aking kakila sa showbiz, which are just a handful, isa si Patricia sa mga totoong tao. Very down-to-earth,” he pointed out. “If you want to have a real friend in the industry, she can be one of those.”

Citing the learnings she’s picked up from her co-hosts, Tumulak likewise shared, “From Kuya Emil and Kuya Kim I learned professionalism, to be on time, to love your work, to stay passionate, do your research, hindi ka pwede makampante sa buhay, and to put God first.”

“They always bully me, but as a kuya, in terms of anong dapat gawin, paano dapat sabihin certain things. From Tito Emil, I’ve learned a lot of religious and spiritual stuff,” she continued. “Ang maganda sa amin, the show begins with a prayer so the foundation of this program is God – which is good kasi naghihilaan kami paangat. So many lessons intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.”

And what’s a live show without boo-boos every so often? “The unforgettable moments are my bloopers,” said Tumulak. “Yung natatapilok ako live, when I break into character kasi natatawa ako kasi masayahin akong tao. Konting banat lang ni Kuya Kim, natatawa ako. And ang tamang pronounciation in Filipino, doon ako nababarok most of the time.”