News and public service minus the frills

There is one news/public service show on Channel 9 that keeps me awake every Friday night (it actually comes in at past 12 midnight – in the early hours of Saturday morning). The program is called Ratsada Balita and it is hosted by Dodie Lacuna and Baby de Guzman, also known as Madame Ratsa.

Obviously operating on a shoestring budget, the show doesn’t have the gloss, sleekness and sophistication of most programs in Channels 2 and 7. The studio set is poorly-lit and technical fumbles occur practically every five to 10 minutes.

In spite of this Third World set up, the show delivers the news and provides public service to people who come to them – minus the frills and the fanfare. I’m telling you, it’s one program that doesn’t believe in putting icing on the cake. (Maybe it couldn’t afford the icing.) And the cake? It certainly is no soft chiffon. It’s more like your neighborhood bakery’s matchakaw – hard and tough, like its female anchor, Madame Ratsa.

Stern-looking, Madame Ratsa actually reminds you of the schoolmarm you used to fear when you were still in the grades. And when you hear her talk – booming voice and all – you sometimes just want to hide under your mother’s skirt.

Madame Ratsa is the type who gets angry over ineptness in the government and stupidity in the police force. And this should explain why she’s angry and upset in her show all the time.

But even at the peak of her anger, Madame Ratsa never uses foul language and stays within the boundaries of what is allowed by decent broadcast journalism.

Among the lady broadcasters today on television, she probably is the most fearless. (Korina Sanchez used to hold this title, but is now hampered by the fact that she only gets to read the news in TV Patrol, unlike during her Hoy, Gising days.) Madame Ratsa doesn’t seem to be afraid of anybody and seems like the type who can chew the entire PNP using only her left incisors. Yes, she is Ramon Tulfo in a dress.

Co-anchor Dodie Lacuna – always mild-mannered – is really the perfect foil to Madame Ratsa’s fiery temperament. He always comes in just right before Madame Ratsa’s blood pressure reaches boiling point.

In the show, Madame Ratsa and Lacuna are also aided by their provincial correspondents, who deliver the news from other parts of the country – in an odd assortment of accents, depending on whether they come from the north or the south. While we are not supposed to make fun of provincial accents (never mind if this is already the staple in most local sitcoms), I was really jolted from my seat last Friday night when I heard a reporter from the north pronounce "international" as "interneysional."

But in spite of the show’s imperfections, it’s still one of the most effective news/public service programs in my book. (Although it comes in very late at night, the show can summon Rep. Ralph Recto, Caloocan City Mayor Rey Malonzo and even the entire NBI force live to the studio.)

This Friday night, I will still stay up late again to watch Ratsada Balita and listen to Madame Ratsa’s tirades against the nincompoops in government. But I don’t relish the thought of bumping into her in person because she scares me (even if I’ve done nothing wrong). And since my mother is in the States, I may have difficulty hiding under her skirt.

Readers’ feedback

Letters have started to pile up and I think it’s about time I gave some of my space to people who took the trouble of writing us. The first letter is from Danny Dingle from Sydney, Australia and here’s what he has to say:

I read with interest your article on the Urian Best Actor and Best Actress winners. I am a Nora Aunor fan and I was really ecstatic to read about her string of awards from the Manunuri. I believe she should have been declared the first actress to win a grandslam for her role in Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos because she won the Best Actress award from all the award-giving bodies existing that time (only the FAMAS and the Urian).

Officially, it is Vilma Santos who is regarded as the first grandslam winner (for Relasyon). It is just sad that during the time of Tatlong Taon, the FAP and the other awards bodies were not yet in existence. Otherwise, Nora should have been the first grandslam winner.

By the way, when will Nora make a comeback? We already miss her.

Last Friday afternoon, Nora’s new public service show, Nora-Mismo, started airing on Channel 13. It’s just unfortunate that I was only able to catch the show’s last segment where she interviewed abandoned children in an orphanage and some senior citizens in a home for the aged.

I thought Nora did well as an interviewer and asked the right questions. But I strongly suggest that she be given a primetime slot because 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Channel 13 is as dead as a doornail. Ten thirty in the evening is still fine. At this time, Viva TV is done with its game shows and Carita de Angel. Anything is okay except from that deader than dead timeslot she’s occupying at present.

The other letter we are publishing is from Ting Angeles of 339-H South Van Buren St. Placentia, CA 92870. Here is Ting’s message to us:

In your article regarding the Urian Best Actress honor roll, I’d like to add to your list the Megastar, Sharon Cuneta who won the Urian for Madrasta (tie with Nora Aunor in Bakit May Kahapon Pa?). I think Ms. Cuneta deserved that award alone, but since, as you said in your column, Nora is a Manunuri favorite, I understand why they tied for the award.

Anyhow, I believe that in the years she has spent in show business, Sharon has already grown to be a very good actress and has won recognition for this.

Having watched Madrasta and Bakit May Kahapon Pa? a couple of times more, I still believe that both Sharon and Nora gave the most outstanding performances in 1996 and both deserved to win Best Actress that year. But I do agree with you that Sharon has really grown ito a fine and mature performer. In fact, after Madrasta, all her performances were noteworthy, particularly in Nang Iniwan Mo Ako, where – in my opinion – she gave her best performance ever.