Atty. Ruphil Bañoc, station Manager DYHP (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA).
ONE of Cebu’s most-celebrated broadcast commentators today, lawyer Ruphil Bañoc is expected to give his listeners more reason to cheer as he debuts his first opinion piece in
Cebu Daily News on Friday.
Bañoc will take his “Straight to the Point” program, aired on dyHP 612 KHz in the morning and on CCTV 47 in the afternoon Mondays through Fridays, to CDN’s opinion page Friday each week.
“Our readers can expect fair treatment of issues, fearless commentary and thorough analysis of current events. And, of course, it won’t be libelous,” he said, laughing at that last bit.
With 20 years of experience in media and 10 years of law practice, Bañoc said he was confident he can share something to his readers worthy of the Inquirer brand.
The commentator is among the best in his field. That, being radio and broadcast commentary.
But he believes he can also bring about ripples of change as an opinion maker in print.
“Straight to the Point” on dyHP was recognized as the Best Public Affairs Program during the recent Globe Media Excellence Awards held at Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City.
“That is a testament to how well we do our job. We have a responsibility to keep doing what we do best, and my column is just an extension of that,” said Bañoc.
Bañoc did not intend to end up in the media industry, as he had always dreamed of becoming a priest. He said he came as close as taking an examination to enter the seminary but did not push through with his plans due to financial reasons.
Instead, he chose to go to college on a scholarship and worked at the same time to finance his education.
A graduate of Development Communication at Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte, Bañoc began his career in the media industry as an intern at Bombo Radyo until his seniors discovered that he was a “good commentator.”
From that point, he’s had the opportunity to do commentary on dySS and take on a managerial post at TV 5. Today, he is the station manager of dyHP.
Getting to the top was no walk in the park for Bañoc as he faced several libel suits in his career back then, prompting him to take up law at the University of San Carlos. He later passed the Bar in 2006.
“Hard work is the key. If you want to reach something, you have to work for it. It shouldn’t be rushed. You need strong determination and you have to pray to God. We are nothing without Him,” he said.
Having been recognized by listeners and viewers as Cebu’s number one broadcast commentator today has compelled him to stay humble, he said.
This recognition, he added, drives him to always be on the side of truth and maintain his credibility as a broadcaster.
But outside radio and television booths or his law office, Bañoc describes himself as “an ordinary person” and that’s what his edge is when it comes to commentary.
He said his subtlety as a person helps him reach out to more people and make them understand the crux of his commentaries through simple “unadulterated” language—something he promises he will bring to CDN.
“I may be writing in English, but I’ll make sure the masses will understand. Communication isn’t about impressing your audience, but expressing your ideas, being understood by people,” he said.
