METEOROLOGIST Amado Pineda passed away on Thursday.
Tessie Tomas, who first burst on the scene as wacky weather girl Amanda Finida in the late-1970s gag show “Champoy,” pays tribute to her character’s inspiration, GMA 7 meteorologist Amado Pineda, who died Thursday. Says Tomas, channeling Amanda: “I am very saddened by Amado’s demise. It feels like a part of Amanda died, too. ‘The birds will not be chirping. The flowers will not be blooming and by and large, the people of Metro Manila will be doomed and gloomed as they grieve on that sad day when he passed away… When you walk through the storm, hold your head up high and don’t be afraid of the floods… Tomorrow is a brand-new day and the weather once again will be fair and square! This is yours truly, Amanda Finida from Pagasa-a!’”