How a happy ‘accident’ thrust Patricia into a new career path

From left: Emil Sumangil, Kim Atienza and Patricia Tumulak

Patricia Tumulak’s career path is paved with happy accidents.

With a degree in child development and education, Patricia started out working as a teacher in both public and private schools. And then, pageantry beckoned: In 2009, she placed third runner-up in Miss Philippines Earth. Two years later, she made it into the Top 15 of Binibining Pilipinas.

Just as she was about to continue pursuing teaching in Singapore, Patricia joined “Eat Bulaga!” in 2015 as a cohost. From then on, she would dabble in acting and take on various hosting jobs.

Now, she’s one of the anchors of the GTV news magazine show “Dapat Alam Mo!” And she feels like public affairs could be a good place for her.

“Aksidente lahat … I used to be a teacher. And then, I found myself hosting ‘Bulaga!’ The first time I pinch-hit for ‘24 Oras’ and stepped into the studio, I felt something different. I thought, ‘Parang ito ang gusto ko—public service,” she said in a virtual conference for “Dapat!” which airs weekdays.

The 33-year-old celebrity has since been praying for a job in a GMA News and Public Affairs program. So, when auditions for “Dapat!” opened, she made sure to try out. “I have been praying for it, manifesting it for many years. When I learned about the auditions from my handler, I hyped myself up—‘Akin ‘to. I claim it!’” she related.

“I envisioned it, and it feels good that it’s possible,” she added. “As soon as I got the call, I cried a bucket of tears. I went straight to my parents and told them the great news. Words cannot express how grateful I am for the opportunity.”

Patricia, who’s joined by weather and triviaman Kuya Kim Atienza and veteran broadcast journalist Emil Sumangil, will deliver feel-good news features that aim to inspire and entertain. “I feel like I’m climbing stairs and I’m on my first steps. This is a start, a good training ground for the future,” she said.

Meeting Emil and Kuya Kim for the first time left Patricia starstruck, she admitted. “Never in a million years did I imagine that I would be able to work with Kuya Kim because he was closely associated with his former network (ABS-CBN) and I’m here in GMA 7,” she said.

Ice breaker

“Kuya Emil and I are both reserved, so it’s a good thing Kuya Kim knew how to break the ice. He immediately figured out our common interest, which is running. And that’s important because people will catch on to our energy,” she said. “It’s good to have chemistry and connection from the get-go, so we can be comfortable with each other and push each other up.”

Patricia knows that she’s the least experienced of the group. And though she feels pressured about bringing something to table, she’s equally excited about learning from Emil and Kuya Kim. “I’m the newbie and I look up to my coworkers,” she said.

And at a time when projects are hard to come by, “Dapat,” Patricia said, is a blessing. “It was inevitable to feel anxiety, especially in the first months of the pandemic. ‘What’s next for me?’ I wondered. You can’t just put all your eggs in one basket. You need a backup,” she said.

Luckily, her contract with GMA Artist Center got renewed, giving her a better sense of security.

“Sometimes, you have to be patient and trust the process. Now, the challenge is to be consistent,” she said. INQ