Noli de Castro not officially retired, still on medical leave — ABS-CBN exec

Noli de Castro is not yet officially retired, but he is also not returning yet to his anchoring duties at ABS-CBN’s primetime news program “TV Patrol” due to his continuing medical leave.

The disclosure was made by ABS-CBN head of news Francis Toral during the listed media company’s stockholders’ meeting on Wednesday, August 19, done via remote communication.

READ: Noli de Castro marks 77th birthday after recent health scare

Toral was answering a query on whether de Castro, who has long been the face of ABS-CBN News, has officially retired due to his long absence from his TV Patrol.

“Kabayan Noli de Castro remains on medical leave following his surgery last year, but he looks forward to returning once he is fully recovered,” she said.

In the meantime, Toral said, news anchors Alvin Elchico, Karen Davila, and Bernadette Sembrano will continue manning the long-running news program, with other senior journalists being tapped for news and special coverage.

De Castro’s daughter, Katherine, in December last year, asked for prayers for her father who was set to undergo surgery for an undisclosed ailment.

The veteran TV and radio broadcaster, known for his moniker “Kabayan,” celebrated his 77th birthday last July.

In late 2024, de Castro also took a temporary leave from his television and radio programs due to complications from sciatica, according to his daughter. He briefly returned to hosting in 2025, but again had to take a leave soon after due for health-related reasons.

Recently, Davila announced on TV that de Castro would return to TV Patrol, but ABS-CBN has not made a confirmation as to when he would again make an appearance.