Journos honor Henry Omaga-Diaz after departure from ‘TV Patrol’
Henry Omaga Diaz during his final episode in TV Patrol. Image: Screengrab from YouTube/ABS-CBN News
The departure of Henry Omaga-Diaz from ABS-CBN’s flagship news program TV Patrol brought a wave of emotions among his colleagues and fellow journalists, as the anchor plans to return to Canada to be with his family.
Omaga-Diaz announced his departure from the news program last Friday, Aug. 30, as a way of fulfilling his promise to his wife, Gigi, that he would return to Canada for good to prioritize their family.
He also took to his Instagram page on Saturday, Aug. 31, to express his gratitude to the viewers.
“Truly humbled by your expression of appreciation and support mga kapamilya at kaibigan, andito pa rin ako saan mang panig ng mundo (I’ll still be around from different parts of the world). Magkikita po tayong muli (We’ll see each other again),” he wrote.
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In the comments of his post, the broadcast journalist received messages of support from Christine Bersola-Babao and Nina Corpuz, who celebrated his “new beginning” as well.
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Screenshots from Instagram/@henryomagadiaz
Meanwhile, Omaga-Diaz’s TV Patrol co-anchor Karen Davila said on her Instagram that they’ll miss his presence in the newsroom.
“Salamat Henry sa naging pakikitungo mo sa aming lahat (Thank you for the good relationship you shared with us)! You are one of the nicest, coolest, and most humble guys in the industry. Walang masamang tinapay kanino man (You never burned bridges with anyone)! Very unassuming, lowkey! We will definitely miss your punchlines and your ‘tito’ sense of humour,” she wrote.
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Entertainment journalist Gretchen Fullido is happy that Omaga-Diaz could spend “unlimited time” with his family and loved ones.
“It was such an honor and pleasure working with you all these years! If only people knew how much fun we had behind the scenes with our TV Patrol family [and] of course the chikahan portion off cam,” she wrote on Instagram.
“See you very soon, in Canada @henryomagadiaz! Now you can spend unlimited quality time with tita, with your grandchildren & the whole family! Safe travels. We are so happy for you,” continued Fullido.
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Meanwhile, Bernadette Sembrano described the broadcast journalist as someone who would always prioritize his family despite his booming career.
“Mahal niya ang trabaho niya, sobra, so I know masakit at mahirap (He loves his job so much. So I know how painful and tough it is to make this decision,” she said on Instagram.
“One thing I admire about this man, he never takes himself too seriously. We goof around all the time, and yes, we play and try to distract each other habang seryosong nagbabasa ang isa (while one is reading the spiels seriously)! As in sumasayaw at making faces habang nagbabasa ako (as in he would dance and make faces while I’m reading)! That’s something you wouldn’t expect,” she added.
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Julius Babao recalled the earlier days of his career with Omaga-Diaz on Instagram, where they used to handle the police beat in the 1990s. They would often hang out behind the scenes with the late entertainment journalist Mario Dumaual.
“Henry and I go a long way. Halos sabay kaming na-assign as police reporter in the 1990’s and would often see each other sa mga coverage at gimmick noon kasama ang namayapang si Mario Dumaual. Mabuti na lang at nagkausap kami bago siya lumipad pa-canada bukas. Wishing you the best on your new and exciting adventure Henry,” he said.
(Henry and I go a long way. In the 1990s, we were assigned as police reporters almost at the same time, and would often see each other at coverages. We would hang out in gimmicks before with the late Mario Dumaual. It’s a good thing we were able to talk before he flew to Canada tomorrow. Wishing you the best on your new and exciting adventure Henry.)
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During his final episode in TV Patrol, the news anchor shared that he would still pursue a career in journalism in Canada.
“‘Di na ko araw-araw makikita sa ‘[TV] Patrol,’ pero ‘di aalis ‘yung pagiging mamamahayag… ‘Yung gagawin ko do’n ay related din sa journalism (You wouldn’t see me in ‘TV Patrol’ everyday, but my job as a journalist will never go away. I’ll still be doing a career related to journalism),” he said.
Omaga-Diaz started his journalism career as a news writer in 1979 for the Catholic news outlet DZRV Radio Veritas. After three years, he moved to the Kapamilya network as a Radyo Patrol reporter and field reporter.
Aside from TV Patrol’s weekday and weekend editions, he served as the anchor in ABS-CBN’s other shows “Bandila,” and “Magandang Gabi… Bayan.” He also worked on the radio programs “Pasada Sais Trenta Sabado” and “Radyo Patrol Balita Alas Kwatro Sabado.”
