Tina Monzon-Palma (Cristina Monzon-Palma)
Monzon-Palma, Tina
Tina Monzon-Palma (Cristina Monzon-Palma)
Tina Monzon-Palma (Cristina Monzon-Palma) was born in 21 March 1951. She finished her college education in St. Scholastica’s College. Her career started in 1968 as a radio broadcaster in DZMT. She was the disc jockey of The Morning Show in DZHP. Then she moved on to television during martial law under the government-controlled National Media Production Center.
From 1976 to 1997, she was part of GMA Channel 7 wherein she held positions as reporter, newscaster, producer, news department head, and senior vice president. As news anchor during martial law, she registered her disagreement with the news she was delivering by showing a slight grin or by coughing, which angered the authoritarian establishment. In early 1987, she was part of the core team that started GMA Public Affairs Department. Apart from being visible as the host of news and important public affairs programs, she produced shows such as GMA Headline News, Viewpoint, Velez This Week, Eco Trends, and specials like Special Coverage of the First Year Anniversary of People Power Revolution, Inside Congress I and II, and The New Constitution—all in the late 1980s. She was also the anchor of the cultural program Concert at the Park. Monzon-Palma resigned in 1992 after she mistakenly announced in the news that Maureen Hultman, a comatose victim in a high-profile gun-shooting case, already died.
In a few months after the resignation, she was employed as chief operating officer by ABC 5, a network shut down during martial law and was trying to reestablish itself after the 1986 EDSA Revolt. She was also the lead newscaster in ABC 5’s The Big News until 1997. She resigned from the network in 1997.
In 1998, Monzon-Palma worked with Gina Lopez, head of ABS-CBN Foundation Inc (AFI), to organize the Southeast Asian Foundation for Children and Television, later named Anak TV Inc. Soon, she joined AFI as the program director of Bantay Bata 163 and Sagip Kapamilya of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation. Over AM radio DZBB, she hosted Paksa or Pagtalakay at Kaisipan sa mga Isyung Panlipunan (Discussion and Thoughts on Social Issues), a talk show that discussed sectoral issues. As of this writing, her shows in ABS-CBN News Channel or ANC include The World Tonight and Talkback with Tina Palma.
She has been active in civic organizations since the start of her career with her involvement in the Quezon City Red Cross and the Citizens Traffic Action. To date, she is part of the Philippine chapter of the International Social Service Board of Trustees and one of the directors of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.
In 1988, she received the Gawad CCP para sa Telebisyon in the category of Lone Significant Contribution to Television. Her other awards include the Ka Doroy Broadcaster of the Year from the Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas in 2002, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the academe-based Gawad Tanglaw in 2008, and the 4th Hildegarde Awards for Women in Media and Communications from her alma mater, St. Scholastica’s College, in 2010.
