"It’s actually bittersweet for me."

These were the words of Ging Reyes as she retired as the head of ABS-CBN's Integrated News and Current Affairs division.

In an interview with PhilStar, the former ABS-CBN executive opened up about her thoughts on leaving the network after being in the service for more than three decades.

"People ask me if I’m excited about being free from the chaos, stress, the 24/7 [news cycle], but it’s actually bittersweet for me. It was 36 years of my life. It’s the only life I knew. It wasn’t just a job, it was a life," she remarked. 

She further explained that it's sweet "because you feel you’ve accomplished something. Bitter in the sense that there is sadness because I’m leaving the newsroom in such a state, we don’t have the reach, we are financially challenged and of course, the shutdown and having to let go of people in the news. That was really painful."

She confessed: "To this day, we have not fully recovered from that trauma. So yun, ang pakiramdam ko."

Ging highlighted that she knows that it's time to move forward. "I know naman when to let go and it’s really, probably, the right time," she stated.

The former ABS-CBN News head stressed that looking back, she would not trade her journey in the Kapamilya network for anything else.

"Maybe I was meant to be the one at the helm when all these happened. Di ko alam, I just tried to act and respond to crisis the best way I knew how. To me, it was part of the job to protect and defend my team, and to make them accountable for mistakes whenever that would happen. But I’ve always believed in the news team," she said. 

Ging continued: "We’ve been through so much together. We’ve celebrated triumphs but we also suffered and struggled together during the dark times."

Last November, Ging celebrated her 60th birthday together with some of the past and present journalists of ABS-CBN.

During her speech at her birthday celebration, Ging looked back on the many challenges that she and the rest of her team survived during the last few years of her tenure as the ABS-CBN News chief. 

"We navigated uncharted waters beginning in 2020. And for almost 3 years we struggled with uncertainty, the deaths of colleagues and loved ones, financial and other unspeakable losses. But we also showed unyielding loyalty, grit and courage and a resilience like no other. It’s a miracle that we are still operating," she said as reported by ABS-CBN News

Read: ABS-CBN news anchors reunite at Ging Reyes’ birthday

She continued: "And it’s this grit and courage that would take you through the future. I may not be there to make decisions, to give input or shepherd this team through the tough times. But it’s gratifying to know that you may have learned a thing or two from me about leading the way, learning from past mistakes and standing up for what is right."

Despite the many challenges that she faced, Ging highlighted that her 36 years in ABS-CBN had been an amazing ride.

"Sa kabila ng lahat ng stress, sleep deprivation, sakit ng ulo, tension, at iba pang problema at hirap. It was a wild and wonderful ride. And I wouldn't trade my 36 years in ABS-CBN for anything else," she stated.