Arzen Rose Dulzura

How journalism shaped Bernadette Sembrano’s faith and humility

Article (news)

Clarence Roi Gillego

Push Team

<p>For Bernadette Sembrano, being a journalist is a blessing.  </p><p>In her guest appearance on Luis Manzano’s vlog, the<em> TV Patrol </em>anchor spoke about what the profession taught her about faith and humility.  </p><div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RYQnQkhIWO0" title="LUIS LISTENS TO BERNADETTE SEMBRANO (Passion, Purpose &amp; Inevitable Goodbyes) | Luis Manzano" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>Bernadette, who has been in the service for three decades now, couldn’t help but be emotional as she recounted her experiences in the field that strengthened her faith. </p><p>“I always say na ang biggest blessing ko sa work ko as a journalist, I’ve encountered so many (people). Ito na, dito ako maiiyak...’yung bawat taong na-meet mo sila in their lowest, in the lowest point in their lives. And you interview a man who lost, for example, his whole family in a fire. And then when you ask him, ‘kamusta kayo?’ Sasabihin sa&#x27;yo ‘may plano ang diyos,’ she said.  </p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-30" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DL9xe9upH18/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A30%2C%22os%22%3A9757035.399999976%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="889" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-30" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>She went on: “How can you not have faith when you interview a man, I remember going to Batangas interviewing a man who nawala ‘yung buong mukha niya dahil tinamaan ng kwitis yung mukha niya. What future does that man have? Pero &#x27;yung hawak-hawak &#x27;yung kamay niya ng asawa niya and that was all that matters. How can you question resilience, how can you question not having hope.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/2/20/bernadette-sembrano-shares-how-she-celebrated-her-50th-birthday-1504"><strong><u>READ: Bernadette Sembrano shares how she celebrated her 50th birthday</u></strong></a></div><p>&quot;It’s in having nothing that you see these things and I&#x27;ve witnessed it throughout my 30 years as a journalist,&quot; she emphasized.</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-28" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEw7aDCypQm/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A28%2C%22os%22%3A9722747.600000024%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-28" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>For her, it’s a blessing to be with the people during the darkest moments of their lives.  </p><p>‘Yun ‘yung pinakamalaki kong blessing sa buhay ko bilang isang tao, ‘yung makasama ang mga tao sa pinakamababang punto ng buhay nila. At ‘yun yung hawak-hawak ko sa araw-araw. That’s my life and that’s every part of me. Sobrang na-absorb ko sila, hindi lang ‘yung lungkot nila, pero pati yung lakas nila na-absorb ko. Pati yung pananampalataya nila na-absorb ko. So parang ganito ako dahil sa mga taong na-meet ko,” she said.  </p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-26" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHa8_vqpKKU/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A26%2C%22os%22%3A9704800.600000024%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="719" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-26" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Bernadette also looked back on an experience that really humbled her as a person. It was about a child who approached her 18 years after she featured his mom, who was a breast cancer patient while carrying him inside his womb. According to Bernadette, the mother refused to undergo chemotherapy to protect her baby.  </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/6/12/bernadette-sembrano-celebrates-17th-wedding-anniversary-with-emilio-aguinaldo-iv-on-independence-day-1830"><strong><u>READ: Bernadette Sembrano celebrates 17th wedding anniversary with Emilio Aguinaldo IV on Independence Day</u></strong></a></div><p>Although she emphasized that she’s just an instrument as a storyteller, the news anchor couldn’t help but be grateful every time people remember her.  </p><p>“Ang sobra akong na-hu-humble dito sa trabaho kong ‘to, ‘yung ikaw ‘yung maalala, ikaw yung ginawang ninang, when in fact naging daan ka lang naman sa tulong ng napakaraming Pilipino. Nagkwento lang naman ako para matulungan sila at talagang kina-career ko talaga ang pagkwkwento kasi sabi ko, kung gagalingan ko ang pagkukuwento, if I make people care, the people will care for this woman at magiging okay sila,” she said.  </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/life/11/11/22/bernadette-sembrano-on-miscarriage-loving-beyond-death"><strong><u>READ: Bernadette Sembrano on miscarriage, difficulty of bearing a child, and loving beyond death</u></strong></a></div><p>“And at the end of the day when they remember you when you know that you don’t deserve that, that really humbles me as a person kasi daan lang naman ako eh, ang tumulong diyan napakaraming pilipino. It will remind you, ito ang naging papel mo lang pero salamat ikaw ‘yung naalala. At minsan ang kapal ng mukha mong ikaw ‘yung maalala kasi alam mong hindi ikaw ‘yung may kagagawan,” she added.  </p>