BROADCAST journalist Korina Sanchez has been so used to doing her programs by her lonesome, from the newscast to public affairs features and talk shows.

In her newest TV assignment, though, the soft news and lighthearted show “TikTalks” on TV5, Sanchez will be joined by four co-hosts.

Columnist and radio/TV host Pat-P Daza, singer-comedienne Kakai Bautista, LGBTQIA+ advocate G3 San Diego, and stand-up comic and comedy writer Alex Calleja will ignite the TV screens with Sanchez starting today, December 3.

“Maraming mga nangyari,” Sanchez said. “May mga bagay na nakakalungkot. Pero maraming bagay din na masaya.” 

One of those positive developments in the change of that landscape, content creators are now having a grand time because there are so many platforms on a lot of avenues.

“There are social media, streaming, networks. Nagbukas ang lahat ng ‘yan sa iba’t ibang mga ideas. I guess malikot din naman ang mga isip namin,” she said.

Sanchez is constantly in touch with her co-producer, Joji Dingcong, under Media Queens.

“Joji and I are line producing the show. So we agreed kailangan iba-iba ang representation ng isang tao. Dapat, limang babae kami. Iba-iba ang pinaggalingan sa buhay, iba iba ang profession.

“We’ve always wanted to do something different. Since forte ko naman daldal, what is it that I haven’t done yet? I did radio. I do interview show na puro serious. Gusto ko naman makasama ang mga medyo sira. May konting maluwag. The way we talk when playing mahjong. How do real people talk?” she said.

Korina got singer-comedienne Kakai to the team and described her as someone who “has a good head on her shoulders.”

“Makulay din ang kanyang nakaraan. I really wanted a singer nabigla na lang kakanta ano man ang hugot na pinag-uusapan namin. Biglang magko-concert mag-isa,” she said.

Bautista found it unbelievable when she received a call from Sanchez nearly three months ago.

“Siyempre, nanginig ako dahil si (Ma’am) Korina ‘yun. Parang hindi ako makapaniwala. Although nag-guest na ako sa show niya in the other station before, I still get star-struck pa rin ako sa kanya. So up to now, I’m really very happy and thankful. Makasama mo ‘yung mga mahuhusay na mga tao, may pitik din at masarap ka-trabaho.”

“I worked with Pat-P before. Si G3, kaibigan ko. Si Kuya Alex, may future na ka-trabaho. Gustong part, when you get to work with Madam [Korina], marami akongmatututunan. ‘Pag nakasama ko silang lahat, marami akong matututunan na magagamit ko din sa career ko,” she said.

She said her latest gig is a big opportunity for her.

“Kahit pagapangin ka, gumugulong ka, kumanta ka hanggang masira and lalamunan mo, go. Si Miss Korina ‘yan. Iba ang datingan ‘yan. Salamat, because God is good,” she said.

Radio journalist Daza came in next.

“Barkada ko talaga siya sa kainan,” Sanchez said of Daza. The former came to Daza and disclosed they were having problems with one of the hosts of the program they were cooking up. Then, as an afterthought, Sanchez blurted out: “Ikaw na lang kaya, Pat-P?”

Sanchez said Pat-P doesn’t need to talk.

“She only needs to laugh. Infectious ang laughter niya. Siya ang Maritess sa aming lahat. She knows all the chismis, pero hinihimay naman namin to separate fact from fiction,” she said.

Daza was readily interested about the show.

“When Korina explained it to me, she sounded interesting because it’s five points of view. When I asked saan mag-air, Korina said: ‘sa Cignal and TV5.’ We were talking about this show late last year. This almost took a year in the making. We started taping two months ago,” she said.

San Diego is the vocal and unabashed LGBTQIA+ representative.

“We want someone who thinks about her answers and gives opinions,” Sanchez said.

San Diego received a call from Dingcong back in December 2020, still at the height of this pandemic.

“Joji told me they were doing a show with Korina and they wanted me to be among the hosts. Like Kakai, I didn’t expect this offer. In my 19 years in entertainment, I’ve done a lot of shows, but always behind the camera as a writer. I wrote about Korina’s wedding with Mar [Roxas]. That was where Korina and I met each other,” she said.

She has also worked with Daza, Bautista, and Calleja before. But this will be her first time to host a show.

“I really want to accept this show because I was told, I would be the voice of LGBTQIA. That I welcome because I haven’t watched, in my whole career in entertainment, na transwoman in a talk show. Most of them are in comedy, impersonation or drag queens.I am not the voice of the LGBTQIA, but I am a voice. So I like that factor,” she said.

As far as San Diego is concerned, she is going into an unchartered territory with “TikTalks” on free TV.

“Being the first, meron din kasamang kaba when I gave my nod to this show,” she said. 

“Hindi ko alam how the audience will receive me in this new platform. During the pandemic, I was received quite well in my online show. That was what made Joji and Korina think about me to include me in this show. Kinakabahan ako because there is no LGBTQIA who is hosting and giving her opinion. I always think that I have to be careful about what I say. Even if it is only my personal opinion, it might represent a whole community,” she said.

Sanchez had another girl in mind for their fifth host, “until Alex peeped into the door.”

“Of course, I was already coordinating with other shows and other projects for Alex. Nakakatawa siya talaga. His humor is for the real guy. I told my team I want Alex’s humor in the mix,” she said.

The only thorn among the roses, Calleja insisted he was included as host to put balance among everybody.

“If I’m not here, walang mangyayari sa show na ‘to,” he joked. “Ako ang nagba balanse sa show.”

Daza insisted they would talk about “current issues” on “TikTalks,” but still interesting topics.

“I think we need to do research about people who want to have their nose job. Another topic we talked about is why Filipinos are so infatuated with anybody who is mapuputi. Those who need glutathione. Or double standard ba ang mga nangangaliwang mga lalake?” she said,

San Diego explained, “Our topics are what normal people often talk about. ‘Yung mga magkakaibigan kapag nagsama sama sila.”

Sanchez found it sometimes unbelievable that the suggestions in their thread are out of this world.

“Kung minsan, hindi ako makahinga sa nakikita ko,” she said. “Nangyayari ba talaga ‘yun? I will tell one of us, ‘Hoy, ang bastos mo. [Pero] Alam ko ang batas. Alam ko when we would get bashed on a certain topic. Otherwise, we would all end up in jail.”

The banter on the set was often subjected to editing.

“Okay ang mga sinasabi namin.  Si Pat-P lang ang magsisimula ng gulo. Usually, lahat ng mga nae-edit out sa episodes, kay Pat-P galing ‘yun,” said Calleja.

Daza, however, defended herself.

“Kung minsan kasi, nakakalimutan mo may mga cameras pala in front of you. So no-holds-barred. Bahala na ang editor. So we look out after each other. But we try to make the discussion as raw and as real as possible,” she said.

The hosts may not always agree on a certain topic. They always engage in a free-flowing discussion.

“It’s five different opinions in one topic,” Daza said. “Finally, there is already a date of telecast. We’re very happy. Good things really happen to those who wait. It took quite a while, but this show is here now. Nabuo na rin namin. That was how I got into this show. I was probably at the right place at the right time when Korina was thinking of another host for this program.”

TikTalks premieres on December 3 and airs every Saturday, 8 pm on One PH, simulcast on TV5 and Radyo Singko 92.3 News FM, with catch-up airing on One News every Sunday.