Vicky Morales

Victoria "Vicky" Torres Morales-Reyno[2] (Tagalog: [ˈbɪkɪ mɔˈɾalɛs]; born July 10, 1969[lower-alpha 1]) is a Filipino broadcast journalist and television presenter. She is best known for being one of the anchors of GMA Network's early evening newscast 24 Oras with Mel Tiangco and Mike Enriquez (later Emil Sumangil)[3] as well as for being the host of the Saturday afternoon documentary-drama show Wish Ko Lang!.[4] For hosting Wish Ko Lang!, she got the "Best Public Service Program Host" award during the 29th PMPC Star Awards for Television in 2015 given by the Philippine Movie Press Club.[5] She previously anchored Saksi, the late news program of GMA Network, from 1999[2] to 2014.[3] In GTV, she hosts a magazine news program entitled Good News Kasama si Vicky Morales,[6] which was started in 2011 when GTV was previously known as GMA News TV.[7][8][9]

In this Philippine name for married women, the birth middle name or maternal family name is Torres, the birth surname or paternal family name is Morales, and the marital name is Reyno.

Vicky Morales
Born
Victoria Torres Morales

(1969-07-10) July 10, 1969[lower-alpha 1]
Manila, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
EducationAteneo de Manila University
Occupations
  • Broadcast journalist
  • television presenter
Years active1990–present
Employer(s)ABS-CBN Corporation (1990)
GMA Network Inc. (1990–present)
Television24 Oras (co-anchor since 2014)
Wish Ko Lang! (host)
Good News (host)
Spouse
Alfonso "King" Reyno
​
​
(m. 2001)​
[1]
Children3

Aside from receiving an award from PMPC, she received different accolades from other local awards including Catholic Mass Media Awards, UP Gandingan, USTv Awards, Gawad Tanglaw, Northwest Samar State University Student Choice Awards, and Anak TV Seal.[2] Her skills as a journalist has also been recognized internationally by the Asian TV Awards, New York Festival, US International Film and Video Awards, and the George Foster Peabody Awards.[4]

Career

College years and ABS-CBN stint

When she entered Ateneo de Manila University, the first course that she took was Bachelor of Science in Management but she later shifted to a communications course, so that, she can be a journalist.[2] During her college years, her professor introduced her to ABS-CBN executive Charo Santos-Concio[10][11] and then Morales auditioned to be part of the ABS-CBN Network.[12] Charo wanted her to be an actress but Morales preferred to be a news reporter.[11] She passed the auditions and then afterwards, she attended training to improve her craft.[11] At one point of her training, she worked with Korina Sanchez in a short time.[13][11]

After three months of training, ABS-CBN executives were not satisfied with her performance, thus, she was removed from the training.[12] Although, this was not her last stint from ABS-CBN. She was later hired by Dong Puno as her production staff and later co-anchor on his business program in ABS-CBN.[12] Morales learned a lot from Dong and she considered him as her mentor.[12]

Also during her younger years, she appeared at a Coke commercial alongside Gary Valenciano and Sharon Cuneta.[12][14]

Broadcast journalist at GMA Network

In 1990, after graduating college, Morales secretly applied[11] for an anchor spot in GMA Headline News (the now-defunct late night English language news program of GMA Network) who would join the program's news presenters Tina Monzon-Palma and Jose Mari Velez.[2] After then GMA's AVP for News Dan de Padua called Vicky, she was eventually hired as the news anchor for GMA Headline News and bested 500 other applicants.[4][11] She anchored a segment of the said late news program entitled "Good News," which, incidentally, would become the title of her own news magazine program in 2011.[2]

After ending her work at GMA Headline News, then GMA executive Tony Seva asked Vicky to reunite with Dong Puno on his morning news program entitled Business Today.[4] After two years doing a morning show, she returned to evening news and anchored GMA Network News, which, first started in the English language and later reformatted in 1999 in the Filipino language.[2]

In 1999, Morales started to be the news presenter of the late night Filipino language news program Saksi.[4] The 1999-2004 edition of Saksi featured her former partner and Imbestigador host Mike Enriquez, who was the co-anchor with her in the 1999 Filipino language edition of GMA Network News.[15] In 2004, Morales continued to news presenter of the late night Filipino language news program Saksi with new co-anchor Arnold Clavio and a new the program host replaced Bernadette Sembrano of Wish Ko Lang!.[16] She was already part of I-Witness before entering Wish Ko Lang![4]

Upon the opening of the GMA News TV channel in 2011, she was given the program entitled Good News Kasama si Vicky Morales.[6] The channel was later rebranded to GTV and Vicky's show was carried over.[6] On November 10, 2014, Morales became a co-anchor in GMA Network's 6:30 PM news program, 24 Oras after being with Saksi for the last 15 years and was replaced by Pia Arcangel.[3]

Personal life

Dante Morales and Ma. Luisa Torres Morales are Vicky's parents.[17] Dante, Vicky's father and a medical doctor, was one of the directors of the Manila Jockey Club, which he succeeded from his wife, Ma. Luisa, who was also a board member of the club.[17]

Morales is married to lawyer Alfonso "King" Reyno since June 2, 2001.[1] Incidentally, King is also part of the Manila Jockey Club just like Vicky's parents as he is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the club.[17] On March 19, 2008, for the first time, Vicky gave birth to twin boys, via caesarean operation.[18] On October 9, 2010, their third child was born.[19][20]

Public image

As a journalist in her television programs, Morales perceives herself as not the intellectual type nor the hard-hitting, confrontational kind but she will defend a position that she hold dear.[4] In addition, she will deliver the news as who she is, that is, being compassionate.[4] She created a positive public persona that brings hope and simple happiness to her viewers as reflected on her shows Wish Ko Lang! and Good News.[4] Her attitude towards upholding her position was put into test in 2020 when she interviewed Dr. Bong Javier, Makati Medical Center director, regarding the breaching of the COVID-19 protocols by Senator Koko Pimentel at the hospital.[21] The public, particularly netizens, praised Morales and described her as being frustrated with Pimentel yet calm during the interview.[22]

Despite being recognized as a seasoned journalist, Morales committed several gaffes on live television. One of which happened on October 12, 2020, in 24 Oras where she can be seen holding a cue card with the text facing the camera.[23] The text contained a Taglish phrase saying "PA-REVIEW NG SCRIPT PLEASE" (PLEASE REVIEW THE SCRIPT).[24] Another blooper happened on May 20, 2021, also in 24 Oras, when she said her outro differently.[25] She uttered "At dahil hindi natutuli…ay natutulog ang balita!" (this can be roughly translated to "And because the news can not be circumcised…oops, is not sleeping") instead of just "At dahil hindi natutulog ang balita!".[25] Although, it seems that Morales did this in a humorous manner because she said her outro before a report about circumcision during the COVID-19 pandemic and the banter between Mel Tiangco and Mike Enriquez, her co-anchors, about the topic.[25][26] In an interview, Morales explained that she did not make a blooper and she said the line on purpose and added that the "news is not circumcised, meaning we do not cut or censor our news to favor anyone."[27]

Television programs
Television
YearTitleNetwork
1991–1992GMA Headline NewsGMA Network
1992–1999GMA Network News
1992–1995GMA Balita
1999–2004 I-Witness
1999–2014Saksi
2004–presentWish Ko Lang!
2007 Philippine Agenda
2011–presentGood News Kasama si Vicky Morales GMA News TV/GTV
2014–present24 Oras GMA Network
2020 Ilaban Natin Yan!

Notes
  1. Based on a post on the official Facebook page of GMA Network, her birthday is July 10[lower-alpha 2] while another source says that she celebrated her 51st birthday in 2020,[lower-alpha 3] thus, making 1969 as her birth year.
  2. "Happy Birthday, Ms. Vicky Morales". Facebook. July 10, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2021.

References
  1. "Vicky Morales: Here comes the bride". Philstar.com. May 16, 2001. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  2. Cruz, Josephine (March 22, 2015). "VICKY MORALES PROMOTING POSITIVITY ON TELEVISION". The Manila Times. Philippines: The Manila Times Publishing Corp. Retrieved June 16, 2021 – via PressReader.
  3. Santiago, Ervin (November 10, 2014). "Vicky Morales tinanggal sa Saksi, pinalitan ni Pia Arcangel". Bandera (in Tagalog). INQUIRER.net. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  4. "Promoting positivity on television". The Manila Times. March 21, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  5. Jimenez, Joyce (December 3, 2015). "Alden Richards, Maja Salvador lead winners of 29th Star Awards for TV". Philstar.com. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  6. Cua, Aric John Sy (February 19, 2021). "GMA News TV to rebrand to GTV". The Manila Times. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  7. "GMA launches shows for News TV". Philstar.com. The Philippine Star. February 12, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  8. "GMA News TV continues to keep viewers hooked". GMA News Online. October 29, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  9. "GMA Network launches third international channel called GMA News TV International". PEP.ph. July 14, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  10. Vitug, Jerome (July 11, 2020). "Young at 51: Kapuso journalist Vicky Morales reveals that she was initially offered to be an actress". NOW. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  11. Panoorin! Vicky Morales, Kapamilya bago naging Kapuso (in Tagalog). November 17, 2019. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  12. Barrameda, Joe (October 9, 2019). "Vicky inalok noong mag-artista ni Charo Santos". Philstar.com. The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  13. Green, Jhen (October 15, 2019). "Korina Sanchez Recalls GMA's Vicky Morales' Training Days In ABS-CBN". Philippine News. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  14. 80's Coke TV Ad with Sharon Cuneta & Gary V. March 26, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  15. "GMA News Online". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  16. Gabinete, Jojo (February 14, 2020). "Wish Ko Lang! ng GMA-7, magpapaalam na pagkatapos ng 18 years". PEP.ph (in Tagalog). Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  17. Perez, Emeterio SD (April 6, 2013). "If Reyno 3rd is king, then Vicky must be queen". The Manila Times. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  18. Mark, Ryan (March 31, 2012). "A closer look at Vicky Morales (1st of 2 parts)". Philstar.com. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  19. Navarro, Mell T. (October 23, 2010). "Vicky Morales was working until she gave birth to baby Daniela". PEP.ph (in Tagalog). Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  20. Cruz, Marinel R. (June 4, 2011). "Fate and Vicky Morales". INQUIRER.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  21. Ching, Mark Angelo (April 9, 2020). "Remember when these newscasters became the news themselves?". PEP.ph. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  22. Bigtas, Jannielyn (March 20, 2020). "Jessica Soho, Vicky Morales go viral for professionalism while reporting on Koko Pimentel's COVID-19 gaffe". GMA News Online. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  23. Severo, Jan Milo (October 16, 2020). "Oops! Glitches spotted in '24 Oras'". Philstar.com. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  24. Ichimura, Anri (October 14, 2020). "Vicky Morales' Script Accident is Our 2020 Mood". Esquiremag.ph. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  25. Anarcon, James Patrick (May 21, 2021). "VIRAL: Vicky Morales almost says "hindi natutuli ang balita" in 24 Oras wrap-up". PEP.ph. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  26. Nelz, Jay (May 21, 2021). "Vicky Morales Says "Hindi natutuli ang balita" During Live Broadcast". Philippine News. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  27. Pinoy, Pol (May 21, 2021). "GMA7: Our News Is Not Circumcised!". The Adobo Chronicles. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
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