Early life and radio career (1940-1962) Faustino L. Lapira was born in 1940 in Carcar, Cebu. Lapira's polished style and commanding presence made him a household name during this period. But in early 1967, he transferred to
ABS-CBN along with colleague Marita Manuel, marking the end of his tenure on
The Big News. He was replaced by
Jose Mari Velez, who anchored the program from 1967 to 1972.
Newsbreak, Man on the Moon, Encounter (1967-1969) Upon joining ABS-CBN in 1967, Lapira became a key figure in the network's news division under the leadership of
Eugenio "Geny" Lopez Jr. At the age of 27, he anchored
Newsbreak, a half-hour evening daily English newscast that premiered in March 1967, at 9:00 p.m. on
DZXL-TV Channel 9 with Manuel as the assistant news director and head of news operations. Alongside
Henry Halasan of
DZAQ-TV's
The World Tonight, Lapira served as one of the "twin faces" of
ABS-CBN News, contributing to the program's success and innovative coverage from 1967 to 1969.
Newsbreak flourished, winning the CAT Award for Best News Program in 1968 and breaking the four-year streak of
The Big News. Lapira was involved in pioneering broadcasts, including a live coverage of the
Lapiang Malaya massacre in May 1967, where he worked with cameraman Bert Salonga and reporters Vero Perfecto, Jake Almeda-Lopez, and Philip Pigao to deliver on-the-ground reports. By the late 80s, Lapira became the voiceover for commercials, mostly with PSAs such as
Nestlé Philippines'
Sa Mata ng Bata series starting from 1989, which contains 15-second public service advertisements cautioning adults that breaking the rules or any unacceptable behavior in the presence of children can be miscontrued as acceptable in the society, mostly if it can take place on public places. Several ads during Lapira's era include:
Bawal Tumawid, which focuses on the jaywalking rule;
Bus, which accompanies the sign "Give Way to the Elderly" on buses;
No Parking, which focuses on illegal parking,
Queue, which was about how people cut the queue line despite a signage that says "Pumila Lang Po" (
Please fall in line); and
Garbage, which focuses on littering as it accompanies the signage "BAWAL MAGTAPON NG BASURA DITO!" (
Do Not Throw Garbage Here!). Lapira's only phrase in these commercials were either: "
Sa mata ng isang bata, ang isang pagkakamali ay nagiging tama... kapag ito ay ginagawa ng mas matanda." (In the eyes of the children, a mistake becomes right... when it is done by an older person.) or "
Kung ano ang ginagawa ng mas matanda, ito ang gagayahin ng mga bata." (What the adults do, the younger ones will imitate.) In the early 2000s, Lapira interviewed Jesuit priest and media pioneer Father
James B. Reuter, SJ, in a documentary titled
Once Upon a Time: Bong Lapira with Fr. James Reuter, where he also served as line producer. The interview explored Reuter's impact on Philippine communications, theater arts, and history, including his
World War II experiences and media innovations. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Philippine television, in 2003, Lapira participated to the ABS-CBN documentary
Sa Mata ng Balita: 50 Taong Pamamahayag Sa Telebisyon (the documentary which featured other anchors Henry Halasan,
Harry Gasser,
Frankie Evangelista, Tina Monzon-Palma,
Angelo Castro Jr.,
Noli de Castro,
Loren Legarda, and
Korina Sanchez), narrating the segment
Prelude to a Dictatorship, which chronicled the lead-up to martial law from 1969 to 1972. Lapira also returned to ABS-CBN in later years as vice president of news, where he trained young reporters in anchoring, including
Cathy Yang.
Retirement and death (2008-2017) After a 49-year career, Lapira retired in 2008. He remained a respected figure in Philippine journalism, often cited for his intelligence and professionalism, with contemporaries noting that no modern anchors could match his or the late Jose Mari Velez's style. Bong Lapira died on June 8, 2017, at the age of 77 from colon cancer. He was buried in Carcar Public Cemetery in Poblacion, Carcar, Cebu. ==References==