Mike Enriquez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Enriquez
Enriquez in 2016
Born	Miguel Castro Enriquez (1951-09-29)September 29, 1951 Santa Ana, Manila, Philippines
Died	August 29, 2023(2023-08-29) (aged 71) Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Resting place	Loyola Memorial Park Marikina, Philippines
Education	De La Salle College
Occupation	Radio television newscaster
Years active	1969–2022
Spouse(s)	Lizabeth Yumping ​ (m. 1977)​

Miguel "Mike" Castro Enriquez (September 29, 1951 – August 29, 2023) was a famous Filipino journalist and TV host. He started his career in radio in 1969. Later, he joined GMA Network in 1995. There, he became a well-known TV anchor for news shows like Saksi and 24 Oras.

Mike Enriquez was also in charge of GMA Network's radio operations. He was the president of RGMA Network Inc. and the manager of Super Radyo DZBB 594 AM. Many people saw him as one of the most important journalists in the Philippines. He was known as a "pillar" of the country's broadcasting industry.

Early Life of Mike Enriquez

Miguel Castro Enriquez was born on September 29, 1951, in Santa Ana, Manila. He was the oldest of three children. He described his childhood as very active and full of curiosity.

Mike Enriquez first wanted to become a priest, but his parents did not agree. He went to La Salle Green Hills for elementary and high school. Later, he studied at De La Salle College (now De La Salle University). He earned degrees in Liberal Arts and Commerce in 1973. After graduating, he even taught classes about broadcast management at the university.

Mike Enriquez's Broadcasting Career

Starting in Radio

Mike Enriquez began his career in broadcasting in 1969. He started as an announcer at the Manila Broadcasting Company. A friend jokingly introduced him to a station manager. The manager asked him to read a test script and offered him a job right away.

He worked in many different roles in radio. He was a reporter, news editor, program director, and even a station manager. He also worked for other radio networks like FBS Radio Network and Radio Mindanao Network (RMN). He became a vice president at RMN.

He helped DWKC 93.9 become very popular. It stayed as the number one station for many years. He was also the voice for the start of Mellow Touch 94.7. Mike Enriquez was even a disc jockey called "Baby Michael." He had a small role as a DJ in the 1992 movie Mahirap Maging Pogi.

Joining GMA Network

In 1994, Mike Enriquez joined GMA Network. His job was to lead their radio division and make their radio networks bigger. At that time, GMA only had four main radio stations.

In 1995, GMA convinced him to appear on TV for the first time. He became a news anchor for a 15-minute newscast. This show, called Saksi: GMA Headline Balita, started on October 2, 1995. He anchored it with Karen Davila.

In 1998, he moved to the late-night news show GMA Network News. He anchored it with Vicky Morales. They decided to change the language of the news to a mix of Tagalog and English, and then later to full Filipino.

Mike Enriquez returned to radio in 1999 with his show Saksi sa Dobol B on Super Radyo DZBB. In August 1999, he also went back to Saksi on TV.

In August 2000, he started hosting the public affairs show Imbestigador. This show made him known as the "Imbestigador ng Bayan" (Investigator of the Nation).

On March 12, 2004, Mike Enriquez left Saksi. He became an anchor for GMA's new main evening news show, 24 Oras. He joined Mel Tiangco, who was also a very famous anchor.

Important News Coverage

During his time as a news anchor, Mike Enriquez covered many big events. These included the Second EDSA Revolution, the September 11 attacks in the US, and the start of the US Invasion of Iraq. He also covered the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

He reported on the damage after Typhoon Ondoy and Supertyphoon Haiyan in Tacloban. He also covered the siege of Marawi.

Mike Enriquez was recognized as a child-friendly personality many times. He won awards from the Southeast Asian Foundation for Children and the Anak TV Seal awards.

He was famous for his line "Hindi namin kayo tatantanan" (We will not stop coming after you). He often said this at the end of stories about crime and corruption. Another trademark was saying "Excuse me po!" after coughing or sneezing on air.

Mike Enriquez's Personal Life

Mike Enriquez was a member of the board of trustees for La Salle Green Hills. He was also the treasurer and chairman of their finance committee.

He was married to Lizabeth "Baby" Yumping. They did not have any children.

Health and Passing

Enriquez family graves (Loyola Memorial Park, Marikina)

In August 2018, Mike Enriquez shared that he was taking a break from work. He had kidney and heart problems, and diabetes. He had heart bypass surgery and returned to work in November.

In December 2021, he took another medical leave. During this time, he had a kidney transplant. He came back to his shows on March 28, 2022. This was just in time for GMA's coverage of the 2022 Philippine presidential election. However, he took another medical leave three months after the elections.

Mike Enriquez passed away on August 29, 2023, at St. Luke's Medical Center – Quezon City. He was 71 years old. His wife said he had a cardiac arrest while having a routine dialysis. His wake was held in Quezon City. He was buried on September 3 at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina.

Television programs

Filmography

• 1992 Mahirap maging pogi as Drunkard DJ
• 1996 Wag na wag kang lalayo as TV Reporter

Awards