August 2011, I was given a chance to venture outside the four corners of the newsroom as the field producer for QRT. Luckily, the original field producer immediately gave up after the first assignment in Pangasinan. I embraced the opportunity. No hesitations.

The first days were complicated and challenging. I had to think and move fast. I knew I had something to prove.

When I was still in college, I never obsessed over news. Yet there I was, at the frontline of the headlines. As days and weeks passed, there were added expectations and challenges. I had to convince different personalities and politicians every single day to accommodate the interview requests of QRT first before other newscasts.

I observed how my colleagues worked. I learned in awe as our anchor showed me his techniques, much like a hatchling watching an eagle spread its wings. I loved the adrenaline rush. We had to be present in all forms of breaking news: typhoons, fire, accidents, rallies, crimes and politics. My body wanted the pressure; my heart and soul craved for the challenges. Every day, I was witnessing history unfold in front of my eyes.

In every coverage, I needed to be emotionally prepared to face angry protesters, survivors and loved ones of casualties. The only way to help them was to do my job: to let their voices and cries be heard.

One of my most memorable assignments is the impeachment trial of Former Chief Justice Renato Corona in the Senate. I had to compete with fellow field producers and even reporters to interview big names. I had to be fast yet poised, running in heels and talking to congressmen and senators.

My team trusted me. They knew that at the end of the day, whatever the assignment may be, I would finish it with flying colors. I accomplished tasks I never knew I was capable of. Sadly, all flight plans have an end and I needed to rest my wings. I had to make decisions to explore other horizons.

But how can I leave behind a family that I have loved for almost three years? The quick response is that I couldn’t. All the lessons and laughs are now a part of me, wherever the wind may take me.

[Entry 5, The SubSelfie Blog]

Editor’s Note: GMA News TV Quick Response Team (QRT) is a daily Philippine newscast with the award-winning broadcast journalist and documentarist Jiggy Manicad as its news anchor. Unlike normal newscasts in indoor studios, QRT does its live broadcast in remote points. Wherever the headlines are happening, you can expect them to be there.

About the Author:

Apple Gamboa was an interview and field producer for GMA News, particularly the newscasts Quick Response Team and News to Go. She is currently a producer for lifestyle TV shows and documentaries. Travelling and music is her passion and she takes risks as her personal reality medicine. Journalism 2010, UST. Read more of her articles here.