Mike Enriquez

If you were looking for the Kapuso actor, see Mike Tan.

Mike Enriquez
Background information
Born	Miguel Castro Enriquez September 29, 1951 Sta. Ana, Manila, Philippines
Died	August 29, 2023 (aged 71) Quezon City, Philippines
Cause of death	Cardiac arrest
Other name(s)	Baby Mike Booma Mickey
Occupation	Newscaster, TV host
Years on GMA	1995-2022
Spouse	Lizabeth "Baby" Yumping (1977-2023; his death)

“	Hindi namin kayo tatantanan!	”
—Mike Enriquez

Miguel Castro Enriquez, better known as Mike Enriquez, was a Filipino newscaster and a TV and radio host.

A pillar of GMA Integrated News and Public Affairs, he is best known as the host of Imbestigador and the anchor of Saksi and 24 Oras. On DZBB, he was one of the anchors of Super Balita sa Umaga Nationwide (alongside Joel Reyes Zobel) and the host of Saksi sa Dobol B.

Career

Enriquez started his career in broadcasting as a staff announcer at the Manila Broadcasting Company in 1969. It began when he visited a friend in that company and accidentally discovered his interest in radio. He has since worked in various positions, as a broadcast reporter, a news editor, program director, station manager, until he became manager of a medium-sized radio network. He also had stints in other radio networks such as Freedom Broadcasting Radio Network and Radio Mindanao Network (RMN), where he became vice president for the company. He was the man behind the huge success of DWKC 93.9, who stayed in the number 1 spot for so many years before he left in 1995. He is the voice behind the Mellow Touch 94.7 signature and introduction. He also became a disc jockey known as "Baby Michael". He also played a disc jockey on Andrew E.'s 1992 movie, Mahirap ang Maging Pogi (It's Not Easy Being Handsome).

In 1995, after leaving RMN, Enriquez attended a planning for male news anchoring, it turned out to be GMA Network's election coverage entitled "Decision '95". Near the deadlines, the auditions where unable to find any male anchors, Enriquez was the last person to be there. They told him "Ikaw, gusto mag-anchor?", but he refused, joked on saying that his face never fits the coverage, saying it's up to the network to do the decision.

He was ready, but nervous, scared and cold, his first part was Karen Davila. As the morning slot begins, Enriquez's first words on TV were "Ito po ang Decision '95, Operation: Bantay Boto, dito lamang po sa GMA".

Months later, the network executives called for him to comeback in which they told him that he will anchor a 90-minutes newscast, in the early evening slot, together with Davila, saying to make the news delivery fast, aside being delayed. The radio-style newscast, entitled Saksi: GMA Headline Balita premiered on October 2, 1995.

Since June 1, 1998, Enriquez left Saksi to anchor the late-night newscast GMA Network News with Vicky Morales. Since his first months on Network News, they decided to change the language to "Taglish", and later, to Filipino.

Since January 1999, Enriquez returned to radio via Super Radyo DZBB, with his new program based on his former newscast, Saksi sa Dobol B.

He left the newscast with Morales in August 23, to return to Saksi, which later in July 2002 became a late-night newscast.

In August 2000, GMA gave Enriquez a public affairs program entitled Imbestigador, he was later named "Imbestigador ng Bayan".

During the US-Iraq conflict in 2003, Enriquez was assigned to go there with other GMA News teams, where his part would join other international news agencies. In some other times, at Baghdad, Enriquez experienced a bombing near the hotel he and his team were staying at.

On March 15, 2004, Enriquez left Saksi to anchor GMA's then-new primetime newscast, 24 Oras, alongside Frontpage anchor Mel Tiangco (his Saksi co-anchor, Morales, also followed suit 10 years later). This become his second time as a newscaster for a primetime newscast after Saksi moved to late-night.

He has been recognized as one of the most child-friendly personalities by both the Southeast Asian Foundation for Children and the Anak TV Seal awards, earning the latter accolade three times in a row. He has faced health challenges including diabetes, asthma, and hypertension.

On August 22, 2018, Enriquez revealed he went on a medical leave due to ailments such as kidney and heart disease and diabetes, following his absence in 24 Oras and Super Radyo DZBB. He underwent a heart bypass surgery and later returned to broadcasting on November 26.

In December 2021, he took another medical leave of absence, during which he underwent a kidney transplant. He returned to his programs on March 28, 2022, in time for GMA's coverage of the 2022 Philippine presidential election. However, he took another medical leave three months after the elections. Enriquez died at the St. Luke's Medical Center – Quezon City as a result of an infection of pneumonia Allegedly, he succumbed to a cardiac arrest. On August 29, 2023, the announcement of Mike Enriquez's passing surfaced on a Facebook account named Musika. Subsequently, at the conclusion of the 24 Oras broadcast on the same date, his passing was officially confirmed.

The late veteran broadcast journalist and GMA Network pillar Mike Enriquez was laid to rest on Sunday at Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City. Loved ones and friends of Enriquez braved the heavy rains to attend his funeral.

Following his death:

• Imbestigador aired it's final episode on September 9, 2023, with John Consulta served as a narrator.
  • Prior to that, the show aired a special episode dedicated to him on September 2, 2023 (4 days after his death), with Arnold Clavio served as the narrator.
• Emil Sumangil become his permanent replacement in 24 Oras 2 months later on November 20, 2023.
  • His segment, Sumbungan ng Bayan, was relaunched as Kapuso Action Man, with Sumangil succeeding him.
• Joel Reyes Zobel and Rowena Salvacion become his replacement in his DZBB program, Saksi sa Dobol B.
• Also in DZBB, Melo del Prado become his replacement in Super Balita sa Umaga Nationwide.

Personal life

Enriquez is the eldest of three children. He uses the term "destructive to a certain extent" to describe his curiosity-filled, active childhood.

He had always been very active in church, and used to be an altar boy with an ambition to be a Franciscan priest. However, his parents refused to sign a consent sheet that would allow him to stay at the seminary until he became a priest.

Instead, he was enrolled at De La Salle College (now De La Salle University-Manila), taking up AB Liberal Arts in Commerce. Enriquez finished his degree in 1973 and now teaches in Broadcast Management. He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of La Salle Green Hills and acts as the Treasurer and Chairman of its Finance Committee.

Mike has been married to Lizabeth "Baby" Yumping for twenty-nine years, but they have no children.

Programs

Note: Mike Enriquez's final on-screen appearance was on 24 Oras on August 12, 2022. Afterwards, he was temporarily replaced by various GMA Integrated News reporters on both 24 Oras and Imbestigador due to another medical leave until his eventual death on August 29, 2023, but was still seen on the intros and title cards of both programs.

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1995-1998, 1999-2004	Saksi	Anchor
1998-1999	GMA Network News	Anchor
1999-2000	I-Witness	Host
2000-2023	Imbestigador	Host
2004-2022	24 Oras	Anchor
200?	Review Philippines	Anchor
2014	Unang Hirit	Guest appearance

Radio

His radio programs also appear on television via Dobol B TV (formerly Dobol B sa News TV) on GTV (previously GMA News TV). From mid-2022, he was absent in all of those due to another medical leave and was temporarily replaced by Melo del Prado and other DZBB anchors/hosts until his eventual death on August 29, 2023.

Year	Title	Role	Notes
???-2022	Saksi sa Dobol B	Host
???-2022	Super Balita sa Umaga Nationwide	Anchor