ED BADUA: FORMER CYCLING ANCHORMAN

Before this information sinks into oblivion, I want to share these bits of information about the Philippine cycling history.

On the downlow, my father, Mr. Ed Badua, known originally as M2 (Mobil Unit No. 2), in tandem with Mr. Earl Sapelino (M1), Mr. Barr Samson and Mr. Bal Domingo, used to cover the famed Tour of Luzon and Marlboro Tour in the 1970s and 1980s. They became part of the cycling entourage in the embryonic years of Philippine cycling.

Both Domingo and Samson assumed the M3 moniker before. Simultaneously, Cel Baysa used M3 in a radio program called Radyo Patrol, but not in cycling, at the Philippine Broadcasting Service—the radio network counterpart of PTV-4.

*In the picture: (L-R) Virgilio Buendia, Earl Sapelino, Ed Badua , and Edwin Sese (sitting)*

However, People’s Television 4 (PTV-4), through Mr. Mon Santiago, scouted my father, who was then assigned to presidential and congressional coverage, to do a news anchor stint in 1987, leaving Sapelino and Samson at the helm on the radio.

Thus, he relinquished the M2 position to Mr. Ricky Yap Santos, who is deemed one of the local cycling legendary pillars.

In the same way, Joe Cantada, Ed Tipton and Hermie Rivera also covered the annual spectacle over Channel 13, the sister media company of PTV-4 and DZHP owned by Radio Mindanao Network.

*Taken in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte in the mid-80s*

According to my father, the cycling coverage during his time compared to the current setup like Facebook live was more an arduous and challenging task.

He added that the road races during his time were bumpy and dusty rides for cyclists because of poor road conditions and unpaved roads.

Due to television sets’ rarity long ago, people tended to hook up in cycling competitions through transistor radios. They considered the annual summer spectacle one of their pastimes.

He further added that Marlboro Tour anchors, in the middle of covering the annual cycling spectacle, experienced signal disruption in remote and mountainous areas devoid of “repeaters.” The same disturbance some live stream reporters encountered in the modern-day coverage through Facebook live.

Juancho Bumagat, under scorching heat, traverses an arid valley in Ilocos Norte during the memorable scene in Marlboro Tour, which M2 Ed Badua covered in 1985.

Eon ago, the coverage team had to be connected to a microwave facility before airing live the race competition, a far cry from that of YouTube and Facebook these days.

In 1981, my father also covered the historic Philippines’ first hosting of the SEA Games, wherein the country became an overall champion. Further, he recalled his memorable but brief encounter with the sportsman and former Senator Freddie Webb as they both anchored the track and field event for certain days at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Before joining cycling coverage in the 1970s, my father was initially a beat reporter focusing on international affairs, as evident in his radio program, “Hands Across the Seas.”

Ed Badua with British Ambassador William Bentley on the 1976 radio program: Hands Across the Seas

My father hailed from Umingan, Pangasinan, and was born to Engineer Eduardo Badua Sr. and Consolacion Meris, a post-war teacher.

In his early years, he was a valedictorian both in elementary and high school in St. Philomena’s Academy in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan.

In college, he took up BS Literature in Ateneo de Manila. After that, he enrolled in BS Law in the same institution but did not complete it. He is likewise a lifetime member of the Aquila Legis Fraternity and the National Press Club.