MANILA — (UPDATED) Kim Atienza, the primetime trivia and weatherman who has endeared himself to Filipino viewers as “Kuya Kim,” has parted ways with ABS-CBN, his home network of 17 years.

“Today, Kim Atienza bid goodbye to the viewers of ‘TV Patrol’ after many years of delivering the nightly weather news,” ABS-CBN News said in a statement on Friday, October 1.

“No doubt, Kuya Kim has become an iconic name on Philippine television just like his predecessor in our primetime newscast, the late Ernie Baron.”

Atienza joined “TV Patrol,” the flagship newscast of ABS-CBN, in 2006, months after the passing of Baron.

With the segments “Weather Weather Lang” and “Kaunting Kaalaman,” he, too, became a household name, instantly recognizable with his signature safari hat.

Aside from the unmistakable silhouette, Atienza’s outro, or ending spiel, made a mark on the Filipino audience — as a nightly reminder to keep riding life’s highs and lows.

“Lagi nating tatandaan: ang buhay ay weather-weather lang,” he would say after each weather report — and for the last time on “TV Patrol” on Friday.

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In his farewell at the conclusion of “TV Patrol,” Atienza expressed gratitude to ABS-CBN executives, as well as his co-anchors and co-workers across his numerous programs over the years.

“Higit sa lahat, salamat sa inyo, mga Kapamilya, sa inyong pagsubaybay at pagsuporta. Si Kuya Kim ay hindi magiging Kuya Kim kung hindi dahil sa inyo,” he said.

ABS-CBN News, in its statement, also paid tribute to Atienza for his role in helping educate a generation, as a unique media personality that crossed over from news to entertainment, making his programs, and himself, more accessible to everyday Filipinos.

“For 17 years, he shared knowledge and wonder to our viewers, as well as the many young Filipinos who grew up watching and learning from him in ‘Matanglawin,’” ABS-CBN News said.

The current affairs show has become synonymous with Atienza, having reached 12 years on air. It concluded abruptly in mid-2020, when ABS-CBN was forced to retrench thousands of employees, including many who were part of “Matanglawin,” after being forced off free television due to the network’s franchise denial by a congressional panel.

Atienza specifically thanked the team behind “Matanglawin,” whom he described as, “Mapanuri, mapagmatyag, at mapangahas.”

“Iyang show na ‘yan has won all the awards that can be won on Philippine television. Two hundred awards ang napanalunan!” he said.

Atienza, who started his TV career as a voice actor for localized animated shows, went on to co-host several ABS-CBN titles, from the morning programs “Magandang Umaga, Pilipinas!” and “Umagang Kay Ganda,” to the lunch-time staple “It’s Showtime,” among others.

As a former mainstay of the noontime variety show, Atienza was similarly a trivia man who now got to show his fun side, as he interacted with audience members and obliged requests to “sample” dance moves.

Beyond that, as the most senior of his peers on “It’s Showtime,” he imparted life lessons drawn from their close friendships, and his own experience of being a family man.

It was also during his seven-year stint with “It’s Showtime” when he shared with the “madlang people” his months-long recovery from a stroke in 2010. At the time, he would join the program remotely from his hospital bed, still donning his favorite hat.

ABS-CBN News, in its statement, thanked Atienza “for his dedication, passion, and most of all, service to the Filipino people.”

“All the best, Kuya Kim!”

Bidding goodbye to viewers of “TV Patrol,” Atienza said, “Sa paglisan man sa estasyong ito na tinuring kong second home, kailanman ay hindi ako makakalimot.”

“Mananatili sa puso ko at babaunin ang lahat ng mga naranasan at natutunan ko sa ABS-CBN sa loob ng 17 taon.

“Natutunan ko na gaano man karami o katindi ang mga bagyong dumadaan sa ating buhay, mahalagang manatiling buhay ang pag-asa at pananampalata sa Diyos, at pagmamahal ng Kapamilya.”