MANILA - Mario Dumaual, ABS-CBN News’ long-time entertainment journalist, has long moved on before he passed on last Wednesday.

Yes, he is most remembered for telling stories about the country’s celebrities, and has earned the respect of the latter and of his peers because of his professionalism.

• Peers, colleagues pay respect to Mario Dumaual
• Mario Dumaual, reporter to the stars, leaves trailblazing legacy

But he also stayed relevant to the public because he continued to adapt to the changing media landscape, even up to the current digital age. He just kept moving on through the years.

“Yung huling pagkikita namin ni Sir Mario, nasa opisina siya, nagtatanong kung pa’no mag-yu-YouTube kasi gusto niyang mag-vlog,” ABS-CBN News Chief of Reporters Jeff Canoy shared when the company held a tribute gathering for Dumaual on Friday.

Dumaual manifested his flexibility early on when he had to appropriately use his skills depending on the organization and platform he became a part of after graduating from the University of the Philippines-Los Banos in 1979.

"Noong college, ang section ko, sa Sports. So lahat dinaanan ko - from sports, to agricultural writing, to technical writing, kahit educational writing - until mapadpad ako sa Times Journal sa showbiz," he said in a 2016 interview on ABS-CBN’s morning show Magandang Buhay”.

He shared that he was a columnist in Malaya when he was offered a job in ABS-CBN. “Kabubukas pa lang ng ABS-CBN noon. Si Angelique Lazo, kinuha nila ako roon for TV Patrol, ang kauna-unahang groundbreaking newscast ng ABS-CBN.”

But even as he spent several years later writing TV news scripts, Dumaual remained capable of filing articles suited for online publication, particularly this website.

He further took on the challenge of delivering what news consumers on social media want - photos and short, raw video clips. He committed to being “digital first”.

Indeed, Dumaual, who would have turned 65 on July 31, was seen continuously evolving at a time when ABS-CBN News acknowledged the need to engage the growing digital audience.

“Yun naman ang marka siguro ng pagiging mahusay na manunulat, pwede kang mag-adapt sa kahit anong writing,” he said in the Magandang Buhay interview seven years ago.

Notably, while he embraced all the changes, Dumaual did not abandon the basic journalism principles, such as verifying information or details with reliable sources especially on sensitive stories.

“I’ve always followed protocol in celebrity death reports - direct attribution of details from family. Mahirap second hand info at nangangahoy,” he told this author in June in what would be our last exchange of messages as we reported the passing of an actor.

• Final farewell: ABS-CBN colleagues give Mario Dumaual a standing ovation

As well, the way he treats his subjects was constant.

“Sure he was a showbiz reporter but he was decent, fair and loved whom he loved,” Sharon Cuneta, the showbiz industry’s Megastar, said of Dumaual in a statement.

“Mararamdaman mo yung genuine concern niya every time he’d ask a question,” shared pop star royalty Sarah Geronimo.

“He was part of our careers. And he never put out anything that made us look bad. He always wanted to bring out the best in all of us. Even if the artist was going through controversy and all, he would try to focus on, ‘Yeah, but it can’t be all bad. There’s a reason why that artist ay naging artista - dahil gusto siya ng tao.’ And he would always find a way to bring that out,” Gary Valenciano, the entertainment industry’s Mr. Pure Energy, said at Dumaual’s wake on Friday.

Acknowledging Dumaual’s body of work over the years, the German Moreno Walk of Fame Foundation honored him earlier this year with a five-point brass star in the Eastwood City Walk of Fame, while the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors last year conferred on him the Joe Quirino Memorial Award.

• Charo Santos, wagi bilang Best Actress sa The EDDYS
• Walk of Fame stars of Hidilyn, Maja, 6 others unveiled in Eastwood

The proudest of him, of course and always, is his family. “You deserve this and more,” said Dumaual’s journalist son, Miguel, when his “idol Star Patroller” earned his star at the Walk of Fame in January.

In front of Dumaual’s family and Kapamilyas, Valenciano sought to offer comfort and help on how to move on amid the “shock, disbelief, pain, hurt (and) frustration” felt by everyone, including him, over the veteran journalist’s passing.

“My prayer was, ‘Lord, He’s in your hands.’ And, mga Kapamilya, that’s the safest place to be,” he said.

Dumaual was laid to rest Sunday afternoon.

RELATED VIDEO

Watch more News on iWantTFC