I Juander is a local TV show in the Philippines which airs every Wednesday at 8:00PM to 9:00PM on GMA News TV Channel 11. Featuring trends in the society and interesting lifestyle topics, veteran GMA reporters Susan Enriquez and Cesar Apolinario try to answer what makes us Filipino by demystifying and investigating the origins of different aspects of Filipino culture. The show is both fun and informative, one that suits all ages.

In some episodes, they welcome guests to share views and provide feedback in participation to find certain conclusions. And guess what…last Saturday (on my birthday), I received a tweet from a program researcher of I Juander inviting me to the next day’s shoot! πŸ™‚

My role in the segment? All I knew was that I had to judge food prepared by chefs. Just as how I review and describe food served up by restaurants through writing in my blog, I would have to critique how the cooked dishes taste like on national TVβ€”on the spot. The tactic hence was to prepare for the unexpected, as no prompters, no script, and no gimmicks would be given. It was the real deal.

To confirm my attendance, I responded positively and asked for meetup details. Fortunately, I had a great support system and my dad was kind to accommodate me to GMA Network Center in Diliman, Quezon City at the agreed time on Sunday.

After waiting for almost 3.5 hours, the I Juander crew finally reached GMA headquarters and met with us. Hooray! πŸ™‚ We drove to the shoot venue in a village in Cainta, Rizal and had some snacks in a cafΓ© upon arrival, while the crew started setting up the props, fixtures, and lighting outside.

Behind the Scenes: I Juander GMA News TV Guesting on Food Episode

The TV guesting experience was worthwhile and truly memorable. In the shoot, I had the opportune chance to get to know Chef Nap Sol (Co-owner of Casa del Sol Catering, Trainer for Bread and Pastry Production NC II, Product Endorser of ELBA, and ARKIDS Food Products Piano Teacher), Chef Rhon Aguilar a.k.a the “Chunky Kusinero” (Consultant at Sugarleaf foods that nourish), Papa Buboy (actor-turned-radio jock at Barangay LS 97.1), program researchers, and videographers.

I learned about their profiles, success stories, work experiences, and personal views and opinions. I asked questionsβ€”they shared answers. But what exactly happened in the episode? What food were prepared? How did they fare?Β You have to watch I Juander on June 24, 2015 at 8:00PM on GMA News TV Channel 11 to find out! πŸ˜›

Meanwhile, here are some BTS pictures:

Watch the episode here:

Enjoy! πŸ™‚

About 

Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.

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37 Responses

  1. mr_jeng

    WOHOOO!!!!! WOW!!!!! Artista.. Ma’am Roch, would you mind if I have a fan sign or an autograph!? Nyahahaha …

    But, to wait for 3.5 hours, that is a bit harsh.. Hmmm but it seems you enjoy the experience…

    All righty June 24 for you and June 27 for Nines..

    Yiheee You guys are racking up the Tv shows ah πŸ˜€ πŸ˜€ πŸ˜€ see you soon dear.. and again congrats on the coffee πŸ˜€ πŸ˜€ πŸ˜€

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Haha sure, saan ako ssign? πŸ˜› Joke. Yeah we waited for quite a while but it’s okay lang. At the end of the day, the experience of joining one segment on national TV counts more. Yes, mark those dates on your calendar. KTG represent! Thanks so much, Jeng! πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Haha yeah, we were shooting like the entire afternoon till the evening. It was fun talking to these people and knowing about their life stories. I felt inspired. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Theresa

    Wow, that’s a really neat experience! Thanks for sharing all the behind the scenes photos. Tasting food sounds like an awesome way to learn about the tv industry.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Yeah, tasting food and meeting new faces are two things that make me de-stress during weekends in events. πŸ™‚ You’re welcome, Theresa! Please don’t forget to watch us this coming Wednesday at 8PM on GMA News TV!

      Reply
  3. Nancy (@spiffykerms)

    What! Such an awesome opportunity for you, especially showing us readers a behind the scenes sort of deal here. Sounds like you really enjoyed yourself and I can definitely see why. πŸ™‚ I don’t have cable tv but if it’s online after it airs, I’d love to see it!

    Reply
  4. Leslie

    What a wonderful opportunity! I know it’s about of pressure to be on TV but that is so exciting for you, congrats and I hope more people learn about your blog. I have a Filipino friend and the show sounds so interesting. You’ll have to translate the show for us after it airs. I would love to see your segment.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Haha I had the trouble of speaking in full Filipino that time so I’m pretty excited (a bit anxious) to watch how I performed on TV. I only felt the pressure upon learning that I would be alone commenting on the food in one screen. My gosh! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  5. Danielle K

    This looks like a really cool show. What a great and fun opportunity for you to get to do this. I’m sure all of the food was good and getting to see all of the behind the scenes stuff was really interesting.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      I rarely have the time to watch TV programs but for sure I will have to catch this one and leave work early that day. πŸ™‚ Airing will be on June 24, 8pm. Don’t miss out!

      Reply
  6. Michelle Hwee

    Ooh it looked like so much fun! I love reading about ‘behind the scenes’ and those kind of events! You really get to meet everyone more personally and actually hang out! What a fun read, thanks for sharing it with us!

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      It’s my pleasure to share with you the behind the scenes moments. Everyone was friendly and I appreciate their company. Super fun day albeit tiring as well πŸ™‚

      Reply
  7. Tami

    My friend is from the Philippines and just returned from a trip home to see family. I will have to ask her if she’s familiar with these chefs or the television show. She graces us with Filipino food at our church sometimes.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      I Juander has been running for four years now so I guess she must also be familiar with it. πŸ™‚ Tell her to stay tuned this coming Wednesday!

      Reply
  8. Tammileetips

    This looks like a fun show to get to watch!! I love watching cooking shows. What an amazing experience to get to have, I would love to get to be on the set for a cooking show to experience that.

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      There’s going to be a cooking demo with detailed steps on the recipe and the taste-testing portion where you’ll get to hear about our judgment! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  9. Bluedreamer27

    wow congrats Roch….
    I love iJuander and most of the shows from GMA News TV… Will look forward to this… I’m sure they’ll invite you to some of their shows soon.. like Kuya Tonipet’s Pop Talk (my fav hehe)..
    Again congrats ^_^

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Thanks, Milton! Yes, please forward to the airing date of my guesting on TV both on i Juander and the upcoming Poptalk episode in July. More details on that other one soon. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  10. Stephanie of The TipToe Fairy

    Wow, this sounds so exciting! I don’t know what I’d do if a news station called me up to be on their show. It sounds like a fascinating show. I just love learning about cultures and new interesting facts about things. It looks like you had a great time!

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      First I was hesitant to believe that it was for real. It happened just so fast! πŸ™‚ I hope you would learn more about Pinoy culture and lifestyle in the show.

      Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Haha yes, it was fun naman. One of my childhood dreams was to become a broadcast journalist. While my career at present is far from it, I do get to enjoy writing online through blogging and this TV guesting experience amplified my exposure so I’m thankful to the one who invited me. Abangan na lang ninyo sa Wednesday. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  11. Franc Ramon

    Congrats on your TV guesting. It seems normal for shootings to be late, just my observation about the industry. Also, we need to meet again for my fan pic and authographs from you.

    Reply
  12. Fred

    Congratulations on your tv guesting. I would not have been able to talk straight on camera. Haha!

    Reply
    • Rochkirstin Santos

      Haha thanks, Fred. I was really shy back in my high school years. I guess practice makes perfect. Presenting to a huge crowd of people every day at work really helped in boosting my confidence. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  13. Louise

    You deserve this opportunity because you really blog well about restaurants and foods! I admire you actually for being able to describe the food you taste (which I find really hard). I hope to watch you on the 24th! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  14. buddy

    YOu’re so lucky and good thing that it seems you enjoy being part of this episode. cheers!!!

    Reply

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