It has been more than 15 years since ABS-CBN News and The Filipino Channel's Hollywood correspondent-producer Yong Chavez broke new ground by becoming the first Filipino TV journalist to cover Hollywood's biggest red carpet events, including the Primetime Emmys and the Academy Awards.
Last March, she was bestowed the International Media Award at the 60th Annual ICG Publicists Awards. The recognition is presented by some of Hollywood’s most prominent entertainment publicists to journalists who contribute to bringing television and motion picture campaigns to life.
Just recently, it was revealed that she had been chosen as a voter for the Golden Globe Awards, one of the more popular awards in the entertainment industry. A few days later, the FilAm Creative Film Festival (FACFF) — a non-profit corporation dedicated to the advancement and empowerment of Filipino-Americans in media and entertainment — introduced her as the jury president.
Chavez has also been recently selected as the vice chair of the Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) which produces the HCA Film and TV Awards. Its vision and mission are “to amplify diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and culture in film and television.”
To say that Chavez is living her dream is an understatement. “I did not set out to achieve these things. Wala 'yan sa hinagap ko,” she remarks, clearly delighted by the events unfolding in her life.
‘Watching movies was an escape’
Chavez grew up from humble beginnings in a street called Lumang Kalye in the town of San Antonio, San Pascual, Batangas. Raised by a single mother, she vividly recalls when making ends meet was a real challenge. But these circumstances never deterred her from nurturing her passion for the world of entertainment.
“My family could not even afford a TV, but I was so obsessed with films and TV and movie stars at a young age,” she shared in her speech at the ICG Publicists Awards. “So as a young girl, I would go around the neighborhood every morning listening to whose TV was on and be standing outside their windows and just be watching any show they were watching.”
Watching movies was an occasional escape whenever their budget allowed. “Nakita ko na masaya ang nanay ko kahit na may problema,” she tells us. “I witnessed the magic of cinema... that no matter how tough life was, for a certain period of time, we could forget all about our worries and problems.”
It was while watching Tina Monzon-Palma deliver the news on TV when Chavez realized the career she path she wanted to take. “It became my unspoken dream to become a newscaster,” the Batangueña recalls. She took up Communication Arts at the University of Santo Tomas, but in the back of her mind, she considered her dream career a bit of a long shot. “I auditioned to be an intern at GMA News and I was rejected in the first round,” she remembers with a laugh. “I thought I’d just pursue a career in communication, in any capacity.”
Chavez financially supported her college education by working as a cashier at Jollibee. It was a lifeline, because prior to having that job, there were days when she’d just skip meals or just eat a piece of polvoron to get through the day.
It was also while working at Jollibee when she crossed paths with her future husband, Jun. They started a family in their junior year and both continued their employment at Jollibee. Chavez became a store manager in Manila, and her husband joined the management team of the fast-food chain in Guam. In time, Chavez also moved to Guam and had the opportunity to work as a marketing assistant for Guam's Pacific Daily News.
When Chavez had the chance to meet the newspaper's editor, she volunteered to contribute stories and that marked the beginning of her career as a journalist. The editors were impressed with her work and she was eventually offered a position as a full-time features writer for the newspaper. She found great pleasure in covering the entertainment industry so she thought it best to specialize in that field.
Moving to the Golden State
In the year 2000, an opportunity beckoned for the Chavezes to relocate to California. Her husband’s employers sponsored their green cards which allowed them to start a new life in the state. But since they hadn't yet established a network in the area, she found herself taking on various jobs.
She initially sold bread and led tours at the Boudin Bakery in Disneyland California Adventure. Later on, she was hired as a bakeshop manager at Red Ribbon. “Pag day-off ko, nagsusulat ako, nagko-cover ako for Philippine News just to keep the dream [of becoming a journalist] alive in some way,” she says.
It was in one of those coverages when she met then-ABS-CBN’s bureau chief for North America, Ging Reyes. “Pag-uwi ko, meron akong voice mail from Ging… kung gusto ko daw mag-contribute. So that was the start [of my career in ABS-CBN],” she says.
In the beginning, Chavez covered general assignments, including crime stories, which he found challenging to handle. “I covered a story about a father who killed his entire family and set their house on fire. The man came from a well-off family, but they faced a reversal of fortune, and he couldn't accept that his wife had become independent, so he killed his entire family,” she recalls. “I told myself, ‘I can’t do this,’ and decided to focus on entertainment journalism.”
At that time, it was rare for Filipino actors to land significant roles in international films. “We often had to endure racism and being marginalized,” she observed. “The good thing was that our fellow Filipinos were always there to support us.”
Her first Emmys
The aspiring entertainment journalist will forever cherish the memory of her first time covering the Primetime Emmys. “It’s such a huge deal for me because I never imagined I would have the opportunity,” she reflects. “I had been applying to be part of the media covering the event every year, only to receive constant rejections.”
Thirteen years ago, she was finally granted approval because one of the publicists was Filipino and recognized TFC. “Pero doon ako sa dulong dulo,” she recalls with a chuckle. “There were a hundred journalists na dadaanan [ng artista]. Madalas hindi talaga titigil sa iyo ang artistang malalaki e. Doon ko din naranasan 'yung publicist na puti, pupunta sa section namin, sasabihin ‘That’s just international, don’t mind them.’ They won’t be able to do that now. Kung 'di mava-viral sila.” She laughs.
This is reason, says Chavez, why she never expected a nomination, let alone winning the International Media Awards. “I’m just from a small country then ang mga kalaban ko are from all those other big countries na malalaki ang reach like UK and New Zealand. So I attended the event thinking, I was just going to eat lunch with my husband,” she smiles at the recollection. “So when Ethan Peck announced my name, I really just spoke from the heart…”
The award held tremendous importance for Chavez because not only was she the first Filipino to win it, but also because it allowed her to shed light on the challenges encountered by international journalists. “Kung minsan we are looked down upon. Akala kasi ng iba kapag may accent ka, what you're saying is not as important as what the others are saying,” she says. “So to be able to say that I’m from ABS-CBN, The Filipino Channel on that stage, to be able to let them know where I came from, that’s priceless talaga.”
Unforgettable interviews
Her very first interview with Hollywood stars was sometime in 2012. “It was with Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans for the first Avengers movie,” she reminisces. During that interview, she asked Evans about his early career in Hollywood and the transition from ‘Not Another Teen Movie’ to more substantial roles.
When she stood up, Chavez accidentally bumped into the boom mic. Hemsworth promptly extended a hand and asked, ‘Are you okay?’ But Evans with his Boston humor said, ‘Serves you right for asking me about Not Another Teen Movie.’” She burst into laughter. “When I met him again for the movie ‘Knives Out’ many years later, I told him, ‘You don’t know this Chris, but we’ve had beef for a decade now. Tawa siya nang tawa.”
She also appreciates those moments when she realized that Hollywood celebrities are just as vulnerable like ordinary humans. Chavez was still grieving over her mother’s death when she did the interview with Keanu Reeves for “John Wick 2.” A significant part of the story revolves around the loss of his wife. And since she knew that Reeves had also experienced grief in his own life, she asked him “How do you cope with grief?”
“[Keanu] gave me that really profound answer. Sabi nya, he believes that grief expands and it contracts at different times in your life. There are moments when you can intensely feel it, and then there are times when you manage to bear it. Even though he may not have realized it, he helped me that day.”
In the movie “Arrival,” Amy Adams lost her child to a rare medical condition. Having lost their firstborn, Chavez identified with the character Adams played and she felt her voice break during the interview. “Alam mo 'yung kahit pinipigil mo 'yung emotion mo, then nauna pang umiyak si Amy Adams when I told her about it. It was emotional but I quickly pivoted and we talked about the movie. I didn’t want the conversation to be about me.”
Big Hollywood stars typically don’t open up about their personal life in media interviews, because they’ve experienced being burned before by other journalists who sometimes twist their words or use them as clickbait. Oftentimes it’s hard to establish a connection with them, but in one way or another, Yong is able to do so.
“Sometimes, I’m surprised, like in one of my interviews with Ashton Kutcher for the romantic comedy ‘Your Place or Mine,’ I asked him about the person who had given him an opportunity in life, and he revealed something deeply personal. I only asking personal questions that relate to the character they are portraying. I steer clear of personal questions like ‘Who are you dating now?’ or ‘Are you still together?’”
One of her most memorable days at work was when she conducted individual interviews with Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Steven Spielberg for the political thriller “The Post.” “It was a valuable lesson for me to witness how these highly esteemed individuals arrived 15 minutes early, well-prepared and ready to go. It emphasized the importance of being thoroughly prepped and professional,” she says.
In October last year, she moderated the global press conference of ‘Black Adam.’ The event featured The Rock, Noah Centineo, and Pierce Brosnan. “I had the privilege to interview them, and when they discovered that it was my birthday that day, Pierce Brosnan and Noah Centineo serenaded me with a heartfelt rendition of ‘Happy Birthday.’ In a tweet, The Rock also congratulated me for moderating the event."
Her job as an entertainment journalist has been profoundly fulfilling, says Chavez. Now, as she assumes a leadership position in the Hollywood Creative Alliance, her larger objective is to shine a light on underrepresented talent within the entertainment industry, particularly the Filipinos and other Asians.
“In the next chapter of my journey, I aim to chronicle their challenges and triumphs and champion their inclusion,” she says. “I want to ensure that their narratives are not left untold.”
Photos courtesy of Yong Chavez