superwoMOM “…Watching all the tributes and reading all the superlative articles about you leaves me in awe. But even without all those accolades, I have always known what an exceptional woman you are. I call you superwoMOM and there will never be any runners-up, no matter how sincerely they try to play second mom to Ricky, Clara and me. When people ask me if I am going to continue what you started, I am dumbfounded. Nobody, not even me whom you have always called your extension, is qualified to be the next Inday Badiday. The least I could do to honor you is to add up the bits and pieces of our wonderful, colorful life together and keep on living and loving the way you taught me how…” – Dolly Ann Carvajal, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Oct 16, 2003 (READ MORE)
The Queen is dead. Inday Badiday, real name Lourdes Jimenez Carvajal, in her lifetime was known as the Queen of Intrigues. No one is ready to wear that crown. Many have learned from her, but no one can yet make superstars and play godmother to a mudfish at the same time without losing the public’s respect. No one has yet mastered her knack for asking the right probing questions at the right time, for probing and then pulling back without really hurting. Her show biz talk shows are memorable like her laughter and her closing line, “Saranghameda,” but it is best to remember Inday in her own words. In an interview with Inquirer Entertainment in 2002, Inday was asked which she loved to do most, TV, radio, print. She said: “Radio and print are more freewheeling. You can choose the topics you like. Mas nailalabas mo ang innermost feeling mo, mas open ka. Unlike sa TV mas limitado and oras at and emotions.”
Why did shoe biz reporting today jolt her? “Minsan kasi parang, tama na! Haggang diyan ka na lang. Wala nang limit kasi. Ang nangyayari, the more na bulgar, more probing, more vicious, the more na gusto nila.”
When did she stop smoking? “1996. The bypass operation did it. Talagang ayoko na talaga. sabi ko nga kay (brother-in-law Dr. Carlitos Magsanoc), ” (sister and Inquirer edition in chief) letty (Jimenez-Magsanoc) smokes, I smoke. Seh drinks, I drink. I sleep late, mas lalo kung magpuyat si Letty. Mapag-isip ako, mas lalo si Letty. Pareho lang kami ng ginagawa. Pero bakit ako nagkakasakit, si Letty hindi? Letty still smokes. Grabe!”
What’s a good talk show to her? “No script. Freewheeling. Yung ang mga saopt ng mga artista hindi mag-uumpisa sa “Well…” or “Actually…”
Did she think she would regain her crown as queen of intrigues and talk show? “I’m not trying to regain anything. What crown are you talking about? Sila lang naman ang nag-name sa kin ng Queen of Intrigues. I don’t pretend to have a title. I’m just me. I don’t want to compete with any of them. I’m just here to join the parade, not to lead the parade.”
What first things did she do as a host? “Ang dami-dami. Lahat ng kababalaghan! Nung namatay ang dalag, nakiburol kami. Diyos ko! para akong luka-loka! May mga bulaklak pa kami. Ang tawag ko sa ganyan, “Aliw Awards.” Kagaya nung bumubuhay ng patay, yung ngasasayaw na Sto. Nino. Lahat ng ipinalihi sa kung saan. You name it, I did it.” In her Christmas Day “Face to Face” column in 1999, Iday Listed the “little and big monuments and milestones in my life.” Among them were Nora Aunor and public service. “Whether I like it or not,” she wrote, “the superstar’s name shall forever be a part of my life in show business. Seh has been the star to whom i hitched my wagon.” Of public servie, she wrote: “There was a time when public service weren’t watchable. But “Eye to Eye” changed that. It makes me happy to say this show helped institutionalize the Filipino’s innate gift of generosity. I’ve always been amazed by how the number of people needing help is always matched by the people willing to give it.”
What was she most proud of as a talk show host? “Before, show biz reporters were taboo on the air, Ipinaglaban ko ‘yun. My point was, they are the people who know what questions to ask the stars, who know what’s happening. “Many people did not like that idea, putting show biz reporters on the air. At least ngayon tanggap na tanggap na sila.” Indeed, entertainment columnist Butch Francisco wrote in July 2000: “Before Inday Badiday, entertainment writers were mere by-lines in fan magazines and the movie pages of newspapers. But through the trailblazing efforts of this woman with a vision, some movie journalists have become personalities themselves, hosting their own show biz talk show on TV.” Francisco proceeded to enumerate Inday’s “creations” – Cristy Fermin, Aster Amoyo, Lolit Solis, Nap Gutierrez, and Francisco himself. What was she like as a mother? “Normal.” Writer Anselle Beluso, one of her closest friends: “Depende kung sinong anak.” Inday: Gaga! Should other hosts be afraid of her comeback? “Why should they be? ‘There’s no reason to be afraid of me. I’m just one of them.” No more “Saranghameda?” “It will just come. That was the time I met Bo (Gene Palomo), so saranghameda. The word is Korean for I love you. Malay mo, baka may makilala ako sa show ko, e ‘di iba naman (laughs).” – Louie C. Camino, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sep 28, 2003 (READ MORE)
Irreplaceable. “…its impossible to find somebody like Inday Badiday,” said Ansel Beluso, head writer of the show biz talk show “Inday: Heart to Heart” on GMA 7 last Sunday at Inday’s wake at the Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, Makati City. He said that whoever would replace Inday should be someone who’s as credible and as highly respected in show biz as the Queen of Intrigues herself. “Whoever will take over the show would only have to be who he or she really is,” Beluso added. “The new host would have to be someone who’s motherly, like Inday,” said Bibeth Orteza, who’s also a head writer of “Heart to Heart” and one of Inday’s long-time friends. Inday, Lourdes Jimenez Carvajar in real life, pioneered show biz talk shows in the Phlippines, hosting TV shows like “See True,” which ran for seven years, “The Truth and Nothing But,” four years, and “Eye to Eye,” 10 years. She died on Sept. 27 of a lingering illness at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City after being confined in the hospital’s intensive care unit since Aug. 18…At Inday’s wake last Sunday, show biz writer Ronald Carballo shared: For years, Inday had paid the bill of his birthday parties. “This happened when Inday was at the peak of her career in the ’80s,” said Carballo, “She would call me a week before my birthday, ask me how much I would need for the party and, on the day of the celebratin, send a check with an amount double than waht I told her.” Carballo said he was present during Inday’s Aug .7 birthday celebration at the Trader’s Hotel in Pasay City. “She hugged me and said, “Salamat, Ronald, Nawala na silang lahat, ikaw na alng ang naiwan (Thank you for being here, They are all gone, and you are the only one who has remained)…” – Marinel R. Cruz and Jocelyn Valle, Inquirer, Sep 30, 2003 (READ MORE)
Funny Lady “…She recalled how Inday once “tutored” her about how to act like a lady during a visit to South Korea in the ’80s, when Inday’s late father, Nicanor Jimenez, had been the Philippines ambassador to that country. “She lectured me about my behavior and warned me that I must not embarrass her dad,” Solis said. “But duiring a Mass which we attended, she fell asleep because she had too much wine to drink earlier. The following day, she couldn’t face her dad!” Expect the unexpected with Inday, Solis said. “Like how she would always find something to laugh about even if she was talking to the grimmest person on earth.” she added…” – Nini Valera, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sep 29, 2003 (READ MORE)
Truth and Frienship When Aiko Melendez guested on “Eye to Eye” before going to her debut, Ate Luds presented to her a heart wrenching interview with her dad Jimi Melendez, who was dying in remote seashore village in Batangas. But Ate Luds was averse to inventing news. While others resorted to manufacturing lies which they then asked the movie stars converned to react to – an exercise that they passed on as news reporting – Ate Luds always chose to dig. “There is no need to invent news,” she always said. “You just have to dig deeper, and there’s always a gem out there waiting to be found.” I remember Ate Luds being very happy about a reaction that was attributed to Fernando Poe jr. when “Eye to Eye” went off the air. The king of Philippine Movies said, “Without Inday, we will never know what the truth is about show biz news.” “Be aware always about the fine line that divides friendship and show biz truth, and always choose to be on the side of friendship, because show biz truth is all a matter of perception.” I saw it happen: When her friends went through rough times, Ate Luds always chose to be by their side, even at the expense of her own credibility as a a broadcaster. Because of this, when bigger issues happened, her friends always honored her with the first shot at the truth. “Truth in show biz is different from truth in politics,” Ate Luds once explaine to me. “In show biz, when a movie star tells a lie, it is entertaining. In politics, when a politician tells a lie, no matter how small, it can ruin the nation.”
Affection for People “Beware of people you don’t know – but even more, of people you do know.” Ate Luds’ people skills were incredible. If she were fish, people were her water. And she could swim both in fresh and tropical waters. She had genuine love and affection for people. This was the key to her success. She knew what made people tick. She knew what turned them on or off. She also knew about the exquisite joy of loyalty, as well as the bitter taste of betrayal. “Friendship in show biz does not exist. So you have to make it for yourself. Friendship in show bix is an act of will.” Ate Lud was known by all, but she once admitted to me that she only had very few friends in show biz. A lot of her friends were not from the entertainment world. They were “ordinary” people who derived nothing from her except the joy of simple friendship. “In show biz, when you see someone who can be a friend, hold on to that person and protect your realtionship with everything you’ve got. Friendship is measured not by what you can get from it, but by what you are willing to give up for it – so choose wisely. A good friendship can enrich you, but a bad one can bankrupt you.” Ate luds gave up a lot for frienship. Of course, it was very sad that a few of these friendships proved to be wrong choice. “Show biz is serious business. But never take yourself seriously. Laugh hard – and laugh hardes at yourself.” Ate Luds’ self deprecating humor was legendary. “Hoy! Anak ako ng ambassador, no!,” She’d holler at anyone who pointed out some gaffe or breach in protocol she had committed. “Ako pa?,’ she’d self-mockingly proclaim each time a folly or foible was attributed to her, and you couldn’t help but laugh at her little idiosyncracies. Goodbye, Ate Luds. – Ansel Beluso, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Oct 11, 2003 (READ MORE)
Constant Reminder “…Inday Badiday (a.k.a. Ate Luds) doesn’t remember now who gave her the tableau containing that little prayer (“Ewan ko kung kaaway ko o kaibigan ko”) but that’s beside the point. The tableau stands on her headboard and it’s the first thing Inday sees when she wakes up every morning. Sa totoo lang, Inday has been trying, during the past many years, to observe that prayer — to no avail. “Para akong si Mother Lily,” says Inday, “pag hindi ko binuksan ang bibig ko, magugutom ako, hindi ako kikita. Aray ko!…Remember when Nora Aunor, displeased by a news report which she deemed favored Vilma Santos at her expense, asked her secretary to get back (that same evening!) a P5,000 check she had gifted Inday with a week earlier during the blessing of Inday’s house in Meycauayan, Bulacan?….Inday’s constant reminder to her children is this: “Don’t come to me crying!” That is also what the Ambassador would often tell his children: “Don’t ever come to me crying.” “Military man kasi ‘yon, e.” Inday hasn’t run back to Daddy crying ever since. “Alam mo,” she admits, “people can accuse me of not having been a good wife. Pero walang makapagsasabing hindi ako naging mabuting ina.” And that, would you believe, is the truth and nothing but…” – Ricky Lo, Weekend magazine, March 10 1985 (READ MORE)
Investigative Journalism – “…I follow up on events and I always add that dash of scoop by getting at the real story behind the news item.” Inday Badiday’s brand of gossip, therefore, is more akin to investigative journalism. Never mind the fact that her investigations always end up in the same way. For nobody can quite ransack a “ropero” as thoroughly as Inday can. Inday Badiday or Ludy Jimenez Carvajal also admits to having”sources” who relay precious information to her but she sifts these carefully and only follows up on the “more interesting” bits. “The hotel guest registry is not my cup of tea, I leave it to others to do that type of reporting. If I get a lead about so-and-so cheking in at this hotel, I sometimes pass on the information to another reporter and leave it up to him to follow the story if he cares to.” Inday’s chitchat being more issue-oriented has landed her into more controversies than she’s ready to bargain for. “In the Amalia-Romeo-Vilma affair, for instances, I was only a bystander. They were the ones who did all the talking, most especially Bobby. But it was my program which took the brunt of it all. Sabi ko nga, para bang nag-away ang mga bisita mo sa bahay mo. Anong magagawa mo?” Inday confesses that her job is not exactly a bed of roses. “Anong gagawin mo pag sinabi sa iyo ng artista, “Ate Luds, ito ang tunay na nangyari pero huwag mong sasabihin. Ito na lang ang sabihin mo, Sasakit ang ulo mo talaga.” The constant ringing of the phone, the centenarian who came to visit Inday that day, the unending parade of people streaming in and out of Inday’s tiny office-all these attest to the queen’s popularity. “My sister (Letty Jiminez-Magsanoc of Panorama) tells me that I’m but a mere spectator of this circus.” What LJM meant was perhaps that Inday’s life is the anti-thesis of the sordid world of her occupation. Inday after all started out as a ballet teacher at Joji Felix’s dance studio (would you believe?) where perhaps the most awkward event of any given day was a ballerina’s lazy arabesque. Now that her world has changed from ballet to bod stars, she remains even more certain of her ground. “The point of interest being facets of the stars’ private lives,” says Inday, “and this means I cannot write or talk about how many times they go to church. I cannot imagine why some peole would like us to turn plastic, too, by writing plastic things about their plastic selves. Ang sabi nga kung naiinitan ka sa apoy ng nagluluto, di umalis ka sa kusina.” It is the movies where one worries most when the gossip stops. Very few attain that sought-after state of virtual imperviousness. Should anything truly sensational happen in their lives, who do you think will merit bigger headlines today, Vilma Santos or Tita Duran? What worries certain movie scribes, Giovanni Calvo included…” – TV Times, 27 April – May 3 1980
Incredible Legacy “…Speaking of lessons I’ve learned in the talk show circuit, my mom’s (“the mother of all talk shows.” as she’s been dubbed) countless tips remained unparalleled in my book. You’ll be privy to all this when you catch our one-on-one interview in “CelebrityDAtCom’s” first episode. Due to time constraints, our interview was cut short just when it was getting juicy. But there will be a part 2 of that dream interview. Truth to tell, my mom has politely declined many invitations to be interviewed on other talk shows. As she says, “I’m beyond show biz.” That’s why I’m so grateful that she agreed to appear on my new show with TJ and Angelo. It;s not that she was obliged to just because I have to be her daughter. I know she wanted to be around to show me her support. Her presence was the only adrenaline shot I needed to perk me up for the initial telecast. I know that even when she was the one who asked me to take over the hosting chores on “Movie Magazine” many years ago, deep inside her she wished that I had pursued my dreams to become an interpreter in the United Nations. That dream may or may not be fullfilled but it doesn’t bother me much. Foregoin one dream to be able to continue my mom’s incredible legacy in show biz is more than enough compensations. It’s the least I can do to give something back to all the people whose live she has not only touched but changed for the better…” – Dolly Ann Carvajal, Philippine Daily Inquirer, May 13, 2003 (READ MORE)
The Bukas Palad Awardee – Inday Badiday Recipient (1998) – “…The Bukas Palad Award (Open-Armed Award) was awarded by the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences in the 47th FAMAS Awards (1998) in 1999 to honor the generosity and indelible contributions of the Philippines’ original Queen of Talk, gossip columnist and TV host Inday Badiday, to the Philippine motion picture industry. Inday Badiday, who is Lourdes Carvajal in real life, not only boosted star’s careers through her gossip shows but had been also known to help various stars in their times of need. In addition, she had been known to help various local charities that promoted various social causes…” – FAMAS (READ MORE)
Lourdes Jimenez Carvajal (August 6, 1944 – September 26, 2003), better known as Inday Badiday, was a Filipino host and journalist who was known as Philippine television’s “queen of showbiz talk shows” and “queen of intrigues”. Referred to by many in the entertainment industry as “Ate Luds”, Inday began her broadcasting career as a radio host who talked about show business. Her commentary and knowledge about the industry eventually brought her fame. One of her first shows was Nothing but the Truth and later See-True and Eye to Eye, which served as Philippine television’s template for showbiz talk shows. These shows were all produced by GMA News and Public Affairs and her production company, LoCa Productions (LoCa is the combination of the first two letters of her names, Lourdes Carvajal). She made her television comeback in GMA Network in 2002 with the show Inday, Heart to Heart. Inday Badiday died on September 26, 2003, from multiple organ failure due to two strokes at 59 years old, at St. Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City. She had three children, Dolly Anne and Ricky from a previous marriage, and Clara (Klang-klang) by her beloved Gene “Bo” Palomo, the man Inday referred to in her famous parting shot, “Saranghamnida, Bo” (Korean for “I love you, Bo”) in her program Eye to Eye. She was also the grandmother of Juicy co-host IC Mendoza. – Wikipedia (READ MORE)
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