Cheche Lazaro, The Probe Team Producer

Making a difference, that was her dream. Yet at the height of her broadcast career, this highly decorated journalist did not only make a difference to the network she worked with, her controversial shows shook the public opinion on some modern recurring social dilemmas. This media correspondent is no less than Gawad Plaridel awardee, Cecilia “Cheche” Lazaro.

Earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in speech and drama at the University of the Philippines and obtaining her Master’s in radio-television in 1968, Cheche Lazaro initially started out as a reporter in the network giant, ABS-CBN. After rising up through the ranks, she left the station to start her own production company, Probe Productions — the producer of several documentary programs like 5 and Up, The Probe Team and I-Witness. Among her productions, The Probe Team – the first Filipino investigative news magazine for television – has won as the Gawad CCP Para sa Telebisyon’s 10 Best TV Programs of the Philippine Television ten times. Despite the recognition, the show has faced countless controversies and censorship for its bold choice of topics and fearless investigations over the course of its airtime in several networks.