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Cecilia "Cheche" Aldaba Lim-Lázaro (born September 8, 1945, in Los Angeles, California), is aFilipino broadcast journalist and the founding President of Probe Productions Inc. as well as an Editor-at-Large of online news websiteRappler.
The eldest of six children, Cecilia "Cheche" Aldaba Lim, was born to Luis Lim, an engineer, andEstefania Aldaba-Lim, a psychologist and former secretary of theDepartment of Social Welfare and Development. She was born September 8, 1945, in the US but decided to give up her US citizenship and chose to be legally Filipina when she applied for a scholarship for a master's degree in radio and television from the University of Michigan.[1]
In 1966, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in speech and drama at theUniversity of the Philippines Diliman. She continued her studies at theUniversity of Michigan and obtained her master's degree in radio-television in 1968.
She has been married to Filipino businessman Delfin Lázaro for more than 40 years, and together they have two children, Lisa and Carlos, and a grandchild, Jack.
Lázaro began her career working as a reporter forABS-CBN. Between July 1986 and December 1987, she became director and manager of the network's Public Affairs department. This allowed her to be appointed team leader and reporter for the network's coverage of PresidentCorazon C. Aquino's visit to Singapore andIndonesia.
Lázaro soon left her position at ABS-CBN in 1988 to create her own production company, Probe Productions, with the help of fellow journalistsLuchi Cruz-Valdez andMaria Ressa.[2] This led her to produce several documentary programs such as5 and Up for ABC (laterTV5),The Probe Team,I-Witness, andCheche Lazaro Presents forGMA Network, which eventually became her home network.
There, she was able to produce award-winning documentaries, including one involving theMVDoña Paz maritime disaster. The relationship with the network, however, was strained in 2003 when GMA refused to air aProbe segment about a lifestyle check onPAGCOR Chair Efraim Genuino. The network said that the story was a half-baked job that would unjustly ruin the subject's reputation; Lázaro saw it as censorship. The rift was played out in media, and after 16 years of good relations with GMA, the network pre-terminated the contract ofProbe.
Despite this setback, Lázaro returned to the limelight whenProbe began reairing on ABC in June 2004. After a year's stay, she decided to go back in 2005 to her channel of origin, ABS-CBN. Between 1992 and 1995, Lázaro was also chairperson of the broadcast department at theUniversity of the Philippines Diliman. Currently, she is a member and board advisor at thePhilippine Center for Investigative Journalism.
Lázaro as a host has obtained various awards from Philippine award-giving bodies. She has been awarded 'Best News Magazine show host' nine times by the Star Awards.The Probe Team, the first Filipino investigative news magazine for television, has won both local and international recognition. It program received Gawad CCP Para sa Telebisyon "10 Best TV Programs of the Philippine Television" ten times.
Lázaro's last programme with the Probe Production team isProbe Profiles. Their last episode was aired July 1, 2010, and featured the story of PresidentBenigno Aquino III on his candidacy and rise to power that year.
In 2018, Lázaro joinedOne News (owned byTV5 Network, replacingBloomberg TV Philippines) as a host for Convo after she leftProbe for 8 years andChe Che Lazaro Presents for 4 years.
| Year | Award Giving Body | Category | Nominated Work | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Golden Dove Awards | Best Female Public Affairs Host | The Probe Team | Won |
| 2000 | Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) | Hall of Fame Inductee | The Probe Team | Won |
| 2001 | Golden Dove Awards | Best Female Public Affairs Host | I-Witness | Won |
| Best Program Promoting Culture and the Arts | Cheche Lazaro Presents | Won | ||
| New York Festival | Silver World Medal | Television Documentary and Information Program on Social Issues/Current Events | Won | |
| 2003 | Malolos Heritage Foundation | Most Outstanding Daughter of Malolos | Accomplishments in the field of broadcasting | Won |
| Provincial government of Bulacan | Dangal ng Lipi Award Para sa Sining at Kultura | — | Won | |
| 2007 | University of the Philippines | Gawad Plaridel Award | Outstanding contributions to the local television industry and broadcast journalism | Won[3] |
| 2010 | Eastwood City Walk Of Fame | Celebrity Inductee | — | Won |
| Philippine Movie Press Club | Excellence in Broadcasting | Outstanding contributions to the local television industry and broadcast journalism | Won | |
| 2015 | Golden Screen TV Awards | Helen Vela Lifetime Achievement Award | — | Won[4] |