Mike Enriquez dies at 71

Mike Enriquez, a fixture in Filipino living rooms for more than five decades, has passed away. He was 71.

Enriquez, as reported by GMA Integrated News, peacefully passed away today, August 29th. The 24 Oras anchor had been battling a kidney disease for quite some time. Last year, he underwent a successful kidney transplant, but recovery proved to be challenging.

“’Yung pinagdaanan ko, mahirap,” he told the Inquirer. “Aside from the procedure itself, I had to undergo a three-month isolation period. Transplant patients are immunocompromised. And I have other comorbidities, too. I’m a senior citizen, and I have diabetes… And in 2018, I underwent heart bypass surgery.“

In the years following his illnesses, Enriquez only returned to the anchor chair a couple of times. The most recent was during GMA-7’s “Eleksyon 2022” coverage, where he sat next to his longtime on-air partner, Mel Tiangco.

A newsman at heart, Enriquez began his career as an announcer at the Manila Broadcasting Company in 1969. This was followed by stints at Freedom Broadcasting Radio Network and Radio Mindanao Network (RMN), where he would also later serve as vice president.

In 1994, Enriquez joined what would become his permanent home – GMA-7. At the Kapuso Network’s radio station, DZBB, Enriquez was best known for programs such as Super Balita sa Umaga and Saksi sa Dobol B.

During his time at the network, Enriquez, known in the industry as “Booma,” also managed to anchor a number of news programs, namely GMA Network News, Saksi, and, since 2004, 24 Oras.

On the public affairs programming side, Enriquez served as host of the highly successful Imbestigador. For years, it became one of GMA Public Affairs’ top-rated programs and earned him the title “Imbestigador ng Bayan.” It would later spawn a spin-off segment on 24 Oras.

Enriquez is survived by his wife, Lizabeth “Baby” Yumping.

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