Luchi Cruz-Valdes

In this Philippine name for married women, the birth middle name or maternal family name is Unknown, the birth surname or paternal family name is Cruz, and the marital name is Valdes.

Luisita "Luchi" Cruz-Valdes (Tagalog: [ˈlutʃɪ ˈkɾus bɐlˈdɛs]; born December 27, 1965) is a Filipino broadcast journalist formerly affiliated with News5 and ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. She was formerly the chief of News5, the news and public affairs department of TV5.

Life and career

Cruz-Valdes earned her degree in broadcast communication at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UP), and became a radio and television reporter and producer. She is married to Lito Valdes, an IT marketing manager, and has three children.

Cruz-Valdes joined the Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC) as a field reporter when it set up a Manila bureau for the 1986 Snap Presidential Election. After her ABC stint, Cruz-Valdes was hired by Cheche Lazaro when ABS-CBN reopened after president Corazon Aquino was sworn into position.

For 10 years, she was a co-host of The Probe Team with Lazaro, founder and producer of the program, and also Cruz-Valdes' professor in UP. She proceeded to become part of the GMA News and Public Affairs for three years before accepting the offer of rival network ABS-CBN to become its vice president for news production and current affairs in 2001.

Soon after leaving her post in GMA 7, the network filed cases of breach of contract and injunction against Cruz-Valdes, which prevented her from working in ABS-CBN from December 28, 2001, to August 20, 2002. In July 2008, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court judge Tita Marilyn Villordon dismissed the cases and ordered GMA Network to pay its former employee in damages equivalent to the salary that Cruz-Valdes should have earned during her eight-month "forced" vacation.

Also in 2008, Cruz-Valdes was placed under preventive suspension pending the outcome of an internal matter, which ABS-CBN Corporate Communications head Bong Osorio described as "not merely a petty personal difference or simple administrative concern."

In November of the same year, Cruz-Valdes filed her resignation. In 2010, she joined TV5 as its news chief.

One of her notable roles in joining TV5 is moderating the 2nd leg of PiliPinas Debates 2016. On September 27, 2024, she stepped down as News5 and Public Affairs department chief following her retirement after 15 years of service.

Filmography

Television

Year	Title	Role	Network
2024	Budol Alert	Host	TV5
2022	PiliPinas Debates 2022	Debate Moderator
2020–2021	Usapang Real Life	Host
2020-2024	Frontline Pilipinas	Deretsahan Segment Anchor
2019–2024	The Chiefs	Host	One News
2017	Manindigan	Host	TV5
2016	PiliPinas Debates 2016	Debate Moderator
2014–2020	Aksyon	News Anchor
2014–2016	Kaya	Host
2014	Yaman ng Bayan
2012–2017	Reaksyon
2011–2012	Anggulo
2010–2012	Journo
2010	Dokumentado
2002–2004	Special Assignment		ABS-CBN
1999–2002	i-Witness		GMA Network
1995–2002	Saksi	News Anchor (substitute for Mel Tiangco, Karen Davila or Vicky Morales)
1986	Magandang Umaga Po	Co-Host	ABS-CBN
1982	NewsWatch		RPN

Radio

Year	Title	Role	Station
2010–2017	Relasyon	Host	Radyo5 92.3 News FM (now 92.3 Radyo5 True FM)

Awards and Recognitions

Catholic Mass Media Awards

• Titus Brandsma Award for Excellence in Journalism

KBP Golden Dove (Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas)

• Broadcaster of the Year (2001)
• Best Female Newscaster (2015)
• Ka Doroy Broadcaster of the Year Award (2015)

New York Film and Television Festival

• 3 Silver and 3 Bronze Medals for Best Documentary

Inding-Indie Short Film Festival

• Most Outstanding Broadcaster Asian Media Award (2015)
• Pinakamapanuri at Pinagkakatiwalaang Brodkaster of the Year Award (2016)