- Princess Habiba Sarip-Paudak becomes first Muslim woman to work in state broadcaster’s office
- While working as a news anchor on PTV, she also became an anchor for Salaam TV and Salaam Radio.
MANILA: When Princess Habiba Sarip-Paudak first appeared on national television in 2012, she made history – not only as the first anchor in the Philippines to wear a hijab, but also as the first person from the country’s Muslim south to deliver national news.
A native of Marawi, one of the main cities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, home to a large portion of the Philippines’ Muslim minority, Paudak traveled to Manila to audition for the People’s Television Network.
She won the competition and on August 8, 2012, the state-owned flagship television station took her on air. Every home was glued to its television.
“It was the first time. Everyone was so happy. It was like everyone was rooting for me that day. And I feel like it was a big responsibility,” Paudak told Arab News.
“A lot of people were so surprised that I was able to pave the way for Muslim women in the national media. So in terms of its impact, for people, of course, it was so important.”
Podak, a college lecturer and social activist, had no training in news broadcasting, but found himself in the thick of things from his first day at PTV.
“I really (became convinced) that I would learn day after day in this job,” she said. “I think the love for journalism started from there.”
Paudak quickly mastered the rules of journalism and reporting, studied current news, and learned to read and present it perfectly. But over time, she realized that she had another task ahead of her – one unrelated to her work.
As the only Muslim on the newsroom floor, her colleagues often questioned her about her religion and background, and asked her to explain things they didn’t know about Islam and her homeland in Mindanao.
“It was a surprise to them that I could speak Tagalog, that I could speak English… And I thought, no, people in Bangsamoro are well educated, and we have a good education there, and I’m just one of many successful women there. We have lawyers, we have doctors, we have teachers. Now we have a news anchor,” she said.
“It was like a revelation to me. I thought, ‘I think this is my destiny. This is what Allah wants from me.’
As her career progressed, in addition to her work as a news anchor, Paudak also became an anchor for Salaam TV and Salaam Radio, PTV channels targeting Filipino Muslims.
She also became increasingly active in challenging stereotypes about Muslim women and succeeded in getting them seen and recognized as professionals.
She now hopes that more of them will feel inspired and confident in their abilities to build successful careers.
“I hope that they can get something from me, from my representation. And this work is very noble. You can learn a lot from it. You can give more to your community through this, you are a representative not only of your community but also of your faith. And you can educate a lot of people,” Paudak said.
Her message to other Muslim women is clear: they can succeed and change the world around them by staying true to their faith and identity.
And she has some advice for that: “Please take care of your hijabs. Take care of yourself. Become a resourceful person. Learn a lot… most importantly, never forget your faith, your identity.”