Charo Santos looked back on her time as CEO of ABS-CBN, sharing the values and guiding principles that shaped her leadership.
In an interview with Karmina Constantino-Torres on KC After Hours, Charo revealed that her greatest motivation as a leader was the pursuit of excellence.
"Since I am a storyteller and I really saw ABS-CBN as a playground for good storytelling, my driving force was the pursuit for excellence. You have to be excellent in everything that you do. So I was, ano ako eh, tinitingnan ko bawat detalye. Parang God is in the details talaga, don't take anything for granted." she said.
The Kapamilya executive added that giving the best to audiences was central to her vision for the network. "My guiding principle is you always give your best to your audience. Let's respect our audience. Irespeto natin ang mga audiences natin. Even the stars, the performers, beyond the gloss and the glamor, and the relief that we can offer our audiences, the production excellence, what human insights can we give them that will make them better people?" she stated.
Through storytelling, the actress said she aimed to reflect the realities of the society. "You mirror courage, you mirror hope, you mirror positivity, you also mirror the evils. 'Yun ang buhay eh so ibigay natin kung ano ang totoong buhay sa audiences natin kasi kailangan natin ng salamin. Kailangan natin lahat na humarap sa salamin," she highlighted.
In the same interview, when asked how she faces challenges in both her professional and personal life, Charo credited her strong faith.
"Maybe strong sense of faith that everything will be fine, that the only way to live life is to face everything head on. Gusto kong mabuhay. Gusto kong makilala kung papaano 'yung mabuhay and the only way you do that is face it head on," she remarked.
Having achieved much both on- and off-screen, Charo also shared what she has proven to herself through the years.
"[That] I am enough, surrounded by my children, and my grandchildren, and the people who truly care for me. That I have served well, that I have brought inspiration and positivity to a lot of people. That I have been a good mentor. I think there's a heart of a teacher in me. I love to share stories of my own failures, my struggles, the lessons I learned. Kung meron akong maiwan na isang mahalagang bagay sa pakikipag-usap ko sa kanila, happy na ako," she stated.