HOW TV HOSTING HELPED MELAI HEAL

MELAI CANTIVEROS WALKED ONTO the stage of ABS-CBN's Pinoy Media Congress 2025 as a TV host and celebrity and walked off as an inspiring conference speaker. The country's beloved "Pambansang KUANtie" was

- KANE ERROL CHOA

Her session, titled "Melai Mo, Melai Ko, Melai Nating Lahat: Hosting 101 with our Pambansang KUANtie," was one of the most talked-about sessions at the two-day student congress organized by ABS-CBN in partnership with the Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE), and the University of Makati.

More than 1,000 students from at least 64 schools nationwide attended the event — now on its 20th year — as ABS-CBN gathered top media professionals to inspire and equip the next generation of communicators.

An unfiltered, unscripted and undeniably heartfelt Melai delivered a talk full of wit, wisdom and punchlines that entertained and resonated with the Gen Z crowd, many of whom are already dabbling in campus hosting.

One of the strongest takeaways from her session was the value of empathy and professionalism, even when life gets rough.

"Pag sa work talaga, ang mindset ko ay magbigay saya," Melai shared. "Kahit may problema ako sa bahay, hindi ko dinadala."