Martin Andanar
A veteran broadcast voice who shifted from anchoring the nightly news to steering a president's communications strategy.
Born 1974 (age 52)·Filipino television personality and broadcaster·Birthday: August 21·Generation X
Biography
Martin Andanar built his name in the competitive world of Philippine broadcast journalism, his baritone voice becoming a familiar presence in living rooms as a news anchor for TV5. His career trajectory took a sharp turn into public service when President Rodrigo Duterte tapped him to lead the Presidential Communications Operations Office. In this role, Andanar was tasked with the monumental job of managing the message of a famously outspoken and controversial administration, overseeing a complex bureaucracy and defending its policies in the media. Beyond the political fray, he has cultivated a persona as a modern renaissance man, pursuing passions from coffee craftsmanship as a certified barista to podcasting, where he engages in long-form conversations, showcasing a more personal and reflective side than his official duties often allowed.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Martin was born in 1974, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Martin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1974
#1 Movie
The Towering Inferno
Best Picture
The Godfather Part II
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Martin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1974Born
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1979Started school
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1987Became a teenager
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Could drive
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1992Could vote
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Turned 21
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2004Turned 30
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 40
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 50
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 52 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office under President Rodrigo Duterte from 2016 to 2022.
- Was a lead news anchor for major networks including TV5 and the Philippine Broadcasting Service.
- Founded the 'How's Your Day?' podcast, conducting in-depth interviews with notable Filipino figures.
Did You Know?
He is a certified barista and has expressed a deep passion for coffee culture.
Andanar provided the voice-over for the iconic "Ang Galing Mo!" station ID of TV5.
He began his media career as a radio disc jockey and reporter in his hometown of Cagayan de Oro.
“The story is not about the reporter; it is about the facts we must deliver.”
