Draft:Carla Teng

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Carla Teng
Born
Jhemmylrut Teng

1988 February 04
Manila, Philippines
Nationality (legal)Filipino
Alma materMassey University and Centro Escolar University
OrganizationAsia New Zealand Foundation's Asia Media Center
TelevisionTV5 Network Inc., Bloomberg TV-PH, GMA Network Inc., and UNTV
SpousePaul Westergaard
ChildrenLuis Asistio
Call signCarla Lim (screen name in the Philippines); Carls Teng (initial name used in UNTV)

Carla Teng (with a legal name, Jhemmylrut Teng) is a Filipino journalist also known by her screen name Carla Lim, formerly worked as a senior reporter for TV5 Network Inc. and Bloomberg TV-PH, covering the international affairs of the Philippines.

Teng was also among the 14 Filipino journalists hand-picked by the Holy See Press to be a close-in reporter for Pope Francis during His Holiness’ apostolic visit to Sri Lanka and the Philippines. She was also dubbed by Pope Francis as the 'courageous woman' from the Philippines because of her 'tough' questions about Catholic church corruption.[1][2]

Currently, Carla Teng is the media adviser for the Asia Media Centre of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītu Tūhuno.[3][4] Her recent story about the oppression of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China, has garnered global attention and has been reported in the Middle East.[5][6]

Early life and education[edit]

Carla Teng, born in Manila, Philippines in 1988, was legally named Jhemmylrut Teng. She is the middle child of Filipino-Chinese entrepreneur Jaime Teng and Gabriell Teng, the latter has Maranao and Spanish ancestry. Teng was affectionately nicknamed 'Carls' by her family and close friends, as her mother used to drink Carlsberg beer while pregnant with her.[7]

Teng completed her primary and secondary education at Colegio San Antonio in Binan, Laguna, in 2004. She received several leadership awards for her roles as an active student council officer and editor-in-chief of the school paper, "Tanglaw."

In 2008, Teng graduated with silver academic excellence from Centro Escolar University (CEU) – Manila, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communication, majoring in broadcasting. During her university years, Teng was an active student council officer of CEU's School of Education, Liberal Arts, Music, and Social Work (SELAMS). In her senior year, she became the vice president of the university's award-winning organization, the Dramatic Guild.

Apart from studying and being active in university organizations, Teng also had her first national television appearance as a contender for GMA Network's StarStruck second season. It was a reality television competition in the Philippines searching for the next big star, similar to the Pop Idol of the United Kingdom and American Idol of that era. Teng made it to the competition's top 30 but fell short of being part of the final 14.

Her batchmates in the competition were Ryza Cenon, Mike Tan, LJ Reyes, and Megan Young.

Before StarStruck, Teng was already a trained performer and vocalist. At a young age, she was a student at Beverly M. Suarez School of Pop Singing and a musical theater trainee at the ABS-CBN's Star Magic workshops.

In 2017, Teng was among the 24 Filipino young leaders awarded the prestigious Manaaki New Zealand scholarships. She pursued her Master of International Development at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand, graduating with honors equivalent to magna cum laude. Additionally, the local government of Palmerston North honored her with a goodwill ambassador title for her contributions to the community.[8][9]

She served as the vice president of Massey University's Filipino students organization, FAMUS, while serving as the secretary for the Palmerston North Toastmasters Club. Teng was also an active refugee support volunteer for the New Zealand Red Cross and a community volunteer for the Manawatu Multicultural Council and Palmerston North City Council.

Career[edit]

UNTV Channel 37[edit]

Before earning her bachelor's degree, Teng was already a TV host and weather presenter for UNTV's morning news program, Good Morning Kuya, created and primarily hosted by veteran journalist Daniel Razon. Known by her nickname, Carls Teng, she was the youngest of all the TV hosts, representing her generation in the segment 'Pondahan,' where the hosts discussed current issues.[10]

Joining Teng on the program were columnist Allan Encarnacion, Atty. Regie Tongol, and DSWD Undersecretary and former ACT Party-list Representative Nina Taduran. After receiving her diploma, Teng joined UNTV’s news operation and became a reporter for the Senate of the Philippines.[11]

GMA Network Inc.[edit]

By 2010, Teng had moved to GMA Network Inc., becoming a program researcher and working behind the scenes for the internationally acclaimed current affairs program, Reporter’s Notebook.

She closely worked with veteran Filipino journalists, Maki Pulido, Jiggy Manicad, and Rhea Santos.

TV5 Network Inc.[edit]

Months later, Teng transitioned to TV5 Network Inc., following its acquisition by Filipino business tycoon, Manuel V. Pangilinan. The management assigned her a screen name, changing 'Carls' to 'Carla,' and adopting her Chinese name, Lim Qing Shui, which was later shortened to Carla Lim.[12] At TV5, Carla (Lim) Teng served as a news presenter for Aksyon Newsbreak and co-hosted the current affairs show Presinto 5, alongside Michelle Mediana-Bustos and Jeff Caparas. She also co-hosted the weekly radio program, Metro Sabado, with Izza Reneva-Cruz and Alex Tinsay on DWFM 92.3 Radyo 5 True FM. During her six years at TV5, Teng covered international affairs stories, including the escalating tensions in the South China Sea and the Philippines' case against the People’s Republic of China at The Hague, Netherlands.

She reported on world leaders such as former U.S. President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and covered stories about the exploitation of Filipino Overseas Workers (OFWs) abroad. In addition to TV5 and Radyo 5, she also reported for affiliated agencies such as InterAksyon.com, Bloomberg TV-PH, and the Philippine Star.[13]

Vatican Accredited Media Personnel (VAMP)[edit]

Pope Francis met with the 14 Filipino reporters who came with him on his trip to Asia in 2015. This photo was Pope Francis one-on-one with Carla Lim of TV5.

In 2015, Teng was selected as one of the Filipino journalists to accompany Pope Francis on his visits to Asia, specifically in Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Among the 14 chosen journalists from the Philippines, Teng was the youngest, joining seasoned reporters such as Lynda Jumilla of ABS-CBN, Kara David of GMA Network Inc., and Pia Honteveros of CNN Philippines.[14]

Despite being the youngest, Teng earned respect from her peers after posing a challenging question about church corruption to Pope Francis during a press conference on January 19, 2015. Amused by her boldness, Pope Francis dubbed Teng the ‘tough journalist’ and praised her as a ‘courageous woman’ for asking a difficult question that few would dare to raise.[15][16][17]

Post-media[edit]

Teng departed from the television industry to work as a consultant for Ayala Corporation, one of the Philippines largest conglomerates. Subsequently, she served as the chief editor for the Presidential News Desk at the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines' communications department. She then advanced to the position of lead public relations specialist and regional spokesperson for the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.[18]

In 2022, Teng relocated to New Zealand, where she joined one of Auckland's leading marketing firms.[19] The following year, in 2023, she became part of the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s media center. In this role, she focuses on producing stories about Asia and Asians in New Zealand.[20] One of her notable stories, which gained international attention, delved into the oppression of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China. This story was featured in several countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt by Akbaralaan.net of Al Aan TV[21] and republished by Turkistan Times.

As a Filipino immigrant in New Zealand, Teng advocates for Filipino communities and works closely with the Philippine Embassy in Wellington, focusing on cultural affairs initiatives. She has also served as one of the voices for the Filipino community in Aotearoa New Zealand, and was interviewed by Radio New Zealand after the Filipinas, the Philippine Women's National Football Team, defeated New Zealand's Football Ferns during their debut in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[22]

Personal life[edit]

Teng is married to Paul Westergaard,[23] a New Zealander and a rocket technician at Rocket Lab. After being together for five years, the couple tied the knot on September 8, 2023, in Auckland.[24] Teng also has a son named Luis.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ CNA. "Full text of Pope's in-flight interview from Manila to Rome". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  2. ^ "TV5 brings Filipinos closer to Pope Francis". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  3. ^ "Carla Teng, Media Adviser, Asia Media Centre". www.asianz.org.nz. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  4. ^ "Carla Teng - Media Adviser, Asia Media Centre". Asia Media Centre | New Zealand. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  5. ^ "A Jounalist in Xinjiang, China and a Uyghur's Truth". Asia Media Centre | New Zealand. 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  6. ^ العزيز, عمر عبد (2023-07-08). "مأساة مسلمي الإيغور.. صحفية فلبينية زارت شينجيانغ تكشف خداع الصين فماذا رأت؟". أخبار الآن (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  7. ^ Teng, Jhemmylrut (2022-07-28). "About Me — Jhemmylrut Teng". About Me Stories. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  8. ^ Why Study in New Zealand, retrieved 2023-12-18
  9. ^ "Portal". smsportal.massey.ac.nz. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  10. ^ "UNTV's Good Morning, Kuya! show now on its 2nd year!". Life and me... 2009-07-23. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  11. ^ Teng, Jhemmylrut (2020-08-21). "Very Truly Yours". ILLUMINATION. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  12. ^ Pazzibugan, Dona Z. (2013-03-06). "3 NBI agents pose as TV crewmen to spy on Kirams". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  13. ^ correspondent, Carla Lim, TV5. "4 Pinoys working for Pope Francis". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2023-12-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "GMA's Kara David, 13 Pinoy journos in Pope's plane from Rome to Sri Lanka, PHL". GMA News Online. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  15. ^ CNA. "Full text of Pope's in-flight interview from Manila to Rome". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  16. ^ Zulueta, Lito B. (2015-01-21). "Pope Francis: If Church is worldly, it's just an NGO". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  17. ^ Jhemmylrut "Carla Lim" Teng interview with Pope Francis About Church Corruption, retrieved 2023-12-18
  18. ^ Teng, Jhemmylrut (September 21, 2019). "LGUs help clear obstructions in power 'superhighways'". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  19. ^ "REACH on LinkedIn: #welcometotheteam #newtalent #growth #marketing | 10 comments". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  20. ^ "Filipino fans celebrate first World Cup win". RNZ. 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  21. ^ أين اختفى مسلمو الإيغور؟ وكيف أصبحت مساجدهم مهجورة؟ inside Xinjiang China, retrieved 2023-12-19
  22. ^ "Filipino fans celebrate first World Cup win". RNZ. 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  23. ^ "Love beyond borders in the pandemic | LFA". Love beyond borders in the pandemic | LFA. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  24. ^ Gotinga, J. C. (2021-08-03). "What It's Like to Be in an Interracial, Long-Distance Relationship in a Pandemic". Vice. Retrieved 2023-12-20.

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