MANILA, Philippines?The words ?television? and ?class? aren?t usually uttered in the same breath, but we?d like to make an exception this Christmas season, and say thanks to some of the few on-cam people on the local tube who have, against all odds, managed to rise above the commercial medium?s seemingly congenital ?crass? with their class acts.

First, thanks to Winnie Monsod, who as her masa alter-ego, Mareng Winnie, is regularly featured on morning TV talking about the issues of the day, and clarifying them for her grateful viewers. Yes, Winnie is opinionated and feisty as all get-out, but she?s great at bringing complicated issues down to glinting, brass-tacks sense and pertinence.

This is a major contribution, because most other ?commentators? on the tube pretty much hide behind ?motherhood? generalizations and content themselves with merely gnawing at the edges of a ?hot? news item, instead of digging purposively into its core.

Insights

Detailed analysis takes experience, intelligence and astute and acute insights, which most on-cam people simply can?t manage. Monsod does, in perky heaps, so she?s in a class all her own.

Best of all, she cares a lot about making difficult topics comprehensive to ?simple? folks because, by doing so, she empowers them to make up their own minds where they stand on the complex national and societal issues that confront them.

Time was when Winnie had a tough time making herself understood by the ?ordinary? viewer, but she worked hard at solving that problem, and has now become more accessible to televiewers?without watering down the substance of her insights and commentaries.

It would be great if a TV network asked Winnie to conduct a workshop to help other ?news and views? exponents on local TV to also raise the level of their own analyses and commentaries. Truth to tell, most other ?commentators? on the tube really stink at it, so they need all the help they can get!

Virtues

We would also like to cite and thank newscaster-political interviewer, Pia Hontiveros, for her consistently good and classy work for more than a decade now. The loveliest news person on local TV, Pia is also one of the most perceptive, articulate and astute?so, her virtues and value runneth over.

Some people think that Pia is too somber for her own good, and believe she would become more popular if she would ?smile more.? Oh, please.

Let?s just thank our lucky stars that she?s sharp, bright and principled?that?s more than enough for us.

Pia has really come into her own with her interview show, ?Strictly Politics,? where she interacts with the best?and worst?practitioners of the high-stakes ?game? of politics.

On occasion, she?s had to put powerful people in their place, and even cut them down to size, thus earning their grudging respect?and the admiration of viewers.

So, Pia, don?t feel that you have to ?smile? to get on our good side. We already like you a lot, just the way you are.