“Kung walang knowledge, walang power”
While the older generation would remember this iconic catchphrase and the man who said it, the younger ones would have to search it up on the internet. Before the internet became a thing, the Philippines had its own version of the walking encyclopedia–– the late broadcaster Ernie Baron.
He has helped communicate science to ordinary people with the use of words that could be understood by many. Prior to Kuya Kim Atienza’s stint in TV Patrol, Ernie dominated the weather forecast scene–– explaining everything science related to the public.
Kuya Kim previously shared how difficult it was to fill in the shoes of the late broadcaster because of the decades of trust that the latter has earned from the Filipino people. It was him who replaced Ernie in TV Patrol which the younger generation would grow up watching.
“[For] Ka Ernie Baron, [it] took him three decades to build that image, that icon image, that he's the walking encyclopedia and I had to be that. But I realized that I had so much knowledge in my head [and] that I was so ganado to be able to say it and share it in an entertaining way,” he previously shared.
True enough, Ernie helped an entire generation become interested in science and data gathering. He made sure to remind society how important knowledge is and how powerful one could be when they are well-educated.
It’s been twenty years since “The Walking Encyclopedia of the Philippines” has passed away but his catchphrase is still being referenced by thousands on social media–– a reminder of how he made learning fun and accessible.
The legacy of Ernie has been cemented in the hearts and minds of the older generation who have watched him for several decades on television. His contribution to science and how it’s communicated to the public will forever be etched in Philippine history.