The Last Ride Home with Jude Rocha.

10.12.2012 – How often do you see history unfold and become part of it? For some reasons, I’ve been fascinated by history and the legend that represents them. There are true stories behind-the-scenes that you won't expect it to be happening in the moment. It could be an event or certain individuals, who we get the opportunity to know them this close. Today was a story of both, though I may not be as close as any certain personality someone like a radio DJ in Jude Rocha, who may have taught me the little things about life that he may not know that I’m applying now as an adult.

If you are a radio listener, chances are that you get to feel like you are part of that particular community. To be honest, I may not be as close as having the chance to play basketball with him or just hang out, that some of the current on-air staff has that rare opporutnity, and a privileged opportunity to bond with this man but I learned some lessons from him being a troublesome youth in my day.

In fact, the truth is that anyone who has worked with Jude Rocha was in some point intimidated by his presence, and sometimes that motivates others to do better with their craft or talent in being a radio present. Maybe, not as a radio DJ, but as a genuine person who just want to do good.

It may not sound the way I describe it to get that learning curve, but it sure works for someone like me. I always wanted to be radio DJ when I was 10 years old, and ever since I started listening to the local FM radio channels in the Philippines, I was fascinated how that life would be like. Unfortunately, my parents have other ideas that kept me from pursuing that dream until I end up having a short stint in sort of becoming part of the first batch of Radio 1, a one hour show dedicated to "students-in-training."



This was the time RX93.1 had this brand new show for aspiring students to live their dreams, and some live that fantasy as their day job. But during those days, Jude Rocha was the one to fear and to learn from. I don’t know how many got intimidated with his approach, but as Rico Robles would say, he learned a lot from the man himself. Today was Jude Rocha’s last show on RX93.1, and Philippine radio won’t be the same again. He's been the 'mother voice' of the station, and has been around with Louie D. and Chico Garcia all the way back to the early days of RX.

Some might say, it’s the end of an era, but long before Jude stepped down, another event Philippine radio happened already when NU 107 had started that trend when they closed up shop in 2010. Indeed, changes are happening in the culture of Philippine radio, and it’s either for the good or the bad will depend on anyone's perspective.

But for Jude Rocha, it’s something of a different story. It's another chapter of his life that began when he joined RX 93.1 on November 1990. Chico Garcia (aka Rico Lagbao) would tell stories of the early years how they got into radio. The story is pretty much inspiring to find out who Jude Rocha was. Here, we all know he was the scariest guy at the office, but when he stepped outside work Jude was the nicest person with that big heart.





This was told on-air when I was in the MRT train bound for the radio station, and as much you all know I can’t miss the opportunity to share you Jude’s story behind the scenes inside the RX booth that I have known, if anyone missed out on listening to his last show you find the images here.

I would recall coming back to RX93.1 sometime in October 2009, no longer the student DJ, but as a casual listener of the radio station. I rarely visit the station anymore, unless it was the RX Concert Series featuring a local artists that I know or have personal connections to.

My first visit to the station in a long time was during Jude Rocha and Gelli Victor’s show toward the lunch time hour when they announced Red Ribbon sponsoring FREE cake for their listeners. Actually, my only reason to write about this was not the cake, but the excuse to visit the show with Jude and Gelli. It’s been years since I haven’t stopped by, but that time, I saw a different Jude Rocha.





He was the person everyone dubbed as Jude “Rude Dude” Rocha, the only reason he looked intimidating because of the attitude, and how he represent his personalityon his radio show. The voice of this man has an edge “a real bad boy on radio,” as what Chico claimed that he just sounded like one but unlike Jude.

The booth was crowded again, but this time by the people who he worked closely with on radio that includes Gelli, who left the radio station a few years before.

Now both talented people has move on to their careers, and Jude will be missed being sort of "The Voice" of this station. Those stingers that I try to emulate during my time on Radio 1, because of him won’t be the same. Listening now without Jude on the show would have a different dynamic having only Francesca and Rico Robles.





I feel that some are trying to hold back tearsfrom this, but when you listen to Jude talking he feels the same way too. Because as he said, what kept him for almost 22 years is for the people he has become close with at work. Monster Radio RX93.1 won’t be the same without Jude Rocha, because it’s like “The Monster” has left the building.

For as long as I can remember, he has become an “icon” and a “legend” on his own peers, as Rico Robles would say that part of personality on RX has become the station’s identity. Everyone would feel sad, but hey, we should cheer and celebrate Jude Rocha for taking us for “The Ride” that we will always keep in memory. Those times I would call to join “Dial-A-Date” (which I got to join twice, but none of them became my date) and sent my “Rant and Rave” thoughts for the show.





Those where the memories that I would remember about Jude Rocha, especially the behind-the-scenes in the booth, where he poke fun of me just hanging out watching him and Rico banter talking about Filipino showbiz gossips.

It’s the little things that I would be missing especially the time I became co-leader of the green team for the Laser Tag event in December 2011, when Rico Robles had a hosting stint during that time. It’s not that we won. But he puts his trust on me, and was a privilege even though I screwed up. Not to mention when he greets his listeners by their real name and not their twitter handles on-air.







Over the years, some have said he has mellowed down. But that voice did not changed and those stingers are going to be part of RX 93.1’s identity.

Anyone can be a radio DJ, but no one can be like another Jude Rocha with that deep voice with the bad attitude. His voice on radio makes it easy, but the truth of the matter is, he made it up there through hard work and that’s inspiring.

You can hear his voice trying to keep it together on his last speech before he turned off the microphone, and played his last song in “Elesi” by Rivermaya (not the current incarnation but the original vocals by Bamboo Manalac).

He never expected this to be this big of a goodbye, and I see he never was a fan "mushy things, ans he project that intimidating personality on-air. But I’m sure he’s deeply appreciated thanks in part to Francesca setting up this rare event that captures what it meant to be part of history.

Next Monday won’t be the same way as Friday ended, because Jude won’t be there who’s good with pronouncing the names of well known tennis players for their sports news or talking about Filipino showbiz gossips. But take time to listen to the stingers and voice overs, as if he did not left the show, which is the little things you will never miss about Jude.



Nobody want this to sound like a eulogy, but for someone like Jude Rocha, he told me I will still see him around that’s why a part of me as a listener won’t miss him. Just that usual daily routine hearing him talking to Rico and Fran would make that of difference.