Today, Vice Ganda launches his online program. While it has been said that he has his own network, it is not of the free TV type. In fact, it is due to the loss of the ABS CBN franchise that Vice Ganda is venturing out on his own. While detractors point to this move as turning his back on his mother company that brought him fame and fortune, Vice has countered that his action would preserve the jobs of writers, cameramen, production staff and many others.

Left unspoken are the implications and repercussions of an independent business venture away from the Kapamilya universe. On one hand, the creative aspect would be more relaxed since the shows will not fall under the supervision of the government regulatory agency, MTRCB. Secondly, there is news that stars of rival GMA7 may be invited to grace his shows since, technically, ABS CBN and not Vice Ganda is the Kapuso competitor.

Vice Ganda, Coco Martin, Angel Locsin, Sarah Geronimo, Anne Curtis and Kim Chiu are the top money making stars and celebrities in the Kapamilya entertainment scene with musical shows, telenovelas and movies raking in the money and dominating tv ratings and blockbuster movie receipts. Second liners are Nadine Lustre, Maja Salvador, Kathryn Bernando, Daniel Padilla, Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil. Noli De Castro and Ted Failon are the most prominent names in the news and public affairs department.

With ABS CBN shedding programs and letting go of people, there will be a mad rush to jump ship to GMA7 and TV5.  A transfer to a competing station would probably mean a pay cut but it will be employment nonetheless. The bold and the daring may try to go it alone or with a few confederates in the opportunities opened up by the internet (Facebook live streaming, You Tube and webcasts). The stars who can generate the greatest number of viewers would be in the best position to succeed on their own, outside of the free tv field of competition. Vice Ganda is on top of the ABS CBN pyramid and he will triumph.

On the ABS CBN side of the equation, loss of advertising revenues, bank loans and declining value of their shares of stock plus the payment of separation fees, retirement benefits and expenses incurred in maintaining money losing programs and departments are detrimental to their financial health. While they may succeed in creating a lean and mean organization, in the short term their problem would be how to break even on a daily or monthly basis. In business, significant liquidity can be achieved by getting the existing stockholders to put in more money or through outside investors. Be that as it may, Kapamilya is in crisis. Traditionally, ABS CBN would have relied on their pool of stars to bail them out but in this case, time is not on the side of Kapamilya because in the individual fight for survival, the celebrities may transfer to GMA 7 and TV5 or strike gold on their own. The fact that there is still no existing Philippine model of a phenomenally successful entertainment empire in the internet only means that it is too difficult to do or not too many people have tried it. Vice Ganda is the pioneer and his huge popularity will bring him to the promised land. Once he has charted the path on the mechanics of putting up an online network, others will follow. If and when ABS CBN can dig itself out of its black hole, many of its top celebrities may not be with them anymore so those that have no choice but to stick it out with Kapamilya will become their new superstars.

𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗺𝗮 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝘀𝗶𝗻’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗠𝗔-7

PEP.ph

June 30, 2007

Months before Angel Locsin’s confirmed transfer to ABS-CBN, GMA-7 already had a gut feel that something was amiss though this was doused off several times by Angel and her camp.

“Twice we asked Angel if she was talking to ABS-CBN and twice she replied that she was not,” revealed GMA-7’s SVP for Entertainment TV Wilma Galvante to Showbiz Central co-host Pia Guanio in an interview.

According to Ms. Galvante, rumors that Angel and her manager Becky Aguila were already negotiating with ABS-CBN already buzzed inside GMA’s compound, prompting a network executive to personally visit the young actress on the set of Asian Treasures to confirm the news.

“‘Yung first instance was in June when Joey Abacan of GMA Films went to the set of Asian Treasures. Dito tinanong niya si Angel, ‘Naririnig namin na nakikipag-usap kayo sa kabila.’ Angel vehemently denied this and she said, ‘Papansinin ba nila ako doon? Hindi kami lilipat.’ So Joey took her word for it and he relayed that to us,” Ms. Galvante recalled calmly.

A formal meeting was then called last July 3 at the Makati Shangri-la, attended by some of the network’s bigwigs and Angel’s team.

Present in the late night meeting were Angel along with manager Becky Aguila, lawyer Joji Antonio and GMA’s Joey Abacan, Redgie Acuña-Magno, Annette Gozon, and Wilma Galvante herself.

“Again in that meeting, we asked both of them, Becky and Angel, ‘Nababalitaan namin, marami kaming naririnig na nakikipag-usap na kayo sa kabila. Totoo ba ‘yan?’ Tapos ang sagot ni Becky, ‘Saan mo narinig ‘yan? Sinong nagsabi sa ‘yo niyan? Hindi ‘yan totoo. Walang katotohanan diyan.’ And Angel even said, ‘Naku, hindi po ako lilipat. Mahal na mahal ko po kayo hindi ko kayo iiwan. Gusto ko lang magpahinga. Gusto ko lang magbakasyon. Pagbalik na pagbalik ko, kayo naman ‘yung una kong kakausapin,'” Ms. Galvante narrated.

The network executive said that they repeatedly offered Angel a new contract after her co-management contract expired with GMA-7 last March 31.

“Even before her contract expired,” stressed Galvante on GMA-7’s offer for a new contract with Angel.

𝙏𝘼𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝘼 𝘽𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙆. In Galvante’s recollection of her meeting with Becky and Angel’s father, Mr. Angel Colmenares, the two made known that Angel wanted to take a break first after wrapping up Asian Treasures and in the process turned down the lead role for the local remake of the Mexican telenovela Marimar.

Ms. Galvante recalled Angel’s supposed plans as presented by her manager and father: “She needed to go to the States for the premiere of her movie, Angels, and then she had to go to London for a six-week fashion design course—they told us six weeks. After that she wanted to travel, see the world, take a break [and] rest. Pagbalik niya, ang gagawin niya muna, ang kailangang gawin niya, ‘yung kanyang mga commercials and then the movie and then she want to attend to the business offers that are coming her way daw. In-explain nung father na hindi naman ‘yan nangyayari. Nangyayari ‘yan ngayon na she’s on top of her career, so she also wants to take advantage of it. We understood it. I took their word for it.”

Wilma reiterated that she, and in behalf of the network, accepted all these arrangements with the understanding that Angel would sit down with GMA to discuss working anew once all plans were accomplished.

𝙎𝙃𝙊𝘾𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙈𝙊𝙑𝙀.But as it turned out, GMA-7 was shocked to discover that Angel had already sealed a deal with ABS-CBN just as the Kapuso executives were about to receive a formal letter from Angel’s camp informing them about her move to the Lopez-owned network.

“We found out on the same day that they appeared on an interview on TV Patrol. So, that interview was pre-taped obviously and it was like the other Friday only a few hours before Becky and Mr. Colminares (Angel’s father) send us a letter signed by both of them. The letter was sent to me, to Annette Gozon, and to Atty. [Felipe] Gozon on the same afternoon,” she narrated.

Galvante also contested the issue that Angel felt neglected for GMA’s lack of support for her movie, Angels.

As revealed by the network executive, GMA-7 didn’t charge Angels’ trailer air time in the station and even bought the TV rights of the movie for a staggering P3 million, with Becky cashing the P1.5 million as she told GMA-7 that she was already strapped for production money.

“Libre ‘yon,” she casually pointed out. “In fact, ‘yung movie n’ya na Angels, binili ng GMA ang TV rights. Ang ibig sabihin ng binili ‘yung TV rights, ‘yong movie mo later on in the future, we will air it on TV. Binili ‘yon ng P3 million, so kami ang nagbayad sa kanila. GMA ang nagbayad sa kanila.”

𝙍𝙄𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿 𝙂𝙐𝙏𝙄𝙀𝙍𝙍𝙀𝙕. There’s also no point in comparing Angel’s income with former screen partner Richard Gutierrez, as the latter has more assignments in the first place. Ms. Galvante explained:

“Here are the facts. From 2006 to mid-2007, Angel Locsin made over 60 million pesos from her TV shows and mostly from endorsement contracts closed by the GMA Artist Center. ‘Yung para i-compare niya ‘yung kinikita niya kay Richard Gutierrez is not even fair. You know why? For TV, malaki talaga ang kikitain ni Richard because he’s doing three shows. The guy is taping soap three to four times a week. He will do Nuts Entertainment. He will do SOP. He works hard for his money. He should really earn more than Angel for the TV show kasi soap lang si Angel, e. Hindi mo naman siya [Angel] malagay sa SOP kasi she cannot sing, ayaw niya. ‘Yung dancing wala, ‘tsaka pagod na siya. So soap lang talaga. We took care of her na ilagay mo lang siya kung saan talaga magsa-shine ‘yung talent n’ya

𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙍𝙏𝙀𝙎𝙔.The top management, according to Ms. Galvante, went through all the negotiations in good faith and hoped that Angel and her manager had at least showed some courtesy in dealing with the entire issue.

“A grateful person would have negotiated with us in good faith and treated us fairly, and with honesty, basic honesty. She and her manager unfortunately did not.”

Despite the messy split-up, she relayed that GMA still wishes Angel all the best when it comes to her career and personal life and hopes she’s at peace with her decision.

Dala ng ABS CBN franchise bill denial, nabigyan na ng katarungan sina Mel and Jay sapagkat matapos silang umalis sa Channel 2 ay sinampahan sila ng kaso na nakarating hangang Korte Suprema. Ang pinagmulan ng problema ay nuong lumabas si Mel sa isang TV commercial kung saan sabi ng Kapamilya network ay dapat humingi muna siya ng pahintulot. Nasuspindi si Mel sa trabaho ng 3 buwan pero matapos ito nagsumite naman siya ng indefinite leave of absence. Si Jay ay nagbitiw sa trabaho. Nuong nakalipat na sila sa GMA 7 kinasuhan sina Mel and Jay sa salang sinulot sila ng Kapuso. Sabi ng hukuman na malaya na silang makakapagtrabaho sa ibang kumpanya sapagkat wala na sila sa Kapamilya.

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ABS-CBN case vs Mel and Jay dismissed

Sharon Cuneta considers herself apolitical but by openly endorsing VP Leni Robredo for President in 2022, she has transformed into a political animal, with tremendous drawing power to convince voters to support or junk candidates in the next national elections. The beauty or problem with this is that her own husband would presumably (unless he seeks higher office or run for a party list or local position) be running for reelection as senator. Since Senator Kiko Pangilinan is an incumbent, he has all the advantages aside from the fact that he has already been elected thrice for the Upper Chamber of Congress (2001, 2007 and 2016).

In other words, Kiko is a SHOO IN or SEEDED to win as senator in 2022. There are, however, possible roadblocks to an easy senatorial run and they read as DDS or Diehard Duterte Supporters. The phenomenal victory of then Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte in 2016 debunked the concept that the road to Malacanang passes through mainstream media, specifically ABS CBN. Tatay Digong, as he is fondly called used an alternative route (due to lack of financial resources) and won through social media. In 2019, the now more confident DDS delivered a devastating defeat to the Liberal Party Otso Diretso which counted former 2004 senatorial topnotcher Mar Roxas (losing vice presidential candidate/losing presidential candidate) and reelectionist Bam Aquino among those who failed to get into the Magic 12.

The aim of the DDS in the senatorial contest is to again deprive the Liberal Party of a winner. Senators De Lima, Hontiveros and Pangilinan are the currently sitting LP senators that are eligible to run. Comebacking former Senator Trillanes, after serving two consecutive terms sat out 2019 and would again be allowed to run for senator in 2022. Senator Drilon would have to sit it out for senator in 2022. Senator Mar Roxas after three consecutive humiliating defeats, Senator Bam Aquino and former President Aquino may opt to improve their senatorial ticket. Since the LP would have to fill up the presidential and vice presidential slots, they are running thin on the sure winners.

Among the three LP incumbents, Senators De Lima and Hontiveros have garnered the most flak or negative comments from the DDS. Senator Pangilinan is slightly below the radar and, until the Sharon comment, could have coasted to win in 2022. Now due to Sharon’s dramatics, Kiko would have to bear the brunt of the DDS ire. Judging from 2016 and 2019, Pangilinan, De Lima and Hontiveros would reap a whirlwind in 2022.

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‘Baka sakaling bumalik ang pagka disente’: Tearful Sharon hopes Robredo will succeed Duterte in 2022