Death in the Pamilya

Lynda Jumilla-Abalos, Executive Editor and Head of News Digital ABS-CBN

This piece is part of a series to mark the first anniversary of the shutdown of ABS-CBN’s broadcast on free TV and radio which happened May 5, 2020.

Lynda Jumilla is the executive editor and head of ABS-CBN News Digital, and a Kapamilya for 21 years. Like the rest of the News Digital team, she was on WFH (work from home) mode when government on May 5, 2020 ordered ABS-CBN to stop broadcasting. She talks about how the shutdown of operations - ABS-CBN’s bread-and-butter - was like a death in the family.

May 5, 2020 arrived bringing with it a sense of anticipation mixed with foreboding punctuated by jitters. The same feeling we in ABS-CBN News get when we expect big news to break during the day. Except that this time, WE were the news. But that’s getting ahead of the story.

As early as 7 am, I was toggling between chat groups and message threads; discussing stories, relaying instructions, reviewing plans. Since the lockdown in March 2020 – and to this day – the News Digital team of which I’m a member had been working from home, and meetings had been purely online. 

On another thread, I was chatting with my friends and colleagues D, N, and C about our favorite topic: anything and everything. That day, we were busy sharing childhood pictures of us in mumus and grass skirts and apple haircuts – triggered by a video clip of a 70s hit OPM song that D posted. For a while, all was well in the world. But at 2 pm, the urgency of the present moment caught up with our musings of the past.

“Last na lang because I have to write something,” I wrote as I shared one last photo of myself and my sister in bell-bottom pants. “Baka daw may ilabas ang NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) today so I need to write embargo.”

(The NTC may release something today so I need to write an embargo story on it.)

That “something” was the Cease-and-Desist Order (CDO) we had been anticipating since ABS-CBN’s franchise ended on May 4, with the application for renewal still languishing at the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Franchises.

At around 4 pm, it happened. We became the news after government ordered the country’s biggest network with about 11,000 employees to shut down its broadcast operations.

The rest of the afternoon sped by in a blur. I went back to flitting from one message group to another, dropping in on one (virtual) meeting to the next, while always going back to my chat with D, N, and C. But this time, our discussions were on the matter at hand, whether we understood instructions correctly, and what have we carried out so far in our respective teams.

Eventually, top management announced we would stop broadcasting on free TV (Channel 2 and provincial stations) and radio (DZMM 630 on AM, DWRR 101.9 FM, and provincial stations) after TV Patrol. Colleagues began to pour into the newsroom upon hearing that night would be our last broadcast.

Those working from home had no chance to make the trip to the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City for that historic moment. So some us did the next best thing: organize a sort of watch party where we all followed the last airing of TV Patrol on Channel 2 in our respective homes.

For the first time in a long while, I turned on the TV at home to watch TV Patrol from start to finish. 

“Sa pag-atakeng ito sa ating demokrasya at malayang pamamahayag; sa harap ng pinakamalaking dagok at hamon sa aming kumpanya at sa aming hanapbuhay, hinding-hindi namin kayo tatalikuran,” intoned anchor Noli De Castro in his closing spiel. “Mga Kapamilya, kami… tayo… ang ABS-CBN. In the service of the Filipino.” 

(In the face of this attack on democracy and press freedom, this biggest blow on our company and our livelihood, never shall we turn our backs on you. We, all of us, are ABS-CBN. In the service of the Filipino.) 

For the last time until who knows when or how, I stayed in front of the TV to watch the dying minutes of the broadcast, including the roll-call in the closing credits – from the location of the transmitter to the names and license numbers of the engineers to the final sign-off line.

“This is ABS-CBN Corporation Channel 2, in the service of the Filipino, now signing off,” Peter Musngi said in a rather cheery tone in sharp contrast to the gloomy feeling of the last broadcast. And then at 7:52 pm, the screen faded to black.

Right at that moment, it felt like a loved one had died. But it would take days, weeks, months for us to fully comprehend why the ABS-CBN shutdown was like a death in the family; one which we could not even properly grieve.

One year on, we know now what we have lost.

    

For the thousands of ABS-CBN employees who lost their jobs, the broadcast shutdown was like the death of the family provider on whom they depended for sustenance. But there was no time to be sorry or sorrowful. They had to find a new job quick, in order to survive.

For those in ABS-CBN businesses that were unaffected by the shutdown, the closure of the profitable broadcast operation was like losing the family’s breadwinner. They had to act quickly to hold together what remained of the family. They had to take over and make the business viable again – and fast – to stem the loss of jobs.

For the entire ABS-CBN family and the viewers and listeners that we considered our Kapamilya (family members), the abrupt cessation of ABS-CBN’s broadcast was like the loss of a loved one in the middle of a pandemic. We wanted to come together at a time of sadness, to cry together, hug each other, give comfort as well as receive. But even this simple act of mourning as one was not possible. 

On July 10, 2020, 70 congressmen backed by the then House leadership voted to deny ABS-CBN’s bid to resume broadcasting on free-to-air TV and radio. “They killed ABS-CBN’S franchise application,” many said.

But for many of us in the company, death came to our ABS-CBN pamilya at 7:52 pm on May 5, 2020.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/multimedia/slideshow/05/04/21/abs-shutdown-death-in-the-pamilya

The World Tonight | ANC (4 May 2021)

‘I still can’t believe wala nang MOR, DZMM sa radyo’

DJ Chacha

DJ Chacha (Czarina Marie Balba-Guevarra in real life) made her name as the “Nag-iisang Diyosa Sa Balat Ng Radyo” on ABS-CBN’s Manila FM station, My Only Radio (MOR) 101.9 For Life! It was still called “Bespren! 101.9” when she started there in 2008.

Hosting a popular late-night call-in show on FM, Chacha later transitioned to the AM band as a showbiz segment reporter on DZMM TeleRadyo.

Before ABS-CBN’s radio channels were switched off, she played tandem to broadcaster Ted Failon in the AM primetime show “Failon Ngayon sa DZMM,” alongside her “Dear MOR” program on FM.

In October 2020, she and Failon moved to Radyo5, but she has not entirely cut off her connection to ABS-CBN. She hosts the MOR online program “Chacha Tonight” on live streaming app Kumu.

This is a transcript of Chacha’s interview with reporter Anjo Bagaoisan, with portions edited for length.

A year ago, May 5, nasa bahay ako niyan. Kakapanganak ko lang kay Lexi ng February. Ang maternity leave ko supposedly was one month, but since nag-lockdown, we had to work from home.

Ang nagsabi sa akin actually ‘yong asawa ko, kasi siya ang nanonood ng news.

Bago pa mangyari ‘yan, may mga iniyak na ako. Naabisuhan na kasi kami na most likely na ganoon ang mangyayari. 

Pero siyempre hindi mo pinapakita iyon, hindi mo siya pwede ipakita on air.

Dami-daming tumatakbo sa isip ko noon. Nagtawag ng meeting ang mga boss namin sa MOR. Ang ingay sa group chat ng MOR. Nagmumura na ang ibang DJs, tapos ang iba emotional na. Siyempre ‘yong iba, single parent, ‘yong iba andaming hinuhulugan.

We all love the company, and isang mahirap lang doon is, nasa gitna tayo ng pandemic and biglang hindi mo na alam what will happen tomorrow kung may ipantutustos ka sa pamilya mo, and most of my fellow DJs are breadwinners.

Sa meeting, sinabi nga na basically as is tayo, the show must go on, ‘yong mga shows natin dapat tuloy pa rin ‘yan. 

Sabi nga nila, kung kayang hindi ipahalata na you guys are hurting, ‘wag na lang. Huwag na lang pag-usapan on air. 

Ako talaga, ang sinabi ko noon sa boss ko, sabi ko, “Sir hindi ko talaga kaya. Ngayon ko lang sasabihin sa inyo na hindi ko kayang hindi siya mapag-usapan on air."

Pero alam mo, in a light way pero nakita pa rin sa mukha ko ng listeners and viewers sa Facebook that time na sobrang devastated at nasaktan talaga ako.

I remember kasama kong umere noon 'yong dalawang DJs namin, si China Heart and si Bobzilla. Si China Heart pa nga parang nagmura pa yata siya. Hindi talaga niya napigilan ang sarili niya that time. 

Pero ako, kinukuwento ko lang sa mga listeners, bakit ganito ang nangyari sa amin, it’s so unfair na sa dami ng kompanya na may ginagawang hindi maganda at may nagawang kasalanan, bakit ganito ang ginawa sa atin? Kung totoo man ang sinasabi nilang mayroon tayong ginawang kasalanan, mayroon tayong pagkukulang as a company--and I believe lahat naman ng company may pagkukulang—hindi lang tayo ang ganoon na may pagkukulang. Pero bakit tayo lang ang isinara? It’s really unfair.

Ngayon na kinukwento ko ito parang bumabalik ang emotions ko last year, noong time na nagpoprograma ako, same day alam ko na na walang prangkisa ang anytime isasara ang kompanya and anytime pwede ako mawalan ng trabaho.

Pero sinigurado naman ng mga boss namin na hindi naman tayo pababayaan ng ABS-CBN. During that time sinasabi pa nila na parang may plano para sa atin, ready tayo para sa shutdown. So lahat kami naniniwala na hindi mawawala ang MOR.

Hindi naman talaga nawala ‘yong MOR pero alam mo, kahit pa online si MOR ngayon, siguro ‘pag taong radyo ka—ako kasi radio person ako—kahit pa may online content pa rin ang MOR noong after the shutdown and ngayon na wala na ako sa MOR, iba pa rin e, na umeere ka sa radyo. 

Iyon siguro ‘yong pinakamasakit sa akin. Kasi first love ko ang radyo and first love ko ang MOR, at kaya ako sa ABS-CBN because of MOR, kaya ako nagkaroon ng DZMM also because of MOR.

Isang buwan, noong nasa Radyo Singko na ako at TV5 na ako, on my way home and going there sa Mandaluyong, ‘yong 101.9 sa radyo, paulit-ulit kong chine-check kung may tunog ba, may music ba? 

Parang in denial lang ako. Baka naman charot lang na wala kami sa ere. 

Up to now I really still can't believe na wala na ang MOR sa radyo, wala na ang DZMM sa radyo. Pero wala e, kailangan ituloy ‘yong buhay.

Kaya hanggang ngayon, kahit wala na ako sa MOR, ‘yong mga tropa kong DJs ‘pag nagpoprograma sila, bigla na lang ako pumapasok sa mga Zoom meetings nila. As in bigla na lang akong umeere sa MOR programs online. Ganoon, as in walang pasabi, ‘pag trip ko lang na mag-ere, bigla na lang ako pumapasok sa programa ni DJ Onse.

And hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na aalis ako sa ABS-CBN. Kasi parang na-picture ko na sa utak ko na tatanda ako sa istasyon. 

Lagi ko pa nga sinasabi sa mga listeners ko, siguro mawawala man ako sa ibang platform—TV, online—pero sa radyo, hanggang pagtanda ko gagawin at gagawin ko pa rin siya. ‘Yong kahit ilang taon na ako ayan ‘yong bagay na nae-enjoy kong gawin. Isang araw mong ipagawa sa akin ‘yan, mapapagod ako, ipapahinga ko lang nang konti pero hahanap-hanapin pa rin siya ng katawan ko.

Nalulungkot pa rin ako para sa mga ibang katrabaho ko na hanggang ngayon wala pa ring work.

‘Yong MOR Manila ang may pinakamaraming DJs sa buong bansa, kami talaga iyon, more than 20 DJs yata kami. And a lot of them are still unemployed hanggang ngayon. 

They are still thriving in trying to work things out para sa kanya-kanyang pamilya nila. Pero karamihan sa kanila hindi pa rin talaga okay ang buhay ngayon—financially, emotionally, and mentally hindi sila okay.

Nalulungkot ako para sa kanila, kasi hindi naman sila basta lang katrabaho, ‘di ba? Labindalawang taon ng buhay ko kasama ko sila—most of them. Siguro ako, maswerte ako kasi mayroon agad kumanlong na istasyon sa akin. Kahit ‘yong iba na may trabaho na alam ko na ang gusto nilang gawin, magradyo, and napipilitan sila ngayon na gawin iyong ibang bagay kahit hindi nila gusto kasi kailangan nila kumita ng pera. 

Lagi ko pa ring kinukumusta ang mga ka-work ko especially si DJ Onse. Lagi kong tinatanong, “Kumusta kayo diyan?” “Ano na'ng balita?” “Ano na'ng plano?” “May plano bang marinig kayo sa ibang frequency ng istasyon?” 

Pero kahit wala na ako sa ABS-CBN, feeling ko andoon pa rin ako. 

Mayroong show na in-offer sa akin sa Kumu. And alam naman natin ngayon na naghihingalo nang sobra ang ABS-CBN. So hindi ko na inisip ang pera. Araw ng pahinga ko ‘yon every Sunday iyon.

Pero kung tinatanong ako ng mga kaibigan ko bakit mo kinuha, ambaba ng budget na ‘yan (noong una pa nga wala pang TF ‘yan). Pero kinuha ko siya parang ‘yon ‘yong bagay na pakiramdam ko, everytime ginagawa ko siya nasa MOR pa rin ako at may ABS-CBN pa rin.

Sa totoo lang, ayoko nang balikan ‘yon— ang moment na sinabi na wala tayong franchise at hindi tayo bibigyan ng franchise.

Kasi months before ng May 5, alam na natin na iyon ang kahihinatnan. And months before May 5, sobrang physically and emotionally drained na ang lahat ng empleyado ng ABS-CBN especially those people na diyan na tumanda.

Pero kahit bago pa dumating ang May 5, ‘yong akala mo OK ka na, akala mo tanggap mo nang hindi ka bibigyan ng franchise, grabe, sobrang sakit pa rin.

After May 5 nagkaroon ng meeting ang MOR, ang ine-expect ng lahat may mare-retain, may maiiwan. Pero noong sinabi sa amin na wala, talagang isasara ang MOR, hindi talaga kaya, ‘‘yon talaga ang pinakamasakit— mas masakit pa noong sinabi na wala kayong franchise. Mas masakit ‘yong walang matitira sa MOR.

Noong meeting na ‘yon, lahat ng DJs umiiyak, lalaki, babae, matagal, baguhan. Sobrang grabe 'yong luha namin, 'yong iniyak namin.

Ang nagpapalakas ng loob natin that time is ‘yong mga Kapamilya natin, ‘yong mga taong malalapit sa atin.

Siguro maswerte ako that time kasi nandiyan 'yong asawa ko, nandiyan ‘yong mga anak ko, magulang ko, family ko. Naisip ko pa, may nakikita akong post ng mga empleyado na mag-isa lang sila. Wala silang pamilya sa tabi nila. And to go through something na kagaya ng pinagdadaanan natin na ikaw lang mag-isa, sobrang hirap noon. 

Whenever people ask kung ano'ng plano ko ‘pag bumalik ang ABS-CBN, ang lagi kong sinasabi sa kanila, “Well, let’s cross the bridge ‘pag andiyan na, kapag mayroon na talaga.”

Deep inside me, siyempre, miss na miss ko ‘yong ABS-CBN, gusto kong bumalik ang ABS-CBN. 

Naiisip ko, nagdadasal ako: "Lord bigyan mo na sila ng franchise kahit wala ako doon, kahit nasa ibang istasyon na ako ngayon.” Kasi ayoko nang magsuffer pa ng sobra 'yong mga taong hanggang ngayon nandidiyan pa rin. These people are family to me. 

Every time kasi kukumustahin ko sila, alam mo 'yong down pa rin sila hanggang ngayon. It’s been a year, pero kapag kinakausap ko ang mga tao na nandiyan.

Ang isasagot ng isa sa akin, “Ito, malungkot. Ibang-iba. Akala mo masaya kami na naiwan kami rito? Hindi. Masaya kami may trabaho kami pero sobrang ibang-iba. Hindi na gaya ng dati."

Kapag nagdi-drive ako tapos nadadaan ako diyan sa ABS-CBN, nalulungkot pa rin ako hanggang ngayon. Tayo nasa gitna tayo ng pandemic, wala ka talagang makikita na ingay at tao diyan. 

Pero ang lagi kong sinasabi sa mga tao, kung hindi kami sinara, hindi ganyan kalungkot ang ABS-CBN ngayon kahit may pandemya pa. Siguradong sigurado ako doon.

Hindi lang tayo 'yong naapektuhan. Pati ‘yong mga nagtatrabaho sa paligid, ‘yong mga nagtitinda ng fishballs, mga restaurants na nandiyan, ‘‘yong mga trabahador nila— pati mga ‘yon apektado.

Hopeful pa rin ako. Alam ko namang makababangon pa rin ang ABS-CBN and alam ko one day babalik at babalik sila sa ere.

Kung ako ang tatanungin gusto ko sana andoon ako pero siyempre hindi natin alam kung ano'ng pwedeng mangyari in the future. 

Anytime soon, kunwari ngayong taon, biglang nag-iba ang ihip ng hangin, biglang bigyan ng franchise ang ABS-CBN, kahit nakakontrata ako sa ibang istasyon, isa ako sa pinakamagiging masaya 'pag bumalik sa ere ang ABS-CBN.

Kahit hindi ‘yong mga taga-ABS, ‘‘yong mga viewers natin, mga listeners natin? Iba noong mga panahon na may ABS-CBN pa. At iba noong panahon na may MOR at DZMM pa.

Feeling ko mas naging madali siguro para doon sa mga naka-lockdown, para doon sa mga nalulungkot sa gitna ng pandemic, kung nasa ere pa rin 'yong ABS, MOR, at DZMM it will be easier for a lot of people.

Kasi ang entertainment, ang information na binibigay natin sa tao, hindi 'yon mapapantayan ng ibang istasyon. And I feel naman alam din ‘yon ng mga competing stations ng ABS-CBN.

Sa lahat ng mga nasa ABS-CBN pa rin ngayon, sa mga Kapamilya ko, sana OK lang kayo. ‘Yon lang. Sana OK kayo. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/05/04/21/abs-shutdown-i-still-cant-believe-wala-nang-mor-dzmm-sa-radyo

THE 700 CLUB ASIA | Okay Ka Pa Ba | May 4, 2021

'Para kang nagulangan'

This piece is part of a series to mark the first anniversary of the shutdown of ABS-CBN’s broadcast on free TV and radio which happened May 5, 2020.

Like many of the biggest TV and film stars in the country, Enchong Dee is a “homegrown” ABS-CBN talent.

He was an athlete before joining the network’s stable of stars in 2006. He starred in many of the network’s popular series including "Katorse", "Tanging Yaman", "Magkaribal", "Ina, Kapatid, Anak", "Muling Buksan ang Puso", "A Love to Last", "The Blood Sisters" and remakes of "My Girl" and "Maria la del Barrio."

Dee is also one of the few celebrities who have been outspoken about the network shutdown and the country’s political situation. 

Nasaan ka noong May 5, 2020 at paano mo nalaman na pinatatanggal na sa ere ang ABS-CBN?

I was at home when Kabayan said the final message in TV Patrol. Hindi ako makapaniwala. I was quiet. I was disheartened. I was angry. I had a lot of questions left unanswered. Para kang nagulangan ng mga taong nakaupo sa gobyerno. Mabigat sa puso 'yung mga panahon na ‘yon.

Ano ‘yung tumatakbo sa isip mo noong panahon na ‘iyon? 

Betrayal because I thought this administration will truly bring in effective and good governance. It showed me the value of research and study during election periods.

Ano ‘yung mga naaalala mo na ginawa o nakita o kinausap ng gabing iyon?

I was speechless. My parents would ask me questions that I couldn’t say anything about. I talked to my Star Magic Handler, Tita Monch. We were all sad, broken-hearted, emotional, and simply looking for an answer. It was a very silent night.

Ano na ang kahulugan ng May 5 para sa iyo?

May 5 is the day ABS-CBN showed the Filipinos and the world that we are serious when we say “In the Service of The Filipino People Worldwide”. No matter what.

Hope in my heart is still in my heart until now, for ABS-CBN and for our country.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/05/04/21/abs-shutdown-para-kang-nagulangan

Mr. Gian Berino (2021 updated)

Find Out How Much Is Enough

My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.  Proverbs 3:21-22

How much is enough?  To be very candid with you, that is a question that I have struggled with personally for several years.  Oh, it isn’t that I have so much or think I need so much that I have drawn a line and said to myself, “When I get there, I’ll give the rest away.”  The issue with me involves a lifestyle.  It is part of the fabric of my faith forced by my coming to grips with the needs of the world.

I know some who have come to grips with the issue of simplicity and have given away virtually most of what they possessed because they had become convinced that material goods had possessed them.  I’m thinking of a young woman who came from a wealthy family who was converted and then put her silver service in the trash because she was convinced that it was wrong for her to have so much when others had so little, and she was fearful that if she gave her silver to the poor, they would begin to worship it just as she had.

While that may not be your conviction, have you ever thought much about the issue of how much is enough?  Ronald Sider, a Ph.D. in history from Yale University, came to grips with this question and his long search ended up in his writing a thought‑provoking book, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger.  Guy Davidson and his church were confronted with the issue, and instead of building a new church building, gave their building fund to an organization which feeds the hungry, and the postscript to that act of charity is that eventually they got their building anyway.

I confess I am personally troubled with magnificent and very costly church buildings which are used for three hours on a Sunday morning and then sit empty for most of the rest of the week, while struggling Asian congregations pray for a corrugated metal roof to keep the rain out during typhoons.  Yes, I know that some people will give pipe organs to their church or pay for stained glass windows who would never give to provide for the roof on a cinder block church half-way around the world.

Forgive me, but I find it difficult to generate much compassion for people whose major problems are 1) How do I lose weight, and 2)  Where can I park my third car, boat or camper, when 50% of the world’s population goes to bed hungry every night.

Frankly, I could elicit more response if I told you how to increase your net worth, or how to overcome the problem of burn‑out, or cut your taxes, but perhaps this in itself sends a message to the heart:  something is fundamentally wrong with a society that measures the quality of life by how much we have and ignores what we are.

I’m not suggesting five guidelines which will free you from the curse of clutter, but I am challenging you to look at your life and confront the question, “How much is enough?”  I’m fully confident that as you ponder the issue and go to the Word, the Holy Spirit will direct you as He has thousand of others, but in the process I suggest that you find a copy of Sider’s book, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger and read it.  Or pick up a copy of Richard Foster’s book, Freedom of Simplicity, and give it a fair reading.  Yes, you may still buy that second car or computer, but if you do so, it will be because you need it, not simply to justify your selfish desire to have more.  And in so doing you possess them instead of their possessing you.  Think about it. Remember, Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist of the abundance of the things or the possessions that he has.”

That question of, “How much is enough?” is one that every person must answer for themselves.

Resource reading: Proverbs 4:20-27.

https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/find-out-how-much-is-enough/

Lapu-Lapu sends VisMin Cup semis vs. Mandaue to sudden death

By Ivan Stewart Saldajeno

Lapu-Lapu kept its pennant hopes alive in the Visayas leg of the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup after romping Mandaue, 67-52, in their semifinal showdown at the Alcantara Civic Center in Cebu on Tuesday night.

The third-seeded Lapu-Lapu erased the second-seeded Mandaue's twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinal round and forced a decider on Wednesday night to determine Talisay's opponent in the leg finals.

After a 20-all deadlock to end the first quarter, Lapu-Lapu shut down Mandaue in the final three quarters, holding them to a combined 32 points in the last half-hour.

Overall, Lapu-Lapu held Mandaue to only 22 percent shooting from the field even as the latter struggled from the free-throw line at 14-of-26.

Reed Juntilla led Lapu-Lapu with 19 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.

Dawn Ochea added a double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds.

No Mandaue player scored in double digits all game long with Alfrancis Tamsi contributing the highest points with nine off the bench alongside two rebounds.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1139104

WATCH: PCSO 9 PM Lotto Draw, May 4, 2021

IN PHOTOS: Cinco de Mayo

Fernando G. Sepe Jr., ABS-CBN News

This piece is part of a series to mark the first anniversary of the shutdown of ABS-CBN’s broadcast on free TV and radio which happened May 5, 2020.

Photojournalists, they say, sometimes have a death wish. We live for moments when things go awry and we put ourselves in harm's way as long as we have our cameras there to record it.

A rowdy demonstration is better than a prayer rally. A lawmaker gone amok is better than two government officials shaking hands. Bad news is good news.

But not when the bad news is about you or your colleague. Certainly not when the bad news hits home.

May 5, 2020, started inauspiciously when I covered the cremation of coronavirus victims at the Baesa Crematorium in Quezon City. The death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic was rising. 

If the sight of people grieving but unable to even touch their dead was not wrenching enough, news that ABS-CBN was about to be shut down felt like the sky was falling as I raced to the office with daylight slowly fading.

Nothing prepares you to see toughened journalists from every generation feel the crushing weight of the decision handed down by the government's telecommunications regulatory office. Nothing prepares you when the tables are turned and you become the news. This was the sight inside the ABS-CBN newsroom that night.

When you see our head of news, Ging Reyes, with tears in the corner of her eyes; when you see our CEO, Carlo Katigbak, slumped on the sofa; when you witness colleagues you've been accustomed to seeing always busy in the newsroom suddenly with a blank stare, the barrier that is the camera between you and them suddenly falls and you feel that you are one family experiencing the same sorrow.

But we had to "soldier on" as Ging is wont to say. And . . .

https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/multimedia/slideshow/05/04/21/abs-shutdown-in-photos-cinco-de-mayo

‘Divine Comedy it was not’

Leo P. Katigbak, ABS-CBN Film Restoration

This piece is part of a series to mark the first anniversary of the shutdown of ABS-CBN’s broadcast on free TV and radio which happened May 5, 2020.

A Kapamilya for over 30 years, Leo Katigbak progressed from producing and acquiring television hits to ensuring these and other pieces of visual history in ABS-CBN’s care are passed onto the next generation.

His pet project “Sagip Pelikula” has used advances in technology to restore nearly 200 classic and modern Filipino films since 2011.

But the ABS-CBN shutdown scuttled the initiative by cutting off its main source of funding. Other legacy efforts, such as a proposed ABS-CBN museum, were also put on hold.

From a team of 14, only 5 people including Leo remain at the ABS-CBN Film Archives. 

The words “This is ABS-CBN now signing off” took on a very special meaning on May 5.

Typically, I'd hear it working late into the night after O'Shopping or whatever late night program capped the day. Instead, it was at the end of TV Patrol, on primetime. I was at home, having just had dinner and heard rumblings of what might happen that night. 

I had been going to the office twice a week but that day was a WFH (work-from-home) day. 

It was surreal to see it, even as I remembered being a child and Martial Law being declared with all the channels going blank. I was focused on cartoons then, but the full impact of what had happened in 1972 would dawn on me years later.

And in 2020, 48 years later, the unimaginable happened and I again witnessed ABS-CBN being shut down a second time, the full weight of what was happening crystal clear relative to what an 8 year-old saw all those years ago. 

The conversations at home were somewhat muted that night. Everybody knew what happened but was as at a loss for words, incredulous how the shadow play had unfolded.

Over the next few weeks, the repercussions would be clearer as people who initially saw pay deferments soon suffered pay cuts and lost their jobs. Even those who kept them continue to have a sword hanging over their heads as ABS-CBN struggled in this very real hell on earth. A Divine Comedy it was not.

The Archives, Restoration efforts and Advocacy team lost two-thirds of its team in one fell swoop. People who had been family across two decades were gone, lost like the casualties of the Titanic after it hit the iceberg, with the survivors holding on for dear life, waiting for the beacon of an approaching rescue vessel to save what's left.

Restoration came to a halt, as did many of our other initiatives which required funding and resources. We refocused on the SAGIP PELIKULA advocacy, using films that were completed in 2019 and 2020 before the shutdown and subsequent closure of broadcast operations. 

The attacks against the network and the complications COVID lockdowns posed bought us time to realign as well as direct our energies on work we could still do given our drastically reduced manpower and resources.

What is different now from those years under Martial Law was that ABS survived the shutdown, albeit barely, and was able to evolve quickly, taking advantage of technology which we were not able to do in the early 1970s. We are in uncharted territory now, moving in areas where we have some wiggle room. 

You play it day by day. Typically with me, multiple scenarios are always considered. If this happens, what next? If that, what do we do? Kaya mabilis din kami maka-adjust and mag-re-align. It's just harder with fewer resources, but as I always say, never ka naman mawawalan ng gagawin lalo na kung ma-diskarte ka.

We always say we are in the service of the Filipino but not all of that is “kawanggawa” (charity). Some of our service is for the heart, for the soul, for history, or for culture. It is a lasting legacy for future generations to appreciate, ponder and ruminate.

The value of what we do is appreciated with the perspective of the future, not the immediate. It is bridging past and future. And it is a challenge even under the best of conditions. What more now?

The weeks and months continue to be a struggle, the work harder many times over. But in true ABS-CBN spirit, we persevere and do as best we can, and always in the service of the Filipino. We are still hopeful to see that beacon that can light the way as we make our way to the end of the tunnel.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/05/04/21/abs-shutdown-divine-comedy-it-was-not

Alessandra de Rossi may bwelta sa mga nangmamaliit sa babaeng ‘di pa ikinakasal

Mainit ang naging pahayag ng aktres na si Alessandra de Rossi sa mga kritiko ng mga babaeng hindi pa ikinakasal o ‘di kaya’y wala pang anak.

Sa kaniyang Twitter account, binigyang diin ng aktres na iba-iba ang nais tahakin ng kababaihan sa kanilang buhay. 

“BV na minsan when people make you feel you're less of a woman, bec you're not married or you don't have kids (yet) or a ring on your finger. Para bang.. Pwede bang ito yung path namin?!” ani De Rossi.

Hindi rin aniya alam ang sagot sa pang-beauty pageant na tanong tungkol sa kahalagahan ng isang babae. Biro pa niya, hindi rin niya alam ang kahalagahan ng kalalakihan. 

“Sige, what is the essence of a woman? Malay ko! I don't even know the essence of a man! CHOT,” saad ng aktres. 

Wala naman umano siyang problema sa mga babae na masaya sa pagkakaroon ng asawa at anak ngunit may iba rin na nagbibigay sa kaniya ng kaligayahan. 

Paliwanag ni De Rossi, iba’t iba ang pwedeng makapagpasaya sa isang tao. 

“If motherhood or getting married is the best thing that ever happened to you, I'm happy for you. I'm sure it is the happiest place to be. Pero okay naman ako sa Jollibee,” pahayag ng aktres. 

“Kanya-kanyang trip lang 'yan. Naiiyak nga ako sa magandang sunset and it's also the best thing for me.”

Tanggap naman umano niya sa kung ano ang ibinigay sa kaniya ng Diyos lalo pa’t ang mahalaga sa kaniya ngayon ay ang kaligtasan ng kaniyang pamilya at hindi ang magkaroon ng lalaki. 

“Stop feeling like you've made it because you're there na and I'm not.... And I seriously do not care. Whatever God gives me, I take it. Because I never asked for anything but my family's safety. I never prayed for a man or a career.”

https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/04/21/alessandra-de-rossi-may-bwelta-sa-mga-nangmamaliit-sa-babaeng-di-pa-ikinakasal

Studio 23: Programming line-up

On weekdays after signing on at 4 a.m. is News Central then 4:30 a.m., Breakfast hosted by Atom Araullo, Patty Laurel, Asia Agcaoili and JC Cuadrado goes live, followed at 5:30 a.m. is every Monday, Wednesday and Friday is Sineskwela and every Tuesday and Thursday is Why Not? with new episodes, between 6, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8, 8:30, 9 and 9:30 am is cartoons, 10 am is Asianovela, 10:30 am is Jeepney TV block, 11:30 am is Lunch Box Office, 1:30 p.m. is Upfront hosted by Martin Javier, Janeena Chan, Turs Daza, and Angelique Manto with new episodes, 2 pm is sports block, 6 pm is News Central anchored by Mari Kaimo, Ria Tanjuatco-Trillo and Tricia Chiongbian, 6:30 pm is Wazzup Wazzup hosted by Vhong Navarro, Toni Gonzaga, and Archie Alemania, 7 pm is The Wrap hosted by Gretchen Fullido goes live, from 7:30 to 10:30 pm is weekly foreign shows with new episodes, 10:30 pm is the evening English newscast News Plus anchored by Anthony Taberna joins with Jef Gaitan as the program's showbiz segment host and 11 pm is sports news television program The Score anchored by Mico Halili goes live, at 11:30 p.m. every Monday is Points of View goes live with new episodes, every Tuesday-Friday is The Ellen DeGeneres Show, then 12:30 a.m. is Myx block.

In some provinces at 6:30 a.m., ABS-CBN Regional Network Group would cut this program mid-way (without any notice) to air sixty minutes of provincial morning programming. Each local morning program, produced by their respective news departments, features news and features related to its target regional audience (simulcast with ABS-CBN RNG TV Stations). These local morning programs are Good Morning Ilocos in Ilocano on ABS-CBN Laoag & ABS-CBN Vigan, Naimbag nga Morning Kapamilya in Ibanag on ABS-CBN Baguio & ABS-CBN La Union, Magandang Umaga Lambak ng Cagayan in Ibaloi on ABS-CBN Isabela & ABS-CBN Tuguegarao, Gandang Umaga Kapamilya in Pangasinense on ABS-CBN Dagupan, Good Morning Central Luzon in Kapampangan on ABS-CBN Pampanga, ABS-CBN Olongapo & ABS-CBN Bulacan, Gising Na, Maagang Southern Tagalog in Tagalog on ABS-CBN Batangas, ABS-CBN Lucena, ABS-CBN San Pablo & ABS-CBN Mindoro,Magandang Umaga Palawan in Palawano on ABS-CBN Palawan, Marhay na Aga Kapamilya in Bicolano on ABS-CBN Naga & ABS-CBN Daet, Ini-An Kabikolan in Bicolano ABS-CBN Legazpi, Panay Sikat in Hiligaynon on ABS-CBN Iloilo & ABS-CBN Roxas, The Morning Show in Hiligaynon on ABS-CBN Bacolod, Maayong Buntag Kapamilya in Cebuano on ABS-CBN Cebu & ABS-CBN Dumaguete, Mayad nga Agahon Kapamilya in Aklanon on ABS-CBN Kalibo, Maupay nga Aga Sinirangan Visayas in Waray on ABS-CBN Tacloban & ABS-CBN Calbayog, Buenas Dias Zamboanga in Chavacano on ABS-CBN Zamboanga, Buena Mano in Subanon on ABS-CBN Pagadian, Pamahaw Espesyal in Cebuano on ABS-CBN Cagayan De Oro, Good Morning Iligan in Cebuano on ABS-CBN Iligan, Maayong Buntag Caraga in Butuanon on ABS-CBN Butuan, Maayong Buntag Mindanao in Cebuano on ABS-CBN Davao, Magandang Umaga Soccksargen in Tagalog on ABS-CBN General Santos & ABS-CBN Koronadal and Magandang Umaga Central Mindanao in Maguindanaon on ABS-CBN Cotabato.

On Saturdays, after signing on at 5 a.m. is News Central then 5:30 a.m. is Breakfast, 7:30 a.m. is Sabong TV, at 8 a.m. is Why Not? 8:30 a.m. is Pinoy Talk with new episodes, 9 a.m. is Speak Easy, 10 a.m. is Movie TV, 10:30 a.m. is Soundcheck, 11 a.m. is Rugrats, 11:30 a.m. is Scooby Doo, 12 noon is Lunch Box Office, 2 p.m. is Sports, 6 p.m. is Travel Time, 6:30 p.m. is Digital Tour, 7 p.m. is Explorer, 7:30 p.m. is 7th Heaven, 8:30 p.m. is Gilmore Girls, 9:30 p.m. is Studio 23 Presents, 11:30 p.m. is Myx block; while on Sundays after signing on at 5 am is The Word Exposed, 6 am is Family Rosary Crusade, 7 am is Friends Again, 8 am is Sabong, 8:30 am is Life Without Borders hosted by Cory Quirino, 9 am is TV Healing Mass for the Homebound, 10 am is Thomas & Friends, 10:30 am is Sagupaan TV, 11 am is Hardcore Brothers Easy Ride, 11:30 am is SM Little Stars (sponsored by SM Supermalls), at noontime is ASAP (simulcast with ABS-CBN and TV5), 2 pm is Sports block, 6 pm is FPJ: Ang Nag-Iisang Alamat, 8 pm is Gag U, 9 pm is Yamaha, 9:30 pm is Studio 23 presents.

The network immediately aired the Philippine national anthem which normally airs at midnight at the end of the broadcast day.

Prior to the national anthem music video, commercials of Unilever products and other short local and foreign program plugs of this network, station ID then "In the next few minutes, we invite you to pray the Holy Rosary" followed by Pray the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary by the Aquino sisters: The Joyful Mysteries to be led by Viel Aquino-Dee followed by Ang Puso ko'y Nagpupuri by Himig Heswita from the album Purihi't Pasalamatan: Mga Piling Awitin ni Fr. Honti Handog ng Himig Heswita (2000) every Monday and Saturdays, the Sorrowful Mysteries to be led by Ballsy Aquino Cruz followed by Stella Maris by Bukas Palad from the album Tanging Yaman (1989) on Tuesdays and Fridays, the Glorious Mysteries to be led by Pinky Aquino-Abellada followed by Mariang Ina Ko by Bukas Palad from the album Bukas Palad (1986) every Wednesday and Sunday, the Luminous Mysteries to be led by Kris Aquino-Yap followed by Awit sa ina ng Santo Rosaryo by Carol Banawa from the album Mysteria Lucis: The Mysteries of Light (2003) every Thursday and closing song Feeling Quiet by China Central Television (1998-1999 version).

“This is Channel 23, a commercial UHF TV Broadcast Station owned and operated by ABS-CBN Corporation, with permit number BSD–0541–2012 (REN/MOD), effective until May 4, 2015," their title card read.

"Channel 23 is now signing off."

Local telco taps Thai actors Nonkul Chanon, Gulf Kanawut, Mario Maurer as ambassadors

A local telecommunications company has tapped three of Thailand’s most popular actors to become its brand ambassadors in the Philippines. 

TNT on Tuesday said it has signed up Thai actors Nonkul Chanon, Gulf Kanawut and superstar Mario Maurer to join its family.

They will headline the telco’s “Kilig Saya” campaign with the Philippines' very own Sarah Geronimo and Sue Ramirez.

“Filipinos and Thais have always had mutual appreciation for each other’s wealth of entertainment content, but we’ve seen this grow even bigger recently as more Filipinos enjoy easy access to streaming platforms and social media through TNT’s value-packed promos,” said Jane J. Basas, SVP and head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.

“As TNT enables Filipinos to follow their favorite Thai superstars Mario Maurer, Gulf Kanawut, and Nonkul Chanon on their smartphone, we’re now bringing these Thai actors even closer to them as the newest TNT KaTropas in our latest campaign,” she added.

Chanon is best known for the film “Bad Genius,” which became the highest-grossing Thai film of 2017, while Kanawut is popularly known for the highly successful “TharnType The Series,” an adaptation of a popular Thai web novel. 

Meanwhile, Maurer is perhaps considered the most popular Thai actor with a massive fan base not just in the Philippines but across Southeast Asia. He is famous for his projects such as “Love of Siam,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Pee Mak.” 

In 2012, Maurer starred in the Star Cinema movie “Suddenly It’s Magic” along with Kapamilya actress Erich Gonzales.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/04/21/local-telco-taps-thai-actors-nonkul-chanon-gulf-kanawut-mario-maurer-as-ambassadors

WATCH: PCSO 5 PM Lotto Draw, May 4, 2021

‘Is this story still gonna air?’

Nick Villavecer

This piece is part of a series to mark the first anniversary of the shutdown of ABS-CBN’s broadcast on free TV and radio which happened May 5, 2020.

Nick Villavecer was a segment producer for ABS-CBN’s Current Affairs department, working on shows “Red Alert” and “Kuha Mo!”. Nick was retrenched when the department was dissolved following the junking of the network’s franchise. He now works as a multimedia producer for online news site Rappler.

Around 5 p.m. of May 5, 2020, I was in the Current Affairs editing room previewing the materials for my segment when I received a message from a friend. He asked how I was doing and what was going on. I had no idea why he was asking me these questions all of a sudden.

 

“There’s a cease and desist order already against ABS-CBN,” he told me. 

 

I froze. I immediately opened Twitter for confirmation, hoping the news wasn’t true. But there it was – the news that we’ve dreaded for months finally arrived, just as we were laughing over silly conversations: “JUST IN: NTC issues cease and desist order against ABS-CBN.”

 

I remember the silence that ensued over the editing room after the news broke. It’s the kind of silence that springs from utter disbelief and confusion, the kind of silence that punches right to the gut, only for the pain to linger for a long time. All of us inside the editing room had to stop what we were doing. Because what else was there to do than worry about our fate as employees?

 

There were too many questions inside my head that day: Is the story we’re editing still going to air? Is this going to be our last day with the network? What’s going to happen to us employees? Can ABS-CBN really go off the air? Is that possible? Even after the National Telecommunications Commission order, the thought of ABS-CBN, the largest broadcasting network in the country, shutting down was still unimaginable.

 

I wanted to find comfort in my co-workers, but I could see through their masked faces that they were equally devastated. Some of us feigned weak smiles in an attempt to paint a little bit of hope in our situation. There was none. 

One of my co-workers, who had been in the network for around 20 years, asked us, “Paano na tayo?” I wished I had the answer.

 

Only four of us from our program “Kuha Mo!” in Current Affairs were assigned to be on duty that day. The three of us stepped out of the editing room and went to the gazebo beside the ABS-CBN chapel so we could process the bad news together. Shortly after the announcement, ABS-CBN released a statement, which I read aloud, my voice breaking in between soft sobs, in front of my officemates.

 

“ABS-CBN remains committed to being in the service of the Filipino,” the statement read. “We will find ways to continue providing meaningful service to them.”

 

In a few minutes, we were told ABS-CBN was going to comply immediately with the NTC’s order, and so we decided to visit the newsroom to witness what would be a historic moment in Philippine television.

 

We knew the situation was bad because ABS-CBN executives – President and CEO Carlo Katigbak, Chairman Mark Lopez, COO Cory Vidanes – also arrived for a meeting. Reporters, cameramen, producers, researchers, and other employees huddled as we anxiously watched the final newscast of TV Patrol on free TV. Ging Reyes, the head of the Integrated News and Current Affairs, led the production of the newscast that night.

Most of us who were there filmed the scenes in the newsroom as they unfolded (We were journalists after all, only that the story had become about us) — from our bosses’ statements to the news anchors’ final spiels to the moment the TV screen finally went black. 

At 7:52 p.m., ABS-CBN officially signed off the air, after 33 years. 

Certainly it was a night full of emotions, like waiting for a loved one to die on her hospital bed, and all we could do as a family was helplessly watch as she took her last breath. And you know what comes right after death: grief, and oftentimes, denial. 

But I remember there was a weak applause afterwards among the employees. Maybe it was to draw strength from one another. Maybe it was to sound hopeful, despite the feeling of defeat, that the fight wasn’t over. Or maybe it was just that — a round of applause for ABS-CBN’s courage in journalism and heart in public service, no matter the threats.

“Fight!” we said that night in defiance. And fight we did for the months after May 5, 2020. 

I left the office that night feeling upset, my heart still overweight with sadness, rage, and anxiety. I felt like I was robbed of a home. At the time, I had been with ABS-CBN for more than 4 years already, the same number of years that I'd spent living in Metro Manila away from my family. And I felt homeless and hopeless all of a sudden. I continued to cry all night after I went home because of the uncertainty of the next few months. 

By August, I was retrenched from the network, along with thousands of other employees. The pain still lingers even as I recall the night of the ABS-CBN shutdown. It is a grim reminder that press freedom in the Philippines remains to be under threat, if not dying, so much so that subservient government officials are willing to bend the law just to serve the whims of President Rodrigo Duterte, never mind that thousands of jobs are on the line and millions of Filipinos rely on critical information during a pandemic.

My experience in ABS-CBN was relatively short, but working with some of the most tireless people in the industry surely made an impact on what I am now as a storyteller, no matter where I go in my career. And that’s something that I am forever thankful for. 

For now, I have come to accept the truth. While I miss my former ABS-CBN colleagues, no matter what network or news organization we work with now, I know that we will always be a Kapamilya. 

P.S. 

The story I was editing on May 5, 2020 eventually aired, but only on our social media platforms. But there were stories that we produced in June that never saw light after the Current Affairs division stopped production in July.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/05/04/21/abs-shutdown-is-this-story-still-gonna-air

Vivoree, inilarawan ang nabuong samahan ng 'He’s Into Her' cast

Karl Cedrick Basco, ABS-CBN News

Hindi maikakaila na sunod-sunod ang naging mga proyekto ng aktres na si Vivoree Esclito ngayong may pandemya na katatampukan ng panibagong serye na “He’s Into Her.”

Sa media press conference ng inaabangang serye, inamin nito na malaking biyaya sa kaniya ang magkaroon ng trabaho lalo na sa gitna ng pandemya. 

Bukod sa pagkakabilang sa “He’s Into Her” cast, napapanood din si Vivoree sa weekend talent show na “Your Face Sounds Familiar.” Nauna siyang naging abala sa online series na “Hello Stranger” na nagawan din nila ng pelikula. 

“Every time na lumalabas ako to work I feel like I always have something to learn so it's a blessing rin for me na may work, of course,” tugon ni Esclito. 

Ayon pa sa batang aktres, masaya rin umano siya na magbigay inspirasyon sa publiko at naipapakita pa nito ang kaniyang talento. 

Ipinagmalaki naman ni Vivoree ang nabuong pagkakaibigan ng mga kasama sa “He’s Into Her” dahil na rin sa tagal ng pagbuo nila sa palabas. 

Sa loob ng dalawang taon, mas lumalim aniya ang kanilang samahan lalo pa’t makailang ulit din silang nagkaroon ng lock-in tapings para sa show. 

“Yung 'He's Into Her' cast kasi 2 years in the making 'yun. 'Yung bonding namin, 'yung friendship namin alam mong mas lumalalim siya habang tumatagal 'yung shooting days namin,” ani Esclito. 

Lalo rin umanong nagpatatag sa kanilang samahan ang kulitan sa likod ng camera habang ginagawa ang “He’s Into Her.”

“I can say na different din talaga 'yung samahan namin together. 'Yung bonding namin, may mga behind the scenes moment talaga na 'di ko makakalimutan and I'm very happy na nangyari 'yun kasi it's with them,” dagdag pa ng aktres. 

Mapapanood na ang “He’s Into Her” simula May 30, 8:45 p.m., sa Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z Channel 11, at TFC.

Tatagal ng 10 episodes ang nasabing serye hanggang sa Hulyo sa direksyon ni Chad Vidanes at base sa libro ni Maxine Lat.

Makakasama ni Vivoree sina Donny Pangilinan, Belle Mariano, Kaori Oinuma, Rhys Miguel, Joao Costancia, Criza Taa, Jeremiah Lisbo, Dalia Varde, Limer Veloso, Melizza Jimenez, Ashley del Mundo, Gello Marquez, Sophie Reyes, at Jim Morales.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/04/21/vivoree-inilarawan-ang-nabuong-samahan-ng-hes-into-her-cast

The view from a newbie

Ronron Calunsod, ABS-CBN News

Long-time journalist Ronron Calunsod had just joined ABS-CBN as a deputy editor for ABS-CBN News Digital Media in January 2020 when, just months later, the network faced a crippling broadcast shut down. He had been unfazed about moving to the network, believing it was an unlikely scenario. That is, until it happened on May 5, 2020. 

Halfway through my 8-hour duty on May 5 last year, exchanges about a cease and desist order from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) against ABS-CBN were moving quickly among my colleagues in the news department of the broadcast network.

I was already working from home at that time, just like many of my fellow ABS-CBN News Digital Media staff, as precaution against COVID-19. It had only been a little over three months since I formally joined the company.

On my first day in January last year, somebody told me about the possibility of me becoming jobless a few months later. I dismissed that, believing that in a just society as ours, no matter the occasional flaws, the right prevails -- ABS-CBN will not be deprived of a new franchise.

Yes, I went through the hiring process for a job in ABS-CBN despite threats to the network’s franchise years prior. Joining the company was an opportunity to take part in its news department’s “service to the Filipino” by providing relevant and inspiring stories, I told myself.

As lawmakers started to tackle the franchise application of ABS-CBN weeks later, I became more hopeful that relevant government officials would take a favorable attitude toward it, especially after hearing the NTC’s assurance of a provisional authority to be issued.

But the threat was becoming real, at least for me, when, on the eve of the last day of the validity of ABS-CBN’s previous franchise --- also World Press Freedom Day, the Office of the Solicitor General warned the NTC about its intent: NTC commissioners may face prosecution under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act if they defy the OSG’s position, the latter said.

True enough, in the afternoon of May 5, 2020, ABS-CBN was served a closure order for its broadcast operations.

As deputy news editor of news.abs-cbn.com, I initially took the matter as just another breaking news. I was monitoring, and then partly asking our staff to write articles from the interviews on DZMM TeleRadyo.

Briefly, I shared the news with my family.

No matter how shocking and saddening the NTC decision was, I remained focused on my task, out of instinct, to deliver the news during the first couple of hours. I continued monitoring the interviews about the cease and desist order on TV Patrol so we could include those in our news articles.

It was only until I learned that ABS-CBN was going to follow the order by going off air that night that the situation sank in. Sadness crept in, for the company and for the people who rely on it -- both workers and audience.

While I hadn't even been with ABS-CBN for four months at that time, my connection with the network dates back to the 1990s when I was a young boy in Surigao del Sur. Everyone in the neighborhood grew up watching ABS-CBN news and current affairs, and entertainment programs. Several years later, ABS-CBN would form a major part in my broadcast communication studies in UP, it being a prominent topic in the discussion of the history of broadcasting in the country, and having taken my radio internship at DZMM.

As my family’s provider, I began feeling anxious amid the possibility of what I was warned about only a few months back. I have a son who’s only starting to go to school. I got worried as well for my fellow employees.

I felt sad also for the country. The shutdown of ABS-CBN, as with some major developments in the country these past few years, partly reflects the direction this country has been driven to.

The national anthem has never conveyed such a profound meaning to me as it did when it was played before the broadcast sign-off announcement that evening of May 5 last year. It reinforced the impact on me of anchor Noli de Castro’s powerful closing spiel on TV Patrol that night.

Two days later, some of my colleagues checked on me, if I had some regrets joining the team because of what happened. No, I did not, I told them. I felt that the challenges, starting from the eruption of Taal Volcano, to the onset of the pandemic, and then the ABS-CBN franchise, made my employment more meaningful.

As months went by, with the House Committee on Legislative Franchises finally killing the new franchise bid of ABS-CBN on July 10 despite relevant government agencies clearing the network of alleged irregularities, my anxiety was building up. A lot of thoughts ran through my head, and I could hardly sleep for so many nights.

At some point, I was feeling guilty that I was keeping my job despite being a newbie, while many others who had spent most of their lives in the company were getting retrenched as a result of the shutdown. A colleague advised me not to carry the feeling. “Be sad and commiserate; that’s natural. But not guilt,” she said. Implementing its retrenchment program after it was forced to cease the operations of some of its businesses was painful for the company.

A year on, I continue to work for ABS-CBN, carefully editing articles and related content for its news digital platform, mindful of these words of the late Geny Lopez: “ABS-CBN always has been and will always be in the service of the Filipino.”

The challenges remain, but I share the determination of all of us to carry on. My hope for brighter days for ABS-CBN is anchored on this biblical phrase: “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/05/04/21/abs-shutdown-the-view-from-a-newbie

Fencing: Catantan eyes redemption in Vietnam SEA Games

Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

Filipina fencer Sam Catantan is determined to cap an eventful 2021 with a better campaign in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam this November.

The 19-year-old, a product of the University of the East (UE) high school program, made her debut for Pennsylvania State University earlier this year, helping the Nittany Lions finish second in the NCAA tournament last March. She won a bronze in the women's foil and earned All-America honors, and last week, Penn State named her Most Valuable Player of the team.

"Masaya po ako na kahit po sa loob po ng, parang two months lang po 'yung preparation ko po eh, kasi last week na po ng January na po ako nag-training sa Penn, tapos last week po ng March 'yung NCAA," said Catantan in an appearance on the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday.

"So, sobrang thankful po ako na in a short period of time po na nag-training ako dito, naging maganda naman po ang performance ko," she added.

In early April, Catantan competed in the Junior-Cadet World Championships in Cairo, Egypt, where she lost in the round-of-32 to eventual champion May Tieu of the United States. Later that month, Catantan agonizingly missed out on a spot in the Tokyo Olympics as she settled for a bronze medal in the Asia-Oceania qualifiers in Uzbekistan.

"Sobrang nanghihinayang po talaga ako na hindi po ako nakarating ng finals," Catantan admitted. "Expected na po namin na malakas po talaga, so magkakatalo na lang po talaga sa sino po 'yung may pinakamagandang laro, ganoon po. Siyempre po, nanghihinayang po ako, pero wala po, ganoon po talaga ang competition."

Catantan is now back in the US to focus on her studies in Penn State, but she will return to the Philippines to compete in the fencing federation's tryouts for spots in the Southeast Asian Games team. After falling short of her goal to make it to the Tokyo Olympics, Catantan is eyeing redemption in the upcoming SEA Games.

In 2019, the teenager had been unable to deliver a gold, settling for a bronze after bowing to Singapore's Amita Berthier in the semifinals. It marked the second consecutive SEA Games that Catantan lost to the Singaporean, after they battled for the gold in the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The 21-year-old Berthier, a standout from University of Notre Dame, won the Asia-Oceania qualifiers to seal a spot in the Olympics.

"Kagaya po ng sabi ni Coach Amat (Canlas) step by step po talaga. Siyempre po ngayon po 'yung goal ko po, makabawi po sa SEA Games," said Catantan, who also helped the Philippines to the bronze in the team foil. 

"Kasi nakakuha na po ako ng silver and bronze, so sobrang gustong-gusto ko po talagang makakuha 'yung gold medal," she admitted.

The hope is that a golden performance in the SEA Games will be the springboard for Catantan in bigger competitions, from the Asian Games to the Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games, and eventually the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. 

"Lahat naman po ng athletes, gusto po talaga namin maging Olympian po," said the fencer. 

"Itong Olympic qualifying po, sobrang naging motivation ko rin po talaga na kaya ko rin po talaga, na kaya po namin umabot hanggang Olympics. So sana po sa darating po na next Olympics po, makapasok po kami sa Olympics, and ayun po magtuloy-tuloy po," Catantan added.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/04/21/fencing-catantan-eyes-redemption-in-vietnam-sea-games

Singko de Mayo

Jorge Cariño, ABS-CBN News

Jorge Cariño is a senior correspondent for ABS-CBN News. 

He has been at the forefront of coverage of the biggest disaster, conflict and national security stories in the country for more than 2 decades including the Ampatuan massacre in 2009— the deadliest single attack on journalists in world history.

He joined ABS-CBN in 1994 on his fourth attempt. He started as a news writer for DZMM before becoming part of the roster of “Radyo Patrol,” with the callsign RP27.

He moved to TV News in 2004 and continues to work in the police and military beats. He was an anchor for the network’s long-running morning news show, "Umagang Kay Ganda" — one of many shows axed in the programming grid after the network shutdown.

Kung ang mga salitang ‘balisa’ at ‘tensyon’ ay naglalabas ng masamang amoy tuwing ito’y sumusulpot sa dibdib at isip ayon sa umiiral na kundisyon, baka lumusot na sa vent ng aircon ng sasakyan ko ‘yong masangsang na amoy habang papasok ako sa Sgt. Esguerra gate ng ABS-CBN noong Biyernes ng hapon, petsa singko de Mayo, taong 2020.

Nakauwi na ako noon at nasa bahay dahil maagang natapos ang coverage tungkol sa isang pamilya na nagluluto ng pagkain at nagbebenta online. 

Kahigpitan pa ng Enhanced Community Quarantine noong panahon na ‘yon. Bihira ang tao sa labas at kung meron man, naghahanap ng mahihingan ng tulong para pantawid ng gutom. 

‘Yong pamilya ni Julie Bongayon, 'pag may umorder ng pagkain, papa-sobrahan niya ang luto at kapag may madaanang tao sa kalsada, binibigyan niya ng pagkain. Ganda ng istorya: “Kawanggawa, kakulangan ng ayuda, sa gitna ng pandemya.”

Pero naputol ang pagmumuni-muni ko nung makakita ako ng instagram story na sina Boss Carlo Katigbak na Presidente ng ABS-CBN at iba pang company executives ay nandoon sa newsroom.

“Oo, nandito siya. Punta ka na,” sabi ng desk editor ko na si Miranda De Quiros.

“Sige na. Baka kailangan ka doon,” sabi ng Misis kong si Daisy na hindi na nagtanong kung ano ang nangyayari.

Umalis agad ako, pero mabagal kong pinatakbo ang sasakyan para makalma ko din ang sarili ko. Ayokong magmadali, ayokong mabalisa, ayokong madaganan ng tensyon. Pero ‘di naman porke’t sinabi kong ayaw ko, masusunod.

Hindi maipinta ang hitsura ng newsroom na dinatnan ko. May mga paroo’t parito at may mga dalang scripts, nagmamadaling pumunta sa video editing, sa gumagawa ng graphics, pero meron din namang iba na tahimik at malungkot ang mukha na nakatunganga sa TV habang tinatalakay ni Henry Omaga-Diaz sa DZMM Teleradyo ‘yong Cease and Desist Order ng National Telecommunications Commission laban sa on-air operations ng ABS-CBN sa radyo at TV.

“O, Jorge Carino! Nandito ka,” bungad sa akin ng boss kong si Ging Reyes. Nakangiti si boss at sinabi ko na lang na nag-aalala ko sa nakita ko.

“Baka kasi boss alisin sa lineup 'yung istorya ko,” ang pilit kong pagbibiro para lang mapagaan ang sitwasyon. Tumawa sya, wala na daw talaga sa lineup at NTC Order na ang tema ng TV Patrol.

“'Wag kayong umiyak, baka mahawa ko. We prepared for this. Papasok tayo bukas” sabi niya, eksaktong 6:34 p.m., bago umupo at tumipa sa computer at ilatag ang closing spiel na babasahin ni Kabayan sa dulo ng TV Patrol.

Luminga ako sa kabilang dulo ng newsroom at nandoon sina Direk Lauren Dyogi, Cory Vidanes, Kim Atienza at Mark Lopez na Chairman ng ABS-CBN. Bumati sila sa akin noon. Lumapit ako para ibalik ang bati. Nakangiti sila at kalmado. Nag-request ako na mag-selfie.

“Jorge, I’m gonna make you a promise. There’s gonna be a happy picture after that,” sabi sa akin ni CLK pagkatapos ang aming selfie, 6:44 p.m.

Hindi ko alam kung gusto lang ni CLK na kumalma ako kaya niya sinabi 'yun. 

Naghiwalay kami noong gabi na iyon, na bitbit ko ang kanyang pangako. Pangako na madalas bumabalik sa ala-ala ko, lalo’t papalapit ulit ang a-singko ng Mayo.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/05/04/21/abs-shutdown-singko-de-mayo

Nang magdilim ang telebisyon ng mga Kapamilya

Abner P. Mercado

This piece is part of a series to mark the first anniversary of the shutdown of ABS-CBN’s broadcast on free TV and radio which happened May 5, 2020.

Abner Mercado told stories for ABS-CBN News for nearly 2 decades, with the documentary as his weapon of choice.

Whether it was about the ascent of Filipinos to Mount Everest, the journey of a batch of stolen bells from the United States back to the Philippines, or the lifelong fight of an environmentalist and philanthropist, Abner’s long-form stories helped shape ABS-CBN’s version of the format.

In August 2020, he was one of hundreds let go from the news division when ABS-CBN downsized following the rejection of its franchise renewal.

Abner continues to teach journalism as a senior lecturer at the University of the Philippines (UP), which he has been doing since he was still with the network.

Umaga ng ika-5 ng Mayo noong nakaraang taon, sa UP Diliman ako nagpunta kasama ng aking news crew para mangalap ng balita at bumuo ng kuwento para sa araw na ito. Kuwento ito ng pagtatanim ng simbolo ng pag-asa para sa mga magsisipagtapos na mag-aaral ng unibersidad ng bayan.

Kapanayam ko si Christopher James Buño ng UP Diliman Campus Maintenance Office ng tanggapan ng Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs. Abala si Buño at ang kaniyang mga tauhan nang araw na iyon sa pagtatanim ng mga buto ng sunflower sa kahabaan ng University Avenue hanggang sa panulukan ng Quezon Hall.

SIMBOLO NG PAMUMUKADKAD NG MGA MIRASOL

Taunang tradisyon ito ng UP Diliman kung saan inaasahang mamumukadkad ang mga bulaklak ng sunflower o kilala din sa tawag na mirasol sa araw ng University Commencement Exercises sa huling linggo ng Hunyo. 

Bagama't inaasahan nang walang pisikal na magaganap na seremonya ng pagtatapos ang mga mag aaral dahil sa pandemya ng COVID-19, hindi naman nito mapipigilan ang kinaugalian na ng UP Diliman. 

May kakabit na kahulugan kasi ang mga bulaklak ng mirasol para sa mga mag-aaral na magsisipagtapos.

“Ever since naman, ang sunflower ay naging simbolismo ng pag-asa para sa mga gradweyt natin.” paliwanag ni Buño. 

“Ngayong panahon na mayroon tayong hinaharap na krisis, mananatili ‘yong simbolismo ng pag-asa hindi lang para sa mga graduates natin, kundi para sa lahat—magkaroon sila ng inspirasyon ‘pag nakita nila pagbukadkad ng mga sunflowers natin dito sa campus.”

Kinumpleto namin ng aking crew ang mga kuha para sa mga kailangang video, mula sa pagbubungkal ng lupa at pagbaon ng mga buto ng sunflower sa lupa, hanggang sa pagdidilig sa mga nauna nang naitanim isang linggo bago ako makipag-ugnayan kay Buño para sa kuwentong ito.

Pero sa araw na ito, maugong na ang napipintong shutdown ng Kapamilya Network. Naglabas ng kautusan noon ang National Telecommunications Commission na ihinto na ng ABS-CBN ang pagsasahimpapawid ng mga programa nito dahil sa pagtatapos ng prangkisa nito sa nakaraang 25 taon. 

HULING NEWSCAST SA FREE TV BAGO ANG SHUTDOWN

Binuo ko ang kuwento ng mga sunflower, isinulat at hindi nagpaapekto sa banta ng utos dahil mamamahayag kaming ang tungkulin ay maghatid ng kuwento. 

At lumanding naman sa line up ng TV Patrol ang kuwento, pero nasa baba ito ng mga balita ng shutdown.

Nang dumidilim na, nababasa ko na sa mga group chat na nagtatawag na nang pagtitipon ang mga kasamahan kong Kapamilyang dyorno sa newsroom para sa inaasahan nang shutdown at pamamaalam sa mismong flagship news program nito na TV Patrol.

Dinesisyunan kong hindi magpunta dahil alam kong magiging mabigat sa puso ko ang pamamaalam na ito sa ere ng istasyon ng telebisyon na pinaglingkuran ko at minahal nang mahigit dalawang dekada at patuloy pa ring minamahal. 

Sa halip, nagtungo ako sa kaharap na gusali ng ABS-CBN sa kanto ng Sgt. Esguerra at Panay Avenue, umakyat at nakatanaw dito mula sa tuktok.

Tahimik akong mistulang kinakausap ang gusali ng Eugenio Lopez Jr. sa malayo habang pinaglalaro sa tanaw ng aking mga mata ang humihilamos ditong mga ilaw na pula, luntian at asul na kulay ng Kapamilya network na may nakadisenyong puso sa gitna.

Sa mga sandaling iyon, parang may nakadagang kung anong mabigat sa aking dibdib. Matindi na ang lungkot na nararamdaman ko. 

“Marami ka nang dinaanan, mahaba na ang papel mo sa kasaysayan ng telebisyon sa bansa kakayanin mo pa rin ito,” sabi ko sa isip at puso ko na parang ibinabato kong pakikipagkuwentuhan sa gusali.

“Dumaan ka na sa ganito noon Kapamilya tayo sa harap ng hamon na ito ngayon.”

Hindi ko mismo napanood sa telebisyon ang pamamaalam ng mga anchor ng TV Patrol at ang pasasalamat ng presidente ng ABS-CBN para sa lahat ng sumuporta at nagmamahal na manonood bilang mga Kapamilya. Binalikan ko na lang sa internet ang mga ito ilang araw makalipas. 

Hindi na rin umabot ang kuwento ng mga sunflower sa pagpapalabas dito dahil tinamaan na ng shut down.

MGA MENSAHE NG PAGMAMAHAL MULA SA MGA KAPAMILYA

Naramdaman ko na lang ang latay ng pamamaalam nang mga oras na ‘yon habang tinatanaw pa ang gusali ng ABS-CBN ELJ dahil sunod-sunod na ang pasok ng mga text messages sa akin. 

“Nakakalungkot, napanood namin ang shutdown, signing off ng ABS-CBN sa TV Patrol kanina. Stay strong, isang mahigpit na yakap Kapamilya, dito lang kami,” mensahe ng isang kaibigan na sa mahabang panahon pinagsaluhan namin ang pagiging masugid niyang tagasubaybay ng mga palabas ng Kapamilya network.

“Salamat ng marami Kapamilya,” tugon ko sa text.

“Kapit lang Kapamilya,” muling pagbibigay lakas at suporta nito.

Maraming ganitong mensahe ang aking tinanggap sa text, lahat tubog sa pagmamahal at pakikisimpatya. 

May hatid ding bigat sa puso ang makatanggap ng mensahe sa text sa mismong mga kapamilya at kasama sa bahay.

“Kuya napanood namin ng Mame kanina sa TV Patrol ang shut down ng ABS. Kaya ninyo ‘yan at ingat palagi” text message ng isang pinsan ko sa bahay na kasamang tumunghay sa aking mahal na ina na nanood ng pagbaba ng telon ng ABS-CBN.

Libangan ng aking mahal na ina sa kaniyang pagtanda ay manood ng mga palabas ng Kapamilya network, pero ngayon ay binalot na ng dilim ang pihitan ng Kapamilya channel sa free TV, na doble dagok pa dahil nangyari sa panahon ng pandemya.

Hindi madaling balikan ang kuwento ng araw na ito. Para akong nagbubukas muli ng sugat sa nakaraan na hindi naman talaga tuluyan pang naghihilom araw-araw, gabi-gabi pa rin sa nakaraang isang taon na parang paulit-ulit na minumulto kami ng masamang panaginip. 

PILIIN NATIN ANG PAG-ASA, IPUNLA NATIN ANG MABUTI

Kinabukasan, maaga akong pumasok sa gusali ng ABS-CBN ika-6 ng Mayo at nagtungo sa Studio 7 kung saan kinukunan ang newscast ng TV Patrol sa araw-araw, at dito namaalam ang mga news anchor nito nang nagdaang gabi. 

Isang araw matapos ang shut down ng Kapamilya network, ako lang muli at ang walang-taong Kapamilya Studio 7. 

Isang taon ang nakalipas, nandoon pa rin ang matinding sakit, mahirap pa ring kalimutan. 

Hindi man na namin mababago ang nangyari lalo't mula rito ay may mga sumunod pang pagsubok na kinaharap, pero puwede pa naming baguhin ang damdamin kung paano namin ito gustong maalala at umusad.

Sa isang taon na nakalipas, nangungulila man ang mga masugid na tagasubaybay sa telebisyon ng mga Kapamilya sa free TV, maaari pa rin kaming magpunla ng pag-asam.

Saan ba kami huhugot ng lakas at tibay kundi unang-una sa Diyos at sa mga nagmamahal na kaibigan at sa mga sumusuportang Kapamilya?

Sa gitna man ng mga matitinding pagsubok, kakabit pa sa panahon ng hamon ng pandemya, nandoon pa rin naman ang mga naiiwan pang hinanakit at pait sa puso pero handang umusad. 

Panahon na ang magtatadhana kung sino ang nasa tamang pahina ng kasaysayan. Dahil sa harap ng lahat ng ito, mas pipillin ko na lang ang magpunla ng mabuti, magtanim at umani ng pag asa.

Kung ihahalintulad sa mga sunflower na taunang itinatanim sa UP Diliman sa bawat pagtatapos ng mga mag aaral, maaaring umusbong at mamukadkad muli ang ‘pag-asa tungo sa pagbabalik ng mga palabas ng ABS CBN sa telebisyon sa hinaharap.

Pansamantala lamang ang lahat nang idinulot na sakit ng mga pangyayari. Tuluyan pa ring paghihilumin ng panahon ang mga nilikhang sugat ng mga naganap at patuloy na maglilingkod ang Kapamilya sa bawat Pilipino. Muli itong babalik sa free TV sa takdang panahon.

Sa ngayon, patuloy pa rin itong nagsisilbi at naghahatid ng mga panoorin sa ibang mga plataporma, mula sa paghahatid ng balita at mga entertainment shows nito, gaya sa tunay na kahulugan ng “In The Service of the Filipino”.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/05/04/21/abs-shutdown-nang-magdilim-ang-telebisyon-ng-mga-kapamilya

WATCH: PCSO 2 PM Lotto Draw, May 4, 2021

KaladKaren, maayos ang kalagayan sa UK sa kabila ng pandemya

Sa kabila ng pandemya, ibinahagi ni KaladKaren na maayos ang kalagayan niya sa United Kingdom, kung saan siya ngayon nakabase kasama ang kanyang partner na Briton na si Luke Wrightson.

Sa "Magandang Buhay" nitong Martes, nagkuwento si KaladKaren sa sitwasyon ng kanyang pamumuhay sa ibang bansa.

"Siyempre mayroon pa ring pandemic. Marami pa ring cases ng COVID-19. Pero bago mag-Pasko kasi nagkaroon ulit ng national lockdown and I can say that after that the COVID situation has drastically improved. So medyo okay na okay na rito," ani KaladKaren.

"Marami nga ang nagtatanong sa akin kapag nagpo-post ako ng Instagram Stories bakit daw hindi kami naka-mask. Hindi kasi required mag-mask kapag nasa outdoor ka. Kapag papasok ka sa groceries, sa pharmacy, etc. doon ka lang magma-mask. Pero kapag nasa labas ka lang puwedeng hindi mag-mask. Nasa iyo 'yon kung magma-mask ka o hindi," dagdag ni KaladKaren.

Jervi Li sa totoong buhay, nakilala ang transgender woman sa kanyang panggagaya sa batikang brodkaster na si Karen Davila.

Setyembre noong nakaraang taon, inanunsiyo ni KaladKaren ang engagement niya kay Wrightson na ilang taon na niyang karelasyon.

Sa programa, ibinahagi rin ni KaladKaren ang saya at pasasalamat dahil patuloy ang kanyang trabaho kahit pa nasa ibang bansa na siya.

Si KaladKaren ang host ng "TrabaHanap" na mapapanood tuwing Sabado sa TrabaHanap Facebook page, TFC Asia, TFC Middle East at sa KUMU. 

"Second season na po ng 'TrabaHanap.' Nakakatuwa kasi answered prayer ito. Kasi nung pumunta ako rito sa UK, sabi ko, 'Paano na ang trabaho ko? Baka wala na akong income? Baka nganga na ako rito?' Fortunately naman nagkaroon tayo ng trabaho at naniniwala ako that God will always provide. Nakakatuwa kasi nakahanap ako ng trabaho sa 'TrabaHanap,'" ani KaladKaren.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/04/21/kaladkaren-maayos-ang-kalagayan-sa-uk-sa-kabila-ng-pandemya

'Marco,' 'Masha and the Bear,' 'PJ Masks' magpapasaya sa mga bata sa A2Z

Mas marami pang makabuluhang programa ang mapapanood ng mga kabataan ngayong buwan sa A2Z channel.

Kabilang na rito ang “Play ‘N Learn Online Workshops” ng Just Love Kids at ang mga programang “Marco,” “Masha and the Bear,” at “PJ Masks.”

Ang amimated series na “Marco” ay tungkol sa isang batang lalaking Italian na may inang pumunta sa Argentina para magtrabaho. Pagkatapos magkasakit ng ina ay tumigil na itong sumulat kaya nagdesisyon si Marco na maglakbay patungong Argentina para hanapin ang kanyang nanay. Sa kanyang paglalakbay ay haharapin niya ang iba’t ibang adventure.

 

Samantala, ang “Masha and the Bear” naman ay tungkol sa isang mabait ngunit makulit na batang babae na nakatira sa kagubatan kasama ang kanyang mga alagang hayop. Makikilala niya ang isang oso na magliligtas sa kanya sa iba’t ibang kaguluhan.

Mga superheroes naman ang makakasama sa “PJ Masks” kung saan ang mga batang sina Amaya, Greg, at Connor ay nagiging sina Owlette, Gekko, at Catboy tuwing gabi na may kapangyarihan labanan ang mga masasama.

 

Abangan ang “Marco” tuwing Lunes hanggang Biyernes, 4:30 p.m. at ang “Masha and the Bear” tuwing Sabado 8 a.m., na susundan naman ng “PJ Masks,” 8:30 a.m. sa A2Z simula Mayo 8.

Samantala, pangungunahan naman ng "Team YeY" ang “Play ‘N Learn Online Workshops” na mapapanood sa Just Love Kids website. 

Iba’t ibang skills tulad ng dancing, singing, storytelling, at arts at crafts ang pwedeng matutunan ng mga bata sa programang ito ngayong summer, pati na rin ang pagluluto at sports mula sa online classes na handog nito.

 

Mapapanood ang hit children’s show na “Team YeY” season 5 tuwing Sabado at Linggo, 9 a.m. Mapapanood din ang workshops sa Just Love Kids’ Facebook page at sa YeY Channel sa YouTube at Facebook.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/04/21/marco-masha-and-the-bear-pj-masks-magpapasaya-sa-mga-bata-sa-a2z

For Labor Day, Bea Alonzo gives cash to house staff, food delivery rider, fan

Bea Alonzo marked this year’s Labor Day by paying tribute to her house helpers and frontliners through her own simple way.

In her most recent vlog, Alonzo said she is grateful for the frontliners who make it possible for people to stay safe at home during this pandemic, while she is thankful for her house angels who make her life convenient even if they are working far from their own families.

To celebrate Labor Day, Alonzo prepared several games for her house helpers over the weekend where she gave the winners P20,000 and P10,000 as consolation prize.

After the game, Alonzo also ordered food for all of them where she gave P15,000 to the food delivery rider.

Moreover, the actress gave one of her fans who has been working at a dialysis center for years now P20,000.

Alonzo likewise set up a table with biscuits and drinks outside her house for other delivery riders who pass by.

The actress said this is just her way of thanking those who go extra mile to keep a lot of people safe during these trying times.

 

Watch Alonzo’s vlog below which she aptly titled “Paying it forward.”

https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/04/21/for-labor-day-bea-alonzo-gives-cash-to-house-staff-food-delivery-rider-fan

Ben&Ben, Iñigo Pascual cover K-pop songs at online show

Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News

The Philippines’ Ben&Ben and Iñigo Pascual made special appearances at an online K-pop show, performing covers of songs by boy groups The Boyz and Big Bang, respectively.

Arirang TV, an English-language TV network in South Korea, streamed the “Simply K-pop Con-Tour” for free on Monday night through one of its YouTube channels. The event was presented by “Simply K-pop,” the channel’s music program.

During the show, which lasted for nearly 2 hours, hosts and The Boyz members Jacob Bae and Kevin Moon interviewed Ben&Ben, which gained popularity in South Korea last year after several K-pop idols revealed that they listened to the Filipino folk-pop band, via videoconferencing.

“I am actually a huge fan of Ben&Ben. ‘Maybe The Night’ was actually one of the first songs that I heard from you guys,” Kevin told Ben&Ben, whose members said they were also fans of The Boyz.

Ben&Ben even performed the chorus from The Boyz’s 2020 single “Reveal,” which they covered in a YouTube video last September. Jacob and Kevin even danced as the Filipino act sang their song.

“Thank you so much for covering it. We were very surprised and very honored to have you guys cover our songs,” Jacob said.

“I will never forget this moment,” Kevin added.

Miguel Benjamin Guico, one of the band’s vocalists, said Ben&Ben was happy that K-pop fans appreciate their covers.

“We wanted nothing else but to give justice to these songs,” he said.

Jacob told the band that if an opportunity comes, “I hope that we can meet and sing together one day. That would be a dream come true.”

Ben&Ben also performed Day6’s “You Were Beautiful” and their song “Leaves,” which topped the search chart of Korean streaming platform Melon.

Pascual also made an appearance on the show, talking about his music activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and K-pop’s influence on his artistry.

“I’m a big fan of so many different (K-pop) artists. I could say a lot of my work is heavily influenced with K-pop artists, my style, my music. And I'm a big fan of the production,” he said, recounting a music video shoot that he did in South Korea in 2019.

During the interview, Pascual cited BTS, Big Bang, Jackson Wang, and Jessi as the Korean artists he would like to film a music video with. He even sang a snippet from Big Bang’s 2015 song “If You.”

The same event also showed a recorded message from the members of girl group ITZY, who recounted their Manila showcase held last December 2019.

“We went to the Philippines for the first time in 2019. We went on a showcase tour and all the fans welcomed [us] so warmly and enjoyed the stages with us so much that it's a really good memory for us,” said ITZY’s leader Yeji.

“Our Filipino MIDZY, we really, really miss you all too. Until the day we see each other, please stay healthy. I hope we can see each other as soon as possible. Love you!” vocalist Lia said, addressing fans.

Fans of Enhypen also swooned at member Heeseung, who at one point during the rookie boy group’s set said, “Mahal ko kayo so much.”

The lineup for the Philippine leg of the “Simply K-pop Con Tour” also included idol groups AB6IX and ONF, soloist Bibi, and former 2NE1 member Minzy, among others.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/04/21/benben-iigo-pascual-cover-k-pop-songs-at-online-show

Kim Chiu at Angelica Panganiban, may mensahe para sa kaarawan ni Bela Padilla

May mensahe sina Angelica Panganiban at Kim Chiu para sa kanilang kaibigan na si Bela Padilla na nagdiwang ng kanyang kaarawan nitong Lunes, Mayo 3. 

Sa kani-kanilang Instagram, nagbahagi sina Kim at Angelica ng mga retrato at video kung saan kita ang masayang bonding at kulitan nila kasama si Bela.

Maliban sa pagiging mahusay na aktres, pinuri ni Angelica ang pagiging mabuting tao ni Bela.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Angelica Panganiban (@iamangelicap)

"This is the day na dapat malaman ng mundo na isa kang dancer -- hindi ka lang mahusay na aktres, matalinong tao, hanep na kaibigan, mapagmahal na anak. All in one package ka. Never stop learning momsie bels. Mahal kita," mensahe ni Angelica para kay Bela.

Para naman kay Kim, ibinahagi niya ang saya na makilala at maging kaibigan si Bela.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kim Chiu 🌸 (@chinitaprincess)

"You deserve all the love in the world dahil sobrang genuine mo na tao! I am super happy that I’ve met you in this lifetime and call you my friend! Pag magkasama tayo nakaka 1M plus tawa tayo daig pa natin nag work out or sit ups!!! literal yan walang palya!!! Cheers to more tawanan, kwentuhan, random lakad, messages and all!!! I am always here supporting you in everything that you do! happy din ako nahanap mo na ang Harry Styles of your life!!!!," ani Kim.

 

Sa post ni Bela nitong Lunes sa Instagram, ibinahagi ng aktres ang kanyang pasasalamat para sa kanyang espesyal na araw.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bela Padilla (@bela)

"Today, I’m grateful to be alive," ani Bela.

Nagsimula ang pagkakaibigan ng tatlo nang mang-gate-crash ng party noong 2017 sina Bela at Kim, na dinaluhan din ni Angelica.

"Galing kami sa isang birthday, tapos ayaw pa naming umuwi. Pumunta kami doon sa birthday ni direk Andoy Ranay na nandoon si Angelica. Ang saya-saya. Nagtawanan na lang kami hanggang sa lagi na lang kami lumalabas," kuwento ni Chiu.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/04/21/kim-chiu-at-angelica-panganiban-may-mensahe-para-sa-kaarawan-ni-bela-padilla