ABS-CBN, GMA Network sign historic deal

(Top row from left) Gilberto R. Duavit Jr., Felipe S. Yalong, Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, Jose Mari R. Abacan. (Bottom row from left) ABS-CBN’s Mark Lopez, Carlo L. Katigbak, Cory V. Vidanes, Ricardo B. Tan Jr., and Olivia Lamasan

by Stephanie Bernardino, Manila Bulletin

GMA Network hosted a historic contract signing with ABS-CBN to license some of Star Cinema’s most popular and well-loved movies.

The news was confirmed by the two media giants via simultaneous reports on “TV Patrol” and “24 Oras” on April 5.

Present during the virtual event were GMA Network President and Chief Operating Officer Gilberto R. Duavit Jr.; Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Felipe S. Yalong; GMA Network Films, Inc. President and Programming Consultant to the Chairman and CEO Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes; First Vice President for Program Management Department Jose Mari R. Abacan; Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communications Angel Javier-Cruz; Assistant Vice President For Program Management Department Mitzi Garcia; and Assistant Vice President for Corporate Communications Jojo Aquio.

In attendance from ABS-CBN were Chairman Mark Lopez; President and Chief Executive Officer Carlo L. Katigbak; Chief Operating Officer for Broadcast Cory V. Vidanes; Group Chief Financial Officer Ricardo B. Tan, Jr.; Managing Director of ABS-CBN Films Productions Olivia Lamasan; Head of International Sales and Distribution Pia B. Laurel; Vice President of Corporate Communications Kane Errol C. Choa; PR Director Christelle Belmonte; and PR Manager Tonichi Tataro.

“Every storyteller’s dream is to have as many people as possible experience their creations. And now, because of the kindness of our friends at GMA, we have the special opportunity to bring our Kapamilya stories to a new audience. We hope the Kapuso find joy and inspiration in viewing our Star Cinema movies, and we also look forward to a new era of friendship and cooperation within our small industry,” said Katigbak.

Duavit said: “Because the significance of our partnership today ushers in the possibility of a far broader set of conversations, potential partnership, and cooperation that will have the benefit not only neutrally to GMA and ABS-CBN but as importantly, if not, perhaps, more importantly to the benefit of the public we both serve, the Filipino viewer. Looking forward since we have, as they say, broken the ice. There’s great optimism that these conversations will continue or start and continue, and we look forward to the possibility of this type of opportunity again, moving forward.”

Some of the notable movies that will air on GMA-7 include “Alone/Together,” “How to Be Yours,” “Till My Heartaches End,” “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank,” “Ang Cute ng Ina Mo!,” “It Takes a Man and a Woman,” “Just The Way You Are,” “Fantastica,” “Can We Still Be Friends?,” “Finally Found Someone,” “No Other Woman,” “Won’t Last A Day Without You,” “Must Be…Love,” “The Panti Sisters,” “Isa Pa With Feelings,” “James & Pat & Dave,” “Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay,” “Feng Shui,” “Suddenly It’s Magic,” and “I Love You, Hater.”

Prior, GMA teased about the historic collaboration.

“Ang mga pelikulang napapanuod sa GMA, madadagdagan. Dahil ang dating impossible, mangyayari. Abangan ngayong Abril,” said the voice-over, while the logos of GMA Pictures, Regal Entertainment, Viva Films, and OctoArts Films were being flashed on screen. “The START of new age of television,” this text also appeared,  emphasizing the word “STAR.”

This is not the first time that GMA and ABS-CBN have joined forces.

In 2020, Kapamilya star Kathryn Bernardo worked with Kapuso actor Alden Richards on the highest-grossing Filipino film “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina and produced by Star Cinema.

𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨 𝐝𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 “𝐒𝐀𝐅𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄" 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲

Amidst increasing incidents of abuses and exploitation in the online world, the provincial government of Davao de Oro called for immediate prevention and response activities to safeguard the people on the internet by providing an environment conducive to the free and healthy flow of information.

The online world brought a negative impact on the lives of people where fake news, identity theft or scams, cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, and harassment are rampant on any social media platform. With this, the PLGU-Davao de Oro per Executive Order No. 0043.2021 “An order creating the Safe Space Online initiative” creates advocacy for the people to promote the responsible use of social media and provide an online space that is in accordance with allowed community policy rules and regulations. 

This advocacy is inspired by R.A 11313 also known as the “Safe Space Act” which would help each individual to be responsible for the safety use of the internet especially on filtering information and what should we take in. 

Moreover,  this serves as a network of support targeted against the vulnerable such as women and other sexual minorities, indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, the elderly, and others, so that they will be guided with the right information, combat foul, discriminatory, and malicious language and feel that they are far from any physical and emotional abuses. 

Furthermore, this assures that teachers, parents, students, the youth, and the entire public have access to the free content online along with the Prevention, Protection, and Empowerment principles.  “Digital Parenting” is also provided so that parents and teachers give proper guidance, support, and control over what the child sees or does on the internet or social media. Also, the importance of “Data Privacy” is highlighted so that each individual will be responsible for controlling his or her personal information over where it is used on the internet. 

On April 1, 2022, the “Safe Space Online Advocacy” (SSO) in Davao De Oro was officially launched via Zoom and Serbisyo Oro Mismo (SOM) neteleradyo. During the launching, some of the attendees are DepEd teachers and students represented by Dr. Hilda Opeña, Education Program Supervisor in English-DepEd DDO Division, State Colleges and Universities students, Municipal Women Council Presidents in DDO headed by  Sholai Lim, Chairperson-Provincial Women Development Council, Michael L. Uy, Information Center Manager-PIA Davao de Oro, Kim Khael Calabio, Supreme Students Government Provincial President, and Atty. Niel John Villarico, PG Department Head-Provincial Legal Office. 

Guest Speaker Renee Boy Binondo, Regional Coordinator-Council for the Welfare of Children Region XI gave his insight on the use of social media platforms. “We recognized that one out of three internet users are under 18 years old but also we would like to associate with this that more women are using this internet gadget and in perspective also, unsang klaseng pag gamit sa mga kababainhan ug kabataan ug kalalakihan sa pag access aning internet, then rapidly increasing internet penetration. Estimated that over 120 million na mga kabataan naga adtu nagyud online especially that explains our two years lockdown pandemic ug distance learning offered by the Department of Education. Then, the digital world provides critical opportunities to learn, connect, and play, but also amplifies and creates risk. I’ve heard gyud na maayu ang digital world, maayu ang mga instruments but also dunay disadvantages if we don’t put mechanisms and systems that would protect the people” Binondo said.

Hence, this advocacy was created by the task group led by Fe F. Maestre, PAO-Information Division Supervisor, with its members Joyzel R.  Odi, PAO-Information Technology, and Communication Development Office, Josephine M. Frasco, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer, Atty. Niel John R. Villarico, Provincial Legal Officer, Zenith Maceda, PGO-Women Development Program , Edu C. Macabatas , PGO-Bayanihan para sa Karunungan (BPSK) , Allin Joy M. Camile and  Arianne Dacalos from Provincial Governor’s Office. (Jaynus Fernandez PAO-IPRD)

When the truth would really set us free

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

WE need to be clear about this. The truth that would really set us free is when we identify ourselves with Christ who, while teaching what is good and evil, eventually bore all the sins of men for our salvation. More than just proclaiming the truth in terms of what is right and wrong, he offered mercy to all, including those who crucified him. That is the ultimate truth.

All this truth of our faith that relates truth to Christ is encapsulated in Christ’s words: “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

To be sure, truth is not only a matter of facts and data, much less, the possibility and the fear that something that is speculative would happen in the future. The truth that would really set us free is when like Christ, we are willing to suffer even as we proclaim always with charity what is right and wrong, what is good and evil. 

In this life, to be in the truth and enjoy authentic freedom, we have to expect suffering. The idea of truth and freedom that excludes suffering here on earth is neither the truth and the freedom that Christ revealed to us.

We need to understand this truth of our faith well, because nowadays it is very easy to be confused about where to find freedom and how freedom should be. That’s because all sorts of ideas promoted by all kinds of ideologies and spread by powerful groups have been flooding the world.

Nowadays, freedom is mainly understood as the power to do whatever a person or a group would like to do. It is purely a subjective freedom, based only on one’s conception of it or on the consensus of a certain group.

There is also the erroneous idea that freedom is anything that gives one some pleasure, some convenience, some advantage, etc. Again it is an idea of freedom that is self-oriented, not other-oriented which is how it should be, since freedom is a matter of loving, and loving is self-giving, not self-serving.

Because of these confusing if not erroneous ideas, the sacrifices involved in loving the way Christ has loved us—Christ who is the standard of love and freedom—turn off many people who cannot accept the freedom offered to us by Christ. After all, Christ himself said that if we want to follow him, we have to deny ourselves and carry the cross. (cfr. Mt 16,24)  

We need to promote the real freedom that is offered to us by Christ. We have to preach about it, in season and out of season, and explain it thoroughly, using arguments that are adapted to the different mentalities and cultures of the people.

Our problem in this regard is usually that of being ineffective in our preaching because we use complex or subtle arguments, examples, etc., that are above people’s head. This is not to mention the fact that many times people find inconsistency in what we preach and in what we do. We do not walk the talk.

If only we manage to convince people, using both human and supernatural means, that we can actually get in contact with Christ who is always alive and is in touch with us, then we can see this authentic freedom lived out all over the place.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com