'Willie issue' impacts on ABS-CBN – Gabby Lopez

ABS-CBN Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III admitted that the controversy involving host Willie Revillame does have a “financial impact” on their network.

"There are ongoing discussions now with Willie, and we prefer to keep these discussions at this point between ourselves and Willie. Suffice it to say that we are cognizant of the financial impact that a star like Willie brings to the network,” he explained during the ABS-CBN’s stockholder’s meeting on Thursday, May 27.

It was the first time that the network's head honcho spoke on the matter.

Gabby made the statement in response to a stockholder who expressed exasperation over Revillame.

In a footage aired on “TV Patrol World,” May 27, the stockholder blurted: “When I saw he was pointing finger at the management, that’s something else already. If I were Mr. Gabby Lopez or Ms. [Charo Santos-]Concio, I’ll kick him out right away.”

Lopez related networks like ABS-CBN “will deal with stars all the time. And stars come and go, but the institution stays… He is not the first or the last star that will reflect this kind of behavior. It goes with the territory."

As of now, Revillame is on an indefinite break, a decision which resulted during a closed-door meeting between him and the management last Monday, May 24. Nevertheless, his contract with the Kapamilya network---which is good until 2011---holds.

While there is no word yet if he will be back to hosting “Wowowee,” the management, through a statement released on Tuesday, said that Revillame will not be allowed “to perform similar work for any person or entity in direct competition with ABS-CBN.”

Prior to this much-anticipated meeting, Revillame sent Lopez and Santos-Concio (ABS-CBN President) a letter on May 12 asking to be released from his contract with the station. In the same letter, he also addressed his health problems, which he said resulted in the process of performing on the show.

“Wowowee” is said to be one of, if not, the highest earning shows of ABS-CBN, bringing in hundreds of millions of pesos for each episode. Revillame, likewise, became one of showbiz industry’s multi-millionaires since he started hosting the show in 2005.

John Lloyd, Sarah named Box-office King & Queen

John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo are again this year’s Box-Office King and Queen and they are being awarded for the huge success at the tills of their 2009 romantic comedy You Changed My Life (from Viva Films and Star Cinema). Last year, they also won the same titles for A Very Special Love, 2008’s monster hit.

The Box-Office King and Queen honors are given annually by the Box-Office Entertainment Awards of the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation, Inc. to movie stars whose films earned the most money for the past year. This award-giving body was named after the late Bocaue mayor Guillermo Mendoza and the foundation helps send poor, but deserving students to school. Mrs. Corazon Samaniego, Mendoza’s daughter, is the current head of the organization and it is her mission to realize her father’s dream of giving indigent students in the province of Bulacan proper education.

Aside from films, the Box-Office Entertainment Awards group also honors popular achievements on television and in the music scene.

For this year, it is actually a double victory for John Lloyd because he also gets to bring home the Film Actor of the Year trophy for You Changed My Life and In My Life, both of which were certified box-office hits. (This award is given to movie stars after weighing quality of performance and the film’s take at the tills.) His co-star in the film In My Life, Vilma Santos, was selected Film Actress of the Year. Vilma was also voted Best Actress by other award-giving bodies for the same movie.

Below are the other winners in this year’s Box-Office Entertainment Awards:

Prince of Philippine Movies and TV — Gerald Anderson

Princess of Philippine Movies and TV — Kim Chiu

Promising Male Box-Office Star — Coco Martin

Promising Female Box-Office Star — Angelica Panganiban

Male Concert Performer of the Year — Martin Nievera

Female Concert Performer of the Year — Pops Fernandez

Male Recording Artist of the Year — Gary Valenciano

Female Recording Artist of the Year — Nina

Group Recording/Performer of the Year — Bamboo

Promising Male Recording/Performer of the Year — Jericho Rosales

Promising Female Recording/Performer of the Year — Frencheska Farr

Promising Group Recording/Performing Artist of the Year — Pop Girls

Novelty Singer — Willie Revillame

Love Team of the Year — Dingdong Dantes/Marian Rivera

Promising Love Team of the Year — Enchong Dee/Erich Gonzales

Dance Group of the Year — ASAP Supahdance

Child Performer of the Year — Zaijan “Santino” Jaranilla

Film Producer of the Year — Star Cinema

Screenwriters of the Year — Raymond Lee/Senedy Que/Olivia Lamasan

Film Director of the Year — Cathy Garcia Molina

TV Program of the Year — May Bukas Pa

TV Director of the Year — Jojo Saguin (May Bukas Pa)

The Box-Office Entertainment Awards is also giving special citations to the following showbiz personalities:

Bert Marcelo Award — Pokwang

Comedy Box-Office King — Vic Sotto

Comedy Box-Office Queen — Ai-Ai de las Alas

And in recognition of their accomplishments abroad last year, the Box-Office Entertainment Awards will also honor Brillante Mendoza for winning Best Director at the Cannes and Hong Kong Asian Film Festivals and Gina Pareño for getting the following awards for Serbis: Best Supporting Actress at the 3rd Asian Hong Kong Film Awards and Best Actress at the Pacific Meridian International Film Festival for Asia-Pacific countries.

The Eraserheads Reunion Concert at the Mall of Asia that saw an attendance of 120,000 people is also being cited as the Record Breaker of the Year.

The 2010 Box-Office Entertainment Awards is being produced by Tessie Celestino-Howard of Airtime Marketing, Inc. and will be telecast on June 27 on ABS-CBN’s Sunday’s Best.

GMA files case against Mo Twister

MANILA, Philippines - GMA Network has filed a civil case against Mo Twister for alleged breach of contract, and competitor station TV5, for hiring the host as its talent.

In a 16-page complaint, GMA also asked the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the host (Mohan Gumatay in real life) from appearing on the talk show Paparazzi and prevent TV5 from letting him appear in their shows.

According to GMA, it has an existing exclusive talent agreement with Gumatay.

“In utter disregard of, and in open defiance to this negative covenant, defendant Gumatay rendered services to defendant ABC TV5 as talent and initially appeared on ABC TV5 TV show Paparazzi as host on May 15, 2010,” the complaint said.

The case was raffled off to the QCRTC Branch 217 under Presiding Judge Santiago Arenas.

GMA Network claimed the agreement is from May 4, 2009 to May 3, 2010, but that it had the exclusive and irrevocable option to renew the contract.

GMA’s head of talent division Wilma Galvante purportedly wrote Gumatay before the expiration of the contract, informing him of its renewal. But Gumatay allegedly wrote back on May 8 and said he was not renewing the agreement and that he was resigning as host of the Sunday show Showbiz Central.

As early as March, Gumatay wrote GMA, saying he did not want to renew his talent agreement but the network refused to let him go. The network wrote TV5 on March 26 about GMA’s talent agreement with Gumatay.

“Despite receipt of this letter, defendant ABC TV5 engaged the services of defendant Gumatay as talent/host and allowed him to appear as host on its program Paparazzi last May 15, 2010,” the complaint stated.

GMA also asked the court for a writ of preliminary injunction and to order Gumatay to comply with his agreement with the network and stop from being a talent of TV-5.

The network said Gumatay should be ordered to pay P1,040,000 — the amount equal to double his total compensation for one year — and P1-M in exemplary damages. GMA also asked that an order be issued for the host and TV5 to pay P1-M in attorney’s fees and P1-M as litigation expenses.

Piolo Pascual justifies holding hands photo with KC Concepcion

Heartthrob Piolo Pascual was surprised that a photo of him holding hands with KC Concepcion has made its way on the cover of The Buzz magazine.

“Hello. Kailan? Bakit? Sobra!” exclaimed the actor in an interview aired on “Showbiz News Ngayon,” May 27.

Later, he explained that the display of affection for KC was but a gentlemanly gesture.

“Because I think as a guy you’d like to lead her. Siyempre, ‘yung gentleman and all,” Piolo explained.

KC, on the other hand, shared that it was just Piolo being sweet towards her.

“Malambing siyang tao. It’s his... hino-holding hands niya ang mommy niya, ang best friend niya, hino-holding hands niya ang anak niya,” the mega-daughter said.

Still and all, KC and Piolo are not about to admit what goes on between them.

“Kapag magkasama kami, nag-eenjoy ako. But it’s something we don’t wanna talk about,” said KC.

Piolo feels the same. “We’d rather keep it to ourselves."

Piolo is all support to KC’s latest endeavors in her career.

“Nakakatuwa because our shows are both starting. I started taping for a new show. She’s also started taping for her daily show. I know how passionate she is about this work. This is another side of her na a lot of people know about. ‘Pag nakita nila siya mag-host, grabe.”

For about a year now, KC and Piolo were rumored to have a more-than-friendly relationship. This stemmed from their first TV starrer “Lovers In Paris.”

Maja gives b-day boy Sam a practical gift

While many celebrities give each other extravagant birthday gifts such as a car, a designer bag or a trip abroad, "Impostor" leading lady Maja Salvador’s gift to birthday boy Sam Milby was, a shoe organizer.

“’Yung dikit-dikit para ‘pag nasa van siya, kita n’ya kaagad,” she said on “Showbiz News Ngayon.”

Sam was pleasantly surprised at Maja’s gesture, just as he was with the “Impostor” staff’s party for him.

“Nagulat ako. Siyempre, birthday talaga, nag-birthday sa taping talaga. First time na sa staff na ganito karaming food, may balloons pa, may banner pa. Nagulat talaga ako sa ginawa nila. I’m very, very touched sa ginawa nila,” Sam said.

Maja says she feels Sam’s gentlemanly ways during the tapings.

“Sobrang maasikaso, sobrang alam alagaan [ang] kapareha niya. Talagang ano, aalagaan ka. Lagi kang tatanungin kung kumain ka na. Kumbaga, kapareho ko siya ngayon sa ‘Impostor,’ [kaya] mas lalo kong nakikilala ‘yong Sam Milby,” she said.

Overwhelmed by Maja’s friendly gesture, Sam said, “Touched ako. Siyempre ito ang first time na nagkasama kami sa trabaho. Sobrang bait, sobrang fun to work with.”

In his past interview, Sam made public his admiration for Maja whom he works with for the first time in “Impostor.”

Jopay Paguia clarifies why she left Sex Bomb

Although it appears that she has other reasons for leaving Sex Bomb, Jopay Paguia maintains she left the group because she wants to concentrate on her newly established food business.

“Malapit na namang mag-end ‘yung contract ko noon...[at] tinanong ko po kung okay lang po na hindi mag-renew kasi meron akong business na binuksan. Gusto ko pong mag-focus sa business. ‘yung mga food cart, mga siomai, shawarma,” Jopay said on "Juicy" on May 27.

Other Sex Bomb dancers who have left the group were Yvette, Daniel, Jackie Rivas and Cynthia.

Jopay says she has no manager now, although she considers talent manager Wyngard Tracy her mentor. She also explains she wants to concentrate more on acting than dancing.

“Last year pa hindi na ako sumasayaw. Sa ‘Daisy Siete’ kasi puro pag-arte na ‘yong ginagawa ko. Saka, ‘yun nga, feeling ko bumigat ako kasi hindi na ako sumasayaw.”

The Sex Bomb dancer likewise denied reports that her decision to leave the group was brought by their manager Joy Cancio’s late issuance of their talent fees and lack of equal opportunity.

“Hindi po. In fairness naman kay Ate Joy, mabait naman siya. Kung kaya niyang ibigay, gagawin niya, pati trabaho. Talagang ilulusong niya kami kahit saan. Madami na [rin] kasi kami ngayon. Kaya ako talaga umalis, gusto ko talagang mag-business. Tapos ten years na rin po ako. Gusto ko talaga na [mag-focus sa] acting ko.

“Kasi, siyempre, [sa] company ni Ate Joy, magkakapatid kami dito. Kumbaga, hindi lang kami guest lang. Ito naman talaga ‘yung bahay namin. ‘Yung question sa sahod namin, naibibigay naman po. Late lang po. Siguro matagal po siya pero binibigay naman ni Ate Joy. [At] may iba pa kaming show sa kanya, ‘di ba? Pero ‘yung sa teleserye namin, alam naman po namin na hindi agad ibibigay ‘yon. Walang question para sa amin ‘yon.”

Jopay just shrugged off the seemingly endless rumor that she’s not seeing eye to eye with Sex Bomb frontliner Rochelle Pangilinan.

“Palagi kaming pinag-aaway. Nagsasawa na kami. Ang tampuhan kasi sa grupo, lalo na’t puro babae kami, hindi maiiwasan ‘yon. ‘Pag may tampuhan, nagsasabi na kaagad kami, parang mali ‘yung ginawa mo.”

She even said that she and Rochelle continue to communicate even when she’s no longer part of the dance group. “Meron pa rin naman. Ngayon kasi sobrang busy siya lalo na ‘yong teleserye niya, tapos may mga shows pa siya. Eh, ako kasi, anytime tawagan mo ako.”

Right now, Jopay admits she’s not ready to a square off with Rochelle.

“Ay, hindi ko siya kayang tapatan. Rochelle is Rochelle. Rochelle na po ‘yan. ‘Pag nawala siya sa Sex Bomb, mababalewala na ang Sex Bomb.”

Media forum zooms in on kiddie shows

CITED at the recent “2nd Dialogue with Media Practitioners” was the ABS-CBN drama series “Agua Bendita.”

The show has the biggest potential to educate children, said Frank G. Rivera, executive director of the National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT), which hosted the forum.

The NCCT encourages the production of kid-friendly programs.

“Agua Bendita,” created by Rod Santiago in the 1980s, is about twin sisters – one with physical disability – who become rivals.

Other shows discussed at the forum were “Pinoy Big Brother,” a reality show on ABS-CBN, and drama programs “First Time” and “Panday Kids,” both on GMA 7.

Tips

Reggie Amigo, head writer for “Agua,” said the forum gave her tips on improving the show. “I was encouraged to write in topics like education and NSO [National Statistics Office] registration. The character Agua is unschooled. Her parents did not have her registered, either,” Amigo told Inquirer Entertainment.
Registration is a serious issue, Amigo pointed out. “Children should be registered, not just for them to get passports. It’s their right to be counted as citizens. We can discuss this on the show.”

Amigo added that the production team behind “Tanging Yaman” attempted to educate the public on choosing the right presidential candidate and the complexities of the recent elections.

Avoiding ‘PBB’

Joy Cuevas, a Christian Living teacher, said she does not let her kids watch “Pinoy Big Brother Teen Clash of 2010” because it doesn’t jibe with the values she imparts at home: “I tell my children to start their day with a prayer. I never saw [the housemates] do this on the show.”

Theodore Boborol, ABS-CBN creative manager for “PBB,” said the production team actually built a room for worship inside the Big Brother house. “I guess our mistake is, only those who watch the live streaming on the Web get to see the housemates pray,” he said. “It’s good that was raised during the dialogue.”

With other teachers from Pasay City and Batangas who attended the forum, Cuevas expressed concern that topics on “First Time” were fast becoming “sensual.”

Locking up

She said: “I don’t understand why my daughter locks herself in her room to watch this show.”

GMA 7 writer Tina Samson-Veloso shared her opinion: “The show is addressed to young children so I allow my 9-year-old to watch. But I make sure an adult watches with her.”

She added: “GMA 7 is very strict. There are topics that we writers are not allowed to touch. We’re not permitted to show an actor in underwear even if the scene calls for it.”

The forum was only the second of its kind, noted Rivera. The first was held at the Department of Education Complex in Pasig City in December 2009.

Amigo underscored the social responsibility of media practitioners: “Everything seen on TV has an effect on impressionable kids. I’m glad I didn’t hear a lot of negative comments on ‘Agua Bendita.’ There’s no perfect show, but there’s always room for improvement.”

During the first dialogue, it was agreed that “Panday Kids,” still on the drawing board then, should introduce an indigenous character.

Thus, Hadji was created, Rivera recounted. He also took the opportunity to cite Anak TV Inc., formerly the Southeast Asian Foundation for Children and Television, which gives out the Anak TV Seal award for programs that are “child-friendly, child-sensitive and family-friendly.”

Kiddie filmfest

In December, the NCCT held the 1st CinePambata Film Festival at the auditorium of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in Intramuros, Manila.

Street children under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development watched several short films: Milo Tolentino’s “Si Pepe at ang mga Bulaklak” and “Apak”; Borgy Torre’s “Blogog”; Jerome Zamora’s “Bakasyon ni Cancan”; Jedd Chris Dumaguina’s “Kumot ng Panaginip”; Rica Arevalo’s “Gusto Kita, Too”; Ramon del Prado’s “Libingan”; Carlos Corpus Iv’s “Lunas”; and “Bubong” by the group Pili at Pino.