GMA at the heart of festivals

MANILA, Philippines - GMA Network’s Regional TV arm has started 2017 with a bang, participating in three festivals this January — Aklan’s Ati-Atihan, Cebu’s Sinulog and Iloilo’s Dinagyang.  

“The very core of the activities of towns and cities are the festivals. It’s the time when friends and families gather, when balikbayans come home, when establishments and universities are more generous with their time and resources in order to participate in festivities. And as far as GMA Regional TV is concerned, it’s a great opportunity for us to touch base with our provincial or regional viewers, to fly our artists to meet and greet their fans and share with them the things that we are offering,” said GMA Regional TV head Oli Amoroso.   

The Kapuso station has been lending its presence to regional festivals since 2005. It takes part in three to four festivals a month, whether major or minor, religious or cultural. The network’s participation is made more distinct with its signature Kapuso Fiesta (the outdoor show) and Kapuso Show (the indoor/mall event). Both are headlined by the stars of either top-rating programs or those about to be launched.

The STAR was invited to witness GMA’s Sinulog participation last Jan. 15. Lead stars of two highly-anticipated series were brought to the Queen City of the South as the main attraction of the Kapuso float during the grand parade.

Jennlyn Mercado came with her My Love From The Star leading man, the showbiz newcomer Gil Cuerva, who Amoroso noted was a very excited Sinulog first-timer who wanted to find out why it’s been touted as the country’s biggest festival. Local dailies reported that the number of revelers peaked at 1.5 million despite tighter security measures this year.

Meanwhile, Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza (a.k.a. AlDub), who will star in their first teleserye Destined To Be Yours next month, flew to Cebu by private plane, which Alden himself chartered.

GMA also brought to Cebu the main cast of shows faring well in the ratings, such as Pinulot Ka Lang Sa Lupa’s Benjamin Alves, Julie Anne San Jose, LJ Reyes and Martin del Rosario; Ika-6 Na Utos’ Ryza Cenon, Gabby Concepcion and Sunshine Dizon; and Meant To Be’s Barbie Forteza, Ken Chan, Jak Roberto, Ivan Dorschner, Addy Raj and Mika dela Cruz.

The Meant To Be cast was also featured on the Kapuso float with AlDub, Gil and Jennylyn.

GMA Regional TV has also been taking some of the network’s news and public affairs pillars to festivals to not only report but also “experience” the action themselves. It began last year with Mike Enriquez at the Kadayawan in Davao City.

For the Sinulog, it was Vicky Morales, who found herself at the heart of the annual celebration in honor of the Sto. Niño. She watched the rehearsal of the dance contingents at the Cebu City Sports Complex, learned the Sinulog steps (two steps forward, one step backward) and interviewed some of the thousands of devotees lining up to visit the Sto. Niño image at the Basilica. She also provided a live broadcast for 24 Oras.

With the Sinulog and the two other festivals in the Visayas as opening salvo, it’s full steam ahead for GMA Regional TV, according to Amoroso. Next stops are Panagbenga in Baguio City and the Musikahan at Tagum.

Last year proved to be quite challenging for the Regional TV team because it was elections time. “We had to lie low during first half of the year... and became active by mid-year,” Amoroso said.

This 2017, regional programming will see new developments.

GMA is strengthening its community newscast and beefing up its three regional news programs, namely, Balitang Amianan which covers not only Pangasinan but also Ilocos; Balitang Bisdak for the entire Cebu province; and 24 Oras Davao for the four big provinces of Davao. Regional TV will also continue to hold public service oriented events and campus tours to “expand” the network’s interaction with viewers nationwide. 

According to Amoroso, all these activities have made an impact on the artists, talents and the people that make up Regional TV.

He explained, “For one, the artists learn about geography, like before they didn’t know that Cagayan de Oro is part of Misamis Oriental. Then, they get acquainted with the local food, culture and language.”

“Actually, before we bring them to the regions, we make sure that the artists as well as their handlers are oriented on the places they are visiting, what to expect and even taught how to speak some words in the local language like ‘Palangga ka namo’ (Another Visayan way of saying, ‘We love you’) … So, they don’t just go there, perform then leave, they learn a lot as well,” he added.

As for the GMA Regional TV team, their experiences have been an “eye-opener.” Amoroso said, “Each festival, each city is different. Even if the festivals like the Ati-Atihan, Dinagyang and Sinulog are all held in honor of the Sto. Niño, no festival is the same. Each has distinct characteristics that we Filipinos can be truly proud of.”