Wilma Galvante: Yes, there's life after GMA

No, Wilma Galvante has no plans of resting on her laurels or, unlike in the memorable ending of Gone With The Wind, quietly slipping into the sunset.

“Finally, I can fulfill my long-time dream, my bigger plans,” Wilma told Funfare in an exclusive interview yesterday, more than a week after her mandatory retirement as Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group of GMA effective on her 60th birthday last Feb. 24. “I’m happy and proud to leave a network when it’s No. 1.”

GMA management has appointed Vice President for Drama Lilybeth G. Rasonable as officer-in-charge of the Group.

Right after graduating from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila with a Communication Arts degree (major in Advertising and Public Relations, and minor in Television Production), Wilma started working in the TV industry, initially for 14 years with the KBS Channel 9 before she moved to GMA where she served first as line producer for four years and then as SVP for 19 years.

“I started from the bottom, as a production assistant for all the big ones including Lino Brocka, Fritz Ynfante, Al Quinn and Johnny Manahan,” continued Wilma in a recollection devoid of neither tears nor regret. “I rose from the ranks, I became head of production for Channel 9 which I left after the EDSA People Power Revolution. I worked as an independent producer. I line-produced several shows, like Tanghalan ng Kampeon and Lunch Date, and all the big specials and product launches.”

In 1993, GMA opened more timeslots to local productions after years of airing line-produced shows such as Vilma Santos’ Vilma! (later titled V.I.P. as in Vilma In Person) and the late Inday Badiday’s Eye-To-Eye).

“The (GMA) management invited me to start the department that I led for 19 years,” said Wilma who hastened to add that she left the network without rancor but only beautiful memories, notwithstanding the inevitable “irritants” along the way, very common in an intrigue/controversy-laden industry like television (and the movies). “I started the department from practically nothing, until it became a group.”

Her first game show was Spin-A-Win (on Channel 9), hosted by Jeanne Young with Bibeth Orteza as writer, and since then, Wilma has put up other game shows which were top-raters.

“We had fun doing Spin-A-Win,” said Wilma who counted among her contemporaries the likes of June Torrejon and Chit Guerrero who are now big names in the industry, Chit with ABS-CBN and June a top-notch talent manager. “We were all PA’s (Production Assistants). June was assigned to musicals, ako naman to all formats.”

Unlike Mike Enriquez who has also recently retired when he turned 60 but opted to continue working for GMA (radio) as consultant, Wilma took a different path.

“After working in the network for more than three decades, I thought that it’s about time I pursued my bigger plans. Now is the right time. I have big dreams for the industry. It’s payback time. I have to give back to the industry that has been so kind to me all these years.”

Her bigger plans include putting up an Academy of Television Arts, a first in the Philippines.

“We have nothing like that,” she explained. “Other countries have it. It will be a career-training institute, offering not a degree course. If you are very sure that you want to work in television, you have to enroll in this academy. We will train you in all aspects of television — executive producing, scriptwriting, etc., even floor-directing and being a production assistant.”

Being eyed as instructors in Wilma’s dream academy are Tony Tuviera, Boy Abunda and Larry Chan, huge names in the industry.

“After graduating from college,” said Wilma, “I had a choice. I could be a director, a writer or a producer. I chose to be a producer. I know the big picture. I know how everything should fall into place and how people should work together to get a project off the ground.

Asked how soon she plans to build the academy, Wilma said, “Soon, very soon. It could be this year.”

It’s not a plan hatched after her retirement but one that she has been cooking up in her mind all these years.

“Time was the essence. While working in a network, I lived and breathed GMA, and you simply had no time for other concerns. I’ve been nurturing in the mind the idea that the industry needs this kind of training. If I need to spend the next couple of years being active in this industry, this is what I want to do. As I said, it’s a way of giving back to the industry, a way of professionalizing the industry.”

I agree. With her experience, Wilma is the right person to start this kind of project. She has the credibility and the respect of the industry.

“In Hollywood, they have all kinds of academies — an academy of acting, an academy of dance, all kinds of specialized academies. They have this kind of academies not only in Hollywood but in other countries as well. That’s the way they take care of the industry.”

But before that, Wilma plans to produce shows like what she used to do.

She’s retiring with pride and fulfillment. No bad blood with GMA contrary to what people must be suspecting.

Stressed Wilma, “I told myself, ‘I’m leaving a network which is now No. 1.’ I’m leaving GMA happy and proud. That’s really how I feel, and that’s what I told Atty. Felipe Gozon (GMA big boss) and Jimmy Duavit (GMA executive). Usually, when you retire, the first thing people ask you is, ‘O, malungkot ka ba? Ano na ang gagawin mo ngayon?’ I can say that I’m leaving a network that I shared my expertise with in the last 19 years. I’m glad that management recognizes that, I’m grateful to them for that.”

She’s proud of three things, “1). The entertainment group I’m leaving behind because I was the one who chose the members and I trained them. On top of training them, there was the nurturing, the mothering. They could run to me even about their personal life 24/7…you know, I encouraged them to tell me first before they tell anybody; 2). the shows that I have our group has conceptualized and have eventually topped the competition. I’m very proud of StarStruck which discovers talents; concept ko ‘yon; and 3). the dramas under the title Dramarama sa Hapon.”

Incidentally, is she considering a rumored offer from another network?

Wilma was mum.

And, which network has the most need for the academy that she’s putting up?

Wilma was mum.

Sino sa tingin n’yo, mga kapatid?

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Starman takes a wife

Ver Paulino, proofreader/photographer of The Philippine STAR, married Delicia del Rosario at the Antipolo Cathedral last Jan. 27. The newly-weds are shown with their principal sponsors (from left) Josephine Emerenciana, Andrea ‘Andeng’ Bautista-Ynares, Teresita Tolentino, Marlyn Ibardaloza, Jaime Ibardaloza, Peter Dominic Ynares III (representing Rizal Gov. Jun Ynares III) and Ahmmar Fituri.

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