Thursday, June 13, 2019

GMA News anchor Mike Enriquez asked about ABS-CBN franchise renewal woes

Hindi maiwasang tanungin ang GMA-7 broadcast journalist na si Mike Enriquez tungkol sa isyung namimiligrong hindi ma-renew ang franchise for broadcast ng kanilang rival network, ang ABS-CBN.

Kaugnay ito ng balitang inupuan ng Kongreso ang House Bill 4349 na naglalayong muling mabigyan ng prangkisa ang broadcast giant sa susunod na 20 taon.

"Ehhh! No comment!" bulalas ni Mike nang tanungin hinggil sa isyu.

"Hindi naman kami ang nagbibigay ng franchise, Kongreso!"

Humarap si Mike at iba pang batikang broadcast journalists ng GMA-7 sa presscon ng Dobol B Sa News TV, Huwebes ng hapon, June 13, sa 17th Floor ng GMA Network Center sa Quezon City.

Sabay tinawag ni Mike ang nakatokang GMA-7 news reporter sa Kongreso na si Divine Reyes.

"Nasaan si Divine? Eto yung reporter namin sa Congress, si Divine.

"Divine, ano ba nangyari? Inupuan yung franchise? Naka-operate tayo, e.

"Serious, update mo nga kami."

Paliwanag ni Divine tungkol sa House Bill 4349: "Kailangan pong i-refile kasi nagsara na po yung 17th Congress. So ire-refile siya sa 18th po." 

Ang session para sa 18th Congress ay magbubukas sa July 22, 2019.

Sa March 2020 nakatakdang mag-expire ang prangkisa ng ABS-CBN. 

Dagdag na paliwanag ni Mike, "Yung Congress, hindi inaksiyunan yung franchise.

"That means kailangan i-refile yun. Yun ang sistema."

Pero giit ni Mike, wala siyang personal na komento hinggil dito. 

"Hindi ba, meron turo sa atin na huwag tayong magbunyi sa kamalasan o sa kasamaang-palad ng iba?"

Nagtanong pa si Mike sa katabing broadcast journalists sa presidential table ng presscon kung ano ang eksaktong "salawikain" sa Ingles na nagsasabing hindi dapat "mag-rejoice" sa "misfortune" ng ibang tao. 

"So, ayaw naming magkuwan," saad ni Mike kung bakit umiiwas siya sa isyu.

Bago pa naungkat ang tungkol sa franchise renewal ng ABS-CBN, una nang sinabi ni Mike kung bakit hindi siya nakikialam kapag nasasangkot sa kontrobersiya ang kapwa niya media practitioners.

"Kami as practicioners, meron kaming patakaran nung araw, na kapag merong kontrobersiya na parang sumusulpot na, hindi pa talaga sumasabog, e, huwag naman sasagutin sa himpapawid...

"Marami pang ibang problema na dapat pagtuunan ng pansin, e—kahirapan, korupsyon, gutom, edukasyon, pabahay, pagpapagamot.

"Sayang ang oras."

https://www.pep.ph/news/143877/gma-news-anchor-mike-enriquez-abs-cbn-franchise-renewal-woes-a716-20190613

Ridon: Congress can’t freeze ABS-CBN’s franchise

By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN

Former Presidential Commission on Urban Poor chair Terry Ridon clarified there was no such thing as freezing a franchise of a television network.

Ridon’s statement came as a reaction to a newspaper report that the House of Representatives has frozen the renewal of the congressional franchise of network giant ABS-CBN.

Ridon, a former Kabataan Party-list congressman and member of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises during the 16th Congress, explained that the Lower House can’t just freeze an existing franchise of a media entity. He said lawmakers simply did not act on the franchise renewal application of the Kapamilya network.

“In simple terms, Congress simply did not act on the franchise renewal bill during the 17th Congress, especially with only a few weeks to go until the present term of office ends,” said Ridon.

ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal bills were filed by Nueva Ecija Rep. Violago under House Bill No. 4349 and by former Davao City Congressman and now Cabinet Sec. Karlo Alexei Nograles under House Bill No. 8163.

Article 12 Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution states that “Neither shall any such franchise or right be granted except under the condition that it shall be subject to amendment, alteration, or repeal by the Congress when the common good so requires.”

Under the present charter, the application for franchise is done through a normal legislative process in both the Lower House and Senate and is still need to be signed by the President after its Congressional approval.

The former PCUP chair said the news item “diminishes Congress as a supposedly separate and independent institution from the President, particularly on matters relating to legislative franchises which is constitutionally determined as the province of the legislature.”

“If the ABS-CBN franchise ends without renewal on March 30, 2020, it should not be because of the reasons stated by the anonymous source in the article,” said Ridon.

President Rodrigo Duterte on many occasions vowed that he will oppose the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN in Congress.

Ridon, who is a currently hosting Haybol Pinoy on DZMM, said the franchise renewal bill can be re-filed again this coming 18th Congress.

https://politics.com.ph/ridon-congress-cant-freeze-abs-cbns-franchise

12-ha. cyberpark, biz district soon to rise in Bulacan

CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan -- A 12-hectare business district, which is seen to provide job opportunities not only to Bulakenyos but also to residents from nearby provinces, will soon rise in this city.

Senator Cynthia Villar, together with Governor Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado and Vice Gov. Daniel Fernando and Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) president and chief executive officer Frederick Go, led Wednesday the groundbreaking ceremony for the start of the construction of the Bulacan Cyberpark and Business District Project.

The soon-to-rise business district, which is located in Barangay Bulihan this city, will have deluxe hotels, convention center, shopping malls, and business process outsourcing (BPO) buildings.

In her message, Villar congratulated the provincial government of Bulacan and RLC for the project that will be beneficial to Bulakenyo businesses and entrepreneurs.

"Ninety-five percent of all the businesses in the Philippines are micro and small enterprises providing 65 percent of employment in the Philippines, and this is the key to getting Filipinos out of poverty. So we need to encourage more people to venture into businesses," the senator said.

Alvarado, for his part, expressed his elation over the realization of his dream for the province of Bulacan that he believed will be continued by Governor-elect Fernando.

"This is the beginning of freedom from poverty. This project will be beneficial especially to our poor people," the governor said.

Meanwhile, Go said he is grateful to be a partner of the province of Bulacan in a world-class and mixed-use development that will be put up in the province.

"The BPO buildings will attract American, international business process outsourcing companies such as call centers, transcription companies, and third-party BPOs that will provide thousands of jobs to the people of Bulacan. If I say, these are not ordinary jobs because the jobs the BPO industry provide are high paying jobs. These are the kind of jobs that help our people create more skills," Go said.

Also witnessing the event were 1st District Rep. Jose Antonio R. Sy-Alvarado and 3rd District Rep. Lorna Silverio,

Implemented under the Bulacan Public Private Partnership Code through Provincial Ordinance No. 18-2015 and its corresponding implementing rules and regulations, the project is one of the program initiatives under the Bulacan Program for Rapid Industrialization and Development (PRIDE) -- an economic program of the province that envisions to transform Bulacan into an engine of economic growth. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1072228

Top celebs attend Equality Ball

Some of the country’s most recognizable personalities from the field of show business, pageantry, and fashion attended the MEGA Equality Ball last night.

Among them were actress Heart Evangelista with her husband, newly-elect Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero; singer Aicelle Santos with fiance, GMA News reporter Mark Zambrano; singing couple Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez; reel and real-life partner James Reid and Nadine Lustre; newlyweds Billy Crawford and Coleen Garcia; and rumored boyfriend-girlfriend Jake Cuenca and Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa.

Other beauty queens who graced the event were Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, Miss World Philippines 2017 Laura Lehmann, and Miss Intercontinental Philippines 2017-turned-Miss World Philippines 2018 Katarina Rodriguez.

Here’s more: Ruffa Gutierrez, Vice Ganda, Lovi Poe, and Tim Yap.

The event was timed for Philippine Independence Day. The theme was “pride and equality.”

“Regardless of gender, race, status, and beliefs — we are all equal. True freedom is about equality,” MEGA wrote on their Instagram account.

The #NewPH trophies honoring trailblazers were also given out.

Among winners are beauty queens Catriona and Kylie; fashion designers Francis Libiran, Carlyle Nuera, and Fanco Laurel; actresses Lov and Aicelle; LGBTQIA+ superstars Paulo Castro and Peabo Orilla of Nectar; Angkas founder Angeline Tham and husband George Royeca; She Talks Asia’s Iza Calzado and Vicky Herrera; and singers Careless Music Manila.

https://entertainment.mb.com.ph/2019/06/13/top-celebs-attend-equality-ball/

ABS-CBN: We can't comment on speculations about franchise renewal


Media and entertainment giant ABS-CBN Corp. said Thursday it cannot comment on speculations surrounding the bill that seeks to renew the company’s legislative franchise that the 17th Congress did not pass before adjourning.

ABS-CBN issued the statement to “clarify” a report by The STAR that the House of Representatives “has frozen” the Lopez-owned broadcasting firm’s franchise bill.

"ABS-CBN is unable to clarify or comment on the article as it is neither the source of the said news article nor is it privy to any claims expressed therein," the company told the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Shares in ABS-CBN fell 4.33% or 80 centavos to close at P17.66 apiece on Thursday, the lowest in 10 years.

ABS-CBN’s franchise expires in 2020.

House Bill 4349, which proposes to extend the media giant’s franchise by another 25 years, had been pending at the committee level since November 2016, The STAR reported on Wednesday.

The STAR added that the House Committee on Legislative Franchises did not submit a report on the franchise bill before the 17th Congress adjourned its third and last regular session on Tuesday.

Pending bills will have to be refiled in the next Congress.

In August last year, President Rodrigo Duterte said he was personally against the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise as he accused the media company of swindling him.

Duterte first expressed his opposition to the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise on April 27, 2017, which came days after he signed a law extending the franchise of GMA Network Inc. — ABS-CBN’s rival.

In 2017, Duterte hit ABS-CBN and newspaper The Philippine Daily Inquirer for their supposed “unfair” and “slanted” reporting of his administration, adding that “corrupt” media “ails the Philippine society.”

Congress, or the legislature, is a separate branch of government from the Executive branch. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral

https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/06/13/1926117/abs-cbn-we-cant-comment-speculations-about-franchise-renewal

Arroyo on ABS-CBN franchise: ‘Our sessions are over’

“Our sessions are over.”

That was what Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said on Thursday when asked about the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN Corp., which will expire on March 2020.

During nine years as president when she assumed the presidency from embattled Joseph Estrada, the channel airs the daily morning shows "Alas Singko Y Medya", "Magandang Umaga Bayan", "Magandang Umaga Pilipinas" and currently "Umagang Kay Ganda", the noontime show "Magandang Tanghali Bayan" and controversial "Wowowee," the drama series "Recuerdo de Amor," "Pangako Sa'yo," "Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan," "Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay," "Bituin," "Darating ang Umaga," "Basta't Kasama Kita," "Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas," "It Might Be You," "Marina," "Hiram," "Krystala," "Spirits," "Till Death Do Us Part," "Mga Anghel na Walang Langit," "Vietnam Rose," "Gulong ng Palad," "Sa Piling Mo," "Ang Panday," "Bituin Walang Ningning," "Crazy for You", "Sana Maulit Muli", "Maria Flordeluna", "

“The [17th] Congress is finished,” the outgoing Pampanga 2nd District representative also said in an interview after the unveiling of the 10-foot steel sculpture dubbed “No. 1” in front of the library, archives, and museum building of the House.

House Bill No. 4349, which seeks to renew the radio-television network’s franchise for another 25 years, has been pending at the committee on legislative franchises since November 16, 2016. It was filed on November 10 of the same year by Nueva Ecija 2nd District Rep. Micaela Violago.

“In acknowledgment of ABS-CBN’s accomplishments… the immediate renewal of its original franchise which expires on March 30, 2020, is recommended to ensure the uninterrupted and improved delivery of its services to the Filipino people,” Violago said in her bill, which was also filed by former congressman Georgidi Aggabao in the 16th Congress.

The committee did not act on the measure until the 17th Congress adjourned sine die last week.

Therefore, the franchise bill needs to be refiled when the 18th Congress opens on July 22.

President Rodrigo Duterte had repeatedly launched threats against media outfits critical of his administration like the Lopez-owned ABS-CBN, the broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer, and online news site Rappler.