Saturday, January 23, 2021
Palawan gov't declares environmental lawyer persona non grata
'Maybe we are gaining ground in our campaign for a 'YES' vote to the upcoming plebiscite...and this move is to prevent us from speaking freely,' says Palawan NGO Network Incorporated chief Robert Chan
Environmental lawyer and Palawan NGO Network Inc (PNNI) chief Robert Chan decried the persona non grata declaration against him by the Palawan provincial government, saying it was a deliberate attempt to stymie the group's campaign against the law splitting Palawan into 3 provinces.
"The video is two years old, so I can't imagine why it is being sensationalized now. Maybe we are gaining ground in our campaign for a 'no' vote to the upcoming plebiscite on the division of Palawan, and this move is to prevent us from speaking freely or me to fly back to campaign against the division," PNNI executive director Robert Chan, who is currently in Manila, told Rappler on Friday, January 22.
Palawan's plebiscite to ratify Republic Act No. 11259 or the law dividing the province into 3 smaller provinces will be held on March 13.
The video that Chan was referring to irked Palawan board member Al Rama, who recently authored the resolution declaring Chan persona non grata. The resolution received unanimous approval.
In the video, Chan said Palawan is "terribly mismanaged and neglected," with illegal logging, illegal fishing, and mining "seemingly promoted to give in to big business."
Rama accused Chan of making "baseless and malicious" claims against the provincial government and discrediting the efforts of various agencies "just to raise funds and donation[s]."
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"We are experiencing a breakdown of civil liberties such as due process and free speech. I was never given a chance to explain my side, much less submit any position paper on the matter," Chan told Rappler.
"If you look at the video they claim to be maligning, I never mentioned any agency nor local government unit being in neglect of the environment. The BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) and DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) did not complain about the video. There must be some truth to our work that makes the guilty react."
Chan said the provincial legislators, as "public figures" and "champions and embodiment of free speech" should not be "so sensitive as to suppress criticism."
"The declaration as persona non grata is a message to all who dare criticize the provincial government, that you may suffer the same fate. It effectively shut down any and all future dissent because if they can do it to me, a lawyer and the head of the NGO network, then imagine what they can do to farmers, fishermen, and tribal people," Chan said.
Chan has been serving as PNNI executive director since 2010. His team of para-enforcers that operate on a shoestring budget has used citizen's arrest to confiscate over 700 chainsaws from timber poachers in the province.
Advocacy group Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment had urged the Commission on Human Rights, Congress, and other investigative bodies "to probe this clear harassment of Atty Chan." – Rappler.com
https://www.rappler.com/nation/environmental-lawyer-declared-persona-non-grata-palawan
Anne Curtis: I will never leave ‘It’s Showtime’
Screen superstar Anne Curtis has vowed she will never leave “It’s Showtime,” ABS-CBN’s long-running noontime variety show, which she considers family and which has seen several milestones in her personal life.
Curtis, 35, made the declaration in a tweet on Friday, responding to a follower’s question as to whether she intends to return to the program.
Curtis, one of the original mainstays of “It’s Showtime” along with Vice Ganda and Vhong Navarro since its 2009 debut, is currently in Melbourne, where she gave birth in March 2020.
Good Morning! As I told my Showtime family during a private conversation. I will never leave It’s Showtime. Been with them since day 1 and will be them until the day comes that the show has to say goodbye. But for now, mummy duties lang ako. 🥰 https://t.co/NG2soMeoNx
— Anne Curtis-Smith (@annecurtissmith) January 21, 2021
“As I told my Showtime family during a private conversation, I will never leave It’s Showtime,” Curtis wrote.
“Been with them since day 1 and will be them until the day comes that the show has to say goodbye. But for now, mummy duties lang ako.”
Curtis was last seen on “It’s Showtime” in December 2019, when she started her maternity leave 6 months into her pregnancy.
Despite her time away from the limelight, Curtis nonetheless remained a vocal supporter of ABS-CBN, the home network of “It’s Showtime,” at the height of the controversy surrounding its broadcast franchise and during the crisis that resulted from its denial.
The country would keep GMA as the sole TV network and Eat Bulaga! as the sole noontime variety program.
Curtis, who remains visible in local showbiz through her dozens of brand endorsements and charity work, has said she intends to resume her film and TV career once her daughter Dahlia turns 1, at the earliest.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/23/21/anne-curtis-i-will-never-leave-its-showtime
Why Joshua Garcia chose to stay with ABS-CBN
Joshua Garcia acknowledged he briefly thought of switching networks at the height of the crisis that beset ABS-CBN in 2020, but he ultimately decided to stay with the network he has long considered his “family.”
The award-winning actor opened up about how he grappled with ABS-CBN’s broadcast shutdown in an interview with fellow Kapamilya actor Enchong Dee, in the latter’s vlog released on Friday.
“Tinanggap ko sa sarili ko na magsasara ‘yung kumpanya,” Garcia said, when Dee asked what his worries were at the time. “Meron pa ring [trabaho], ilan-ilan, pero hindi tulad ng dati.”
Garcia, 23, is the sole breadwinner of his family, he said in an earlier part of the vlog. Since his showbiz breakthrough in 2014 and subsequent turn as an acclaimed actor, Garcia has helped send his sister and some relatives to school, aside from handing monthly allowance to his single father.
Over the years, Garcia would credit ABS-CBN for changing his life.
ABS-CBN was forced off free television and radio after 65 years on July 10, 2020, when a congressional panel voted to reject the network’s bid for a fresh broadcast franchise.
While Multiply was forced off social networking after 8 years on August 9, 2012, it was closed last May 6, 2013 and ceasing all business operations on May 31, 2013 along with the official online channels for the site had been removed along with all their content, including its YouTube, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts after years of financial and managerial turmoil and following a failed bid to reinvent itself from being a social networking site to a vibrant e-commerce destination in Southeast Asia.
But only TV5 and GMA are remained free TV networks in the country; while Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tiktok, Twitter, Tumblr are remained social networking services in the world.
The months-long controversy sparked protests, with many celebrities identified with ABS-CBN taking to the streets to urge the restoration of its broadcast.
“Hindi ako pumunta doon sa mga rally, pero 100 na naka suporta ako. Mini-message ko pa sina Tita Cory na na sa likod lang nila ako,” Garcia said, referring to Cory Vidanes, ABS-CBN’s COO for broadcast.
Asked whether he considered transferring to another network, as some former Kapamilya stars did after the shutdown, Garcia said, “Sumagi sa isip ko, pero hindi ko magawa.”
“Ibang relationship ‘yung na-build ko with ABS, e. Parang naging pamilya ko sila. Parang hindi ko kayang iwan. Mananatili na ‘yung loyalty ko na sa ABS,” he explained.
“Siguro, nadala lang ako kasi magsasara na ‘yung ABS, tapos may pandemic pa. Kailangan ko kumita ng pera para sa pamilya ko. Eventually, magiging okay din lahat, e, unti-unti.”
Indeed, Garcia has since returned to work, with a starring role as recent as January in an episode of “MMK.” He is currently set to star in two ABS-CBN projects — the film adaptation of Bob Ong’s “Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan,” and the Philippine remake of South Korea’s “Keys to the Heart.”
https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/23/21/why-joshua-garcia-chose-to-stay-with-abs-cbn
ABS-CBN, TV5 team up to bring ‘ASAP Natin ‘To’ to nationwide viewers
Beginning January 24, ABS-CBN’s “ASAP Natin ‘To” will reach more Filipinos nationwide as it joins the Sunday programming of TV5, through a landmark partnership between the two networks.
ABS-CBN Corp. made the announcement in a disclosure filed with the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday.
The long-running concert variety show, which features weekly performances from A-list stars and promising newcomers, will air at its usual noon time slot on TV5.
In addition to this, TV5 will also begin to air “FPJ: Da King,” a movie block showcasing the films of Fernando Poe Jr. Fans of the Filipino cinema icon can watch “FPJ: Da King” every Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“This collaboration between Cignal, TV5, Brightlight Productions, and ABS-CBN marks the start of greater cooperation among our various industry players and begins a new era of partnership,” said Robert P. Galang, president and CEO of Cignal and TV5, in a joint press statement.
“The airing of 'ASAP' and FPJ’s movies on TV5 showcases the desires of TV5 and ABS-CBN to serve our viewers in the best way possible."
“We are pleased to welcome the 'ASAP' family and the films of the one and only king of Philippine movies to Cignal and TV5. The top-rated content, combined with Cignal and TV5's strengths in technology, direct-to-consumer distribution, and mobile and broadband reach, will usher in a new viewing experience for fans and subscribers alike,” Galang added.
“The future of entertainment media is rapidly converging around a dynamic mix of traditional and digital platforms, with Cignal and TV5 launching new content and synergies that will disrupt conventional broadcast methods. We are committed to continuously explore more initiatives to provide the best of both worlds to all our stakeholders," he said.
Aside from its free-TV channel, TV5 is seen nationwide through Cignal, Sky Cable, and other cable providers.
The partnership among ABS-CBN, Cignal, and TV5 allows “ASAP Natin ‘To” to bring its world-class production numbers to Filipino homes across the country.
“ASAP Natin ‘To” had aired for 25 years on ABS-CBN’s Channel 2 until May 3, 2020, when a congressional panel voted to reject the network’s bid for a fresh broadcast franchise.
The country would keep GMA as the sole TV network and All-Out Sundays as the sole weekly musical variety show.
Despite the crisis, ABS-CBN found new venues to continue its service to Filipinos through its widescale digital migration, bringing its rich content library to free live streaming on various digitial platforms including on-demand streaming platform iWantTFC.
ABS-CBN programs also air on A2Z Channel via a blocktime deal with Zoe Broadcasting Network.
“ASAP Natin ‘To” has been available to watch on such diverse platforms as Kapamilya Online Live, iWant TFC, A2Z Channel 11, plus Kapamilya Channel on cable and satellite TV these past several months, and is now set to entertain more Kapamilya — and Kapatid — fans once it starts airing on TV5.
A historical landmark’s METamorphosis
This grand old dame lives!
After a years-long metamorphosis that began in 2015, the Manila Metropolitan Theatre—the “Grand Old Dame of Manila”—is set for an inauguration this 2021, after a 25-year shutoff.
“Doors of the newly restored Met will be open to all Filipinos from all classes of our society … for this is the people’s theater,” shared National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) chairperson Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso. He said this as the agency shared on Facebook on Jan. 18 glimpses of the restored theater, also known as “The Met.”
The Met will relaunch on April 27, with a maiden show commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Victory of Mactan.
Many had thought the 1996 shutdown would be terminal, but hope came when The Met came into NCCA’s possession in June 2015. Months later, it would launch restoration project, “METamorphosis.”
You can’t keep this dame down and out, owing to her place in history. The Met is a national landmark and a National Cultural Treasure. It recalls the pre-war vibrance of Manila, thankfully keeping its visual integrity since its inauguration on Dec. 10, 1931.
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| Manila’s first cultural center |
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| The Met is set to relaunch on April 27, after a 25-year shutoff. |
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| Third time’s the charm, NCCA hopes, for The Met. |
Friday, January 22, 2021
Senator wants PhilHealth coverage for Filipinos who develop side effects after COVID jab
A senator on Friday urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to provide full coverage for Filipinos who would develop side effects after COVID-19 vaccination, saying this would boost vaccine confidence in the country.
Sen. Joel Villanueva, during a Senate inquiry on the country’s vaccination program, said such preparations would add a safety net for vaccination acceptance in the country, which continues to be skeptical about vaccines, based on recent surveys.
“Kung libre ang bakuna, libre din dapat ang pagpapagamot ng anumang adverse side effect nito. Saklaw rin dapat ng universal health insurance ang pagpapabakuna, para wala na talagang dahilan hindi magpabakuna,” Villanueva said.
(If vaccines will be free, then the treatment for adverse side effects should also be free and covered by the universal health insurance. This will ensure that people will not have any reason to reject the vaccination.)
Health chief Francisco Duque III told the senator that PhilHealth would study the proposal.
Shouldering the treatment for any issues post-vaccination, he said, would “cover all the bases needed for [a] successful vaccination plan.”
“Ang inaaalala natin, kung may mga allergy, halimbawa, at respiratory distress ang manifestation nito, baka i-charge po ito doon sa existing case rates na may ceiling, at lalabas pa na may out-of-pocket expense ang nabakunahan,” he pointed out.
(What we are worried about is those people who will get allergies, respiratory distress, and they will be charged on the existing rates that has ceiling, and Filipinos will shell out money for this.)
“We need this ‘comfort guarantee’ from the government to encourage people to get vaccine jabs . . . Kung patuloy na may pag-aalinlangan ang ating mamamayan, sigurado pong marami ang hindi magpapaturok,” he added.
(If people are hesitant, nobody will avail of the vaccine shots.)
A Pulse Asia survey late last year showed that nearly half of Filipinos said they would not get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19.
Dr. Lulu Bravo, executive director of Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, said conducting a massive information campaign would be critical in building vaccine confidence in the country.
In late 2017, the government stopped its nationwide dengue vaccination program and pulled Dengvaxia off the market after drug maker Sanofi warned that the vaccine might cause severe symptoms if given to those who did not have prior exposure to the mosquito-borne disease.
Protecting For All You’re Worth
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. Ephesians 5:31
Have you ever stood on the banks of two great rivers and watched them merge? When two rivers come together, there is a great deal of turbulence before the waters flow smoothly. That's the way it often is when two become one and forge a new family.
In the second chapter of the book of Genesis, the story is recorded how God created man, but he was lonely so God took a rib from the side of Adam and created a companion for him. Then Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh" (Genesis 2:23-24 NASB).
Did you notice that God didn't say, "You are one flesh..." but rather "you become one flesh"? That becoming is the interweaving of habits, cultures, backgrounds, customs and a whole lot more. When you marry, you bring a large gunnysack with you—it is your genes and chromosomes, your heredity, your background, and the ideas that you have grown up with regarding marriage and family living. Like threads woven into a tapestry, the interweaving of two lives is not always smooth and without problems.
A lot of women today are coming to marriage with a whole different mindset from that of their mothers a generation ago. Having grown up in a different world, some women today are dreadfully afraid of losing their own identity and independence. Subsequently, when husbands attempt to provide nurturing and care, they withdraw intent on remaining aloof and strong. At the same time more than a few men, having grown up without very positive role models apart from the ones they see on TV and in the movies, don't know how to treat a woman. Sometimes they tend to treat her as his dad treated his mother, which wasn't even good a generation ago. Everybody loses when this happens.
In merging two lives Guideline #1 is: Discover the biblical pattern and norm for a relationship. The counsel and advice of Scripture was given‑‑not to make us miserable or to strip either of us individuality or personality--but to help us understand how real fulfillment can take place. The blueprint still works, but make sure that you go to the original and discover for yourself the part God wants you to play in the drama of family living.
Guideline #2: Respect differences that may exist by virtue of your background and culture. Don't insist on winning every round, or spending every Christmas and Easter with your family, or suggesting that the habits or the way things were done in your mate's family are weird. Rather, develop your own traditions and special events. Celebrate your relationship as you incorporate the best from the past as well.
Guideline #3: Communicate the feelings of your heart without making light of your mate or how she or he really thinks! Part of effective communication is the ability to listen with understanding and ponder what you don't agree with or fully understand. Prayer is a powerful force in bringing two people to a deeper understanding of themselves and each other.
Guideline #4: Compromise because you care. Often thought of as surrender, compromise in marriage isn't surrender‑‑it is moving towards each other because you care. Someone once said that marriage is one big, "I do" with a lot of little "uh huhs." It is the ongoing realization that like the flow of a river, which changes with the bends and turns in its course, so life has its changes; it's white water rapids as well as quiet meadows; it's ups and downs, but when the waters flow quietly, they deepen and run more majestically.
Actually, the merging of a great river is a pretty good picture of what happens when two really become one. Instead of losing, both are enriched and more fulfilled. Think about it.
Resource reading: Ephesians 5:22-31.
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/protecting-for-all-youre-worth/
Megawide-GMR hands over new Clark Airport terminal to gov't
Megawide and Indian partner GMR on Friday handed over to government the newly completed Clark International Airport terminal.
In a handover ceremony, Megawide-GMR turned over the new terminal to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), and private airport operator Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD).
The new terminal has an 8.2-million passenger capacity and will replace the old terminal, which the government will retire.
Defying the pandemic’s scourge on tourism
Everybody knows how badly hit the tourism industry has been by this pandemic.
Although countries all over the world, including ours, have been trying hard to push for domestic tourism, as the initial phase for the industry’s recovery, still there are countless quarantine-related restrictions for travelers to adhere to, prompting many, who just want to have a leisurely and easy time, to either postpone or cancel their planned holidays.
Any business-minded individual in the tourism industry would definitely be more cautious in his financial exposure at a time like this when alarming uncertainties abound and so many factors beyond one’s control come into play. One really has to have consummate positivity to continue trudging along the seemingly hazy path to success which this pandemic has laid out for all of us in the industry.
You wouldn’t think we would find in our midst, at this time, a strategic optimist who would bravely carry on with his noble ideals, marching undeterred by naysayers towards the pinnacle of success.
Well, lo and behold, I am glad to be able to cite two entities definitely deserving of praise, unequivocal support, and utmost respect.
The Radisson Hotel Group is one of the world’s largest hotel chains, with nine distinctive hotel brands and more than 1,400 hotels in operation and under development in 120 countries. The group’s portfolio includes Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn and Suites by Radisson, and Radisson Hotels.
In spite of the challenges brought about by the pandemic, the hotel group decided to rise above all the negativity, the fear and the feeling of hopelessness by adding 84 new hotels across the Asia Pacific region last year. This courageous growth forms part of the group’s ambitious five-year strategy to triple its portfolio in the next few years, according to Katerina Giannouka, president - Asia Pacific. Such fearless expansion covers its key markets—China, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
The group got even bigger in India with the signing of eight new hotels—in Mashobra Resort, Jabalpur, Prayagraj, Dehradun, Lonavala, Jaipur Malviya Nagar, Pondicherry Bay, and Katra.
In Vietnam, Radisson now has a resort in Phan Thiet and in Van Phong Bay.
In China, two new hotels were added in Nanjing—the Radisson Blu Hotel Nanjing South New Town and the Radisson Collection Resort Nanjing. It also partnered with Jin Jiang International and its subsidiaries, adding 72 new hotels and resorts to its roster of accommodations.
The Radisson Hotel Group will continue to banner its indomitable determination for growth this year and in the next few years.
Here at home, just like two peas in a pod, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., which owns all the Radisson hotels in the Philippines, is just as gung-ho as the Radisson Hotel Group. Its enthusiasm in being a major player in our country’s accommodations industry has not been diluted by this pandemic. SM Prime Holdings did not put any of its expansion plans on hold.
Managed by SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation, SM Prime Holdings’ hotels in the country include the Radisson Blu in Cebu City, Park Inn by Radisson Davao, Park Inn by Radisson Clark, Park Inn by Radisson Iloilo, and Park Inn by Radisson North Edsa.
Even with the pandemic hanging over our tourism industry’s head like the sword of Damocles, the SM group has scheduled to open very soon Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod.
SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation, led by its hardworking executive vice president Peggy Angeles, also manages the various SMX Convention Centers in the country—SMX Mall of Asia, SMX Aura, SMX Davao, SMX Bacolod, Mega Trade Hall at SM Megamall, Sky Hall in Cebu, and SMX Olongapo which is a joint venture with the local government unit, and which opened last year in spite of the pandemic.
Not at all discouraged by quarantine restrictions on person-to-person events, the SM group is set to open SMX Clark this summer. Now, that’s positivity to the max!
The Radisson Hotel Group and the tandem of SM Prime Holdings and SM Hotels and Conventions have shown us that difficulties and misfortunes don’t have to keep us from achieving our goals. They best exemplify what author Washington Irving said, “Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune, but great minds rise above them.”
YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE
LIFE INSURANCE: A contract that keeps you poor all your life, so that you can die rich.
For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Protecting The Fragile Relationships Of Your Family
Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? Amos 3:3-4, KJV
My son, Steve, is a rock climber, something that is much too much for me. I'm like Sir Francis Chichester, who said, "I will lift mine eyes unto the hills but I will not take my carcass thither." Anyway, Steve and two of his friends were climbing the highest peak in Switzerland when they stopped to catch their breath and noticed three climbers on the face of an incline a short distance from where they were. As they watched, the lead climber suddenly lost his footing and fell.
Climbers are joined to each other by a rope, and the way it's supposed to work is that if one falls, the other is anchored by pitons to the face of the rock, and he stops his fall. But that isn't the way it worked. The first one pulled the second one loose, and the two then pulled the third one loose, and the three of them tumbled over and over as they fell about 750 feet down the face of the snow and ice and landed in a heap below.
Steve, much too far away to be of immediate help, held his breath wondering if any of the three were alive. But those three climbers who fell were lucky; they had landed in a pile of snow and were able to get up, dust the snow off and walk away.
You know, families are joined just that way ‑‑ they are all on the face of that mountain, joined by an invisible bond, and when one falls, everybody on that rope is affected. Have you ever heard anyone say, "Well, it's my life‑‑I can do with it whatever I please!"? Don't you believe it for a minute. Everything that takes place in a family affects everybody else.
Exhibit A: Here's a man who is 40 years old. He suffers from the 3 B's ‑‑ balding, bulges and bifocals. He is having a mid‑life crisis. He's got an assistant who's a pretty blond, 27 years old and a divorcee who is lonely. John just takes her to lunch ‑‑ nothing happens. Just talk! Before he ever touches her physically, he's committed emotional infidelity. He's taken the intimacy which belongs to his wife and he's given it to someone else.
Exhibit B: A teen sacks groceries at the local supermarket and he's been saving some money. He wants to buy a car, but Dad says, "No way! You save that for college." He says, "Dad doesn't have any right to tell me what to do with my money. I earned it!" Hold on for a minute. If that kid is driving a car and it plows through a freeway fence and smashes into three other cars, who do they come after? Dad! Right?
Everything that takes place in a family affects everybody else. That's why you've got to respect and protect the fragile relationships of family living. We are all out there together on the face of that mountain called life, and when one thinks he can exert his independence and do his own thing, every one is affected. When one member of the family falls, we all go down together.
Have you ever asked yourself, "What is it that really binds us together?" A legal document? The fact that our last names are all the same? Or is the bond an invisible one which we find is woven with the strands of love, commitment, compassion, and care? Surely, it is all of that plus a great deal more.
Today's commentary is not a moral homily or an attempt by the program director to fill time in between songs or the news and what follows; it is a direct reminder that relationships bring commitment and responsibility, and to remind you that your family is important.
Whether you are a dad, a teen‑ager, a wife, or a single parent, you are part of a family, and it's the quality of the relationship in your family which determines the quality of family living. Think about it.
Resource reading: Psalm 103
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/protecting-the-fragile-relationships-of-your-family/
ABS-CBN shares slowly recovering from 2020's losses
ABS-CBN Corp. shares have started regaining momentum following talks on the revival of its legislative franchise and its efforts to seek dominance anew in the Philippine entertainment industry, analysts said Thursday.
The media giant's shares have already made "much progress," Philstocks Financial Inc. senior research analyst Japhet Tantiangco told CNN Philippines despite the fact that its closing price on Thursday remained weaker before it went off the air in May 2020.
Shares in ABS-CBN finished at ₱14.08 apiece on Thursday, still below its May 5, 2020 price of ₱17.50. Its franchise, which should allow it to operate its broadcast and radio businesses, expired on May 4.
But Tantiangco said the share price today already surged by 108.28 percent from its lowest on Sept. 2, 2020 of ₱6.76.
"The climb is seen to be caused by ABS-CBN’s entry into other platforms for its shows," he said.
ABS-CBN has long been banking its strong presence in the digital space, be it on Facebook or YouTube. In October of last year, some of its shows went back on TV screens as it sealed a deal with A2Z (formerly Zoe Broadcasting Network), which subsequently became available on SkyCable and MVP Group's Cignal.
On Thursday, the firm announced its longest running musical variety show "ASAP Natin 'To" and the collection of classic films of Fernando Poe Jr. in "FPJ: Da King" would be seen on TV5 beginning Sunday, Jan. 24.
"And then there are the renewed calls in Congress to provide ABS-CBN a franchise again," Tantiangco said. "Bills have been filed already both in the House of Representatives and the Senate for the media company’s franchise."
"And this has raised hopes that ABS-CBN could get back on air again," he added.
Tantiangco's statement was mirrored by Jervin de Celis, a trader at Timson Securities, Inc., saying ABS-CBN got a boost from the franchise renewal push of Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
But de Celis said investors are still on the wait-and-see mode as the push remains uncertain.
"While this is good news for the company, we still have to wait if the renewal will really push through and I guess this is the reason why the stock price is moving sideways for the past few days because investors are probably waiting for any development regarding ABS CBN's franchise," de Celis said.
A total of 70 lawmakers killed the franchise renewal application of ABS-CBN in July 2020, causing a negative domino effect in the company's operations.
ABS-CBN, which has been on the receiving end of President Rodrigo Duterte's ire on claims that the broadcast network was biased, was forced to cease some of its business operations, and lay off thousands of workers.
The absence of advertising revenues it used to generate from its broadcasting and radio businesses also weighed down its financial performance in 2020.
https://cnnphilippines.com/business/2021/1/21/abs-cbn-shares-slowly-recovering-from-2020-losses.html