A Look Back at the First and Only GMA Artist Center Ball

Remember the first and only time GMA held the Artist Center Ball?

On November 8, 2011, the GMA Artist Center staged its own ball at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati. A majority of Artist Center talents attended the event, each of whom showed up in their most elaborate attire.

The GMA Artist Center Ball was presented in response to the growing glamor of ABS-CBN’s Star Magic Ball. At the time it was held, the Star Magic Ball had been staged five times since its inception in 2007.

The theme of the 2011 event was about the launching of the short-lived Profiles magazine. It was supposed to be GMA’s answer to the annual Star Magic catalogue magazine, but it only had one catalogue before it was shut down that same year.

Unfortunately, the 2011 Artist Center Ball marked the last such event for the network. Lack of funds, declining television ratings and programming concerns were too much for GMA to handle, and they have not produced a ball since.

On the contrary, ABS-CBN’s Star Magic Ball continues to put on a show for all of its talents. In fact, the tenth edition of the ball will take place tomorrow night, which should only add insult to injury for GMA’s Artist Center and even to Entertainment department head Lilybeth Rasonable.

Five years after the last Artist Center Ball, there are still questions of what might have been. Regardless of the unfortunate circumstances, Kapuso faithful can only hope for the best, as GMA tries to make sense of their ongoing dilemmas.

For those who may have forgotten the last GMA Artist Center Ball, Pep.ph has some interesting photo galleries to show for. Click the following links and look back at a time when Kapuso stars used to show up in their glamorous dresses and suits for this occasion.

• Part I
• Part II
• Part III

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Kris Aquino Returns, But Not on ABS-CBN

‘The Queen of All Media’ is back.

Returning to the Philippines after a three-month break, Kris Aquino is once again expected to appear in front of the small screen. But instead of booking a date with her long-time network ABS-CBN, she decided to make her television comeback as a guest on GMA’s ‘Yan ang Morning’.

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According to Kris on her official Instagram, her guesting on ‘Yan ang Morning’ yesterday is a promise fulfilled to her ‘inaanaks’ Marian Rivera (the show’s host) and Dingdong Dantes. It can be recalled that Kris attended the wedding of both Marian and Dingdong last December 2014 and she stood as one of the principal sponsors.

The said episode of ‘Yan ang Morning’ will air tomorrow, again according to Kris on her Instagram.

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Despite her appearance on Kapuso soil, there is talk of Kris’ return to ABS-CBN in the foreseeable future. According to long-time hosting partner Boy Abunda via Pep.ph, discussions about possible shows between Kris and ABS-CBN are currently in the offing.

Let’s just hope that Kris’ surprise guesting on ‘Yan ang Morning’ will provide a much-needed boost to the struggling talk show, whose 6% average ratings prove to be a headache to GMA management. This is going to be a make-or-break episode for Marian and co., so better make the most of it.

Big Blow for Tubig at Langis with Resignation of Vivian Velez and Entry of New Rival

The resignation of Vivian Velez forces ‘Tubig at Langis’ to make adjustments. (Photo credit: Vivian Velez official Facebook)

A lot of adjustments await the ABS-CBN drama series ‘Tubig at Langis’.

On Sunday, March 6, cast member Vivian Velez announced on Facebook that she would irrevocably resign immediately from the show. The official announcement is as follows, as seen on this post below.

In an exclusive conversation with PEP.ph, Vivian cited Cristine Reyes’ rude behavior as a reason behind her resignation. According to Vivian, during one of their recent tapings, she and Cristine shared a designated standby room, but Cristine asked her to leave and then threw a fit by slamming the door and shouting at her.

Both ABS-CBN and Cristine’s camp have yet to issue a statement regarding Vivian’s resignation.

Vivian’s departure from ‘Tubig at Langis’ will be a huge blow to the series. Prior to her resignation, she played the role of Conching, the mother-in-law of Irene (Cristine Reyes), and had a pivotal role in the character progression of the latter.

Now that Vivian’s out, the series’ production team has no choice but to make revisions to the story. Writing off the character of Conching won’t be easy though.

Meanwhile, ‘Tubig at Langis’ will have a new rival starting today. GMA’s upcoming Afternoon Prime series ‘Hanggang Makita Kang Muli’, starring Bea Binene and Derrick Monasterio, will take over the slot of the just-concluded ‘Buena Familia’.

In ‘Hanggang Makita Kang Muli’, Bea will play the role of Ana, a feral child who was kidnapped and forced to live in isolation her entire life. After escaping from the clutches of Odessa (Ina Feleo), she was found in the woods by a psychology student named Calvin (Derrick), where he would try to reintegrate Ana back into society and show her the real meaning of true love and compassion.

Also starring in ‘Hanggang Makita Kang Muli’ are Raymart Santiago, Angelika dela Cruz, Kim Rodriguez, Rita Avila, Ramon Christopher, Luz Valdez, Shyr Valdez, Marco Alcaraz, and Jak Roberto. Laurice Guillen will direct the series.

With all the recent events taking place, this will not be an easy walk in the park this week for ‘Tubig at Langis’. The combination of an upcoming rival and a cast member’s resignation over the rude behavior of another may cast a spell on the series’ ratings, so it’s up to them to deliver despite all the odds.

In 100 Words: Sweeping Changes on TV5

According to a PEP report, TV5 will undergo a major retrenchment and a realignment to their programming. (Logo courtesy of TV5)

Expect major changes on TV5.

According to a report from Pep.ph, TV5 is set to dissolve a few of their departments, notably the entertainment department. The employees that will be affected by the move may be given voluntary separation packages from the network.

The report also stated that a realignment of TV5’s programming grid will be in order. This led to their decision to defer the broadcast of the newly-released sitcom ‘Misterless Misis’ until further notice.

The supposed third episode of ‘Misterless Misis’ did not air last Sunday due to a two-hour ‘Nike Rise’ basketball exhibition match, fueling rumors of a quick cancellation. Instead, it was temporarily shelved.

For more on this development, click on this link.