The Big Question: Is Atom Araullo Going Home to GMA?

The fallout surrounding Atom Araullo’s departure from ABS-CBN is still strong.

It has been a week since Atom bid farewell to ABS-CBN News in order to ‘explore new interests’. At the time, many thought that Atom will simply be a freelancer and make good on his promise of seeking different opportunities in the world of media.

However, within hours of the announcement, GMA teased everyone when Mike Enriquez, Arnold Clavio and Susan Enriquez made mention of Atom’s name in the DZBB radio program ‘Sino?’. The rumors continued when GMA made the announcement on television of a ‘big reveal’ on ’24 Oras’ this Thursday night, with viewers again speculating that the man on the video is Atom Araullo himself.

Atom Araullo’s career as a host and journalist is a remarkable one. His initial foray into television is on the Probe Productions program ‘5 and Up’, but unlike fellow hosts Chynna Ortaleza, Maxene Magalona and brothers Rayver and Rodjun Cruz, Atom chose to follow a career in journalism.

After a brief stint as a sports reporter on GMA’s ’24 Oras’, Atom moved to ABS-CBN in 2004 where his career really took off. While he was best known as one of the hosts of ‘Umagang Kay Ganda’ and even had his own show in ‘Red Alert’, Atom’s best moment came in 2013 when he reported in Tacloban about Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) while braving the heavy rains and winds.

Earlier this year, Atom received his first acting role on ‘Citizen Jake’ while earning a bronze medal at the New York Festivals for his documentary ‘Warmer’. His final appearances on the ABS-CBN family of networks came last night in an episode of Lifestyle’s ‘The Crawl’.

If it is indeed true that Atom Araullo will move to GMA Network, the reaction could be a mixed one. ABS-CBN has had a ‘no-compete clause’ in their news personalities’ contracts which state that they should not move to another network until a year following their departure.

Then again, anything like a ‘no-compete clause’ is totally irrelevant at this point. Not only that, Atom’s departure from ABS-CBN is an amicable one, and as a free agent, he can choose his next destination anytime he wants.

Later tonight, the ‘big reveal’ will take place on GMA’s ’24 Oras’. But the question remains, is the man in the video indeed Atom Araullo? Find out in several hours’ time.

The Last Home Stand That Never Was

The PLDT Last Home Stand was advertised as a tuneup game for the Gilas Pilipinas basketball team, until a last-second announcement forced the players to engage in practice drills with the NBA selection. (Poster courtesy of the MVP Group of Companies)

The PLDT Last Home Stand was supposed to be a tuneup game for the Gilas Pilipinas basketball team in preparation for the FIBA World Cup. However, it did not turn out as advertised.

Last night’s event, which involved the Gilas team and a contingent of NBA players led by All-Stars James Harden, DeMar DeRozan and Damien Lillard, was turned into a practice drill. The announcement came after the NBA threatened its players with suspensions and fines if they played in an ‘unsanctioned’ match, or in Filipino terms, ‘ligang labas’.

The unfortunate turn of events did not sit well with fans, who paid as much as P23,000 just to watch a significant tuneup game. As a result, boos rained down the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with some fans demanding refunds for their tickets.

With the event taking a turn for the worse, PLDT executive vice president Ariel Fermin announced later that night that ticket refunds for disgruntled fans will be honored, but still reminded fans that the event was for the benefit of victims of Typhoon Haiyan, locally known as Yolanda. He even added that ‘there was no mention of a game’, but media outlets who promoted The Last Home Stand in advance said otherwise.

In the aftermath of the poorly-received event, PLDT chairman Manny V. Pangilinan apologized to fans for the turnout of the event. He then said that PLDT will be responsible for the repercussions surrounding the event.

Despite the unexpected change of plans, TV5 still aired The PLDT Last Home Stand as scheduled. But with tonight’s events already cancelled, the usual filler programs featuring Tagalized movies will be aired instead.

The PLDT Last Home Stand was supposed to be the follow-up to the successful Smart Ultimate All-Star Weekend in 2011. However, the latter event that also involved an NBA selection was held during an NBA lockout, in which player contracts were suspended while negotiations were ongoing.

All in all, it was a public relations nightmare for the MVP Group of Companies, particularly PLDT. The event was hyped for months, beginning with the PBA and NCAA games, and culminating with the appearance of NBA players on the noontime show ‘Eat Bulaga’ last Monday. But all that hype went down the drain as the NBA decided to get involved with the charity event.

In the end, it was harsh lesson learned by the MVP Group, something they will remember for years to come. Let’s just hope that the unfortunate aftermath of the event will in no way affect the FIBA World Cup preparations of Gilas Pilipinas.

Martinez Documentary, New ‘Kaya’ on TV5 and Other News

The Olympic journey of Michael Christian Martinez will be featured in the documentary ‘Hero on Ice’ tonight on TV5.

Tonight after ‘Aksyon Weekend’, TV5 will air a special 30-minute documentary called ‘Hero on Ice’. The documentary will focus on Michael Christian Martinez’s life, career, and journey that took him from the small SM rinks to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Along the way, viewers will be treated to an all-access look at Martinez’s trip to Sochi and his preparations for the event. Interviews with family and friends, as well as highlights of his Winter Olympics ice skating routines will also be featured.

As a bonus treat to viewers, the documentary will also look back at Martinez’s triumphant homecoming, followed by the press conference and a skating exhibition at the Mall of Asia rink. ‘Hero on Ice’ is hosted by Chiqui Roa-Puno, and will pre-empt ‘Magic Gimik Revealed’ in its timeslot.

Also on TV5, the documentary series ‘Kaya’ returns with a brand new episode, after giving way to ‘Yaman ng Bayan’ last week. In this episode entitled ‘Tindog’, DJ Sta. Ana will take a look at the rebuilding of Tacloban following its destruction from Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). The series airs after ‘Juan Direction’.

With regards to ‘SpinNation’ which is currently airing on repeats, the second season premiere of the program is currently being delayed by Jasmine Curtis-Smith’s taping schedule for her upcoming self-titled suspense/drama series ‘JasMINE’. The series is scheduled to begin this March 25 at 8 p.m., and will also star the likes of Alwyn Uytingco, Matt Padilla, and Vin Abrenica. Along with the weeknight comedy/drama series ‘Confessions of a Torpe’, the two series will highlight another busy month for the Kapatid network, which will also include the PBA Commissioner’s Cup and the US NCAA March Madness.

Speaking of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, the conference begins on March 5, a week after the end of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals. But contrary to what Commissioner Chito Salud had assured, and despite the recent high ratings of the recently concluded Philippine Cup playoffs, the airing schedule from the Philippine Cup eliminations will continue in the upcoming conference, with only the second game of the weekday doubleheaders, first game of Saturday doubleheaders, and both games of Sunday doubleheaders airing live on TV5. However all of the games will be shown live on AksyonTV.

And finally, the US NCAA March Madness will begin in mid-March, and like the preceding Winter Olympics, coverage of the games will be shared by TV5, AksyonTV, Hyper and Cignal HD. With that, good luck to TV5 and its affiliate stations on a busy month to come.

‘What’s Up Doods’ Preempted for Bieber Documentary

Pop musician Justin Bieber is in Tacloban recently to give cheers to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. TV5 will air the documentary tonight.

Tonight’s lineup of TV5’s ‘Weekend Do It Better’ will not see Edu Manzano interview various guests on his talk show ‘What’s Up Doods?’. Instead the Kapatid network will air a special documentary as part of its continuing relief efforts for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).

Titled ‘Give Love, Give Back Philippines‘, the documentary centers on a surprise visit by pop singer Justin Bieber to Tacloban in order to provide donations and relief goods to the typhoon victims. The one-hour documentary will feature Bieber in a different light, as he tries to remain humble amid his fame and give a more positive outlook to the victims. Also included is the exclusive full-length interview with Raymond Gutierrez that first aired on ‘Showbiz Police’ last week, along with a mini-concert for the victims.

Bieber’s #GiveBackPhilippines campaign raised over $1M in cash, and has also produced a limited edition t-shirt with the proceeds being given to TV5’s Alagang Kapatid Foundation. The campaign donations were raised during his ongoing tour promoting his latest album ‘Believe’.

‘What’s Up Doods?’ aired a ‘Best of’ episode last week featuring interviews from Georgina Wilson, Jinri Park and Ramon Bautista, and with the program on hiatus for the holidays, it is only logical to have the Bieber documentary air tonight.

In the meantime, here is today’s late afternoon and evening schedule on TV5:

3:30 – PBA: Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vs. Alaska Aces

5:45 – Aksyon Weekend

6:15 – Showbiz Police

6:45 – Pinoy Explorer

7:45 – Tropa Mo Ko Unli

8:45 – Killer Karaoke Pinoy Naman

9:45 – Give Love, Give Back Philippines: A Justin Bieber Special

10:45 – Juan Direction

11:15 – SpinNation

ABS-CBN Hits Big Again with the ‘Tulong Na’ Shirts

ABS-CBN’s ‘Tulong Na, Tabang Na, Tayo Na’ shirts were initially conceived for charitable causes, but its immediate popularity led to two successful concerts on November 16 and December 10.

When Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) struck the country a month ago, it left a trail of dead bodies, fallen trees and damaged structures. After the typhoon’s impact became all too gruesome for the human mind, the international community started donating sums of money and relief items for the victims of Haiyan. And ABS-CBN was among those who came to the rescue.

Days after Haiyan left the country, ABS-CBN launched their charity shirt bearing a fish-like symbol and the phrase ‘Tulong Na, Tabang Na, Tayo Na’. The shirts became available at the ABS-CBN Store in the network’s Quezon City headquarters last November 12, and was later sold online through Shopinas.com and at Ayala Malls in the country. It was also sold during various ABS-CBN-sponsored events such as mall shows.

The ‘Tulong Na’ shirt became an immediate hit thanks to its cheap price (P250) and strong message, not to mention additional publicity thanks to 30-second ads, a telethon, and television programs featuring ABS-CBN personalities. And last November 16, the Kapamilya network held a benefit concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with the shirt being given for free to ticket buyers.

The said concert from November 16 was such a success that another concert was held at the same venue last December 10, again with the ‘Tulong Na’ shirt distributed along with the tickets. ABS-CBN typically holds a Christmas concert at this time of the year, but on this night, the concert was about raising hope and prosperity to the victims of the typhoon. The concert entitled ‘Kwento ng Pasko: Pag-asa at Pagbangon’ will be aired in a two-part special this weekend on ABS-CBN.

In many ways, the popularity of the ‘Tulong Na’ shirts capped off a successful year for ABS-CBN. With top-rated programs outplaying the opposition almost every day, and with more potentially successful programs in the works, the Kapamilya network is definitely poised for bigger things this 2014.

Love Anover’s Yolanda Story on Magpakailanman

While ABS-CBN News reporter Atom Araullo‘s brave journey at the height of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) became a hot topic in the media, other news reporters endured similar paths while in the line of duty. And in tomorrow’s episode of ‘Magpakailanman‘ one such reporter shares her own story of survival.

In the upcoming episode ‘Sa Mata ng Daluyong’, GMA News reporter Love Anover will share her story on overcoming the strong winds and heavy rains of a typhoon, with Sunshine Dizon playing Anover. The episode airs after the sitcom ‘Vampire Ang Daddy Ko’.

Anover’s story was barely noticed in social media, as netizens focused on Araullo’s daring stand and Mike Enriquez’s snub of Jiggy Manicad’s report at the end of ‘24 Oras‘. Nevertheless, the upcoming episode of ‘Magpakailanman’ should inform the viewers on the risks of news reporting during natural disasters, in the process helping aspiring reporters prepare when thrust in a disastrous situation.

As a precursor of tomorrow’s episode, here was Anover and fellow reporter Jiggy Manicad narrating their harrowing experiences during the November 8 newscast of GMA News TV’s ‘State of the Nation’. The video can be seen below.