Cebu City – It was another grand event that GMA Network presented to Kapuso fans in this city last weekend. Many of the Kapuso stars (among them Dingdong Dantes, Dennis Trillo, German Moreno, Jennylyn Mercado, Yasmien Kurdi, Nadine Samonte, Jennica Garcia, and the “SOP” singers and performers) flew to this Queen City of the South to grace the GMA Grand Kapuso Fans Day which was held at the Trade Hall of SM City Cebu.

The event, which was in conjunction with GMA Network’s 59th anniversary, featured various “Serbisyong Totoo” booths that rendered services to Cebuanos. Among them were booths for the National Statistics Office (NSO) where they applied for birth, marriage and death certificates, the Comelec which offered on-the-spot voter’s registration, PhilHealth where health insurance inquiries and applications were processed, and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) where Cebuanos applied for clearances.

Ms. Rikki O. Escudero, VP-Regional TV and head of Expansion Division of News & Public Affairs, and Cel R. Amores, deputy head of the Expansion & Production Services of GMA’s News and Public Affairs, said there were about 60,000 people who came to the event and who started lining up early in the morning of June 27. The day-long grand Kapuso Fans Day opened at 9 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m.

Mel Tiangco, one of the pillars of the broadcast industry and co-anchor of “24 Oras,” visited various schools in relation for “Unang Hakbang sa Kinabukasan” (in cooperation with Caritas) which benefited about 200 kids. They also gave away 15 wheelchairs.

Aside from Mel, the other GMA anchors and members of the public affairs team were also there: Mike Enriquez of “Imbestigador” and “24 Oras,” Arnold Clavio of “Unang Hirit” and “Saksi,” Vicky Morales of “Saksi,” Pia Arcangel of “Art Angel,” Ivan Mayrina of QTV’s “News on Q,” Susan Enriquez of “Kay Susan Tayo” and Jessica Soho of “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.”

A musical program interspersed with raffle of prizes, fun games and featuring grand production numbers was hosted by the comic tandem of Cookie and Belli Flori who are mainstays of “Joey’s Quirky World,” and GMA TV-7 personalities Yurri and Anna Maris Igpit. Also presented was a special screening of some episodes of “Hole in the Wall” where participants were celebrities.

Performers were Mark Herras, called the “Bad Boy of the Dance Floor” who wowed the crowd with his terpsichorean prowess, Jennylyn Mercado, the La Diva group (Aicelle Santos, Maricris Garcia and Jonalyn Viray, the “Pinoy Pop Superstar” champions) and the “SOP” regular performer You’ve Got Male composed of Harry Santos, Jan Nieto, Bryan Termulo and Gian Magdangal.

DZBB on its 59th year

Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, chairman, president and CEO of GMA Network, who was also in Cebu together with his wife Tessie, and Phillip Yalong, VP-Corporate Services and chief financial officer, said it’s actually their radio station DZBB which is now on its 59th year. He said that it was in l950 when an American war correspondent Robert Stewart (who later became more popularly known as Uncle Bob) started operating radio station DZBB under a company called Loreto F. de Hermedes, Inc.

“At the start, Uncle Bob did every work on his own, siya lahat, one-man job. But it was his wife who was good in business,” Atty. Gozon recalled in admiration. Eleven years later, on Oct. 29, 1961, Uncle Bob’s company ventured into television by operating TV Channel 7. On May 28, 1974, the company changed its name to Republic Broadcasting System, Inc. In the same year, Gilberto M. Duavit, Menardo R. Jimenez and Felipe L. Gozon took over the management of the station.

The company changed it corporate name into GMA Network, Inc. in l996, as it diversified into other media-related businesses such as movie-making, sets and props construction, film syndication, music and video recording, news media, post production services and marketing.

From the “Where You Belong” tagline, the company came up with a corporate equity in 2002 to bring the network closer to the hearts and minds of its viewers using a new tagline – “Kapuso ng Bawat Pilipino.” The equity defines GMA’s relationship with its viewers as Kapuso (one in heart) that fully understands their needs, dreams, aspirations, and even pains.

GMA Network also reaches out to Filipinos across the globe through its international channels GMA Pinoy TV, said to be the fastest growing and most requested Filipino channel abroad since its launch in 2005, and GMA Life TV, available via cable, direct-to-home and IPTV.

GMA Network, Inc. is now a leading free-to-air media broadcasting company in the Philippines. And aside from its goal in “bringing the best in news and entertainment,” GMA -7 also manifests its social responsibility and commitment to public service through community projects and philanthropic activities that the GMA Kapuso Foundation and Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko Foundation undertake.
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‘Doublebill of Derring-Do’ promo of HBO starts Saturday

HBO presents in July two blockbuster multi-part titles packed with action and adventure! To premiere in all Saturdays of July is “The Indiana Jones Quadrilogy” on MAX (the refreshed Cinemax), and the twinbill of “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” with “The Mummy Returns” on Sunday, July 19 on HBO.

Readers are invited to take part in HBO’s “Doublebill of Derring-Do” promo. At stake are 10 limited edition coasters featuring both “The Mummy” and “The Indiana Jones Quadrilogy” which will be given to readers of Manila Bulletin who answer the question “Where can you catch the Doublebill of Derring-Do?” correctly. Contestants must e-mail the correct answer (HBO and MAX) along with their full name, contact number and e-mail address to hboasia_contest@yahoo.com. This promo will run from July 5 to 17, with the claiming period to run from July 7 until July 31 only.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings Saturday, July 4, go to former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Ms. Minerva G. Laudico, Jill Olaza, Elizabeth A. Robinson, Lourdes Fernandez Austria, Rona Mahilum, Amor Corazon Loto, Diosdado Belen of Hawaii, Valeriana Martinez Torio of Castillejos, Zambales, Philamy Rivera, and Brigida F. Silan of Queens Village, New York…

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