It all started when Jeff Remigio, current head of MQuest Artists Agency and Acquisitions of TV5, mentioned to me many weeks ago that there was going to be a grand reunion of all TFC (The Filipino Channel) employees on Thursday, April 16, at the ABS-CBN compound.
Jeff and I were work mates at ABS-CBN International, which years later was rebranded as ABS-CBN Global, the division of ABS-CBN Corporation that caters to our kababayans overseas. And then last month, a message came from Ned Legaspi, former head of Content and Creative Services, telling me to register for the grand homecoming.
When I asked him how it came about, he said that he noticed other ABS-CBN departments holding their own tower farewell gatherings because Ayala has bought a portion of the ABS-CBN compound and sadly, the iconic tower will be torn down to give way to a new Ayala development.
Past and present chairmen of ABS-CBN — Gabby Lopez (right) and Mark Lopez
He reached out and proposed the idea of a grand homecoming, and the response was immediate and overwhelming. More than 260 alumni representing TFC history from 1992 to the present showed up, making it the largest tower reunion by any single unit. After all, Ned had spent 30 years in TFC, his first and only workplace, and he did not want that chapter to close without one last gathering with the people who had lived it alongside him.
In true ABS-CBN fashion, the event was well organized and well attended, featuring regular e-mail updates, Google forms for registration, and a QR code for the registration fee which included food, drinks, a token bag and a TFC t-shirt.
When I entered ELJ Tower, a marshal was stationed at the lobby to accompany guests to the 14th floor, more popularly known as 9501 to ABS-CBN employees. This is the dining area where press conferences, parties, contract signings and special events are normally held.
From left: Jed Madela, Randy Santiago, Martin and former TFC employee Igi Bumagat
When I stepped out of the elevator, 9501 was teeming with past and present employees and the fun and excitement were palpable. As I made my way to the table assigned to me, I saw so many familiar faces, exchanged pleasantries, hugged almost everyone I saw, and took selfies. Pure joy enveloped me because I felt like I was home again.
I sat at the table of Monchet Olives, former managing director of TFC and one of the pioneers, and Bibot Nolan. Monchet fondly called us the OGs of TFC and teased that among us, we divided the world, as Monchet was in charge of North America, Bibot was in charge of the Middle East and Europe, while I was in charge of Asia Pacific.
Our titles were so impressive, but not many know that in our early years, starting for me in 1994, it took years before TFC became a household name here and abroad.
Also at our table were Mark and Connie Lopez, Mark Nepomuceno, and Cory Vidanes. Many might not know that Cory is my first cousin because her late mom, my Tita Nita Valenzuela, was my dad’s older sister.
It was actually Cory who helped me get into ABS-CBN. I initially applied to become an account executive, but some confusion arose and I did not get the position. So, I told Cory about it and she said she was going to mention it to Charo Santos-Concio. When Charo heard about me, she said ABS-CBN International was looking for new hires and so she referred me to Gina Leviste, the former model who was head of the ABS-CBN International Manila office, and that was the start of my career at the network.
As I was listening to Monchet recount the early days of TFC, I couldn’t help but wax nostalgia. He recounted how the germ of the idea that became TFC began when he, Felipe Yalong (who was head of finance then but is now with GMA), and Gabby Lopez were walking along 5th Avenue in New York City in the early 1990s while having hotdogs.
They were talking about Filipinos abroad, what they were going through, and what they were missing. And somewhere during that walk, a bold idea was born. The idea was simple: bring Filipino content overseas.
Today, that sounds obvious, but back then, it was not that simple. Then, finding a name came next, and they were brainstorming with advertising wizard Mon Jimenez, who had a gift for turning big ideas into simple, powerful words. The name they agreed on? The Filipino Channel. Add to that the tagline of ABS-CBN, “In the Service of the Filipino, Worldwide,” and you have a channel that belongs to Filipinos, wherever they are. And the rest is history.
After Monchet’s sharing, there was a performance by Martin Nievera, who was the first brand ambassador of TFC. He recounted how humbling it was for him to give away flyers together with Agot Isidro at a Guam mall just to create and stir awareness.
Then came Jed Madela, Randy Santiago, Vina Morales, Pokwang and Jona, and all of them shared how TFC brought them closer to overseas Filipinos who were homesick.
The high point of the grand homecoming was when Gabby Lopez appeared looking fit and still good looking at 72, and greeted everyone and graciously agreed to pose for selfies and groufies. But when he went up the stage to say a few words, he had to pause a bit because he got teary-eyed when he said, “We survived two autocrats… but we never thought the next thrust of the knife would come from family.”
ABS-CBN is the Kapamilya Network, and like all families, disagreements and misunderstandings will always arise, and hopefully, in good time, things will work out for the best and be resolved.
ABS-CBN International was the first department I worked for at ABS-CBN before I moved to corporate communications and then to TV production.
But I must admit, the best years of my corporate life were when I was in ABS-CBN International. My six-year stint there brought me to many countries and allowed me to meet many foreign nationals, creating memories that I will always cherish.
Throughout the night, the sense of camaraderie remained strong, reminding everyone that while buildings and towers may be torn down, the bonds formed in the service of the Filipino people are far more permanent. As the evening drew to a close, there was a shared understanding that this gathering was not just a farewell to a physical space, but a celebration of a legacy that continues to span the globe through the hearts of those who built it.
