Hindi pinagsisisihan ni Regine Velasquez, 50, ang ginawang paglipat sa ABS-CBN kahit nawala na ang network sa free-to-air TV.
Ayon sa Asia’s Songbird, nagawa niya ang gusto niyang gawin—ang kumanta—bago mangyari ang pandemya at bago ipasara ang Kapamilya network.
Sa vlog ng dating ABS-CBN Entertainment writer na si G3 San Diego noong September 23, Miyerkules, tinanong si Regine kung pakiramdam niya ay “nalugi” siya ngayong sarado na ang ABS-CBN, two years after niyang lumipat mula sa GMA Network.
Sagot niya, “Pagka nga tinatanong ako, parang, ‘Do you regret it?’ I do not. I never regret. I will never regret anything.'
“It was my decision to go back to ABS, because I wanted to experience something else, something new.
“I wanted to work with the people that I used to work with before. But was not able to because of the whole GMA, ABS thing,” pagtukoy ng singer-actress sa network war.
“So, I just wanted to experience that. Before the pandemic, I was able to experience it naman, e.”
Si Regine ay opisyal na lumipat sa ABS-CBN noong October 2018, pagkatapos ng dalawampung taon sa Kapuso network.
Tuluyang nagsara ang ABS-CBN, partikular ang free TV at radio stations nito, noong July 10, 2020, pagkatapos magkaisa ang 70 kongresista na huwag bigyan ng panibagong prangkisa ang leading TV network sa bansa.
Napag-initan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang ABS-CBN.
THE CHANCE TO SING AGAIN
Noong lumipat sa ABS-CBN si Regine, ginawa siyang main host ng Sunday musical-variety show na ASAP Natin ‘To.
Naging judge rin siya sa ABS-CBN reality-based singing competition na Idol Philippines.
Siya rin ang kumanta sa ilang teleserye theme songs, at nagkaroon ng iba pang singing commitments sa network.
“Ang dami kong nagawa before [mangyari na] hindi na nga nabigay yung renewal ng ABS. Marami naman akong nagawa.”
Pag-amin ni Regine, “nabuhayan” ulit siya ng loob nang bumalik siya sa ABS-CBN noong 2018.
“First of all, I was singing… parang na-maximize ulit yung pagiging singer ko, ‘cause I was doing ASAP every single week.
“In one show, I would sometimes have three [production] numbers. So, that’s a lot.
“And I was so looking forward to performing every Sunday.”
Sa puntong iyon, nabanggit ni Regine ang pinanggalingang Sunday musical-variety show sa GMA-7 noon, ang SOP.
“Kasi sa GMA naman before, nagkaroon din kami ng show, which was SOP.
"And I think I missed that. I missed having a TV show where I can sing my heart out.”
Tumakbo ang SOP mula 1997 hanggang 2010.
Pagpapatuloy ni Regine, excitement para sa kanya ang makakanta at magkaroon ng collaboration sa kapwa singers.
“Kasi dumadami rin yung kaalaman mo sa mga kanta, andami mong natututunang kanta.
“You also work with other people, so you also learn from them. So, yun ang exciting doon, e.
"Plus, every week, it’s live, so hindi mo alam kung anong mangyayari.
“A lot of times nagkakamali ka, but you wing it. It’s part of the whole excitement.
“Minsan maganda performance mo, minsan hindi. Minsan may boses ka, minsan wala.
"So, it’s all part of the excitement of having a live show. I think I missed that very much.
"Because after SOP was canned, and then there were shows, ‘tapos parang na-canned na rin iyon, parang medyo matagal-tagal akong panahon sa GMA na hindi ako talaga kumakanta, and I think I missed that.”
Kapalit ng SOP ay ang Party Pilipinas (2010-2013) at Sunday All Stars (2013-2015), kung saan naging main host din si Regine.
REGINE: “GMA HAS GIVEN ME A LOT.”
Sa bakuran ng GMA-7, nabigyan si Regine ng hosting at acting stints.
Naging host siya ng talk shows at talent-search programs gaya ng Sarap Diva (2012-2018), Bet ng Bayan (2014), at The Clash (2018).
Sa teleserye naman, nagbida siya sa Forever In My Heart (2004), Ako Si Kim Samsoon (2008), Totoy Bato (2009), Diva (2010), I Heart You, Pare! (2011), Poor Señorita (2016), at Mulawin vs. Ravena (2017).
Bago raw siya umalis sa GMA-7 ay nagpaplano na noon ang Kapuso management na magkaroon ng musical shows.
“Before I left, they were starting to do musicals shows na ulit. Kaya lang, nakapag-decide na ako na I wanted to work with ABS again with different people.
“Iba rin kasi kapag nandun ka sa isang grupo mo lang, parang hindi alam kung ano yung nasa labas.
“Talagang gusto ko lang ma-experience yung… Kasi parang feeling ko, although I love working with everybody in GMA, a lot of them have become family and friends already, ‘cause I was with them for 20 years.
“Even the [GMA] bosses, they’ve become friends already. I love work. Kasi gusto ko yung familiar sa akin lahat.
"Kaya lang na-realize ko na parang nasa bubble na ako. Yung parang hindi ko na alam kung ano yung meron sa kabila, di ba, parang nasa bubble ka lang.”
Giit ni Regine, maayos siyang nagpaalam sa GMA Network at malaki ang utang na loob niya sa dating kinabibilangang TV station.
“I was explaining to them, I just wanted to work with other people, and nagpaalam ako nang maayos.
“Sabi ko, na not that I don’t appreciate what GMA has given me. GMA has given me a lot. Marami silang ginawa din naman sa career ko.
"I was given a chance to be a host. I was given a chance to do soap opera. Marami silang naibigay sa akin, so very thankful naman ako doon.
“But at that time when I moved back to ABS, I just wanted to sing again. Yun lang ang nasa head ko.”
TRANSFER TO ABS-CBN
Sinasabi ni Regine na ang paglipat niya sa ABS-CBN noong 2018 ay kanyang pagbabalik.
Ito ay dahil isa sa ang pinakauna niyang proyekto ay sa ABS-CBN. Noong late '80s, kabilang si Regine sa musical-variety show na Tin Pan Alley.
Hindi naman daw nabigo si Regine nang bumalik siya sa ABS-CBN dahil nakabalik siya sa pangunahin niyang gustong gawin—ang pagkanta.
“And finally, when I came back to ABS, that’s what I was given. I was given ASAP, I became part of this whole family.
“In the beginning, I thought I’d have a hard time, but then they just welcomed me with open arms.
“Everybody just welcomed me and I had a wonderful time. I’m still having a wonderful time even though wala na kami sa free TV."
Sa ngayon ay patuloy pa ring kumakanta si Regine sa ASAP Natin ‘To, na napapanood sa cable channels ng Kapamilya Channel at social media accounts ng Kapamilya Online Live.
“Whenever we see each other, pag magti-taping kami or magla-live kami, we are just so happy to be back onstage and be able to sing with each other.
"It’s a wonderful feeling," saad ni Regine.
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