Let this be known

Last month, I wrote about the misfortune of a lady friend of mine who had been hoaxed by an event's director from Manila, receiving only half of the talent fee promised to her for a hosting job. Since the release of that article, many of my associates from the industry aired out to me their ill-fated experiences with organizers, both local and Manila-based, and talent agents who seem to place little or no value at all on professional ethics.

Victims of such foul conduct brought about by greed, neglect, discrimination and power play often find themselves succumbing to such inexcusable and unjustifiable practices over the years. How and why did these talents allow such things to happen to them? There are many possible reasons such as naivety, the yearning for fame, the lack of knowledge on more professional practices of career-planning and long-term management, and the elusiveness of trustworthy talent managers, scouts and booking agents in Cebu.

These heartless pros in the entertainment industry take advantage of this and use it against the talents to exploit them out of their services. It is unfortunate that this has been quite common in a city known for its rich source of talented individuals. Let me share to you some of these stories.

"For the Sake of Exposure"

This is such an overused excuse given to amateur talents for miniscule talent fees. Unbelievable this may seem, but certain malls in Cebu pay dancers a three-digit compensation, which they have to divide among their members. In other words, a take-home pay that would not even reach home at all! Whether they are amateurs or professionals, these hardworking talented individuals deserve much more than what they bargain for. Yes, the pay "may be" sufficient for transportation expenses but it takes more than just getting to the venue to entertain the audience. What about the costumes? The endless nights of rehearsals and expenses these dance groups have to invest in their performances? Surely, the organizers did not pay these dance groups just to get to the venue? They must offer them what's due to them! This means a reasonable amount for their efforts in drawing a crowd, entertaining their valued customers, and for helping promote their establishment.

The "Under Training" Defense

I was caught aback when a lady friend of mine, who had been hosting a local regular TV program, asked me how much I was getting from GMA for "Singgit Cebu." Instead of answering her, I shot the question back to my friend and surprisingly, she admitted to me that the producer of the show had not discussed this matter with her despite the fact that she had already taped several episodes with them. I suggested that she approach the producer and state all the conditions and her compensation in a contract.

Several months after, I caught up with her again only to find out that the producer decided to cut her off the show without giving her any remuneration for several weeks of hosting. The reason? "We were just training you," she was told. Can you actually believe that?! Training for what? Anyway, my friend simply took it from there and just pocketed the memories and a good learning experience from her short stint in showbiz.

Invisible Booking Agent

Now this is based on my own personal experience. A representative of a pharmaceutical company phoned me to offer a hosting assignment for a product-launching event last year. My mouth dropped when she mentioned an exorbitant talent fee, which I supposedly accepted for a previous event of the same company. Naturally, in my good conscience, I had to ask her where she got the amount. She then told me that a voucher reflected it signed by a colleague of hers whom I remember was the guy who contacted me for that event. From that time on, contracts are now between me and companies or advertising agencies (with corporate heads as signatories). As for new and independent booking agents and myself, arrangements are now treated separate.

Discrimination and Deceit

How many times have we heard this statement - "Basta taga-Cebu, tikasan harun dili makada-og!?" This refers to Cebuanos who have gone to Manila to represent our region in pageants or other national competitions. Before Sheryn Regis and Raki Vega disproved this, people close to me and their experiences in Manila have led me to believe that this is not merely a rumor but an infuriating reality. My sister-in-law, who had joined a national children's pageant several years back and was sent to represent us in Manila, was advised to change her talent and costume by the organizers only a few days before the grand finals. Due to this, she was unable to give her best and lost the pageant to someone from Luzon. What enraged my mother-in-law was when one of organizers approached her after the show and had the nerve to tell her that they shouldn't have agreed to the change and that her previous act was far better than the one she presented. Hasos baya!

A similar thing happened to another friend of mine who also left for Manila a few years back to compete in a singing competition on national television. The organizers practically forced her to change the song, which she mastered and sang to win the regional competition. She didn't agree to this after being advised by our fellow Cebuanos who accompanied her during her stay there. At that time, her strongest contender was from Metro Manila.

During rehearsals, she observed that the contestant could hardly reach the pitch of her contest piece. On the competition night itself, everyone was surprised to have observed that the orchestra adjusted to a lower pitch in favor of this particular contestant. Hmmm… My friend ended up on the second place next to her Manila contender. Sad but real…

More coming next week... (To my fellow Cebuano artists, this is your chance to be heard. If you wish to share your own personal experiences, e-mail me at [email protected]. Names will be kept in utmost confidence. Organizers mentioned are also welcome to tell their side of the story. )