No Unilever boycott against Sharon

Last Monday (March 10), Funfare took note of the rumor that Unilever, the 75-year-old and largest (most influential) advertising/consumer-product company in the country, has imposed a "silent boycott" against Sharon Cuneta due to her failure to grace Unilever’s 75th anniversary celebration last month.

Sharon said that she was sick (of bronchitis) and anybody who wanted to verify her condition could check the records at the Cardinal Santos Hospital. Sharon’s fans and followers of her ABS-CBN self-titled show frowned on the reported "silent boycott."

To set the record straight and to belie the rumor, Chito Macapagal, Unilever’s general manager for corporate development, sent Funfare the official statement of Unilever that should put the matter to rest. It’s headlined "Ms. Sharon Cuneta Still Enjoys the Support of Unilever Philippines." Here it is, in full:

Contrary to recent published items, Unilever has always been, and still is, supportive of Ms. Sharon Cuneta and other personalities in the entertainment field, among others.

Ms. Cuneta was indeed invited to grace the company’s 75th Anniversary TV Special, Kaibigan Habang Buhay, which was co-organized with ABS-CBN. Ms. Cuneta declined due to her schedules and the state of her health. Unilever, in turn, has sent her a note and a bouquet of flowers to wish her well.

Unilever’s advertising placements are based on show ratings and budget. Upon the advice of its advertising agencies and media buyers, support for Ms. Cuneta’s shows and that of others are subject to the same guidelines.

Unilever Philippines is grateful for the work which Ms. Cuneta has done with the company, not a few of which became very memorable TV ads. The company welcomes the opportunity to work with Ms. Cuneta again in the future.

There. Loud and clear.

Cathy Yang now with Bloomberg

You, too, must have been wondering whatever happened to Cathy Yang, the pretty, bright-faced Chinese newscaster/anchor of ABS-CBN whose sincere smile cushioned even the most shocking or the most tragic news.

If you surf cable TV like I do, you must have, well, stumbled upon Cathy flashing the same sincere, sunshiny smile on Bloomberg TV to which she moved from ABS-CBN sometime in August 2000 after finishing two scholarship grants first from the Thomson Foundation (sponsored by the British Council) and then at Oxford in UK. She worked for ABS-CBN as anchor-reporter for eight years, right after she tucked up a degree in Communication Arts from La Salle with honors, including as Outstanding Coed Awardee in 1990.

Cathy anchors MoneyCast Asia which averages 10 "live" studio guests per day, excluding three or four US-based guests who need to be interviewed before the show. Add to the mix the two live "hits" that need to be done for the Bloomberg US Channel’s World Financial Report in-between the interview recordings and before MoneyCast Asia goes on air and you have an idea how preoccupied Cathy is between 7 to 10 a.m. non-stop when she’s seen in Philippine television.

"I coordinate closely with another Filipina in Bloomberg, Yvette Fernandez, for guestings on my show," said Cathy. "Yvette is my producer in New York."

Based in Tokyo, headquarters of Bloomberg Asia-Pacific (also aired primetime in the US and UK), Cathy arrives at her desk at 4:30 a.m. preparatory to her first recorded interview at 5:15, the second at 5:30, the third at 5:45 and the fourth at 6 o’clock. By 6:39, she should be ready for her first "live hit" for the World Financial Report and by 7:30, her second "live hit." From 8 to 11 a.m. (Tokyo time), Cathy is on board for MoneyCast Asia.

"As soon as I get to the office," said Cathy during a phone interview with Funfare last weekend (when she came home to spend time with her husband, Dr. Gilbert Yang, a dermatologist, and their six-year-old daughter Angelica), "I go over the top headlines to prepare for my recorded interviews with US-based guests. These interviews tackle issues that have come across over night. I follow a busy schedule Monday through Friday and," she added with a certain ring in her voice, "I enjoy it."

She has been amply recognized with a Best News and Presenter Award in December 2001 by the Asian TV Awards (given these past seven years in Singapore) barely three months after she began working in Bloomberg and, again, last December where she bested such other world-class worthies as Martin Soong of CNBC (Bloomberg’s rival channel) and somebody from CNN.

What made Cathy turn her back on her flourishing career at ABS-CBN?

It’s not a long story.

In 1999, she and GMA’s Jessica Soho were granted a scholarship by the Thomson Foundation after which Cathy went to Oxford on another scholarship grant. She finished the six-month course in three months, coming up with a 300-page thesis entitled "Effects on Journalists of Huge Merger" (such as, she pointed among others, the CNN-Turner merger) for which she got a commendation.

Besides being a good TV host, Cathy is also a brilliant writer, having been a four-time winner (1988 to 1992) of La Salle’s Annual Awards for Literature, an awardee of La Salle’s Campus Journalism Awards (1988 to 1993) and first-placer in the National Essay Contest sponsored by the Philippine Fulbright Scholars Association.

Abroad, according to Cathy, she discovered what she had been missing – opportunities for great career moves.

"Bloomberg was there," said Cathy (who also trained at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia), "so I took the chance."

Her ABS-CBN experience and coverage of the Philippine Stock Exchange proved to be valuable at Bloomberg.

"My first assignment was as a reporter at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the second largest market in the world. After six months, there was an opening for an anchor of the morning timeslot and that’s how I got to MoneyCast Asia."

Although born to Cantonese parents (her maiden name is Yap), Cathy speaks more fluent Nihonggo than Cantonese or any other Chinese language, regretting that she never studied Chinese which she’s now trying to learn from her husband.

"On weekends," said Cathy, "I fly home to Manila to be with my husband and daughter. Like me, they now enjoy resident status in Japan; I made sure of that. Sometimes they go to Tokyo to be with me. I arrive in Manila Friday evening and I fly back to Tokyo Sunday evening in time for my work Monday morning."

What’s up?

• STAR columnist Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan’s Businessworks, Inc. and Center for Early Childhood Care & Development are again presenting a basic seminar for caregivers on Marrch 29 (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and April 26 (same schedule) at the ground floor of West Gate Tower, Investment Drive, Madrigal/Business Park, Ayala Alabang. Topics to be taken up include: Self Awareness; Health, Hygience and Nutrition for Both Yaya and Child; Knowing the Child (Developmental Milestones); Creating a Stimulating Environment; First Aid, Emergencies and Common Pediatric Illnesses; Effective Communication with Children; Family and Yaya; and lots of funds and games. There are only limited slots; seminar fee is P1,500 (inclusive of lunch, two snacks, giveaways, handouts and certificate). Interested? Call 435-4281 or 435-4301.

• Acquire Model Agency is conducting a nationwide search for new faces. Applicants must be goodlooking, preferably mestizo/mestiza, 18 to 25 years old and even with no modeling experience. Young mothers and fathers are also welcome. For particulars, call 812-1226 or 812-9842 (look for Jonas).

• The world-renowned and longest living folk dance group in the country, the Philippine Baranggay Folk Dance Troupe pays tribute to women with a variety of Filipino dances on Sunday, March 16, 5 p.m. at the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium. Lamberto Cruz is the Artistic Director/Choreographer. Ms. Susan Fernandez hosts the program.

• The Philippine Army Band will hold a concert at 5 o’clock this afternoon at the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium in celebration of the 106th anniversary of the Philippine Army. The band will feature an array of musical repertoire and a variety of arrangements with the Philippine Army Orchestra and Combo. Minette Padilla is program host.

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