An affair to remember

Toward the latter part of last week, two reclaimed areas of Manila Bay off Roxas Blvd. were bustling with activities– no, not necessarily in anticipation of US President George Bush’s visit.

On Thursday night, Oct. 16, GMA 7 launched five of its new programs in a star-studded party called All Out Blowout at Le Pavilion (off EDSA and Roxas Blvd.) and on the following evening, ABS-CBN celebrated its 50th year with a grand program at the PICC.

Since I was hosting the GMA 7 event, I had to be at Le Pavilion as early as 4 p.m. because I still had to read the script prepared by Kokoy Boncan, who also serves as executive producer of Startalk.

But first, I had to get directions on how to get to Le Pavilion, which is a new venue like The Tent at The Fort that may be used for shows and parties. Somebody said that Le Pavilion was in front of Heritage Hotel. But while I was driving along EDSA, I figured: Isn’t the front of Heritage Hotel Manila Bay? Is the launch going to be a swimming party? But the attire I was told to wear was smart casual, not swimming trunks.

I ended up at the emergency room of San Juan de Dios Hospital, which is on the other side of Heritage Hotel–which would have been just fine because I was running a high fever that time and my body for days was just begging to be confined in a hospital. But there was no time for that. I had work to do and I had to get to Le Pavilion. Thanks to the ever-reliable Reylie Manalo, associate producer of Startalk, I got the right directions on how to get to Le Pavilion. It was really stupid of me not to have known that the front of Heritage Hotel had already been reclaimed and that there is a Toyota outlet there, in fact, from where you turn right to get to Le Pavilion.

Le Pavilion turned out to be a very nice venue –cool and cold. Yes, the air-conditioning was very cold in there and I ended up studying the script outside while listening to the sales pitch of a real estate agent who was trying to sell a unit in one of the condominium buildings only a few meters away.

Inside Le Pavilion, the Via Mare staff was busy preparing its buffet table. When I saw the delicious spread, I headed straight to that part of the table that had oysters wrapped in bacon. Over at the bar, the supply of wine there overflowed like the water on Manila Bay on a stormy day.

Welcoming the members of the press and other guests were GMA 7’s top executives Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, Mr. Jimmy Duavit ( who was also celebrating his birthday) and Ms. Wilma Galvante, fashionably-dressed as always.

At way past 7, the show began and I was joined by my co-host, K Brosas, better known to most viewers as Ming-Ming in the sitcom Daboy en Da Girl. Ms. Brosas, trained in stand-up comedy is a very talented young woman. I first noticed her when she appeared in a now-defunct GMA 7 soap opera. In Daboy, she never failed to make me laugh and I am looking forward to her new program, All Together Now (with Christopher de Leon, Pops Fernandez, Johnny Delgado, Edgar Mortiz, Gary Lim, Alicia Meyer, Margaret Wilson and Angel Locsin), which was one of the shows included in that grand launch that evening. It premieres tonight after the GMA soaps.

Another program that was introduced that evening was Celebrity Turns, which combines talk, music and humor. The show is hosted by Lani Misalucha and Michael V. as Junie Lee–that Bubble Gang character that stammers and stutters while interviewing celebrity guests.

Last night saw the initial telecast of Lagot Ka, Isusumbong Kita and its cast members came in full force during the launch: Richard Gomez, Pilita Corrales, Joey Marquez, Raymart Santiago, Vangie Labalan and Benjie Paras.

Lagot Ka premiered along with Twin Hearts, which features Rudy Fernandez, Pops Fernandez, Jestoni Alarcon, Jake Roxas, Lani Mercado, Robert Ortega, Dingdong Dantes and Tanya Garcia. Unfortunately, Pops was in the US during the All Out, Blowout Party.

On Oct. 27, the reality-based talent search, Starstruck with Dingdong Dantes and Nancy Castiglione will also premiere on GMA 7.

Also gracing the All Out Blowout Party that Thursday evening was Argentine actor Segundo Cernadas, star of Monica Brava, who will soon be doing a soap opera called Te Amo opposite Iza Calzado for Channel 7. Señor Cernadas will be here for four months to do the drama program.

The All Out Blowout Party of GMA 7 wrapped up at close to midnight with some members of the press and the GMA people still dancing the night away.

At the other end of the boulevard, I can imagine that the production people of ABS-CBN were busy preparing the PICC stage for the network’s 50th anniversary show the following day.

In between, the people from the news and public affairs department of ABS-CBN and GMA 7 were mapping out plans for the arrival of President Bush.

I’m telling you, local television had never been this busy, and now is a great time to be part of the industry.

(On Thursday, the ABS-CBN 50th anniversary).