Another Kapuso Night in Tacloban

MANILA, Philippines - Fiesta, the Pinoy style of revelry, never fails to capture the pomp and pageantry of every socio-cultural celebration out there. And GMA 7, particularly its Regional TV, is always present in almost all festivals from up north (Viva! Vigan! World Costume Festival) to down south (Sinulog and Kadayawan festivals), bringing the Kapuso brand of entertainment.

Tacloban City was the most recent stop of Kapuso Fiesta in time for its Sangyaw Festival, a project of the city’s tourism committee headed by councilor Cristina “Kring Kring” Gonzalez-Romualdez. By the way, Sangyaw Festival’s English translation is Festival of Lights.

This is not the first time Tacloban City experienced the Kapuso Fiesta topbilled by the network’s most-prized talents. Yes, it was another Kapuso night every Kapuso in the region couldn’t wait to be part of.

“This is the third year that GMA Network participated in the Sangyaw Festival,” shares Oliver Amoroso, AVP for Regional TV. “What made this year’s participation special was that we mounted two big activities — a Kapuso Mall Show at Robinsons Tacloban and a Kapuso Night at the Tacloban City Astrodome. Both venues were jam-packed.”

Mark Herras, Isabelle Daza and Anna Maris Igpit graced the 2013 Miss Tacloban at the city’s Astrodome. The pageant with a cause campaigned for the rehabilitation of Mangonbangon River.

Christian Bautista performed some of his signature songs for the balikbayan event, Balik-Tacloban Night. Kapuso Mall Show was a crowd drawer with Ryzza Mae Dizon and Sam Pinto as guest stars.  

Tacloban City is under the umbrella of GMA TV Central and Eastern Visayas, Cebu Station. According to Oliver, Leyte, where the city is located, has 89,898 households (which comprise the 3.28 percent of Urban Visayas), based on the 2010 NSO Census and Nielsen 2013 Data.

GMA 7 has performed well in the Visayas’ ratings game. The local programs “are beating competition,” says Oliver.

The Central and Eastern Visayas programs, Buena Mano Balita and Balitang Bisdak, are aired in Tacloban but the public clamors for a local newscast in Waray. Of all the Kapuso shows, Eat, Bulaga! “is very popular” among Taclobanons, says Anna Marie Tan, Cebu station manager of GMA TV Central and Eastern Visayas. “It is also heartwarming that Taclobanons know our Kapuso stars based on the response we got in all the Kapuso activities during the Sangyaw Festival.”

“The stars are called by the names of the characters they portray on TV,” adds Oliver.

Bianca King, Rafael Rosell, Dion Ignacio, JC Tiuseco, stars of Maghihintay Pa Rin, can attest to this and to the warm welcome of Taclobanons during the Kapuso Night at the Astrodome.

”Rafael, Dion and JC obviously got the loudest screams from female fans,” recalls Oliver.

The three Kapuso hunks along with Bianca took turns in entertaining Taclobanons. JC came first on stage singing Mahirap Magmahal ng Syota ng Iba and The Way You Look Tonight. From JC’s OPM and ballad numbers, Dion treated fans with his own rendition of Nakapagtataka and Wherever You Will Go. Then, Bianca turned Katy Perry with Teenage Dream. Rafael showed his vocal chops in performing Ronan Keating’s When You Say Nothing At All.

Rafael, Dion, JC and Bianca also invited Kapusong Taclobanons to watch their afternoon prime soap Maghihintay Pa Rin.

Asked what Kapuso regional events Taclobanons can expect to happen in the nearest future, Oliver replies, “We have lined up several activities in Tacloban this year. While I was there, I was able to meet some local partners who have shown interest to bring in more Kapuso stars (in Tacloban). Our nearest event will be a Kapuso Mall Show in Robinsons Tacloban on Aug. 2.”

(Experience the Kapuso brand of entertainment by watching Let’s Fiesta on July 21 via GMA regional stations in Bacolod, Bicol, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Dagupan, Davao, GenSan, Ilocos and Iloilo.)