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TV5 boosts entertainment programming to challenge GMA

AFTER reintroducing entertainment shows to its programming in August, TV network TV5 is once again introducing a whole slew of programs this October as it attempts to go head-to-head with what is now, with the non-renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise, the biggest TV network in the country, GMA.

“The new program line-up does not only set the bar higher for innovativeness and production values but also reinforces TV5’s vision to become a formidable force in Philippine television as it continues to challenge traditional programming standards and reinvigorate the network’s adaptability to survive and thrive in this pandemic and beyond,” Robert C. Galang, CEO of TV5 and Cignal TV, said in a press conference on Oct. 12.

In August, TV5 announced that its entertainment lineup would come from independent producers who want to enter into blocktiming, a practice where a program with its own producers buys a time slot from a network to show their program. The network partnered with Archangel media to produce game shows such as Bawal na Game Show.

(Read more: https://www.bworldonline.com/tv5-to-buy-entertainment-content-enter-into-block-timing/)

Many of the hosts and actors on the new programs are from ABS-CBN, the embattled network which had to stop airing on free TV after failing to secure a renewal of its franchise in July. The move to introduce new programs, according to Manny V. Pangilinan, chairman of Cignal TV and TV5, was to offer “alternative jobs for displaced workers in the entertainment industry,” and that the doors of Cignal TV and TV5 are open to accept “creatives, talents, directors, scriptwriters, cameramen, etc.,” according to a statement.

This time, the network partnered with Brightlight productions to produce six more programs. Sunday Noontime Live, directed by Johnny Manahan, is a Sunday noontime musical variety show which will start airing on Oct. 18, 12 p.m. It will be hosted by actor Piolo Pascual and beauty queen Catriona Gray together with Maja Salvador, Donny Pangilinan, and Jake Ejercito. Another show is I Got You, directed by Dan Villegas, a romance drama series starring Beauty Gonzales, Jane Oineza, and RK Bagatsing. It is set to premiere on Oct. 18 at 2 p.m.

Sunday Kada is a weekly comedy show directed by Edgar Mortiz featuring Jayson Gainza, Ritz Azul, Wacky Kiray, Miles Ocampo, Daniel Matsunaga, Jerome Ponce, Josh Colet, Sunshine Garcia, Jhen Maloles, and Badji Mortiz. The show will premiere on Oct. 18, and will air every Sunday at 3 p.m. Lunch Out Loud, meanwhile, is a noontime variety show with games and surprises for its at-home viewers. The show will be hosted by Billy Crawford, Alex Gonzaga, Wacky Kiray, K Brosas, Bayani Agbayani, KC Montero, and Macoy Dubs and air every weekday at noon starting Oct. 19.

Long-running news magazine and lifestyle show Rated Korina (formerly Rated K) made the switch from ABS-CBN. Hosted by Korina Sanchez-Roxas, it is set to premiere on Oct. 24, 4 p.m., and air every Saturday thereafter.

“I feel blessed that I didn’t have to wait so long to get back on free TV. I have many friends in TV5 so it’s like having a family again,” Ms. Sanchez-Roxas said in a statement.

Finally, Oh My Dad, a family sitcom directed by Jeffrey Jeturian and starring Ian Veneracion, Dimples Romana, Sue Ramirez, Louise Abuel, and Adrian Lindayag, will premiere on Oct. 24, and air at 5 p.m. every Saturday. — Z.B. Chua

ISOC Holdings still keen on property expansion, cites sector’s resilience

By Denise A. Valdez, Senior Reporter

ISOC HOLDINGS, Inc. is bullish to expand its property portfolio in the coming years as it looks at the capital market as a viable investment tool in the future.

The holding firm of businessman Michael C. Cosiquien, co-founder of listed Megawide Construction Corp., said it launched two real estate projects this year despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Before the year ends and through the coming years, it looks to launch more commercial and residential projects in Metro Manila, and an integrated resort in Clark, Pampanga.

“The real estate industry is probably one of the most resilient sectors given that despite the pandemic, the industry remains to be stable,” Mr. Cosiquien, chairman of ISOC Holdings, told BusinessWorld via e-mail.

To support this growth, the company is studying possibilities for fundraising through an initial public offering (IPO) or a real estate investment trust (REIT) IPO.

“We want to establish a strong and consistent track record of sustainability that will satisfy, if not delight, our home owners. Doing an IPO or a REIT listing is a consideration in our long-term plan,” Mr. Cosiquien said.

ISOC Holdings, through I-Land, Inc., has two commercial properties, a residential property and a seven-hectare master-planned complex in Clark, Pampanga in its portfolio.

This year, it launched I-Land Bay Plaza in Pasay City and I-Land Residences Sucat in Parañaque City. I-Land Bay Plaza is already 50% leased out and is scheduled to be topped off next month. I-Land Residences is recording “very good” sales take-up, with all its one-bedroom units sold out.

“That’s why we are planning to launch Tower 2 of Sucat soon with more one-bedroom units,” Mr. Cosiquien said.

In the years ahead, the company plans to launch new residential and commercial projects in Quezon City, Pasig City, Makati City, and Taguig City. “We want to be able to satisfy our future homeowners and create a long term partnership and loyal following,” Mr. Cosiquien said.

Aside from real estate, ISOC Holdings also has interests in cold chain solutions, energy, and infrastructure businesses.

BTS band members make millions as Big Hit shares surge in IPO

K-POP AGENCY Big Hit Entertainment Co. soared on its debut trading Thursday, boosting the fortunes of its billionaire founder and seven multimillionaire members of the world’s best-known boy band, BTS.

The management company, which makes almost all of its revenue from the pop sensation, opened at 270,000 won ($235) in Seoul, from its initial public offering (IPO) price of 135,000 won per share, and rose as much as 30%, the upper daily limit. That’s pushing Big Hit’s market value to 11 trillion won, more than the other three major K-pop agencies combined.

Big Hit’s $820 million offering was South Korea’s largest in three years. The firm managed to thrive even as the coronavirus crisis forced it to cancel live concerts, and investors piled into the IPO on BTS’s continued popularity from online performances and hit songs like “Dynamite,” its first English tune.

With the surge in shares, Big Hit founder Bang Si-hyuk’s wealth reached $3.8 billion, one of the biggest fortunes in Korea. He also shared his stake with BTS’s band members, giving each of them 68,385 shares of the company in August, a stake valued at more than $20 million at the stock high.

Others at the agency are getting richer too: A stock-ownership association of employees subscribed to 1.4 million shares worth 499 billion won, meaning that each could own more than a million dollar stakes if all 297 full-time workers excluding executives that were disclosed in July subscribed equally. By law, companies in Korea are allowed to allocate up to 20% of IPO stock to employees.

The firm also gave its workers and executives equity options. A Big Hit representative declined to comment on how many got stock and options, and in which amount.

Investors have reaped large gains from Korean listings recently, especially from companies benefiting from the flood of easy money during COVID-19. Big Hit’s offering was more than 1,000 times oversubscribed by institutional investors, and more than 600 times by retail. This year, with the surge in trading as the virus kept people home, individual investors have taken over from institutional ones to account for the bulk of the nation’s stock-market volume.

The other two large Korean IPOs this year — that of Kakao Games Corp. last month and of SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., a biotechnology unit of chaebol SK Group, in July — were also heavily oversubscribed. Kakao Games drew 1,524 times the amount of stock available for retail investors and has doubled since the offering, while SK Biopharmaceuticals was 323 times oversubscribed and has tripled.

Big Hit’s listing is proving successful even as BTS recently came under criticism in China after one of its members mentioned in a video the US-South Korea relations during the Korean war, bringing accusations on social media that he neglected to highlight China’s own part in the conflict. As a result, Samsung Electronics Co. removed BTS-edition smartphones and earbuds from its official stores on Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Tmall and JD.com, Inc., the Financial Times reported.

While BTS has been the key to Big Hit’s success, it’s also the company’s major risk, with the band accounting for almost 90% of its sales in the first half of the year. The ages of its members are a growing concern as Korea requires its male citizens between 18 and 28 to serve in the military for two years. BTS’s oldest star, Kim Seok-jin, is already 27. There is currently legislation sitting with the nation’s parliament that if passed would lead entertainers who have made “great contributions” to popular culture to put off joining the military until they are 30, a move that would buy the band members some time, though not much.

Another risk is that 30% of the institutional investors who bought into the IPO can sell the shares after a month, when their lock-up period expires. For SK Biopharmaceuticals, its three-month lock-up led to a 10% plunge in the stock.

But K-pop companies have generally held up well, and the coronavirus crisis has proved that the industry’s global influence remains undaunted thanks to online concerts and album sales. Shares of Big Hit rivals YG Entertainment, Inc. and JYP Entertainment Corp. are both up more than 45% this year — and the stakes their founders own in their respective agencies are now worth millions of dollars. YG is behind BlackPink, the subject of a Netflix documentary this year.

Even with COVID-19 making physical concerts impossible, BTS sales have kept rising. An online concert last weekend on Big Hit’s mobile platform for fans drew as many as 993,000 viewers, according to local media. The agency has also collaborated with companies to keep the group’s profile high. Samsung’s new smartphone is designed with BTS’s logo, and Fortnite, a role-playing game developed by US firm Epic Games, Inc., carried out a virtual dancing party with the boy band late last month.

Mr. Bang’s road to riches hasn’t always been smooth. Big Hit, which he set up in 2005 after a successful career as a music producer, almost went bankrupt in its early years. The agency’s first breakthrough came in 2009, when 8Eight’s “Without a Heart” became a local hit. BTS debuted in 2013, and in a 2017 interview with Bloomberg, Mr. Bang mentioned plans to take Big Hit public. At the time, he pledged he would double the company’s revenue every year, a promise he has since achieved. — Bloomberg

Filinvest says same-name trust bank not its affiliate

THE Filinvest Group has issued a warning to the public on Thursday that it is not affiliated with a certain Filinvest Trust Bank, which carries its name and address.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, Filinvest Development Corp. (FDC) said the bank operator is misusing its company details, which it purports on its website FilinvestTrust.com.

“FDC would like to clarify and advise the public that FDC, and its real estate arm, FLI (Filinvest Land, Inc.), its concerned affiliates and subsidiaries are the exclusive owners and registrants of the trade name and mark Filinvest and have not authorized any other entity to use the Filinvest name/mark,” it said.

It added that its registered business address in Mandaluyong City is not involved with Filinvest Trust Bank, against the latter’s claim that it is its office address.

The banking unit of the Filinvest Group operates through East West Banking Corp. (Eastwest Bank). FDC said EastWest Bank is not connected in any way to Filinvest Trust Bank.

The identified website of Filinvest Trust Bank was no longer accessible as of Thursday.

The Filinvest Group is a Gotianun family-led company with interests in real estate, banking and financial services, power, sugar and hospitality. Earnings of FDC grew 24% to P7.2 billion in the six-month period ending June.

FDC shares at the stock exchange fell five centavos or 0.57% to P8.70 each on Thursday. – Denise A. Valdez

A small glimpse behind the K-Pop curtain

By Zsarlene B. Chua, Senior Reporter

REVIEW
Black Pink: Light Up the Sky
Netflix

For its first original Korean Pop (K-Pop) content, streaming giant Netflix turned its gaze onto what is arguably Korea’s top girl group, BlackPink, as it tries to answer why the group — which is the first Korean girl group to perform at Coachella and which has a string of chart-topping hits around the world — is so popular and the overarching question why Korean acts are so popular right now. But while the attempt is admirable, Black Pink: Light Up the Sky offers little more than a crash course introduction to K-Pop and BlackPink and rarely offers anything new to people with a modicum of knowledge about the genre or the group.

“We were able to go back to times that we even forgot ourselves and that brought back a lot of memories. Since our training period to debut until today, we wanted to show all the hard work… while also sharing the authentic, the more original moments on stage that we really didn’t get to share with fans before. I hope that the Blinks (as BlackPink fans are referred to) are looking forward to the documentary and to our story,” Jennie Kim, one of the members of BlackPink, said during a global press conference on Oct. 13, ahead of the Oct. 14 release date of the documentary.

The more than one hour documentary is not only peppered with individual interviews with the four members of the group — Jennie, Roseanne “Rose” Park, Jisoo Kim, and Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban — but also home videos and videos from back when they auditioned and their training.

More than once, it was noted by the members — especially Rose who shed tears telling her story — that it was so hard living apart from their families while they were still in their teens and undergoing the strict training regimen YG Entertainment subjected them to, in order for them to become stars.

This segment felt like drawing the curtain, albeit slightly, to see how K-Pop — a genre of Korean pop music that is currently exploding in popularity — and its stars are formed: through years of training that can start as early as 11 years old, numerous dancing, singing, and language classes (Jennie noted at one time that they train for 14 hours a day, while Rose said she had to do two to three dance classes a day), and living together in a dormitory.

It also showed how cutthroat the industry is: Jennie mentioned that the original plan for BlackPink was for it to be an “eight or nine” member girl group but that was gradually whittled down to four when they debuted in 2016.

“I think what makes K-Pop K-Pop, is the time we spent as trainees,” Jennie said and in a way she’s right: K-Pop is known for its catchy songs and dynamic dances, two things that require years of training to perfect.

NO SCANDALS
The documentary, directed by Caroline Suh, focuses more on the individual BlackPink members and their stories, stories fans of the group may have already known, and offers no further information on why they became so successful.

It doesn’t delve into how BlackPink was seemingly created for the Western market by choosing three members who can speak English and were raised outside South Korea: Jennie grew up in New Zealand, Rose was born in Australia, and Lisa is Thai.

The documentary also didn’t interview executives of the label apart from Teddy Park, the producer of all of BlackPink’s songs thus far, which may be a way of distancing the group from the scandals that have erupted around its label, YG Entertainment.

YG Entertainment is one of the biggest entertainment companies in South Korea and has produced acts like Big Bang and 2NE1. Two years ago, the label’s top honcho at the time, Hyun-Suk Yang (YG himself) was accused of arranging sexual services for foreign investors, and former Big Bang member Seungri (Seung-hyun Lee) was charged with arranging sexual services, gambling, embezzlement, and other charges, in what is now called the Burning Sun scandal, named after Seungri’s nightclub where the alleged crimes took place.

The scandal forced Mr. Yang to step down from his post as “representative producer,” a post where he played a major role in casting and training new possible K-Pop acts, alongside music and video production.

The documentary also does not mention that BlackPink was created right after unceremoniously disbanding 2NE1, a popular girl group which debuted in 2009 and produced hits such as “I’m the Best” and “Ugly.”

Mr. Yang was quoted by The Korea Times as saying that BlackPink was not made to be different from 2NE1, only that they chose pretty girls with skills this time.

“If you ask me what differentiates them from other girl groups, I will say I did not form them with that in mind. I tried to make the YG version of a girl group like I did with 2NE1. But this time I wanted the girls to look pretty too, with skills,” Mr. Yang was quoted in 2016. This statement incensed fans of 2NE1 at the time.

Mr. Yang also admitted that BlackPink would have the same producer as 2NE1 to produce their songs, Teddy Park, which led fans to speculate that some BlackPink songs such as “Boombayah” (2016) and “As If It’s Your Last” (2019) were originally 2NE1 songs.

And while seemingly made for fans, the documentary showed Teddy Park acknowledging that fans are asking for more music from BlackPink as the four-year-old group only has one full album to its name, released in 2020, and a string of mini albums. Many K-Pop groups come out with a main album every one to two years and an extended play of the album in the same year.

Mr. Park said that they listen to fans but that they are “very particular” about what to put out there.

At length, the documentary is a tribute to a four-year journey of four girls trying to make it in a cutthroat environment, but does not go beyond offering a glimpse behind what the industry is really like or what it attributes to its growing success.

BlackPink: Light Up the Sky is now streaming on Netflix.

Rural utilities post growth in sales, revenues in 2nd quarter

RURAL utilities posted a collective rise in energy sales and revenues between April and June on increased power usage of their residential consumers.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic that generally led to reduced power demand, electric cooperatives sold more electricity in the second quarter, increasing by 12% to 5,988 gigawatt-hours (GWh) over the first quarter, according to the latest report of the National Electrification Administration (NEA).

The increase in energy sales was mainly attributed to the 9% uptick in electricity consumption by the residential sector to 3,693 GWh, according to NEA Administrator Edgardo R. Masongsong.

However, the community quarantine still dragged down power consumption of both commercial and industrial customers by 6% to 982 GWh and 3% to 957 GWh, respectively. Power usage in public buildings and other consumers of electric cooperatives also fell by 1% to 356 GWh.

Data from the NEA’s information technology and communication services department also showed that the power distributors in the countryside generated P54.074 billion in revenue, or a 9% increase over the previous quarter.

Mr. Masongsong also noted the sharp decline in energy sales and revenues of power utilities in Aklan, Benguet, Palawan, Bohol, and Siargao Island -— all which are highly dependent on tourism — because of quarantine policies imposed in their areas.

Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco) booked a huge drop in energy sales by 20%, which is equivalent to P149 million in revenues, followed by Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) that recorded an 18% dive in sales and a P145-million loss.

Palawan Electric Cooperative (Paleco) saw a 9% decrease in power sales and incurred P53 million in losses. Bohol I Electric Cooperative (Boheco I) sold 6% less electricity in the period and earned P50 million, while Siargao Electric Cooperative (Siarelco) posted an 8% slump in sales and incurred a P7-million loss.

NEA said it had extended more loans to struggling electric cooperatives than it could provide as of September. It disbursed a total of P364.542 million in various loans since the start of the year, or around P120 million more than its 2020 loan provision target. The bulk of the money lent was used to finance capital expenditure projects of 11 electric cooperatives.

Still, the agency was able to collect P773.91 million in loan payments in the first six months of the year. — Adam J. Ang

MaArte Fair goes online through Zalora

THE PANDEMIC may have stopped a lot of things, but the MaArte Fair, goes on and online, thanks to shopping platform Zalora. A consequence of the move to a virtual space is its extension: MaArte Fairs of years past were three-day weekends, but this iteration will run from Oct. 16 to Dec. 31.

“We are happy to have Zalora Philippines on board as a partner for the 12th staging of the MaArte fair. Their e-commerce platform offers the best solution to the restrictions caused by this pandemic by providing safe, easy, and contactless interactions between our vendors and patrons. More importantly, the staging of MaArte at Zalora will hopefully introduce our exhibitors to a wider market. We see this as a great opportunity to raise awareness for fundraising activities of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines,” said Museum Foundation Philippines, Inc. (MFPI) President Albert Avellana in a statement.

“Zalora is committed to enabling partners to explore what digital retail has to offer, as well as reach the right audience through our platform. This is why it is our pleasure to host and support MFPI’s fundraising activities through MaArte Fair’s online debut. As we take pride in providing a platform to showcase the best of Filipino talent, this venture attests to the countless ways in which technology continues to help businesses grow together,” says Zalora Philippines co-founder and CEO Paulo Campos III.

On opening day, the MaArte @ Zalora page will already showcase fair favorites Amarie, Aranaz, Coco and Tres, Creative Definitions, Gifts and Graces, Ibarra, TDLG, Milvidas, MCV Designs, O & M Home, Oscar Mejia Fragrances, Beyond Borders, Pika Pika Cards, Siklo Pilipinas, Betina NYC, WHIMSY Silay Export, Inc.; jewelers Tim Tam Ong, Natalya Lagdameo, and Riqueza; fashion apparel brands Betina NYC and WYC Wear Your Culture, and designer Jojie Lloren.

More exhibitors are expected to go on board before the fair concludes on Dec. 31.

As in previous years, proceeds of this year’s MaArte will support the National Museum and other MFPI projects. The online event also seeks to create a new platform for partner MSMEs (micro-small and medium scale entrepreneurs), to help them bounce back from the economic blow dealt by the pandemic.

Visit zalora.com.ph/maarte  or download the Zalora app, available on iOS and Android. For updates and more information, visit MaArte Fair’s Facebook and Instagram accounts @maartefair or the Museum Foundation’s website.

Clark invites property development proposals

CLARK DEVELOPMENT Corp. (CDC) has called for bid proposals from property developers for 25-year leases on two lots at the Clark Freeport Zone.

The prospective proponents must be in property development, including hotel, restaurant, office building, commercial, and other amenities development.

The government-owned and -controlled corporation said that the first property is an 11,700 square meter (sq.m.) lot on C.M. Recto Ave., which has a minimum required investment of P1.72 billion. Prospective proponents must pay a P200,000 fee before they will be issued the terms of reference.

The second property is a 3,816 sq.m. lot on J.A. Santos Ave., which has a minimum required investment of P438 million. The non-refundable fee is P100,000.

The proponents must have previously done a similar project, equivalent to 50% of the minimum required investment.

For both properties, terms of reference will be issued between Oct. 15 to Nov. 18. The pre-bid conference will be on Oct. 22, while submission and opening of bids will be on Nov. 19 at the CDC board room.

The minimum proposal to lease and develop property from CDC is $2.50 per square meter each month. The winning proponent would the “highest ranked and complying bid.”

CDC said in its invitation that it reserves the right to accept or reject applications or bids without offering any reason. It may also stop the process and reject all bids before a contract award without liability to the affected bidder.

CDC said that it may also make an award to the bidder “whose proposal is most advantageous to the government,” and makes no guarantee that an award will be made. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Stevie Wonder releases two songs appealing for love and unity

LOS ANGELES — Stevie Wonder on Tuesday released two new singles appealing for unity amid the challenges of systemic racism and the coronavirus pandemic, and said he would donate 100% of the proceeds of one of them to the non-profit Feeding America.

“Where Is Our Love Song” and “Can’t Put It In the Hands of Fate,” are songs Wonder, 70, said he had started writing years ago about romantic relationships but was inspired to give them a different twist by the tumultuous events of the past year.

“If I can do anything to use the gift of song to help to feed people, to share my love … it is my joy,” the singer-songwriter told a video news conference, referring to “Where Is Our Love Song.”

“In these times, we are hearing the most poignant wake-up calls and cries for this nation and the world to, please, heed our need for love, peace and unity,” he said.

Wonder began his career as an 11-year-old and later used his 1980 song “Happy Birthday” to campaign for the late Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday to be made a US national holiday.

The 25-time Grammy winner said on Tuesday that “Can’t Put It In the Hands of Fate” was inspired by street protests against social injustice, the search for a coronavirus vaccine and the right to vote.

“Where Is Our Love Song” was written in response to “all the confusion and hate, all the east versus west, left versus right” in contemporary America, he said. — Reuters

(View the videos of the songs here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLMB5o5vtLs and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgdfxeh0WtE .)

DBM releases Bayanihan II funds for OFW repatriation

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P820 million in additional funds for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to help with the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The DBM issued Tuesday the special allotment release order (SARO) that will augment DFA’s assistance to nationals (ATN) fund, as authorized by Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan II).

More than 250,000 OFWs have been repatriated to date, with the government expecting the number to reach 300,000 by year’s end. The ATN fund has a P1-billion budget each year.

So far, funds released under Bayanihan II amounted to P4.2 billion, or 2.5% of the P165.5-billion total. President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed into law the relief measure on Sept. 11 and it expires at the end of 2020.

The DBM released P855.19 million to the Department of National Defense last week for operating coronavirus facilities, and P2.523 billion to the Department of the Interior and Local Government on Oct. 2 for the hiring and training of contact tracers, according to the issued SAROs.

A SARO allows agencies to incur obligations that will cover the funding needs of specific programs or projects.

Budget Assistant Secretary Rolando U. Toledo has said the DBM will release the budget allocations under Bayanihan II upon the request of implementing agencies and after necessary documents are processed. The Bureau of the Treasury also has to certify that funds are available.

“The DBM will release the necessary funding requirements under Bayanihan II upon receipt of the request together with the usual supporting documents from the respective implementing agencies and certification from the Bureau of the Treasury of the availability of funds. Said request will be evaluated by the DBM consistent with existing budgeting laws, rules and regulations,” Mr. Toledo said via Viber last month days after the law was passed.

Bayanihan II has a P140-billion budget plus a P25.5-billion standby fund to help sectors affected by the ongoing pandemic.

Other relief measures included in the stimulus package are P40 billion in capital infusions to government financial institutions to help them expand their lending; P24 billion to the Agriculture department for cash aid and loan programs; P9 billion to assist the transportation industry; P3 billion to help state universities and colleges organize for online learning; and P3 billion for the cash-for-work program for the jobless. — Beatrice M. Laforga

TV’s West Wing swaps fictional politics for the real thing

LOS ANGELES — 14 years after television political drama The West Wing shut down its White House set, the show is back with its idealized version of a US president and a mission to get Americans to the polls on Nov. 3 to choose a real one.

Martin Sheen— who played the liberal-leaning US President Jed Bartlet on the show — reunites with fictional White House staffers portrayed by Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, Rob Lowe, Dule Hill, Janel Maloney and Richard Schiff for a one-off special to promote voting.

A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote, to be broadcast on HBO Max on Thursday (Friday in Manila), is a staged theatrical performance of an episode from 2002, called “Hartsfield’s Landing,” in which the cerebral Bartlet plays chess with his aides while awaiting the results of a state primary election and dealing with a brewing crisis over Taiwan.

The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin said it was chosen “because the episode ended with a feeling that we wanted the audience to have. A feeling about voting.”

While Sorkin wrote no updates to the script, the likes of former President Bill Clinton, former first lady Michelle Obama and Hamilton musical creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will appear during commercial breaks “giving information about voting, knocking down some untruths about voting, and doing it in their own style,” Mr. Sorkin said.

Mr. Sorkin said he was a firm believer in the influential power of movies and television in shaping ideas, but said The West Wing would be no different if he was writing it in today’s political environment.

“What the show was always about was a workplace drama set in a very interesting workplace,” Mr. Sorkin said.

“In our popular culture, our elected leaders are portrayed either as Machiavellian or as dolts. So I thought, what if there is a show where these people are every bit as confident and dedicated as doctors and nurses on a hospital show or the lawyers on a legal drama.”

The West Wing ended its seven-year run in 2006 after winning more than 20 Emmy Awards. The special was shot as a play in an empty theater in Los Angeles under coronavirus guidelines.

This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown takes the role of chief of staff Leo McGarry following the death in 2005 of actor John Spencer.

“It was moving to have everybody back together,” said director Thomas Schlamme. “What was stunning to me was how quickly these actors slipped right back into their characters.” — Reuters

Senator planning bill setting limits on foreign construction workers

A BILL limiting the participation of foreign workers and firms in construction projects and according priority to Filipino workers is being drafted in the Senate.

“I’m planning to file a bill which will limit the entry of foreign construction companies,” Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said at an online briefing Thursday.

This follows a Senate hearing on the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways, in which senators raised concerns about the influx of foreign workers in infrastructure projects.

Mr. Zubiri said he is open to employing foreign workers for highly technical jobs, provided that up to 90% of the workers employed are Filipinos.

“Definitely… we should allow (foreign workers) when it comes to highly-skilled engineers, technical know-how. (The) construction engineers (may be) foreign workers… They’re called foreign consultants,” he said.

“Ibigay na natin ‘yang masonry works sa ating mga kababayan, (let’s reserve the masonry work to Filipinos), which should be 90% of the project in terms of workforce.”

Mr. Zubiri said the bill will amend Republic Act No. 4566, the “Contractors’ License Law,” which at present provides no limits on the entry of foreign firms and workers in the construction industry. He cited the Supreme Court ruling that struck down the nationality requirement in granting licenses.

He said he will include a provision that will allow foreign contractors to participate in big-ticket infrastructure projects, leaving the small ones exclusively for Filipino contractors.

“We will limit it maybe to projects that are P2 billion and above… projects that may need foreign assistance, but even then, the main bulk of their workforce… will be Filipino hires,” he said.

“They may participate in large flagship projects but their workforce should be 80 to 90% Filipinos, that’s what we are going to study in the committee hearings.” — Charmaine A. Tadalan

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