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Korina defends decision to move to TV5

Korina Sanchez
Korina Sanchez

KORINA Sanchez is back on the air this Sunday, 4 to 5PM with “Rated Korina” on TV5. She says her pilot episode in her new home is something not to be missed. “We have four exclusive stories,” she beams. “First is about a remote barangay in Cebu. From the airport, we have to travel pa by land for five hours. We discovered 28 cases of people na nakakulong sa hawla or nakatali sa puno. ‘Yung isa, 30 years na siyang nakatali sa puno. We talked to the commission on human rights nga about it.”

And where is this strange barangay? “Well, you have to watch on Sunday to find out. Our next story is about someone na ang best friend niya is a doll. Kasama niya sa work, sa pagtulog, pinaliliguan niya. You’ll find out if that is sane behavior. Then meron kaming segment na parang Guiness Book of Records. Compilation ng taong may pinakamahabang buhok, may alagang 100 na pusa, mga gan’on. The last segment is about stars and their babies, siempre kasama ang kids ko, Pepe and Pilar.”

So how is it to be a mom to her one-year old twins? “Noong una, Mar (Roxas, her husband) and I were asking, kaya ba natin to? But now, we can say, it’s double the joy. Sabagay, high school pa lang, malakas na ang maternal instincts ko. I love children. Sa hospitals, I go to the nursery to watch the babies.”

She’s a doting mom but she doesn’t want to spoil them. “From the start, I told Mar, I want to train them to be emotionally independent, not clingy. Like gusto niya, sa bed namin matulog ang mga bata, sabi ko, no. I believe the best thing you can teach your child is to train them to be able to adapt well to change. Right now, things change so fast, with the pandemic, with technology, lahat ang bilis magpalit, dapat marunong ka ring mag-adjust agad sa lahat ng changes.”

We tell her she doesn’t age at all. What’s her secret?

“I think it’s in my genes. I also eat healthy, I go to a wellness clinic, I have blood test regularly para kung may problema sa health ko, maremedyuhan agad. And nakapasok talaga sa isip ko na I’m forever 27 years old.”

Is it true Mar is no longer running for public office?

“For this coming election, parang wala talagang balak. He wants to take fatherhood seriously and, also his mom, she’s getting on in years at gusto niyang alagaan. Tamang-tama naman kasi ako ang mas focused ngayon sa trabaho. Alam nyo naman, ever since, hindi ako humihingi ng pera sa asawa ko. I earn on my own.”

How does she feel when haters bash her for leaving ABS-CBN?

“Inuunawa ko na lang sila. Pero hindi naman ako basta nang-iwan. Nagpaalam ako nang maayos. Basta sa ngayon, nandito ako sa TV5. And I feel very blessed na even before I got worried, dumating itong offer to do a show for them at andami kong kasama ritong mga nawalan ng trabaho when ABS lost its franchise.”

She’s now helping a lot of people who are working for her. “I’m glad to help them kasi meron diyang may babayarang renta, tuition fee ng mga anak nila, andami kong natutulungan. Also, I’m really active in various platforms. I’m also in youtube, Facebook and Instagram. Mine-maintain ko ang mga ‘yan at full production sila lahat to give jobs to more people.”

Don’t miss the initial episode of “Rated Korina” on TV5, 4 to 5 PM, this coming Sunday, pre-program to “Oh My Dad”.

Cong. Albee on the shows produces for TV5: Ratings don’t soar overnight

Albee Benitez and Korina Sanchez
Cong. Albee Benitez of BRIGHTLIGHT PRODUCTIONS

FORMER Negros Occidental Congressman (for three terms) Albee Benitez had lunch with some press people. His Brightlight Productions produces several shows for TV5. We notice most of them have Kapamilya stars.

“Because it’s really one of Brightlight’s objectives to give work to ABS-CBN stars who lost their jobs,” he says. “I believe it’s not right to tie down stars to exclusive contracts kasi it deprives them the chance to work with other networks when they have no projects with their mother studios.”

He believes the network war is not really helping the industry. “The network war should stop. It’s not healthy for the industry at lugi ang stars sa ganoon kasi frozen delights sila. Networks should be more generous in sharing their stars kasi yung iba, matagal bago nabibigyan uli ng bagong projects. Itatali mo ‘yung artista sa exclusive contract tapos they wait and wait for their next project. That’s not fair. They could be doing projects for other producers at mas makikinabang din ang viewers na gustong mapanood ang paborito nilang mga artista. Kung puwede maghiraman ng stars, it would be a healthier environment for the industry as a whole. We would also welcome stars from GMA-7 to work with us, kung papayagan sila.”

He is married to Dominique Lopez Benitez and they have two kids Javier (nicknamed Javi, who’s now in showbiz and has just finished an action movie, “Kid Alpha One”) and Bettina. In 2014, he put up his own TV show, “Game Changer”, on ANC which he co-hosted with Javi. Does he have plans to revive it on TV5?

“None. Right now, our work sa Brightlight is to be a content creator and provider for TV5. It’s a new challenge for me. Our company has also completed three new movies: ‘Magikland’, which was inspired by the theme park we put up in Bacolod and nag-qualify na sa Metro-Manila Filmfest; then the action movie ‘Kid Alpha One’ with my son Javi and Sue Ramirez; and a comedy based on a true story about a transgender na nabilanggo at hindi alam kunsaan isasama, sa mga lalaki ba o sa mga babae. As of now, wait and see muna kami kung kailan uli magbubukas ang mga sinehan.”

He thinks theaters should bring down ticket prices to entice people to return to cinemas. “It has become so prohibitive dito sa atin. Yung price ng isang ticket, kita na ng isang ordinary worker natin sa buong araw. Siyempre, uunahin mo ang food on your table bago ka magbayad sa panonood ng sine.”

Is he happy with the way the first week of their new shows “Sunday Noontime Live”, “Sunday Kada”, “I Got You” and “Lunch Out Loud” turn out?

“Yes. We don’t expect it to soar in the ratings right away. Sa ngayon, what we’re doing is to make the viewing public aware muna na TV5 is producing quality entertainment shows. Kasi hindi sila sanay manood sa TV5, e. Ratings will not go up overnight. People will have to be excited to watch our new shows first and so far, happy naman kami kasi maganda ang feedback as a whole. Pinag-uusapan ang ‘Sunday Noontime Live’, ‘Lunch Out Loud’ at ‘Sunday Kada’. Maraming nagandahan sa ‘I Got You’. So now, this weekend, magsisimula naman ang ‘Rated Korina’ and ‘Oh My Dad’ and I guarantee everyone na magugustuhan nila ito.”

It’s common knowledge his son Javi is now playing beautiful music with Sue Ramirez on and off cam. What can he say about it? “Magaling si Sue. I saw her in ‘Oh My Dad’ and she’s very good as Ian Veneracion’s daughter.”

How about her relationship with Javi? “I can see they get along very well. At the end of the day, it’s between them. As long as they’re happy together.”