Big Brother’ Project Begins Value of Meralco by Amy Mosura CONTROVERSIAL

Home , Anne Curtis, Antoinette Taus, Bayani Agbayani, Bubble Gang, Carlos Agassi, Carlo Katigbak

August 2005 The first issue of ‘Bridges,’ a publication of the Lopez Group Foundation, is now available...p.9 For more information, call Vanessa Suquila at 449-6026

The ‘Big Brother’ project begins Value of Meralco By Amy Mosura CONTROVERSIAL. That is what “Pinoy Big Brother” is. Never have highlighted in people been put to the test in this manner. The show has all the ingredients of TV spots ...p.2 intense television. It is innovative, exciting and dramatic. At the same time, it is human, recognizable and touching. For approximately 100 days, the viewer will sympathize with 12 housemates- MNTC crying, laughing and falling in love with them. communication ABS-CBN has put on some big pro- program jects in its more than 50 years on television. But for a regular The "Pinoy Big Brother" house show, there is arguably no (top) on Eugenio Lopez Drive worth commitment more in- has tubes for microphones and tensive and challeng- cameras; ABS-CBN chairman & emulating CEO Eugenio "Gabby" Lopez ing than “Pinoy Big III, Endemol's Anuska Ban, ABS- ...p.4 Brother,” the upcom- CBN president Cito Alejandro, ing reality series that ABS-CBN EVP for entertainment takes 12 ordinary peo- Charo Santos-Concio and Ende- ple and locks them up in- mol's Ed Sharples at the groundbreaking ceremonies for the side a house for 100 days, "Pinoy Big Brother" house with a housemate taken out of the game until only one winner remains to win P1,000,000 cash, a house and lot and a new car. With the housemates competing for the favor of both their fellow competi- tors and the viewing public in the weekly eviction ceremonies-which determine the housemate who will be taken out of the game-the show is an addictive drama that mines the contestants’ interpersonal relationships for its storylines. No won- der it’s a hit all over the world-from Hol- land, where the very first “Big Brother” series made its appearance in 1999, to ABS-CBN invades England, the US, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Australia, the USA ...p.7 Turn to page 6 2 LOPEZLINK August 2005 NLE traffic improvement MANILA North Tollways Corpora- traffic in the North Luzon Express- tion (MNTC) chairman Oscar M. way (NLE) interchanges. Lopez and Bocaue Mayor Serafin The MOA is a tri-sectoral agreement dela Cruz recently signed a memo- to develop and implement a traffic en- randum of agreement aimed to ease gineering and management program, including the establishment of a Traffic Management Zone along the periphery and immediate areas surrounding the Bocaue interchange and local roads. The other parties to the agreement include Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Un- dersecretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Sta. Maria Mayor Jesus R. Mateo, MNTCpresident Jose P. de Jesus MNTC chairman Oscar M. Lopez and TMC president & CEO Anthony Mabasa (6th and 7th from left) and of- MNTC chair Oscar M. Lopez (right) and Bocaue councilor Dennis C. ficers of public transport groups with copies of the "New NLE Motorist's Handbook," a guide for drivers trav- and Mayor Jesus R. Mateo Carpio. (Kit Ventura) eling along the new expressway developed by the MNTC and the Tollways Management Corporation (TMC). The 114-page handbook is a first in the expressway business Meralco set to implement SC issues 4th round of refunds TRO on Safety campaign starts in THE Manila Electric Com- schedule for Phase IVB," pany (Meralco) has commu- Mabale added. nicated with Bureau of Inter- To avail of the refund, EVAT nal Revenue (BIR) officer- customers must indicate their MERALCO is closely North Luzon Expressway in-charge Atty. Jose Mario preferred refund option-post- following developments Bunag to facilitate the re- dated checks or credit-to-fu- on the expanded value THE safety of the motorists along the new North tive in the expressway business. It features gen- lease of the revenue memo- ture bills with cash option. added tax or EVAT after Luzon Expressway (NLE) received a big boost as eral tips for driving in the NLE, handling emer- randum order (RMO) that They will then be asked to the Supreme Court is- the Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) gencies, road signs and signals, and traffic rules will spell out the BIR's im- submit certain documents, sued a temporary re- took the initial steps to promote a safety cam- and regulations. plementing guidelines on the one of which is the BIR Cer- straining order (TRO) withholding tax for Phase IV tificate of Registration, which on its implementation paign among users of the tollway. MNTCchairman Oscar M. Lopez gave copies customers. indicates the customer's tax on July 1, 2005. The campaign kicked off with the launching of the of the handbook to officers of public transport "Once we have incorpo- identification number (TIN). Consequently, the "New NLE Motorist's Handbook" by MNTCand groups, including the Sto. Niño Jeepney Opera- rated the RMO guidelines in Since the average refund company's energy sales the refund process, we can amount under Phase IV is Tollways Management Corporation (TMC) to guide tors and Drivers Association plying the Mey- start releasing the letters to much bigger than those un- and other charges will drivers while traveling along the new expressway. cauayan-Monumento route, and FX operators our customers in August for der Phases I to III, Meralco not reflect any VAT un- The 114-page handbook is a full-color travel and drivers traveling the Malolos-Tutuban route. Phase IVA and in September has to ensure that the refund til further notice. manual and companion and the first such initia- (Kit Ventura) for Phase IVB," Meralco Re- will be given to the person or Meralco task force fund Management task force entity entitled to it. chairman on VAT im- head Leonardo Mabale said. Meralco is also set to pro- plementation Atty. An- "Some pre-processing is pose to the Energy Regulatory thony Rosete had earlier necessary, but should the ac- Commission (ERC) alternative said: "In the case of tual implementation be de- options on how to inform cus- electricity, if a billing Value of Meralco highlighted in TV spots layed, the refund is assuredly tomers with terminated ac- period covers power retroactive to July 2005 for counts of their unclaimed re- consumption for the pe- MERALCO recently launched a campaign those belonging to Phase fund as publishing such in the riod before and after Ju- dubbed "Value of Meralco" to clarify its vital role IVA. We hope to be on newspapers will be very costly. ly 1, 2005, 10% VAT in the Philippine power industry. shall be applied only to The campaign is composed of three TV com- electricity consumption mercials entitled "Hamburger," "Taho" and on or after July 1, "Weights," and a radio commercial called "Mar- 2005." vin the Lion"-all conveying the message that only Consumption included in Meralco's July a small portion of the total electric bill goes to billing cycle varies de- Meralco and that the company delivers services pending on the cus- that uplift the Filipino consumer's life. tomers' meter reading While the movement of rates and prices are be- schedule. yond Meralco's control, the company is deter- The Energy Regula- mined to help its customers by providing energy tory Commission (ERC) is in the process of con- ‘Taho’ ducting public hearings on its guidelines, while ‘Hamburger’ savings information that could help in managing the Bureau of Internal Skycable inks deal with Revenue (BIR) is still their electricity bill. finalizing its revenue "Value of Meralco" is a continuing effort from new Hyatt Hotel memorandum circular 2004's multimedia energy management cam- Skycable, the country's leading cable service provider, has on the implementation paign where Meralco's publication of energy sav- been chosen to provide comprehensive in-room entertainment of the expanded VAT ing tips were seen as a genuine concern for the to guests of the new Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila in law in the power indus- consumer and has resulted in a lot of goodwill in Malate, Manila. A contract signing was recently held in one try. of the 378-room hotel's five presidential suites. In photo Meralco will issue a the eyes of the public. (standing from left): Eugene Tamesis, Hyatt director of mar- statement when the As proof of the impact created by the hilarious keting; Jinky Areola, Skycable corporate account specialist; High Court resolves the but message-laden TVCs, "Hamburger" was Elpidio Beloso Jr., Hyatt director of rooms; and Hoyle Raul matter and the ERCand spoofed by actors Michael V (as the one explain- Disuanco, Skycable sales and marketing senior vice-presi- the BIR announce the dent. Seated are Gottfried Bogensperger, Hyatt general man- ing the Meralco bill by taking bites of the burger) guidelines and circulars. and Ogie Alcasid (as the confused customer) in a ager, and Carlo Katigbak, Skycable chief operating officer. (M. Bueno) (Karen Zabaljauregui) recent episode of the gag show "Bubble Gang." LOPEZLINK August 2005 3 Septage transformed into fertilizer Low IDD rates MAYNILAD Water Services Inc. (MWSI) and the Sugar RegulatoryAd- with Sky ministration (SRA) recentlyconducted an experiment that converted sludge into an alternative for chemical fertilizer in culti- Internet VoIP vating crops. BAYANTEL, a leading provider of affordable and According to Maynilad environmental reliable telephone services, is now at the forefront of management head Francisco Arellano, the offering low IDD rates with the launch of SkyIn- ternet VoIP. experiment involved the use of septage and SkyInternet VoIP runs on the new technology biosolids as fertilizers in a sugarcane plan- of voice-over-Internet-protocol, which transmits tation in Pampanga. The result proved that telephone calls over a data network such as the In- septage-raw materials taken from septic ternet instead of the traditional voice network or tanks-when combined with chemical fertil- the telephone. izer, can enhance soil nutrients and lead to SkyInternet VoIP is the onlyVoIP service in better sugarcane yields. the countrythat uses regular phones to place and The waste disposal system being ap- receive calls. plied byMayniladhas passed the safety All it needs is standards set bythe government. DSL broadband connec- Better crop yield tion, a PC In a seminar on sugarcane fertilization with LAN held in Floridablanca, Pampanga, Mayni- card and any lad-SRA cooperative research manager analog tele- and project leader Oscar T. Quilloydis- phone set. Sugar Regulatory Administration's Oscar T. Quilloy (right), project leader of sugarcane pro- cussed among farmers and cooperative ductivity using septage and biosolids, explains to Maynilad's Rey Dibaratun and Annie Just how members how septage and biosolids can Calderero how organic fertilizer helped improve sugarcane growth low would IDD calls be with SkyInternet VoIP? be used in soil enhancement. Calls to the USA, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, "While septage can be used in watering the sea. But Maynilad, in its effort to planting of other crops in the future. Taiwan, China, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia the plant, biosolids can be mixed with come up with a more environment friend- Meanwhile, Arnulfo Ramirez, Mayni- and Brunei will cost onlyUS 6 centavos a minute, or 85% cheaper than standard IDD rates. Plus, you farm residues such as bagasse, mudpress lymethods of throwing waste, came up lad VP for customer care and public rela- also get lower NDD rates, unlimited free local and mill ash to be converted into organic with an experiment to use septage and tions management, expressed gratitude calls and lots of special phone features, such as fertilizer through composting," he said. biosolids as fertilizers. that through this joint undertaking with caller ID, call waiting and others, as well as a se- People in ancient China, particularlyin Environment-friendly company SRA, Maynilad has become instrumental curitypersonal information number. the province of Shanghai, have been using Actual farm demonstration will soon in helping agricultural workers to lower And depending on the plan, subscribers can the same process to cultivate their veg- be conducted to further educate sugar- their production cost. avail of free IDD minutes. For the P499 plan a etable crops. Waste dumped into buckets cane farmers on the proper application of "Aside from being a water service month, users get free 100 IDD minutes and for the were then buried in the soil to make it rich- the new fertilizer. provider to six million people in the West P999 plan a month, users get free 300 IDD min- er for the next planting season. Now that its success in improving sug- concession, Maynilad has become a man- utes. Now, human waste drawn from septic arcane yields has been established, sep- ufacturer of affordable and environment- For more details, visit www.skyinternet.com.ph or call 413-8884. (J. Rojo) tanks is treated before being dumped in tage and biosolids will likelybe used in friendlyfertilizer," he said. BayanTel brings Internet broadband to Bulacan BAYAN Telecommunications (BayanTel) residential and corporate users. has entered into a partnership agreement "Our agreement with BITE is an op- with pioneer Internet service provider Bu- portunityto expand our presence in lacan Information and TechnologyInc. Northern Luzon and gives the residents (BITE) to cater to the residential and busi- and business communityof Bulacan a ness communities in Bulacan. fast, reliable broadband Internet connec- BITE serves communities in Malolos, tion for their data communication Guiguinto, Hagonoy, Calumpit, Plaridel, needs," said BayanTel head of provin- Pulilan, Baliuag and the manufacturing cial markets Mauro Santos. industries in these areas. Under the BITE president Jose Mari Gaddi said: agreement, BITE will resell BayanTel's "We are proud to be associated with Bayan- wide range of Internet services such as Tel and to be part of bringing reliable Inter- Blast prepaid cards, SkyInternet post- net broadband services to the residents and paid plans and BayanTel DSL for both business communityof Bulacan." (J. Rojo)

With BayanTel chief consultant Tunde Fafunwa and BayanTel head for provincial markets Mau- ro Santos (4th and 5th from left) are Rosel Descalzo, BayanTel Lu- zon and Paptelco market head; Melanie Gaddi, Bulacan Informa- tion and Technology Inc. GM; Jose Mari Gaddi, BITE president; Jose Adolfo Cornelio, BayanTel provincial marketing head; and Genaro Gregorio, BayanTel account manager for Central Luzon 4 LOPEZLINK August 2005 MNTC communication ABS-CBN boosts int’l program worth emulating THE Manila North Tollways travel time and savings in vehi- presence, partners Corporation (MNTC) presented cle operating costs-outweigh its Toll Rate Management Plan the cost of the new toll fees. communication program at the The communication program with US cable firm first Corporate HR Brown Bag was implemented a year before ABS-CBN International has entered into session of the Lopez Group of commercial operations; it was an agreement with a U.S.-based direct-to- companies recently. based on a corporate policy of home satellite systems provider to expand The Brown Bag Series was proactive communication-that its network coverage in the U.S. conceived as a venue for shar- is, an open door policy charac- ABS-CBN International and its parent ing best practices among com- terized by the willingness and company ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. panies within the Lopez availability of MNTC officials will grant DirecTV Inc. a 10-year exclu- Group. for interviews, speaking en- sive right to air The Filipino Channel MNTC president Jose P. de gagements and meetings with through the TFC Direct package. Jesus walked the audience media and sectoral leaders. As a "This deal creates more value for our fam- through the steps taken by the result, an image of the MNTC ily of subscribers and allows us to focus on company in its bid to gain stake- as a caring company that ex- developing U.S.-based content that will cater holder support for the new toll The Brown Bag plained everything transparent- to a broader Filipino-American audience,” rates that became effective on series: A corporate ly and in full was created. Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III, ABS-CBN February 10, 2005. Public understanding and ac- chairman and chief executive officer said. Key stakeholders were iden- HR initiative where ceptance of the new toll rates The agreement allows TFC Direct to tified as government, media, the people sit down in gradually increased in the run- display, exhibit, perform and distribute in switch will allow TFC Direct subscribers to transport sector, non-govern- up to commercial operations, U.S. territories Internet protocol technolo- be serviced through a high-powered satellite, ment organizations and the gen- the relaxed achieving the goals of the pro- gy and satellite master antenna television while the distribution of channels will be ex- eral public. The key message atmosphere of a gram. system as a packaged subscription televi- panded with nearly 70,000 dealers and retail- carried by the comprehensive Next in the Brown Bag Se- sion service via DirecTV’s satellite. ers of DirecTV in the U.S. communication program was "brown bag lunch" ries: First Gas on Negotiating DirecTV will pay license fees based on “We plan to offer movies, sitcoms, dramas that the benefits derived from an and discuss their Contracts and BayanTel's the number of subscribers while ABS-CBN and public service programs which are rele- improved toll road-comfort, Gawad Galing employee recog- will have a 50% revenue share from subscrip- vant to first- and second-generation Filipinos driving convenience, shorter firm’s best practices nition program tion fees charged by DirecTV for the feeds. residing in America,” Lopez said. This is in exchange for the free switching ABS-CBN International is a 98%- of at least 80,000 TFC Direct subscribers owned subsidiary of ABS-CBN, through from ABS-CBN International’s equipment to its wholly owned subsidiary ABS-CBN Maynilad streamlines operations the DirecTV platform over the next year. The Global Ltd. (Leah Salterio) via business centers The Business Center Project team of Maynilad Under the proposed structure, each business Water Services Inc. (MWSI) is set to create 15 center or BC is targeted to handle some 50,000 ac- Star Records' star shines business centers in the West Zone to replace its counts. A BC will be subdivided into about 10 current organizational structure. zones with 5,000 accounts each. By Carla Paras-Sison tion, Star Records initiated significant changes Rafael Aguado, vice-president for operations Aguado stressed that appropriate training will under Regalado and her predecessor, Enrico and Business Center project director, said the new be provided in order for people to have more con- ITwas a slow, hard climb out of the pit for Star Santos, head of Creative Entertainment and setup will merge the functions of the 23 branch fidence to perform new or additional functions. Records, and the 2004 Lopez Achievement Synergy under ABS-CBN's entertainment and sector organizations and make them perform He assured everyone that "no one will have to Awardee for Business Management hopes it can group and Regalado's mentor in ABS-CBN. as one unit. leave the company against his or her will as a re- stay out of the pit for life. First, Star Records consolidated music content "We expect the zone team to foster harmo- sult of the project." Star Records managing director Annabelle M. by producing hit songs that are automatically as- signed to Star Songs to administer and maintain its nious relations with their customers, local gov- "This is what is best for the company, and our Regalado said while outsiders are awed by the positive earnings before interest, taxes, deprecia- 600-song database for internal and external use. ernment units and civic organizations," Aguado job-everyone's job-is to make Maynilad viable tion and amortization (EBITDA) and net income This enhanced revenue streams in the form of in- said. and successful," he said. (Jess Matubis) Star Records achieved in 2003 after eight years in come through ring tones and other downloads dis- the red, ABS-CBN insiders know it was just the tributed by ABS-CBN Interactive and other con- first fruit of a process set in motion five years ago tent providers, royalty management and sub-pub- to put the Star Records house in order. lishing of the catalog outside the Philippines. New from Star Records: Gloc 9 "The process is continuing. We are not rest- Second, Star Records participated in syner- ing on our laurels. We have to stay focused-pur- gizing content and aligning products with ABS- THE fastest rapper in the country, Gloc 9, has re- fastest rappers. “Gloc 9,” the album, is a Star sue system and process improvements-so that CBN units and integrated music jingle and mu- leased his self-titled debut album under recording Records release. It is available on CDs and cas- we can make the business sustainable over the sic video productions to support the strategy of giant Star Records. settes at record stores nationwide. long term," said Regalado. ABS-CBN sales and marketing to sell media All the songs in the album were written or co- Star Records is a wholly owned subsidiary of campaign plans to advertisers. written, arranged and produced by Gloc 9 him- ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation and Third, Star Records piloted a strategy to re- self. It includes the massive hits “Isang Araw,” loosely refers to two companies: Star Recording lease nontraditional audio and video products, “Jologs,” “Sayang,” “Simpleng Tao,” “Hina- and Star Songs, a music publishing company re- flooding the market with ABS-CBN branded con- hanap ng Puso,” “Sikat na si Pepe” and the duet vived in 2003. Star Records more recently ven- tent and experimenting in music "sachet" distribu- “Bakit,” which he performed with Cookie Chua tured into managing music artists by forming tion via affordable compact disc-singles. in the 2002 Himig Handog Love Songs compe- Star Records Artists Management or STRAM Finally, Star Records retooled its non-music talents to extend their popularity to music. This reduced tition. The album also includes “Banal na Aso,” into event and concert production. "What we achieved would not have been the company's reliance on more expensive artists, the theme from the TV series “Nginiiig.” possible without the support of Star Cinema, TV successfully creating a recording sensation out of co- Gloc 9 has earned nominations for Favorite Production, ABS-CBN Interactive, ABS-CBN median Bayani Agbayani with his "Otso-otso" and Male Recording Artist and Favorite Music Video Publishing, Studio 23, MYX, Talent Center, Re- even spawning a hit movie for Star Cinema. (for the song “Sayang”) in the MTV Pilipinas gional News Group, DWRR, TFC and ABS- The new challenge for Star Records is to have Video Music Awards 2004, as well as for Best CBN Global, to name a few," said Regalado. "stand-alone content" over and above the cross- Rap Recording in the 17th Awit Awards. “Isang These are Star Records' primary customers content development and promotion with ABS- Araw” received an award for Best Rap Recording that provide content for Star Records distribu- CBN and its subsidiaries. from Katha and Awit Awards. tion. Star Records also does cross promotions of "It was an arduous task and our work is not With all his achievements, Gloc 9 cements his products, artists and songs with these units. yet done. We just have to keep at it, work as a reputation as one of the country’s finest and But while this has been the case from incep- team and hope for the best," said Regalado. LOPEZLINK July 2005 5 'Kampanerang Kuba' gabi-gabi na! NAPAPANOOD na ngayon sa ABS-CBN Patrick Garcia. Exciting ang proyektong ito ang dramang babago sa anyo ng gabi ninyo, para kay Luis, di lamang dahil ito ang una ang Kampanerang Kuba. Base sa kuwento niyang dramatic role. Siyempre pa, ina niya ni Pablo S. Gomez na unang ginamit sa pe- si Vilma Santos, ang orihinal na kampan- likulang pinagbibidahan ni Vilma Santos erang kuba. Ito rin ang unang TV role para sa noong dekada '70, binihisan ng husto ng heartthrob na si Bautista, pero nahasa na ang ABS-CBN ang Kampanerang Kuba para sa galing sa akting ng binata sa teatro. Si Patrick pamamayagpag nito sa telebisyon. Garcia naman ay isa sa pinakamagaling na Paano ito ginawa ng ABS-CBN? Una, dramatic actors ng kanyang henerasyon. pinagsama muli ang directing team nina Kasama rin sa cast sina Bobot Mortiz, Wenn Deramas at Andoy Ranay, ang mga Cherry Pie Picache, Malou de Guzman, direktor ng Marina. Pangalawa, kumuha ang Jean Garcia at Eula Valdes bilang Meryll Soriano, Eugene Domingo at ABS-CBN ng magaling na cast members na mayayamang magkapatid Chokoleit. Ang mga awitin sa Kampan- pinangungunahan nina Anne Curtis, Eula ng isa sa pinakamayamang tao sa erang Kuba ay mula sa composer at lyri- Valdes, Jean Garcia, Jomari Yllana, Jodi kanilang bayan. Pero ano ang ki- cist na si Vince de Jesus, na gumawa ng Santamaria, Christian Bautista, Patrick Gar- nalaman ng kampanerang kuba at scores ng Crying Ladies at La Visa Loca. cia at Luis Manzano. At pangatlo, ang Kam- ng magkakapatid? At ano ang mis- Si Jake Tordesillas ang creative manager panerang Kuba ang unang drama-fantasy- Si Anne Curtis bilang Fatima teryong bumabalot sa kanila, sa ng Kampanerang Kuba, at si Keiko Aquino musical na ipinrodyus para sa telebisyon. -isa siyang mabuti at matulunging tao, mga asawa ni Lourdes na si Martin (Yllana), sa ang head writer. Executive producers sina Siyempre, ang pinakamatinding elemen- katangiang tinuro sa kanya ng pari at mga asawa ni Lucia na si Antonio (Yul Servo) at Mio Siojo at Narciso Gulmatico, samantalang to sa Kampanerang Kuba ay ang kuwento madre na nagpalaki sa kanya. sa mata-pobreng anak nina Lourdes at Martin production manager naman si Ginny Ocam- ni Fatima (Curtis) o Imang. Totoo, isa Pero hindi iyan ang simula ng kuwento ni na si Veronica (Santamaria)? po. Si Olivia Lamasan ang executive in siyang kuba at di naman siya kagandahan. Imang. May koneksyon din siya kina Lour- Ang tatlong leading men sa Kampan- charge of creative at si Malou N. Santos ang Pero ang tunay na ganda niya ay nasa loob- des (Valdes) at Lucia (Jean Garcia), mga anak erang Kuba ay sina Manzano, Bautista at overall in charge of production. (A. Mosura) Desperate Housewives and Lost licensed to Studio 23 Multiyear deal includes features and first-run animated series

BUENA Vista International Television-Asia BVITV has been a strong ’Linggo-linggong Pacific (BVITV-AP) has concluded a mul- supporter of our efforts, so tiyear licensing agreement withStudio 23 this deal is a natural pro- Pasasalamat’ that includes a first-ever features package. gression of our years of do- HERE is exciting news from ABS-CBN Steve Macallister, SVP and managing ing business. Studio 23, Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC)! director of BVITV-AP, and Leo Katigbak, ABS-CBN and BVITV The channel has launched the TFC Ka- managing director of Studio 23 and VP of have been friends in the pamilya Circle loyalty/rewards program ABS-CBN, made the announcement. business for many years and and its "Libu-libo, Linggo-linggong Under this deal, Studio 23 and ABS- this fits right in with our slo- Pasasalamat sa Kapamilya!" promo as a CBN have licensed a strong raft of pro- gan, 'Studio 23--Kabarkada way of thanking its thousands of loyal sub- gramming that includes blockbuster fea- Mo!' [Your Gang]. scribers throughout North America. tures, a Disney Adventures branded block "Lost and Desperate Subscribers of TFC on cable and direct-to- and award-winning reality and live action Housewives are expected to home are qualified to be in the circle and have series. This includes Desperate House- further increase Studio 23's a chance to win $25,000 weekly from June to July 2005. The program also provides TFC wives and Lost, two of the hottest water profile as one of the more in- member-subscribers daily savings on ABS- cooler shows of the year. telligent and daring players Studio 23’s Leo Katigbak with Hollywood star Teri Hatcher CBN products and services. These include "BVITV's strong portfolio is a comple- in the Philippines' competi- discounts on Starry Starry Store merchandise, ment to Studio 23's commitment to bring- tive television industry. Studio 23 already StarKargo sea and air freight, cut-prices on ing the very best in entertainment to the attracts some of the most desirable viewer money remittance through Tawag Remit, free marketplace," said Macallister. "We look demographics in the Philippines today," Kabarkada mo! overseas calls, plus front row seats in select STUDIO 23 is the UHF channel of ABS-CBN forward to Studio 23 experiencing the Katigbak added. Broadcasting Corp. The network opened in TFC World Tours concerts and events. same impressive audience following that The multiyear agreement will include 1996 and has grown into a major player in the Since 1994, TFC has been bringing a Lost and Desperate Housewives have had studio features from Touchstone Pictures, free-TV arena despite being in the UHF range piece of home to overseas Filipinos and Fil- around the Asia Pacific region." Spyglass Entertainment and Walt Disney of channels. It is currently the home of CSI, ipino-Americans through a mix of tele- Pictures, suchas Signs, Sweet Home Alaba- The Amazing Race, Survivor, Las Vegas, Will & seryes, comedies, talk, variety, game, reality Grace, 2 ½ Men, Alias, Joey and Oprah, as and public service programs, and news for, Desperate Housewives, winner of two ma and Shanghai Knight. These movies Golden Globes, is an ensemble drama that will be featured prominently on parent net- well as youth-skewed shows Charmed, Smal- of and by Filipinos. TFC also airs locally lville, Gilmore Girls, 7th Heaven and Jack and produced shows like "Balitang America," takes a darkly comedic look at suburbia, work ABS-CBN's marquee movie slot. Bobby. "Kumusta, Kabayan," "Balitang Middle where the secret lives of housewives aren't Included in the agreement is Seasons 7 The network targets the youth market, al- East" and "Citizen Pinoy." It is the first Fil- always what they seem. and 8 of the Emmy Award-winning reality though in recent months, Studio 23 has made a ipino network to beam its 24-hour opera- Lost, from Alias creator J.J. Abrams and series The Amazing Race. In addition, the successful bid for wider audiences withits tions to major territories in the world. Damon Lindelof (Crossing Jordan), is an critically acclaimed series Alias will ex- groundbreaking homegrown programs such as Join the TFC Kapamilya Circle and en- action-packed adventure of a plane crash plode into its fourthseason on Studio 23. Wazzup Wazzup, Nginiig, F, Digital Tour, joy savings and benefits tailor-made for in the South Pacific and the survivors who The Disney Adventures branded timeslot is Breakfast and Y Speak have emerged as defin- Pinoys abroad. Application forms are avail- must work together to stay alive on a mys- a weekly one-hour block that will offer con- ing shows. able at www.abs-cbni.com and at select Fil- Studio 23’s sports coverage includes the ipino stores. terious island. temporary Disney animated fare for children University Athletic Association of the Philip- For more information, visit our website, According to Katigbak, "Studio 23 is and families. This will include the free-TV pines (UAAP), the National Collegiate Athletic see TFC's posters, print ads and TV commer- the ideal home for Lost and Desperate premiere of Kim Possible and Lilo and Stitch. Association (NCAA), the Philippine Basket- cials, or call 1-800-fil-chnl.(J. Bautista) Housewives. We have been on the cutting This block is scheduled to air soon on parent ball League (PBL), billiards, extreme sports edge of programming and promotions and network ABS-CBN. (L. Katigbak) and F3. 6 LOPEZLINK August 2005

“Pinoy Big Brother” differs from its international predecessors in subtle but significant ways. For example, this 31st edition of the wildly popular reality show is the only one that contains an altar, in deference to the

Filipinos’ strong "Pinoy Big Brother's" business Endemol's Anuska Ban ABS-CBN president Cito Alejandro Endemol's Ed Sharples spiritual side unit manager Florida Tan

The Big Brother ... alized you could also do the same thing to uniquelyFilipino, its producers say. housemates are involved in one thing-the from page 1 people, essentiallystrangers, inside an en- Notes Florida "Linggit" Tan, one of two creation of real human drama. Or, in the vironment like a house. Eventually, sparks business unit heads overseeing “PinoyBig words of the ABS-CBN promo, “ang tele- Thailand, South Africa and the rest of the will fly.” Brother”: “We’re molding the project in a serye ng tunay na buhay.” 31 countries that have purchased the fran- There are certain restrictions, of course, waythat respects Filipino culture and There are questions, of course, about chise. The Philippines is the show’s latest each one designed to minimize distractions mores.” In fact, the “PinoyBig Brother” whyABS-CBN chose to franchise “Big home, through ABS-CBN’s acquisition of and maximize the housemates’ relations house differs from its international prede- Brother” after years of resisting the quiz “PinoyBig Brother.” with each other. cessors in several subtle but significant show franchises, which led to the creation It was with the original Dutch “Big “Theyhave to work together to win ways. While the local edition still locks in of 100% Filipino-made “Game KNB?” Brother"-and yes, it was named for George things theyneed, like food, in the weekly the 12 contestants inside a speciallyde- “Well, ABS-CBN, being the leading Orwell’s “1984” and its famous phrase tasks,” says Ed Sharples, Endemol sales signed house, wherein everysingle point is network in the country, is always on the “Big Brother is watching"-that the genre director for Southeast Asia. “It’s a simple within view of a video camera, the “Pinoy lookout for new trends and alternatives to that came to be known as realitytelevision environment, and we limit their exposure Big Brother” version is the onlyone that offer the Filipino viewer,” says Tan. “Be- came to be. In fact, “Big Brother” predated to the outside world. And because we need contains an altar, in deference to the Fil- ing an international sensation that is also “Survivor” bya few months. them to interact with each other, we’ve ipino’s strong spiritual side. open to the subtleties of local behavior, “The idea for ‘Big Brother’ came from banned things like books, TV, the Internet, Being an ABS-CBN production, there is ‘Big Brother’ was an excellent choice for John De Mol, one of the former owners of pen and paper, magazines, newspapers- still an element of values formation in ABS-CBN to franchise. It’s a challenging Endemol,” says Anuska Ban, executive di- even watches. They’re completely isolat- “PinoyBig Brother.” Over the course of project, but hopefully, ‘Pinoy Big Broth- rector, creative and production support for ed, so theytalk to each other. Mayberub the 100-dayseason, “PinoyBig Brother” er’ can become a new benchmark of qual- Endemol, the Dutch companythat holds each other the wrong way, and create con- hopes that the close quarters and the con- ityTV, a wayto make Filipino TV prod- the rights to “Big Brother,” as well as hit flict in that manner. And as a bonus, they stant coverage will bring the housemates’ uct even closer to what is considered US shows like “Extreme Makeover: Home don’t know what’s going on outside-and best qualities to the fore, among them re- world-class production values. We’re Edition” and “Fear Factor.” how much people are becoming fascinated siliency, intelligence and leadership. But proud to be the network that takes that “He took the idea from the biosphere, an bytheir drama.” one thing still remains unchanged; for first step.” American project where scientific obser- Despite the fact that it is an international most of their time inside the home, the On the July19 press visit to the under- vations of life went on under certain con- franchise, “PinoyBig Brother” will be construction “Big Brother” house in front ditions under a big glass dome. De Mol re- of the ELJ Communications Center on Eu- genio Lopez Drive, it was clear that ABS- CBN’s “PinoyBig Brother” dream was reaching its concrete embodiment in the complex. With specs provided byEnde- mol, the “Big Brother” house has dozens of tubes designed to hold microphones, cameras and lights to capture each move the housemates make. All around the house’s interior walls are small windows for even more camera placements. In the middle of the com- pound are a pool and a garden with high fences, designed to give them a taste of the outdoors while protecting them from the outside world. “The show is reallya writer’s medium,” says film and TV director Lauren Dyogi, who is “PinoyBig Brother’s” other business unit head. Dyogi acknowledges that the production is, first and foremost, a newsgathering exercise. “It’s a matter of creating a narrative out of all the separate stories that all of the housemates will have. ABS-CBN's Florida Tan, Endemol's Anuska Ban and Ed Sharples and ABS-CBN's That is the biggest challenge of ‘PinoyBig Lauren Dyogi at the May groundbreaking for the "Pinoy Big Brother" house Brother,’ I think.” LOPEZLINK August 2005 7

You’re watching Big Brother… FOR the next 100 days starting August 21, Filipino viewers will cry, laugh and fall in love with the 12 housemates in “Pinoy Big Brother,” a milestone show in Philippine TV history from ABS-CBN. As its primer, “Pinoy Big Brother” will air “the making” episodes on August 7 and 14 featuring the auditions and a glimpse at the new reality TV show. Some interesting facts about “Pinoy Big Brother”: • The show’s title comes from George Or- well’s 1949 novel “1984,” a dystopia in which Big Brother is the all-seeing leader. The show began as a hit in Europe, then extending to the US. Over 30,000 storm the Rose Bowl for ASAP '05 • The Philippines is the 31st country to host "Big Brother," and is the second in By Leah Salterio Asia. Thailand is the first, its first season ended in July 2005. ABS-CBN's "ASAP '05" stormed the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California in mid-July, when over 30,000 people • Majority of winners in all “Big Brother” shows came to see the star-studded live show that kicked off the net- worldwide are men, although a number of work's summer caravan in the US. countries have now had a female winner. From the opening salvo of "ASAP '05" regulars led by Mar- • Some 25,000 “housemate hopefuls” from tin Nievera and Gary Valenciano, with The Hunks, Kuh Ledes- all over the Philippines auditioned for “Pinoy ma, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Toni Gonzaga, Nikki Gil, Erik Santos and Big Brother.” As of press time, there are on- Sheryn Regis, to the grand finale that gathered all the stars only 30 remaining housemate candidates. stage, "ASAP '05" turned out to be a blast, giving our kababayan 1 2 • The “Pinoy Big Brother” house has 26 a taste of world-class entertainment from homegrown talents. cameras installed. Lea Salonga, Nora Aunor and Jasmine Trias added star power • The “Pinoy Big Brother” website can be to the show as they did their well-applauded numbers. Other per- formers included Ryan Agoncillo, Judy Ann Santos, Rachel Ale- accessed through www.pinoybigbroth- jandro, Antoinette Taus, Joross Gamboa, Roxanne Guinoo, Aaron er.com.ph Agassi and Ava Johnson. Johnny Manahan directed the show. • The winner of “Pinoy Big Brother” will re- Even before the gates at Rose Bowl opened, thousands had ceive P1 million in cash, a house and lot already lined up outside the venue to get a glimpse of their and a brand-new car. favorite stars. At the Rose Bowl grounds were over a dozen • "Pinoy Big Brother” will air daily on ABS- booths, where TFC subscribers were given free merchandise CBN 2 and Studio 23, with 24-hour contin- from ABS-CBN shows. The stars, led by "Maalaala Mo Kaya" host Charo Santos-Concio, also obliged to an after- uous coverage on cable and the Internet. 3 4 5 Updates of the show’s episodes will be noon of autograph signing and photo ops. shown at midnight, and the live elimination Earlier, ABS-CBN Global had raffled off $25,000 to a lucky subscriber of The Filipino Channel (TFC) as part of the Kapam- will be aired on Saturdays. (Karen LaRosa) ilya Sweepstakes promo. Also given away was a brand-new Honda Civic to another subscriber in the audience that day. Also present at the Rose Bowl were ABS-CBN Global CEO Raffy Lopez; SVP for TV production Cory Vidanes; VP for talk, variety and reality Deo Endrinal; VP for Talent Cen- ter Mariole Alberto; and senior director for sales and marketing of ABS-CBN International Tom Consunji.

1. Lea Salonga and Jasmine Trias 6 7 2. Kuh Ledesma, ABS-CBN chairman and CEO Eugenio "Gabby" Lopez III, ABS-CBN Global's Mickey Muñoz (partly hidden), Rachel Alejandro, Gary Valenciano and Angeli Pangilinan 3. ABS-CBN EVP Charo Santos-Concio and SVP for TV production Cory Vidanes 4. Kris Aquino and James Yap 5. Gretchen Barretto 9 6. ABS-CBN Global CEO Raffy Lopez (right) with Ka- 8 pamilya Circle Sweepstakes winner Nelson Valles and wife 7. Chokoleit, Piolo Pascual, Bea Alonzo, AJ Dee and Car- los Agassi; (seated from left) Vhong Navarro, Joross Gamboa and Johnny Manahan 8. Piolo Pascual, Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo 9. ABS-CBN execs Monchet Olives, Cory Vidanes, Charo Santos-Concio, Gabby Lopez and Raffy Lopez 10. The opening number at the San Francisco show 11. Carlos Agassi 12. Jasmine Trias 10 11 12 8 LOPEZLINK August 2005

LITTLE LIVES, BIG DEEDS Benjie Felipe: From janitor to actor to writer to editor

By Carla Paras-Sison er. Chief copy monitor na rin siya noon sa Noong 2001,inimbitahan siyang maging Chronicle. segment producer sa showbiz talk show na PARA kay Benjie “TsongkiBenj” Felipe na Sa panahong iyon,hindi tumigil sa kanyang "The Buzz." Wala na noon si Geny Lopez sub- noong 1985 ay janitor sa People’s Journal, part- part-time stage performances si TsongkiBenj, ali’t bilang pagtanaw ng utang na loob,bumalik time stage actor at part-time college student, lubos na nagsikap upang palaguin ang talento siya sa Lopez Group. Malaking sakripisyo iyon hindi nawawala sa uso ang pagtanaw ng utang sa pag-arte. Kasabay niyon ay unti-unti siyang para sa kanya dahil bumagsak ang kanyang na loob. natutong sumulat ng script. Kaya tinulungan sweldo mula P42,000 sa P12,000 lamang. Ka- Malinaw pa sa kanyang alaala ang panahong siya ni Vet Vitug,isang mamamahayag ng palit naman nun ang kalayaan ng kanyang inilagi sa Manila Chronicle bilang copy mon- Chronicle, na makapasok sa short story at po- asawa sa araw-araw na pangambang baka ma- itor. Ang copy monitor ang nagbabasa ng mga etry writing classes sa UP Diliman sa pamam- paslang siya sa police beat. Para madagdagan report galing sa newswire services at naghihi- agitan ng Galian sa Arte at Tula (GAT). ang kita ay ginawa siyang editor in chief ng The wa-hiwalay ng mga ito ayon sa subject. Sa Nagkaroon siya ng break sa pelikula noong Buzz sa Pinas, ang entertainment newspaper ng kalakaran ng industriya ng peryodiko,ang 1992,habang entertainment editor siya ni Ernie BayanTel sa Japan at Singapore. nakikisamang copy monitor ang nagsisilbi ring Lopez ng Dyaryo Patrol. Napasabak siya sa mga Noong 2004 dumating ang proyektong The tagabili ng merienda o tagatimpla ng kape ng massacre movie bilang killer o rapist. Nagmarka Buzz Magasin. “Gusto daw ni Mr. Gabby Lopez editors at writers. siya sa papel na rapist ni Kris Aquino sa "The (ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Lopez III) ng Natutulog siya sa maliit na wire room sa Myrna Diones Story." isang mass-based magazine na may synergy. opisina ng Chronicle sa Benpres Building Nagkaroon din siya ng pagkakataong mag- Gagawing magazine ang ‘The Buzz.’ kasama ang fax machine at wire terminals. ing mainstay sa TV show noong 1995 sa ABC- "Nag-seminar kami tungkol sa synergy at “Ito,hindi ko makakalimutan-at least once 5,ang "Tondominium,"at noong 1996 ay pina- doon ko naintindihan ang essence ng support or twice a week early in the morning,kakatok sok niya ang daigdig ng radyo kasama ang 20 system. At that time,I learned that Channel 2 sa pinto si Sir Geny (the late Eugenio Lopez, showbiz reporters na nagbigay ng hour-on-the- was already having problems. Alam mo,ang Jr.),tapos sasabihin niya,‘Kamusta ka diyan?’ hour showbiz news sa 24-hour broadcast ng FM ABS-CBN,para ring Pilipinas na may mga fac- Para sa isang hamak na taong katulad ko na station na DWST. tions. Kaya ang solusyon ay synergy o pagtu- mahirap pa sa daga,napakalaking bagay na ka- Bagama’t busy sa radio at TV commitments, tulungan at pagkakaisa,” sabi ni TsongkiBenj. mustahin ka ng isang Geny Lopez,” sabi ni humataw din si TsongkiBenj sa print media bi- At upang ipahatid ang kanyang mensahe TsongkiBenj. lang freelance entertainment columnist. ukol sa synergy,pinili ni TsongkiBenj na Hindi pa tumigil doon ang pagmamalasakit Naranasan niyang sumulat ng 16 columns a huwag tumanggap ng anumang talent fee bilang gang sa kasalukuyang estado bilang patnugot ng ni Geny. Minsa’y pinakiusapan nito ang isang week para sa entertainment section ng iba’t reporter at segment host sa "Magandang Uma- mga glossy magazine na tinatangkilik ng libu-li- premyadong editor ng Chronicle noong pana- ibang tabloid noong 1990s. ga,Pilipinas!" provided na bibigyan ng TV ng bong mambabasa. May sarili siyang following sa hong iyon,si Malou Mangahas,na ibili ng vi- Bago magsara ang DWST,kinuha ni Raffy buong suporta ang lahat ng projects ng ABS- TV dahil sa "MUP," at mayroon din siyang daily tamins si TsongkiBenj dahil masyado itong Tulfo si TsongkiBenj bilang headwriter at assis- CBN Publishing. column sa leading tabloid na Bulgar. payat. Kaagad namang nag-ambag ng salapi tant director ng "The Philippines’ Most Want- Si TsongkiBenj ang editor-in-chief ngayon Bukod sa angking talento at abilidad,natural ang mga bosing sa editorial department at ib- ed," ang local version ng sikat na anti-crime re- ng The Buzz Magasin at ng bagong-lunsad na na pursigido si TsongkiBenj at masipag-nagtra- inili siya ng vitamins. ality TV program na "America’s Most Want- Nginiiig! Magasin, isa pang synergy project na trabaho ng hanggang 20 hours a day. Kung hin- Noong 1989,pinagtulungan nila ng kar- ed." bunsod ng hit horror TV show ng Studio 23. di niya ito gagawin,hindi niya mapapagkasya tunistang si Nonoy Marcelo ang COMPASS “Nakaka-depress din. Linggu-linggo’y ka- “Kahati ko sa tagumpay sa mga magazine na ang tambak na trabahong hinaharap sa bawa’t comics na brainchild ni Geny at tumagal din ng usap mo ang mga biktima ng krimen,hinahanap ito si KC Cordero dahil henyo talaga siyang araw. kalahating taon. Kasabay nito’y tumulong din mo ang mga wanted-napaka-delikadong katuwang sa trabaho,” pahayag ni Tsong- At ang kanyang mensahe sa mga kasamahan siya sa Bongga Publications sa paglathala ng gawain. Doon ko na-realize na hiwalay ang kiBenj ukol sa kanyang associate editor. sa Lopez Group: “If ABS-CBN can succeed isang entertainment daily,una bilang sports ed- buhay-showbiz sa reality,” sabi ni Tsongk- Pinaghirapan talaga ni TsongkiBenj ang through synergy,the Philippines can succeed itor at nang lumaon,bilang showbiz news writ- iBenj. kanyang pag-asenso mula pagka-janitor hang- through the ’cooperative program.’”

Meralco’s Cotton Hospital transformed into CWC A new concept in healthcare MERALCO chairman & CEO Manuel M. Lopez continues of medical care. Dr. Vicaldo heads the Congenital Heart Dis- C. Onagan (radiology); Dr. Roman S. Manalang (general the vision of his father,Eugenio Lopez Sr.,to secure the wel- ease section of the Philippine Heart Center and the Cardiology medicine); Dr. Edelmira M. Mendoza (dental); Ni-a Carmina fare and well being of 5,000 Meralco employees with the cre- section of FEU NRMF Medical Center. He serves in the board E. Pablo (administrative services); and Madelyn Q. Lim, ation of the Corporate Wellness Center (CWC). of directors of the Philippine Heart Association and Cardiac (nursing). CWC,which was blessed on July 20,2005,employs a new Rehabilitation Society of the Philippines. Through the Core Care Team,the Corporate Wellness Pro- concept in employee healthcare-not curative but rather,pre- Clinical and sports nutritionist and consultant Sanirose S. gram translates into specific activities via the different com- ventive. Orbeta,on the other hand,manages the Corporate Wellness ponents that directly influence the lifestyle and health man- For 40 years since December 9,1964,the John F. Cotton Program. Orbeta is founder of the first private nutrition ther- agement of employees. Hospital (JFCH) had been the custodian of employee health- apy and diet clinic in the Philippines and is presently head of Support facilities care. The JFCH was transformed into the CWC on Sept. 16, the sports nutrition unit of the Philippine Center for Sports The CWC is equipped with all the necessary diagnostic in- 2004 with the outsourcing of its in-patient services to nearby Medicine. struments and equipment such as x-rays and laboratory. Medical City. With this development,Meralco became the The CWC reports to HR administration under SAVP Its fitness center has amenities for various forms of exer- first corporation in the country to institutionalize the imple- Ruben A. Sapitula. cise such as badminton,volleyball,basketball,bowling,table mentation of an integrated corporate wellness program. Other experts in the Core Care Team are G. Joaquin D. Sin- and lawn tennis and aerobics. For the patients' nutritional re- A vision kept co (physical); Dr. D. L. Sahagun,(psychological and emotion- quirements,the company has 42 canteens throughout the fran- "Built by Meralco for Meralco employees," the establish- al); Ferdie D. Victoria (spiritual and social management) and chise area. ment of the JFCH "is an implementation of the company's pol- Dr. Reynaldo R. Rey-Matias (rehabilitation medicine). Cris V. The CWC presents a well-rounded healthcare package for icy to secure the welfare and well-being of employees," stated Agas is Core Care Team coordinator. Meralco employees,with programs for occupational health then Meralco president Eugenio Lopez,Sr. CWC team leaders include Dr. Buena D. Sapang (internal disease prevention and control,wellness promotion and edu- Dr. Efren R. Vicaldo is in charge of the overall manage- medicine); Antonio M. Cruz,(medical laboratory); Dr. Rey- cation. It will also focus on other medical services,such as ment and administration of the center,especially the provision Matias (physical medicine and rehabilitation); Dr. Mercedes outpatient services,and healthy living among employees. LOPEZLINK August 2005 9 ‘Bridges’ chronicles Lopez Group CSR initiatives EVEN before CSR or corporate social a profile of successful pro- responsibility became a catchphrase, grams and a directory of CSR the Lopez Group companies and foun- initiatives of each company dations were already doing their share under the group. in improving the lives of Filipino fam- It took almost a year to ilies. Besides Bantay Bata 163 and extract the stories and con- MNTC provides homes in Bulacan Knowledge Channel, for example, the solidate the various CSR FIFTY families in Marilao, Bulacan will es in a site to be selected later. Group has several other projects in ed- activities of the seven ma- soon have a home they can call their Dubbed "MNTC-GK Village," the ucation, environment conservation, mi- jor foundations and select- own. The new homes will be built in Marilao settlement's proximity to the crofinance and social development. ed member companies in Mary Grace Subdivision in Marilao North Luzon Expressway makes it even The Lopez Group documents its one handy volume. Even- through a partnership between the Mani- more compatible with MNTC's goal of CSR projects in the last four years tually, “Bridges” will la North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) helping improve the lives of people in (2000-2004) in “Bridges,” the first an- come out annually to and Gawad Kalinga (GK). the NLE's host communities. nual report publication of the Lopez bring to light not just the In a memorandum of agreement Photo shows, from left, GK's Jose Group Foundation Inc. (LGFI). Lopez Group outreach, signed by MNTC chairman Oscar M. Maria Montelibano, GK executive di- The maiden edition includes a history of but to spread its culture Lopez and GK executive director Anto- rector Antonio Meloto, MNTC chair- the Lopez family’s legacy of public service of genuine responsibili- nio Meloto, MNTC agreed to donate P5 man Oscar M. Lopez, and MNTC pres- by Lopez Group chair Oscar M. Lopez, a ty to empower the Fil- million to Marilao and another 50 hous- ident Jose P. de Jesus. (Kit Ventura) rationale for the establishment of the LGFI, ipino community. Quick facts about the Oscar M. Lopez Award and the Lopez Achievement Award By Maribel S. Relatado application report, which contains the response work. The LAA criteria complement the LAA to the Baldrige criteria. Submission of the re- Oscars criteria. There are no award levels, although the pan- What is the program about? port is on January of the following year. How are awardrecipients selected? el of judges may decide to give special awards The Oscar M. Lopez Award (Oscars) for Per- Important dates are communicated through Oscars for non-nominated achievements that are wor- formance Excellence is the highest level of recog- the program cycle calendar. Award applications are evaluated by a team thy of recognition. nition given by the Lopez Group of Companies LAA of examiners following a three-stage review Who were the earlier winners? for organizations that demonstrate performance Employees may nominate candidates, ex- process: independent review, consensus review Oscars excellence. It is not given for specific products or cept for members of the panel of judges and the and site visit. Since its launch in 2002, no company has yet services or for individual achievements. award secretariat. It is not necessary that a nom- During the site visits, the board of examiners captured the award. However, companies are The Lopez Achievement Award (LAA) is inator be from the same company as the nom- verifies the contents of the written applications, recognized for taking the brave step towards conferred for outstanding achievements by teams inee. An employee must complete the nomina- and evaluates and scores the company's pro- continuous improvement. or individuals that contribute to the Group's busi- tion form available through the Human Re- cesses and business results. In the 2002 to 2004 cycle, 11 companies had ness objectives and exemplify its core values. sources offices of Lopez Group companies or Based on the results of the site visits, the applied. For the current cycle, three companies What are the objectives of the program? by e-mail request to the program management. panel of judges makes the final selection of have submitted their intent to apply. Oscars The nomination may be submitted via e-mail, award recipients. LAA • To motivate companies to improve fax or interoffice mail. LAA The program management has received 64 performance What are the criteria? All nominations undergo a pre-screening nominations from 2002 to 2004. To date, there • To promote awareness of factors that Oscars process. The panel of judges composed of se- are already 17 teams and one individual recip- contribute to performance excellence The award criteria, point values and scoring lected officers of the Lopez Group rates the ient of the LAA, while seven teams were given and competitiveness system are adopted in their entirety from the nominations using a five-point scale with indi- the Special Award. • To facilitate the sharing of successful Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award cators. Winners came from ABS-CBN, Bantay Ba- performance strategies and best (MBNQA). The criteria, which are used in the The following aspects are considered: signif- ta, BayanTel, First Balfour, First Gas, FPHC, practices United Sates, Europe and the Asia Pacific, re- icance of achievement or contribution as mea- FPIP, FSCI, Knowledge Channel, Maynilad, LAA flect validated leading-edge practices for sured by results; exceptional quality of achieve- Meralco, Philec and Star Records. • To motivate employees to realize achieving performance excellence. ment; and demonstration of Group values. Nominations were also received from AEI, BP- their fullest potential and contribute The applicant must satisfy the requirements The results of the ratings will be the basis for PC, FPIC, First Gen, FEDCOR, MMLDC, Benpres to their Company's objectives. of the seven categories of the criteria: leader- the recommendation of the panel to the chair- Holding Corp., Lopez Inc. and Beyond Cable. Who may participate? ship, strategic planning, customer and market man of the Lopez Group of Companies. When is the awarding ceremony? Oscars focus, measurement analysis and knowledge What are the awardlevels? Oscars Active business organizations belonging to management, human resource focus, process Oscars The companies are recognized during the the Lopez Group are eligible for the award. The management and business results. 1. Oscar M. Lopez Awardfor Perfor- Business Excellence Night together with the organization must have demonstrated sustain- LAA mance Excellence—The organization must honorees of other programs such as ISO/IMS, able results for at least three years. Outstanding achievements in or contribu- have a stable and entrenched culture of excel- ESH-MARS and Six Sigma. This is usually LAA tions to business management, customer focus, lence and continuous improvement, and held during the third quarter of the year. Employees of Lopez Group companies are eli- operations management, human resource focus, demonstrate an outstanding level of perfor- LAA gible for the award, either as individuals or as mem- public responsibility and corporate image mance. The awarding ceremony is usually held dur- bers of a team. Teams may be composed of mem- building. 2. Recognition for Commitment to Excel- ing the first quarter of the year. bers from a single company or from different com- The achievement must be exceptional, lence—The organization must demonstrate a Where can applications/nominations be sub- panies. Achievements must have been completed where the degree of difficulty or challenge is high level of performance and have achieved mitted? within the period specified by the cycle calendar. enormous, and success is substantially beyond significant progress in building quality values Submit applications and nominations to: Os- How can an individual or company partici- normal expectations. and sound processes. cars/LAA Program Management,4/F, Benpres pate? In the completion of the achievement, the 3. Recognition for Pursuit of Excel- Building, Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig Oscars individual or team must have demonstrated lence—The organization must demonstrate City, c/o Rene J. Mayol; Tel. nos.: 449-6035/449- First, submit a Letter of Intent during the one or more of the core values of entrepreneur- good performance and have established sound 6005; Fax nos.: 634-3429/631-4089; E-mail: Os- second quarter of the year. Second, complete an ship, strong work ethic, nationalism and team- processes. [email protected]/ [email protected] 10 LOPEZLINK August 2005

SPORTS Meralco places 2nd in JVC badminton tourney By Maite Bueno

MERALCO was declared overall second placer in the annual JVC Open Badminton Champi- onships held before a full capacity crowd at the Glorietta Activity Center on July 9, 2005. Meralco turned in an impressive performance on the net and won the men's doubles match against the Philippine Star's Rodolfo Gutierrez and Jopet Sison. Danilo Ildefonso and Reynaldo Selga downed their opponents with a smashing 4- 15, 6-15 end score that prepared the stage for a Members of the men's and women's badminton teams that placed second in the winner-take-all upshot in the mixed doubles. 2005 JVC Open (standing,from left): Mark Lopez,Diana Barbo,Romy Justini- Earlier in the ladies' doubles match, Meralco's ano,Flor Vivas,Geralyn Solidum,Desiree Garcia,Raffy Andrada,Criselda Sara- Criselda Sarabia and Diana Barbo were downed bia,head coach Rocky Magnaye and marketing head Mike Lopez. (Seated,from Meralco's Joel Noga and Flor Vivas battle it out with by Star's Melody Villaceran and Dalia Santiago. left): Reynaldo Selga,Joel Noga,Boy Morelos,Allan Dilla and Jun Ildefonso Philippine Star in the mixed doubles match The tied scorecard was broken by the results of the mixed doubles match when Star men Chester Cordero and Analyn Delgado defeated Meralco duo Joel Noga and Flor Vivas. First Lopez Badminton Cup starts Aug. 27 It was a laudable turnout for all the members of the Meralco men's and women's teams given the THE first Lopez Group Badminton Cup companies, friendly competition and doubles events. Each category will have grueling path they hurdled before landing in the fi- is scheduled on August 27 and 28, 2005 wellness. three levels, A, B and C. nals against champion team Philippine Star. at the Club 650. The tournament aims There will be 18 players per team. The categories of players as defined by the Meralco received the second prize pot of to foster fun and camaraderie among The team will be playing in three cate- badminton committee are as follows: "A"- P30,000. The Star team, on the other hand, went the employees of the Lopez Group gories: men's, women's and mixed-all advanced badminton players; "B"-intermedi- home with the top P50,000 purse plus gift items ate badminton players; and "C"-beginners. from JVC and other sponsors. There will be an exhibition category On their way to the championship showdown, Category Men's doubles Women's doubles Mixed doubles of all Class A players. Trophies will be the Meralco smashers had defeated the teams of A (Best) 2 2 2 awarded to the top three winners, while Epson Precision Philippines, Inc., Philam Plans, B (Better) 2 2 2 runner-ups will receive medals. RCBC, Citibank and PLDT. C (Good) 2 2 2 For more information, please contact The Meralco men's and women's badminton your HR department. (Gie Sabayle) teams thank management for their tireless support, especially during the JVC tilt. FROM THE CORPORATE WELLNESS PROGRAM WellnessTIPS STROKE can be devastating to a victim and his or her family. Here are some tips Stroke is preventable that have been helpful to people at risk STROKE, also known as a aged 15 years old and above for stroke: "brain attack," is the number has hypertension. Thus, it is · The first thing to do when you get an- one cause of disability in the important to know your blood gry is to let off some steam. Take a Philippines. It has been esti- pressure and have it checked at deep breath through your nostrils, hold mated by the Department of least annually. it for a fewseconds, then exhale slowly Health (DOH) that, every hour, If you are a diabetic, closely through your mouth. Repeat until you nine Filipinos die of stroke. Al- follow your physician's recom- feel calmer. though the condition may man- mendations to control your · Taking the time to pray not only ifest itself in a matter of hours blood sugar; diabetics have a strengthens one's faith but also allows or minutes, a stroke actually higher risk for stroke. High one to quiet down. This gives your body, mind, heart and spirit a chance to takes a long time to produce. cholesterol levels, especially el- recover from your hectic life. Among its many initial evated low-density lipoproteins · Aerobic exercise is what chiefly low- warning symptoms are one- (LDL), should be monitored ers blood pressure and decreases the sided numbness or weakness, and controlled. Dietary modifi- risk of stroke. slurred speech or loss of cations, including restricting · A safe level for those who drink may speech, blurring of vision, ver- salt intake, and exercising daily consist of 1-2 drinks per day or up to a tigo and loss of balance. will help control these factors weekly maximum of 14 for men and Risk factors for stroke in- and prevent a stroke. nine for women. One standard drink is clude age and heart conditions Of all the risk factors, smok- 1 bottle (350 ml) of beer (5% alcohol); 5 like irregular heartbeat. Hyper- ing is probably the most pre- oz. (150 ml) of wine (12% alcohol) or 1 tension, though, is probably ventable. By simply stopping ½ oz. (50 ml) of liquor (40% alcohol). the single highest risk factor. A smoking, the risk for a stroke · Be smoke free. 2003 study revealed that the will return to normal levels af- prevalence of hypertension ter three years. · Smile and laugh. Humor is healing. among Filipinos is 17.2% Indeed, stroke is pre- Refuse to take life too seriously. while one out of 10 Filipinos ventable. LOPEZLINK August 2005 11

SALAMAT sa mga tanong at comments ninyo. BINASACrossword mo ba from cover to cover ang huling Para sa buwan na ito, may nabasa ako sa USA isyu ng Lopez Link? Isa ka ba sa mga masugid na Today kamakailan tungkol sa mga paraan para tagasubaybay ng mga programa sa ABS-CBN, masigurado ang ating kalusugan. Oo, maliban sa pag-ehersisyo at pagkain ng tama, meron DDeeaarr RRoossiiee Studio 23 o ANC? pang ibang alternatives. Heto sila: I enjoyed your cover story on ABS-Publishing. Kudos to the Patunayan na isa kang ganap na kapamilya sa • Brush teeth and floss daily. Gum disease team of Ernie Lopez and Thelma! Ang daming magazines pala ng pamamagitan ng pagkumpleto ng crossword might contribute to development of heart ABS-CBN. I would like to contribute to Metro Active as I have a puzzle na ito. disease, diabetes and other illnesses. lot of stories about my adventures all over the Philippines and even • Eat dark and bittersweet chocolate, purple abroad. Who do I talk with? —Jun M. grapes and apples, or drink red wine. Such foods contain large amounts of anti-aging sub- Please e-mail Metro Active chief Vladimir Bunoan at Metroac- stances called flavonoids that also might help [email protected] or call tel. no. 415-2795. Thank you for protect against blood clots and heart attacks. your interest! • Maintain a good sense of humor. Laughter ooOoo helps keep blood vessels dilated and pro- Can you feature Mr. Federico Lopez in a future issue? He tects against heart attacks. is also doing a lot of CSR work, like his grandfather Don Eñing. I • Have sex frequently. Studies indicate sexual activity might help pro- think he deserves a whole page! —Jonah long life, as well as prevent colds, depression and heart disease. • Develop good sleep patterns. Sleep helps keep memory and attention First Gen Corp. president Federico "Piki" R. Lopez (FRL) was the in top form. subject of our Executive Feature, "The Phoenix Personified" in De- • Enroll in a yoga class. Yoga exercises increase flexibility and cember 2000 and included in a feature about Don Eñing's grandchil- strength and might help people with arthritis or balance problems. dren's CSR endeavors in December 2004. However, for the sake of Now, for some questions and comments from our readers. those who want to know FRL better, we'll do our best to catch up with ooOoo this always on-the-go apo of Don Eñing soon. Incidentally, he's cel- Dear Rosie, ebrating his birthday on August 5. Happy birthday, FRL! I was a participant in the Lopez sports fest held at the Ultra on ooOoo May 14, 2005. Being an avid amateur photographer, I took photos Bakit kokonti lang ang mga bukas na tollbooth sa NLE pag of our group, the Lilac team, with the intention of distributing dig- gabi? Taga-Bulacan ako at nagtatrabaho sa Makati, kaya araw- ital copies to the team members. araw kong nararanasan ang mahabang trapik. Sana maayos ito. A few days ago, I was happy to see some of my pictures in the —Alex June 2005 edition of Lopez Link. As I looked closer, I was dis- mayed that all of the sports fest photos were credited to Mr. Joel From TMC: First of all, we apologize for the inconvenience that ACROSS Sol Cruz. I am referring to the Lilac team picture on the front you encountered. This is actually unusual because we have a number 1. ------Tours, the Griffin Group's RP partner page and pictures 13 and 14 on page 6. of lanes open in various areas at any given time. Still, we are working 4. Return-on-rate base I could not care less if the editors credited no one for the work, to remedy this. We hope you continue providing us with feedback on 7. A male person or animal but it was a completely different issue to have my work credited to how we're doing at the NLE. Thank you. 8. "Are you --, or are you out?" another person. ooOoo 9. Studio 23 is the --- channel of ABS-CBN In this connection, I would like to ask your good office to in- If you have questions, comments, opinions, suggestions and reac- 12. Annum, abbr. clude an erratum in the next issue of Lopez Link regarding this. tions about anything and everything about the Lopez Group, 13. BayanTel promo: "----- More, Shop Galore" Thank you. —Edward V. Perlas, Webcast Technologies, Inc., please send them to Dear Rosie through fax no. 633-3520 or to 14. Mother [email protected] [email protected] 16. Pref., again 19. --- Katigbak, Studio 23 managing director We sincerely apologize for the oversight. Rest assured that Lopez 21. ----- Lopez: ABS-CBN Publishing president Link is taking steps to find out how exactly the mix-up occurred and to 23. Studio 23 show from Alias creator avoid the repeat of such an incident in the future. 25. Buena Vista International ooOoo 26. For that reason, conj. Tuloy na ba ang "Pinoy Big Brother"? Napanood ko sa cable 27. EC ---, MNTC transponder ang American edition kaya excited na akong mapanood ang local 29. Doctor of engineering version. Sana kasingganda rin. —Luis 30. The Egyptian sun-god 32. The Filipino Channel Yes, pati kami rito sa ABS-CBN ay excited na sa "Pinoy Big Broth- 34. A cutting tool er." Pinaghandaan talaga namin ang napakabongga at exciting na 35. Each, abbr. show na ito. If you've seen the teasers for the show or know about its 36. Number of ABS-CBN Publishing titles to date premise-or kahit hindi man-maku-curious ka talaga kung anong 38. Manila ----- Tollways Corp., NLE operator mangyayari sa isang dosenang taong hindi magkakakilala na 39. "No reaction" pagsasamahin sa isang bahay, di ba? Kitakits tayo sa "Pinoy Big 40. -- Tiempo, Don Eñing's newspaper where he ex- Brother" house sa August 21. Subaybayan din ang the making of posed jueteng activities "Pinoy Big Brother" sa Aug. 7 at 14. DOWN 1. BayanTel is this Baguio university's exlcusive ISP 2. Extremely High Frequency 3. With regard to AUGUST TRAVEL FEATURE 4. - --- management, one of the Lopez Group initiatives 5. Not off 6. First Gen offering 10. ABS-CBN Publishing title edited by Carlo Tadiar Nature adventures 11. --- Filipino Channel 13. OML award conferred by the German government: August 6-7 Officer's ----- of the Order of Merit Nature Adventures and Healing Retreat in Aug.weekend 13-14 getawaysAug. 27-28 15. Managing director of Studio 23 partner BVITV-AP: Calapan Calapan "Wet and Beachy" Escapades Beaches, Fruit Picking and Eating Spree Steve ---ALLISTER Swimming and fun, dynamic energizers at the Snorkeling, island hopping; Lantuyan Rivers, Snorkeling, island hopping, visit a Benedictine 17. Nickel, abbr. crystal clear beach and rivers, island hopping, Benedictine Monastery and Mangyan Ecopark monastery P3,500 only, all inclusive, four seafood 18. TFC program: "Kumusta, ------" scenic Benedictine monastery and Mangyan inter- P3,500 only, all inclusive, four super seafood buf- buffet meals, roundtrip fare, air-con room (twin 20. Executive Order action and more! P4,500 only, all inclusive, four fet meals, roundtrip fare, air-con room (twin shar- sharing) and boat ride 22. ---- adjustment: filed by Meralco seafood buffet meals, roundtrip fare, air-con room, ing) and boat ride 24. -- and fro beach and boat ride For more information, please contact Violet C. 28. "----- Findings": Lopez Museum exhibit ongoing Aug. 18-23 Imperial, Nature Awareness & Conservation until August 11 Aug. 6 Mt. Kota Kinabalu Fun Club, Inc. at telephone numbers 806-1720 and 29. Not up Lady of Manaoag First Saturday Devotion Climb the highest mountain in Southeast Asia, 0919-4839250 or 0915-5101600, or e-mail 31. Dr. ---- Weishaupt: German ambassador P1,000 round trip air-con bus fare, breakfast with overnight at the beach, whitewater rafting [email protected] 33. Low- ---, high-fiber diet and swimming, plus side trips to Pangasinan and canopy walk; National Park tour and city www.nacci.coms.ph 37. Emergency Room beaches: entrance, cottage and shower tour [email protected]. 12 LOPEZLINK August 2005

LEARN how nuts can help you lose weight, as well as how to prepare diet- friendly Japanese treats in the August 2005 issue of Metro magazine. In makeup, find Simple DIY home repairs out how you can get the "minimalist look" By Norman Sison • Wipe your shoes or slippers before going up using just one color for the eyes, cheeks Diet tips, the ladder. You don't want to slip on the way up and lips-and pair it with a sleek ponytail YOU discover that something in the house needs or down. And never step on top of the ladder. bun reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's fixing during the rainy season because rainwater Baka mahulog ka kapag mawalan ka ng balanse. heroines. For those suffering from hair has a wonderful way of showing you where it And always face the ladder when going up or makeup trends leaks, cracks or is clogged. down para makakahawak ka. loss, Metro looks into mesotherapy, a costly yet effective treatment. But before you pick up that screwdriver • Plug leaks with a rubber sealant. Take a sneak peek at the latest and have a go at that ceiling, Check the roof for leaks when it rains sportswear line of Adidas, look good in there are some things that you from time to time. choice lingerie and break down style bar- need to keep in mind: • Have basic tools at home such as a • Safety first. You'll be sur- hammer, a saw, two or three sizes of riers with a "global look" inspired by fash- prised how dangerous do-it- flat screwdrivers, two or three sizes of ion from the North, South, West and East. yourself home repairs can Philips screwdrivers, pliers. And get a de- Also, read the heart-wrenching story of sometimes get. Dapat maging cent brand of tools. Thelma Chiong and Margot Larrañaga. maingat para di ka na gumastos • Observe when you have a repair- One has two daughters who were raped sa pagpapa-ospital mo. man doing work on the house. I was and killed, the other has a son on death • Falls are one of the most able to learn a simple plumbing re- row. How are they coping eight years af- common accidents at home. pair trick or two by watching ter the most publicized criminal case in When using ladders, make sure how the guy did it. It'll save you recent history? they are placed against something firm. Baka bu- at least P100 to P300 in professional fees. migay ang bubong o dingding. And make sure the One last thing that has worked for me or Metro August is now available on base of the ladder is not too close to the wall so saved me in many kinds of situations-when in newsstands. For more information, call you won't fall back. doubt, don't. If you are not sure how to fix it, 924-4101 or 415-2272 local 4641 or 4642 • Keep other people away from you when you don't. You might end up damaging it and having or e-mail [email protected] have tools or other objects with you up the ladder. to spend more to fix it. Tandaan: nasa huli ang tral.com. (Joseph Uy) Mabigat din naman ang martilyo, di ba? pagsisisi. Our own POWER PLANT MALL Juno Chuidian in 'Emperor's finds New Clothes' It'saTyler! By Monica Eleazar Who says you can relax, fashion-wise, on a rainy day? On the contrary, one should take pains to look good when the weather is gloomy. Dressing well lifts not only your Janylin, P1,395 mood, but those of the people around you as well. Tyler at the Power Plant Mall helps you out with some great fashion choices to keep the damp out and the rainy day blues away. On days when the weather is bright and sunny, slip in- to pretty offerings from Janylin, also available at the Power Plant Mall. (Tyler is located at the R1 Level near Starbucks and Our very own Juno Chuidian, a veteran thespian, plays the role Janylin is located at the R2 level, hip wing.) of the vain but lovable pink elephant Empress in Repertory Philippines' (Rep) staging of Hans Christian Andersen's well- loved children's classic tale, "The Emperor's New Clothes." "The Emperor's New Clothes" will run at the Rep's Globe Theater at Onstage in Greenbelt 1 from August 6 until December 15, 2005. Janylin, P1,395 Military skinny, Directed by artistic director Joy Virata, the production features some of Rep's most versatile actors. P2,650 For details and ticket reservations, please call the Rep office at 887-0710.

Editorial Advisory Board Boo Chanco / Danny Gozo Executive Editor Rosan Cruz Contributing Editors Carla Paras-Sison (Benpres) Marlene N. Ochoa (MNTC) Maite Bueno (Meralco) John Rojo (BayanTel) Estela de la Paz (First Gen) Juno Chuidian (Beyond Cable) Leah Salterio (ABS-CBN) Joseph Uy (ABS-CBN Publishing) Jess Matubis (Maynilad) Vienn Tionglico (Rockwell) Frances Bumanlag (AEI) Circulation Lucy Torres (Tel. 449-2468) Editorial and Layout IPI Creative Business Unit LopezLink is published by Benpres PR Group, 4/F Benpres Bldg., Ortigas, Pasig City Second Telefax: 633-3520 skin For feedback, please email: wrap, [email protected] P2,950