Our very own Raki Vega-Siu, the only “Born Diva” of the Philippines, made us proud once again with her guesting on ABS-CBN’s Music Uplate last Thursday early morning. She was there to promote her latest single “We Will Rise Again,” composed by another Cebuano pride and gem, Jude Gitamondoc, who provided accompaniment to her soulful performance.
Watching her left me thinking how ABS-CBN wasted Raki's talent by not investing and pushing for her to reach greater heights. Yes, she has an album with Star Records, which according to Raki during her guest appearance, is currently selling well in Indonesia, but I don’t think it was promoted well. Besides that album has long been overdue because she was adjudged Born Diva in 2004, yet her album came out only last year or 2008.
The show’s male host Tutti and Aiza Seguerra, who was pinch-hitting for Yeng Constantino, were both in awe of Raki’s voice. The viewers were clearly mesmerized as requests for Raki to sing kept coming, all of which she graciously granted. Aiza even commented that Raki outstandingly interpreted her songs; you could really feel that a story is unfolding.
Raki is a one-of-a-kind. She is a gift. Her voice is a gem. It’s just disappointing to see how she is not getting the breaks worth her talent. They say, “Stars are made not born.” But in Raki’s case, I dare say that it’s the other way around. She is literally a “Born Diva.” I hope ABS-CBN will realize that before it’s too late.
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Expect a big change on TV Patrol Central Visayas beginning next month, at least in its entertainment segment. I wish I could go into specific details but I promised Star Patroller Kara Mae Noveda that I will not talk about it. I just want to say though, that I’m so honored to be one of the few people informed by Kara about this upcoming development. She said I needed to know it because I was there when she started her career with ABS-CBN five years ago, not as an instant friend but as a staunch critic of how she appeared and performed on-cam.
According to her, she compiled all my columns about her since five years ago and when she reads them now, she can’t help but smile. She even confessed that she found me intimidating before we became friends. But the good thing about it is that all my comments about her, she said, became a big challenge for her to do her best and prove her worth. So in a way I have helped her become what she is today on local television.
To Kara, good luck girl! I’m flattered to know that it really matters to be honest and candid in my comments, and that it could help others improve.
Don’t forget I’m a friend and I'm just a text away.
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Tomorrow at 8:30 a.m., Starstruck Princess Diva Mantalaba’s homecoming, which if I’m not mistaken was done last April, will finally be aired. In the homecoming special, Diva will be shown returning to Minglanilla where she first nurtured her dreams of becoming a star. She will also be reunited with her friends and the people who supported her. Aside from that, her past performances for GMA-7’s defunct local variety show Oi Show Nato Ni with the then Oi Darlings, will be featured.
Interestingly, the homecoming will be aired on the same time slot as MagTV Na, the only local entertainment magazine-style show to date and which is doing very well. Does this mean that GMA-7 is gradually competing via this homecoming feature? Well, that’s a good move but it still does not change the fact that it has been more than a year since GMA-7 had a regular entertainment show. If my memory serves me right, Istayl Nato hosted by Anna Maris and Chad Burden, with Yuri as segment host, had its final episode on May 10, 2009.
What’s in store for them now? I understand Anna, Yuri and their director were given a guaranteed contract so they couldn’t jump ship, so to speak.
But if you ask me, it’s really an agonizing situation to have a guaranteed contract and yet you have no show. The waiting could spell torture!
Anyway, if Istayl Nato did not rate well and thus was axed, then the more that it will be hard this time to (re)gain its market because of the year-long lull, which gave MagTV enough time to establish its dominance in local Sunday viewing.
I thought a local entertainment show will be launched by GMA-7 after election. Well, it has been two months since May 2010 elections, yet there is no word if the show is going to push through. But from what I’ve gathered, selected episodes of the defunct Istayl Nato are being re-edited and re-written and are being aired in Dagupan, Davao, and Iloilo with Starstruck V winners Steven Silva and Sarah Lahbati as hosts. Does it mean that Istayl Nato had achieved something significant enough for it to be aired in other regions?
Then maybe the reason why Istayl Nato failed to survive was because it lacked publicity. Admittedly, MagTV is really a show to reckon with; it’s hard to topple. Yet it's never complacent, and its promotion remains strong. For the whole week, several times a day, a teaser on what to expect from ABS-CBN's weekend shows is aired. With that, who would not be enticed to watch their shows? On the other hand Istayl Nato, and the shows before it never experienced such level of publicity. Going by GMA's local programming, it seems management is biased to the local news and current affairs programs, and such could affect the unity within the local station's organizational structure. And could this be why its rating in Cebu is not moving forward? Also, whether they like it or not, I have a strong feeling that the radio and TV departments have a gap—that there is no synergy because of that feeling of superiority over the other. If that is the case, where's the Kapuso spirit there?
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