FMG: My boss, my friend

Tomorrow is Christmas Day. Have a merry one! We have so much to thank for. We are alive and we can choose to be happy. We can choose to be kind. It’s healthier to smile than to smirk or pout. After all, Santa Claus doesn’t like children who pout. So you better watch out!

Today I continue to pay tribute to Freddie Garcia who has been Santa Claus to many of us on television. Santa Claus does not understand content, tarping, ratings and primetime TV. Freddie does, exquisitely. Freddie’s laughter is deadly, his green jokes are greener than the rainforests of the amazons; his generosity transcends the Christmas season.

Here are some quotes from people who have worked with Freddie Garcia, or FMG, as we fondly call him. Thank you to Lopez Link, a quarterly publication of the Lopez Group of Companies. Also, thank you to Ms. Leah Salterio for collating all the materials for us. Read on.

• Eugenio Lopez III, Chairman and CEO

Freddie is cool, calm and collected. He sleeps well at night, he knows the lessons he has taught his people are being put to practice (joke, joke, joke). I have many memorable experiences with Freddie, most of which cannot be shared with the general public. Suffice it to say, he will be missed especially for the passion he brought to his work. As he is fond of saying: "Life is work, work is life. That is my story."

• Charo Santos-Concio, Executive Vice President and Head of Entertainment Group

The most searing words ever uttered by FMG to me were: "May alam ka ba sa TV? Pampelikula ka lang." That was his welcome, 16 years ago, on my first week on the job at ABS-CBN. It also defined our rapport for years – I was always the student catching up on my mentor and tormentor, always trying to prove to him that, no, I was not "pampelikula lamang." Since then, FMG has graciously allowed us to fly, coached us on the touch calls of the moment and always generously shared with us the kudos for jobs well done. Since then, his gruff challenges dissolved to green jokes and his bellowing Caviteño laughter over red wine.

FMG is a tough but a great guru. Like all great teachers, he knows that the lessons will ultimately lead us to debate, challenge and sometimes contradict him. Little did we know that was his agenda all along, toughening up his lieutenants for their own future rallying. He rewards profusely, with the most flattering words, but there is no better compliment than to hear him laugh. When FMG laughs (or in soaps, cry), we know our show would be a winner.

Soon, the mentor-tormentor showed his true paternal colors. He turns out to be gregarious, big-hearted and masuyo, as magnetic and mesmerizing as the medium he has built. He is a wizard in recognizing talent. He has that inborn talent for divining the next trend. He is an industry giant, but he rolls up his sleeves as readily as the next clerk.

He is never the boorish autocrat people of his stature tend to become. He admits his mistakes readily, apologizes contritely and really listens to ideas. He is a dream boss (a nightmare boss as well, but in time, one gets nightmares, not out of fear of the man, but out of anxiety that we may not live up to the trust he gave us).

When FMG goes, the thing I will miss is that boisterous, full-bodied laughter. The laughter of a happy father, the seal of approval of a pleased boss, the shared happiness of a good friend. "Marami na ngayon akong alam sa TV," FMG, and almost all of it, I learned from you. What we might never really learn, is to go to the 15th floor, toast over red wine – and not wait for that green joke with that reassuring FMG laughter. The torment will never be again complete.

• Nicanor C. Gabunada, Jr., Senior Vice President, Integrated Sales and Marketing Division

I will remember FMG as the boss who takes time talking to drivers, caddies, household helps and other people to get insights on what programs the masa are watching, why they like or don’t like a particular program. It is from these consultations where he probably complements his genius with a feel for his target audience. I also remember him as a marketing man who gets feedback from clients; not just the ad agency or the company heads, but also the people who do the dirty job of planning and buying.

But most of all, I will remember FMG as my mentor. He gives me insights about running the business, reading the market, programming for the target market and marketing to the trade. He shares insights on how to combine my family life with the corporate demands. FMG can be a strict teacher but he is generous with his praises and makes you feel good about yourself and your achievements.

• Atty. Ricardo Puno, Senior Vice President for Integrated News and Current Affairs

FMG had a direct role in getting me into television almost 20 years ago in another channel. FMG also later invited me to join ABS-CBN news management. Obviously, he’s been a major part of my life and professional career. But aside from being my boss, he’s been a real friend in the sense that he tells me not only what I want to hear, but more importantly, what I need to hear. He’s not always been an easy boss – few driven men are – but his knowledge of the business is unequaled and his instincts uncanny. You learn a lot from Freddie, but you also see that beneath the exterior of the hard-nosed industry leader lies a pretty likeable fellow, as well as an outstanding Filipino who truly cares for this nation.

• Monchet Olives, Senior Vice President for Business Development and Special Projects

Freddie – or FMG as we all call him, has and continues to be my mentor and tormentor. Freddie taught me the ropes, to be quick on your feet and most of all to be compassionate – listen to your gut and go for it. I honestly can say that the reason I have gotten to where I am now is because Freddie has taken the time to nurture me into where I am today. Freddie has been like an older brother to me. Good business, in FMG’s book, is good relations, and a good feel of the landscape. That is why he is and will always be Mr. TV to me.

(To be concluded on Friday, Dec. 26)