Kapuso goes beyond entertainment

BORACAY, Philippines — With the growing number of tourists that flock to this picturesque island known for its powdery white sand and crystal clear beach, the trash that accumulates every single day cannot be denied. A beer bottle that seems to dance with the waves or the empty tetra pack juice that freely floats on the water is definitely not a sight to behold.

Thus, when GMA 7 flew in here the weekend of May 11 and 12, its aim goes beyond providing entertainment and fun to the people. The Kapuso network had included in its line-up of activities the coastal clean-up which was participated in by Kapuso stars. The event, dubbed Kapuso ng Kalikasan: Walk for a Cause and Coastal Clean-up, which started at 6 a.m. of May 11 saw support from the Municipality of Malay, Pearl of the Pacific and local organizations like the Boracay Foundation, Inc.

“We started the event with Panata ng mga Stars, a video clip showing Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes giving their messages of concern for the environment,” said Oliver Amoroso, GMA Regional TV AVP for marketing and sales.

Kapuso ng Kalikasan is an environmental arm of GMA that aims to care for the environment. It also creates awareness to every Pinoy about protecting Mother Nature. A number of projects like the tree-planting were already held in different areas of the country.

After a short ceremony hosted by Jolina Magdangal that kicked off the coastal clean-up activity, 14 Kapuso stars led by Geoff Eigenmann and Jolina, sans makeup, coiffed hair and stylish outfits, readily carried plastic bags — for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste — and started picking up the island rubbish in sight. Bela Padilla, Michelle Madrigal, Mark Herras, Bubbles Paraiso, Carlo Gonzales, Victor Aliwalas, Pancho Magno, Arthur Solinap and Rochelle Pangilinan walked side by side with the locals from Station 1 to 3 and back.

 “This is the first big activity of GMA here in Boracay and we are planning to do it annually because it is heartening to see locals voluntarily participating in our mission of protecting the environment,” Oliver shared. “Owners of hotels and other establishments also took part in the event. Even the police force was present, too.”

GMA’s goal of taking care of Mother Nature is aligned with the mission of Boracay Foundation, Inc. of continuously making an effort to keep away the island from destruction due to garbage. That’s why when GMA people had an ocular inspection months before the two-day activity took place, they noticed the banners put up by the organization and, voila, they came up with the idea of launching the Kapuso ng Kalikasan in the island.

“When we were still planning, our objective was not just to bring entertainment but also to do our share in maintaining cleanliness here,” Oliver added.

The clean-up drive wrapped up at 9 a.m. and by 4 p.m. various games turned the Pearl of the Pacific’s beach front into one big playground. Mark and Geoff never seemed to tire playing in ball games particularly the Agawan Bola, related Jocelyn Bautista, program manager for GMA regional entertainment TV.

After the games, Bianca, LJ Reyes and Rochelle ascended the stage for Zumbaracay, a dance show where they grooved to the latest dance craze with the audience composed of locals and tourists. Meanwhile, Dennis Trillo, Jay-R, Gabby Eigenmann, Rachelle Ann Go, Krista Kleiner, Isabel Oli, Sam Pinto, Michelle and Bubbles hit the floor for song-and-dance numbers during the Kapuso Night. The morning of May 12 turned more soothing and vibrant with Beach Yoga with the Stars and Kapuso Beach Volleyball. The two-day event culminated with another Kapuso Night where Dingdong, Solenn Heussaff, Lovi Poe, Isabelle Daza, Mike Tan and Ehra Madrigal made the island more fun and colorful.

“It is not every day that we are given the opportunity to hold a Kapuso event in one of the top summer destinations in the country. They can expect full blast entertainment,” stated Oliver in the press release.

The photos on this page show how GMA delivered fun entertainment and its mission of caring for the environment.