ASAP Live in Dubai draws thousands

MANILA, Philippines - ABS-CBN TFC brought Filipino sights and sounds to the 32-day festivities by way of back-to-back shows of ASAP Live in Dubai that drew thousands to Dubai Festival City last Jan. 24.

The event also cements OSN, the largest pay-TV network in the region, as the new exclusive hub for TFC subscribers in the Middle East. The partnership highlights the efforts of both OSN and ABS-CBN TFC to provide Filipino viewers with the ultimate TV experience backed by OSN’s award-winning customer service, state-of-the-art technology and the widest choice of premium Filipino and Western content.

Over 40 of the biggest and brightest stars in Philippine entertainment had the city pulsating to the vibes and musical flavors of the variety show in the Philippines. The shows touched on themes of patriotism, Filipino pride, popular love theme songs from classic teleseryes, the things from the homeland that OFWs miss most, giving back to the homeland, among others, plus  dance numbers in colorful costumes before a screen backdrop of images that transported the audience to amazing landscapes.

The first-ever staging of ASAP Live in the Middle East dubbed by Martin Nievera as “OSN — One Special Night”  showcased stunning musical repertoires in two different two-hour shows that featured performances of Filipino entertainers, Gary Valenciano, Vina Morales and ZsaZsa Padilla.

The event, hosted by Toni Gonzaga, Nikki Gil, Luis Manzano and Robi Domingo, dazzled with performances from Charice, Bamboo, Jed Madela, Angeline Quinto, Erik Santos, Yeng Constantino, KZ Tandingan, Jovit Baldivino, Marcelito Pomoy, Zia Quizon, ASAP Sessionistas composed of Aiza Seguerra, Juris, Princess, Richard Poon and Sitti.

Weaving their magic with high energy production numbers were Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, Gerald Anderson, Enchong Dee, Enrique Gil and John Lloyd Cruz, with Kim Chiu, Julia Montes and Erich Gonzales. Rayver Cruz, John Prats and Iya Villania, and the MASH duo of Maja Salvador and Shaina Magdayao raised energy level with their dance numbers.

Meanwhile, the presence of Be Careful With My Heart leading man Richard “Ser Chief” Yap, Maria Mercedes star Jessy Mendiola and The Legal Wife team-up of Angel Locsin and Jericho Rosales caused big-time swooning among the crowd.

TFCKat, TFC’s global singing contest, also held its regional finals. When the battle smoke cleared, it was Ana Blaza of UAE who won the Middle East crown, with her unique rendition of Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield.

The board of judges was composed of ABS-CBN head of production Laurenti Dyogi, ABS-CBN Global head of customer relationship management Allie dela Cruz, ABS-CBN News Bureau Chief for Middle East and Europe Danny Buenafe and last year’s TFCkat Middle East Champion Cris Bernardo.

Kris Aquino, joined by Luis Manzano and Toni Gonzaga, announced before thousands the exclusive partnership between ABS-CBN and OSN,  in the presence of OSN chairman and KIPCO vice chairman Faisal Al Ayyar, ABS-CBN Corporation chairman Gabby Lopez and ABS-CBN Global COO Raffy Lopez. The three executives paid tribute to the Filipinos in the Middle East, praising their excellence at work that made them preferred employees, and agreeing that they deserve the best that the ABS-CBN TFC-OSN partnership has to offer.

Emad Morcos, SVP for business development, strategy and digital, said: “Our vision of serving the Filipino community in the Middle East and North Africa region has led to the successful collaboration between OSN and ABS-CBN. Today, OSN offers viewers the largest and widest choice of must-watch Filipino TV entertainment in the region, headlined by six of the most popular channels from ABS-CBN’s portfolio. I’m confident that in 2014 and beyond, OSN will continue to reinforce its credentials as the ‘home of premium Filipino content.’”

ABS-CBN managing director for Middle East and Europe Edgardo Garcia said: “ABS-CBN through TFC in the Middle East has found a committed partner in OSN in pursuing our mission to serve the overseas Filipino community better, so expect us to be even more actively present in Filipino events and activities this year as we share with all Filipinos here the good news of the best TV viewing experience from two leaders in the region.”