ABS-CBN permanently closes iconic Esguerra Avenue gate
MANILA, Philippines — The main gate of the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center at the corner of Sgt. Esguerra Avenue and Mother Ignacia Street in Barangay South Triangle, Diliman, Quezon City has been permanently closed.
At 6 a.m. on Sunday, August 16, employees said goodbye to the entrance, which had long served as one of the network’s main access points, as well as to the security guards who had been assigned there.
ABS-CBN reporter Victoria Tulad shared the development on social media, writing: “We will miss you, ABS-CBN Esguerra gate. The gate closes at 6 a.m. today.”
Her post drew an emotional response from netizens, many of whom shared memories and expressed sadness over the closure of another familiar part of the ABS-CBN compound.
ABS-CBN’s 25-year franchise expired on May 4, 2020. The following day, May 5, the National Telecommunications Commission issued a cease-and-desist order that forced the network to halt its free-to-air broadcast operations.
On July 10, 2020, the House of Representatives denied the network’s application for a new franchise.
The franchise setback had a major impact on ABS-CBN and the Philippine television landscape. The network was forced to retrench thousands of employees, while its advertising revenues and traditional broadcast operations were significantly affected.
Since then, ABS-CBN has pursued a different business model, expanding its content partnerships with other television platforms, including TV5, A2Z, GMA Network, ALLTV and Cignal, while strengthening its digital and international operations.
The closure of the Esguerra Avenue gate is the second access point at the ABS-CBN complex to be shut down as the company continues to consolidate its operations at the ELJ Communications Center.
The main roll-up door of the still-operating Audience Entrance Building was also closed in January, marking another visible change within the network’s longtime Quezon City home.
The closures are part of ABS-CBN’s broader transition following the sale of a significant portion of its Quezon City property to Ayala Land Inc. for P6.24 billion.
Under the agreement announced in February 2025, ABS-CBN sold approximately 30,000 square meters of its 44,027-square-meter property to Ayala Land, while retaining around 1.4 hectares where the ELJ Communications Center and other facilities are located.
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