Charo, Piolo at Emmys

PIOLO Pascual and Charo Santos-Concio

“I admire the International Emmys for keeping television as the world’s meeting place,” declared ABS-CBN president Charo Santos-Concio, who served as its gala chair this year.

Concio, the first Filipino to be invited to lead the prestigious event, said in her opening speech at the 43rd International Emmys that the Philippines “may not yet be a major player in the world-content market,” but many ABS-CBN shows have already been warmly welcomed in several territories—proof that “we are now thriving in a globalized environment!”

“We are grateful that through our content, we can show the world the real wealth of our country,” she added. “These are our strong family values and our resilience as a people.”

International Emmys president Bruce Paisner said the organization chose Concio as gala chair because of the outstanding achievement of ABS-CBN under her leadership.

“Not only is she an important person in the industry, she is also a wonderful chairperson,” Paisner stressed.

Meanwhile, top Kapamilya actor Piolo Pascual presented the award for best telenovela alongside American actress and singer Karla Mosley of “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

Before the awards show at the Hilton Hotel in New York City, Concio and Pascual both graced the red carpet and granted media interviews.

Concio and Pascual were also given a tour of the Philippine gold exhibition in New York, which was organized by the Asia Society. The exhibition presents spectacular works of gold that have been discovered over the past 40 years in the Philippines.

Erik Matti’s “On the Job,” which features Pascual, was among the films screened at the same event.

At a lunch hosted by the United Mindoro International Inc. at the Astoria World Manor, Concio talked about eco-tourism and community livelihood projects in Mindoro that ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc.’s Bantay Kalikasan plans to undertake. Marinel R. Cruz