Why Regine ended her 20-year stint with GMA 7

Regine Velasquez

To be able to work with other artists—this was the main reason for the highly publicized transfer of singer-actress Regine Velasquez from GMA 7 to ABS-CBN, according to Cacai Mitra, Regine’s sister and talent manager.

“She felt limited in terms of projects (when she was still with GMA 7). If she were to appear in a soap, what kind of characters could she play? Who could she partner with? In that aspect, palaging kapos,” Cacai explained during the press conference that ABS-CBN bosses organized for Regine on Wednesday night.

For her part, Regine said, “I love the people I’ve worked with there. They felt sad that I had to go, but they understood. After all, I’ve given 20 years of my artistic life to GMA 7.”

She added that GMA Network CEO Felipe Gozon is her and husband Ogie Alcasid’s godparent, “so I made sure to ask for his blessing.”

“I said goodbye to every single one there—I felt that was important. We’ve had a good relationship while I was there,” she stressed.

Cacai said Regine’s contract with the Kapuso network expired in January 2018, but she waited until July before negotiating with ABS-CBN since she was still committed to doing the cooking show, “Sarap ’Di Ba?”

Regine signed a two-year contract with Channel 2, which promised to produce for her a musical sitcom with husband Ogie Alcasid. She will also be a mainstay of the Sunday variety show “Asap,” and one of the judges for the new talent show “Idol Philippines.”

“I’m excited because I will be doing a lot of things that will involve singing. In all my years in the business, it’s amazing to realize that there are still things I haven’t done,” she said.

Regine will also sing Ogie’s composition, the theme song of the upcoming show “The General’s Daughter.” As for her first TV guesting, Regine said it would be on the Sunday talk show “Gandang Gabi Vice.”

She also hinted at the possibility of appearing in the long-running action-adventure series, “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.”

“Anything is possible now,” she declared, adding that she has been turning down offers from ABS-CBN for the past 10 years. “This was why when it was my turn to ask them (in July), I wasn’t sure they’d still have me. [The transfer] didn’t happen before because it still wasn’t meant to happen. It’s all in God’s perfect time.”

Regine added: “You will see me every Sunday again! How exciting is that? I will be with Janno (Gibbs), my kumare Jaya (Ramsey) and even Lani (Misalucha). We can do all sorts of production numbers again.” They were all part of the program “SOP,” which premiered in 1997 on GMA 7.

“Lahat,  papatulan ko,” Regine declared. “Of all that’s lined up for me to do, it’s the appearance in ‘GGV’ that I’m really excited about. I’ve known Vice for a long time now. I feel so proud of what he has become—he is one of ABS-CBN’s biggest stars.”

Halfway through the Q&A session during the press con at the Dolphy Theater, Regine was made to watch a video that featured messages from her Kapamilya friends, Sharon Cuneta, Gary Valenciano, Angel Locsin, Robin Padilla, Piolo Pascual and Sarah Geronimo.

“Hulas na ako sa kaiiyak! I am deeply touched. I never expected my arrival in ABS-CBN to be this grand. They made me feel important,” she told the Inquirer.

Regine added, “While driving here, I felt so anxious that I had a hard time breathing. During the press con, I got really nervous and I didn’t know what to do with my hands.”