Boy Abunda
For Boy Abunda, known not only as a TV host working for the beleaguered broadcast network ABS-CBN but also as a talent manager and celebrity endorser, one must do what he can in order to survive in this difficult time of the pandemic.
In an interview with Inquirer Entertainment, Boy admitted that he was one of the Kapamilya artists whose talent contract with the network had been suspended, presumably to enable him to find work elsewhere after the ABS-CBN shutdown in July 2020.
Need to survive
He said one’s loyalty to the network should not be judged based on whether or not he chose to accept work outside the company. “It really depends on the negotiations. Ang lahat ay nakukuha sa mabuting pag-uusap. I have nothing against those who decided to find jobs in other studios. We all need to survive this pandemic,” explained Boy, who is currently hosting the Kapamilya online show biz oriented program “Best Talk.”
“To go for something decently in order to survive should not be taken against a person,” Boy pointed out. “I will be lying to you if I say I didn’t get offers to do talk shows [for other production outfits], but it was my decision to simply rest. For almost 30 years, I’ve been doing ‘Talk.’ Wala na akong ginawa kundi dumaldal.”
As to what the King of Talk does when he wants a little quiet time, Boy said: “I usually go to my rest house in Tagaytay. In fact, I was there recently for seven days. I had no one to talk with, believe it or not. I actually enjoy being quiet. Just give me a good book, leave me in a corner, and I’ll be fine.” —Marinel Cruz