Piolo Pascual (left) with “Flower of Evil” costar Poe
I’m willing to be part of the evolution of this industry,” said actor-film producer Piolo Pascual when asked to react to the fact that AllTV, a new player in the field of broadcasting, intends to make a mark with its full-scale launch in 2023.
Piolo said that with the new channel, “the playing field has become bigger. In fact, even ABS-CBN is considering partnering with other companies [like AllTV]. People need to work. It’s good that we now have a lot of options. It’s also now time for us to produce or create content that will make a difference.”
The actor, however, emphasized that he will stay as a talent of the Kapamilya channel. “Should there be another chance to do another show or project, whoever the producer may be, I’d gladly oblige. It’s just that ABS-CBN will remain my home network and I will never leave it. I still have a lot of plans. I still want to collaborate with a lot of Kapamilya talents—’yung magagaling talaga—like Ate Lea (Salonga) and Janine (Gutierrez). It was a blessing to have been given the chance to work with Lovi (Poe in ‘Flower of Evil’),” said Piolo during a recent lunch with some members of the media.
Lovi Poe
Janine Gutierrez
Lea Salonga
Maja Salvador
Piolo later added Anne Curtis and Maja Salvador to his wish list of leading ladies. “I’m talking to Bea (Alonzo), too, to get her to do something with me again,” he quickly said. Bea transferred to rival network GMA-7 in July 2021.
Piolo is currently in the United States for a series of shows with fellow Kapamilya talent Jericho Rosales, his batchmate when he first joined show biz in the late 1990s.
Changed priorities
The actor said having experienced the series of pandemic lockdowns since 2020 changed his priorities and routine. “I had more time at home, and I appreciated that. As a producer, my group and I became much stricter in terms of content creation,” he pointed out. “These days, it’s not just about making money but making something worthwhile, especially for films and TV series. Like when I did ‘Flower of Evil,’ even if it was a difficult project, it was worth it because I know it will make a difference.”
Bea Alonzo
Piolo, who coowns Spring Films with filmmaker Joyce Bernal and talent manager Erickson Raymundo, said he has always made it his goal to promote Filipino talents. “When we were in Singapore recently, we spoke with different streaming platforms interested in partnering with us,” he said. “This is the perfect time to do something different and big, and, of course, to showcase Filipino talents.”
Springfilms is scheduled to release Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s “Walang kaParis,” their next project after the box-office success of “Kita Kita.”
However, even Piolo said he has already accepted the fact that “it’s already hard to get back to the cinemas,” especially since we are still experiencing a pandemic.
“I was talking to Tito Pip (Tirso Cruz III) at the FDCP (Film Development Council of the Philippines). I told him, ‘Whatever support you need from us, my peers and I are willing to help.’ Hopefully, our industry will be able to get back on its feet. Admittedly, I doubt that people will return to the cinemas anytime soon, that’s why we’re focusing on streaming. However, I’m a film lover so I hope to see that happen again in the future.” INQ