Annette Gozon Valdes reflects on GMA’s 75 meaningful years

A more serious historical drama, Pulang Araw, takes viewers to when the Japanese conquered the Philippines. It tackles sensitive issues, including the cruelties experienced by comfort women. Actor Sanya Lopez, who plays the role of a comfort woman, says playing the character was challenging but fulfilling. “This is our tribute to the comfort women. This is their story. I want the viewers to know their value and sacrifices. They truly deserve our respect,” Lopez says. 

These two dramas are only among GMA’s lineup that aims to impart values, foster nationalism, teach lessons and leave lasting legacies. “Of course, we have to do this creatively so that the audience would want to watch them. Even if a show has great values or lessons if only a few watch it, it will not have that much impact,” says Valdes.

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Since she was a little girl, Valdes already knew what she wanted to be, and that was to follow in her father’s footsteps, a seasoned lawyer and one of the executives of GMA Network. Early on, her path was set: she would take up law (at the University of the Philippines, as her father wished), finish Master of Law in the US, and finally end up at her father’s law firm, Belo Gozon Parel Asuncion and Lucila Law. “That’s exactly what I did,” Valdes confirms. 

When an entity wanted to buy GMA Network, Inc, Valdes was part of the legal team preparing the documents for due diligence. The sale of GMA did not push through, and as events would turn out, her father became chairman, president and CEO of GMA in October 2000. “Upon assumption of his new role at GMA, my father asked me to join him as his programming consultant while remaining with the law firm. After a year or two, he asked me to work for GMA full-time,” she says.

But even before then, Valdes recalls growing up with TV as a big part of her childhood, enjoying shows like Uncle Bob’s Lucky Seven Club, Sesame Street, Electric Company, Student Canteen, Eat Bulaga, Charlie’s Angels, That’s Entertainment, Anna Liza and more. “My mother was a housewife, and she loves the entertainment world, both local and foreign,” Valdes says, sharing how her mum would have weekly subscriptions to international and local showbiz magazines such as Kislap, Orig, Extra Hot and Modern Romances. She would also read them, which got her more engaged in showbiz. “I remember when she told me to choose my favourite actor, and then she taught me to cut out the pictures from her magazines to make a scrapbook. I did, and it was of Maricel Soriano!” she enthuses. 

Besides exceptional storytelling, Valdes explains that another critical factor to GMA Network’s success is a strong lineup of news and public affairs shows that solidified the company’s reputation as a leading broadcast news provider since the Seventies. “My father was hands-on with our News Department to ensure that GMA always provides timely, relevant, fair and unbiased news. Until today, the network is known to be the most trusted news authority in the Philippines. This has been built over time with intentionality and consistency,” says Valdes. To this day, the network continues to air longstanding news and public affairs shows that resonate across all audiences, including news magazine shows such as Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho and long-form documentaries like I-Witness, which have garnered international acclaim.

For Valdes, these victories would not have been possible without GMA’s talented, creative and hardworking people, complemented by a strong leadership that emphasises transparency and ethics. To which the artists who have been with GMA for a long time can attest. 

Gabbi Garcia, who played the remarkable role of Alena in the hit drama Encantadia, says, “The most valuable thing that GMA taught me is to know your values. You’ll survive in this dynamic entertainment world if you have your values. I learnt the importance of trusting the right people, caring for your core, and keeping your values.” 

Michelle Marquez Dee, a talented actor who played Freya in the fantasy drama Mga Lihim ni Urduja and became the first Miss Universe Philippines under Sparkle GMA Artist Center (the network’s talent management agency), says she owes it to the network for allowing her to express her creativity through strategic collaboration. “In no way have they tried to control my potential. I think there’s a big factor of change in growth; you have to work with people that cheer for you along the way,” Dee says. “[We]treat everyone equally because we’re all playing specific roles to create a good project and environment.” 

David Licauco, who became famous with his breakthrough role as Fidel in Maria Clara at Ibarra, shares that working in GMA taught him a lot about professionalism, consistency and camaraderie. “I learnt how to empathise [with the people I work with] all the time and to consider their thoughts and circumstances. I also learnt about pakikisama,” Licauco says.

Above all, Valdes says that the network has only achieved everything through God’s grace. GMA’s top corporate value is “We place God above all.” 

For decades, there has been a longstanding and controversial tug-of-war between network giants in the Philippines. However, this has changed significantly, especially with the massive development in the entertainment landscape and how viewers consume content through new platforms. Despite still having a healthy competition among TV networks, Valdes tells Tatler, “As content creators, the war is over”. 

Last year, an unexpected historic collaboration between GMA and ABS-CBN happened with the production of Unbreak My Heart, which featured a stellar cast from both camps. The drama series aired on GMA 7 (free TV), ABS-CBN’s Kapamilya YouTube channel and global streaming platform Viu. This strategy gave more latitude by bringing the show to a broader global audience. “Our competition is no longer among ourselves but against international content. This is why it is such a good turn of events that local content creators now collaborate and seek to produce world-class content that we can file internationally,” says Valdes. “I’m thrilled because the Filipinos are rocking it globally. We’re already there,” says Garcia, one of the lead actors in Unbreak My Heart. 

Valdes reiterates that it is no longer a battle between free TV, cable channels and cinema, as various platforms are emerging rapidly, such as streaming platforms including OTTs like Netflix, Viu and Amazon Prime, and social media like YouTube. Content is consumed not only on TV or movie theatres but also on gadgets such as cell phones, iPads, and laptops. “It is necessary for us, as content creators, to be present on various new platforms. Increasingly, we have learnt that viewers on different platforms prefer different types of content. We need to get a firm grasp of the preferences of the audiences each of these platforms has. There are indeed some overlaps in market viewership, but it is also true that there are significant differences,” Valdes says.

To cope with the dynamic entertainment landscape, Valdes and her team ensure that their content is also available on other platforms “in both its original TV run and repurposed to meet the nuances other platforms may have.” They have also started creating digital content specifically for platforms other than TV. In addition, Valdes tells Tatler that they have used GMA’s library of content materials amassed over the years and have started re-introducing these to new audiences via these new platforms.

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While adjustments to cope with the new media have been made, and there’s a solid drive to become known in the international entertainment scene, Valdes admits there are still obstacles to global presence. One of the significant challenges impeding our creative talents and local content to become a global phenomenon is financial resources. 

“Our market is not as big as South Korea, Japan or Thailand. For a soap opera, for example, our budget is only about five to ten per cent of the budget of Korea,” she says. This means that to be profitable and continue producing content, local content producers like GMA must be practical and keep production budgets within manageable levels. “For example, on a given day, we need to be able to finish shooting 45 minutes of air-able material. They probably need to finish shooting ten to 15 minutes of air-able material per shoot day in Korea. Thus, they have the luxury of repeating takes to get the desired final product,” Valdes explains. 

Despite these challenges, the artists under GMA’s wings are optimistic about the industry’s future, citing improving aspects within their control. 

Ruru Madrid, who has been with GMA since he was 14, believes that artists should do their part to improve their craft and to foster strong collaboration among peers. “In this field, collaboration is key. The craft that I chose [to do] is not easy, so I need to learn continuously,” Madrid says, admitting that he would usually seek guidance and support from his colleagues, both veterans and newbies. He also adds that for the local craft to be world-class, it must start from us Filipinos to love our own. “There are many influences from Korea and the West, but let’s not forget the power of our own, the Filipino power. It boils down to how we tell our stories so that they are compelling to the audience worldwide.” 

Licauco shares the same sentiment, saying that actors have a duty “to strive for greatness, to be extra and to always think outside the box.” 

Multi-awarded actor Alden Richards, one of the lead stars in Pulang Araw, adds that the power of collaboration couldn’t be emphasised more. “All the people in the industry are very keen on working hand-in-hand to produce better content and to make these contents even more appealing to a global market,” Richards says, reiterating that with good storytelling, good actors and people who share the same vision to make the Philippines show business known all over the world, arriving at the global stage is not impossible.

To this end, Valdes vows to continue creating content Filipinos can be proud of through materials that entertain and provide values and lessons. “Our dream is also to create content to make its mark in the international market and reach global audiences. We will keep on creating content that audiences would want to watch, not only on TV but also on other platforms,” she says. 

Like a diamond symbolising commitment, faithfulness and enduring relationships, Valdes promises to give the audience superior entertainment and deliver responsible, unbiased, timely and accurate news and information. “We are responsible for fulfilling it, and we promise to do so. By God’s grace, GMA is approaching its 75th year, and we also owe it to our viewers.” 

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