MATAPOS ang dalawang taon, nagdaos ng first in-person media event ang ABS-CBN sa Studio 10 nu’ng Huwebes para sa muling pagpirma ng kontrata ng 11 Kapamilya stars at selebrasyon ng 30th year ng talent arm nitong Star Magic.

Kabilang sa nanatiling Kapamilya talents ang OPM music icons na sina Regine Velasquez at Gary Valenciano habang Star Magic artists pa rin sina Zanjoe Marudo, Erich Gonzales, Jake Cuenca, Jolina Magdangal, Loisa Andalio, Ronnie Alonte, Sam Milby, Shaina Magdayao at Gerald Anderson.

Ang Asia’s Songbird, bukod sa pagiging mainstay ng ASAP Natin ’To, guest host na rin ng morning show na Magandang Buhay.

“I’m very happy and very excited and very proud. That’s how I feel. I mean after the things that the network has been through, all of us, after all we’ve been through, parang I just feel (happy) to be called a Kapamilya,” aniya.

Para naman sa Livewire Performer/Mr. Pure Energy na si Gary V., walang iwanan ang magkakapamilya.

“’Pag sinabing Kapamilya, we are there for each other… Kahit na may mga ibang pagsubok na dumadapo sa isang pamilya, the fact is you are still a family. It’s a dynamic ng isang pamilya. Minsan may good times, minsan may hard times but in the end nakikita mo ‘yung value ng isa’t isa, value sa isa’t isa and you treasure that and then you carry it on,” paliwanag niya.

Ang Star Magic head namang si Direk Lauren Dyogi, pinasalamatan ang ABS management, kabilang na ang dating presidente nito na si Freddie M. Garcia at predecessor niyang si Johnny “Mr. M” Manahan (na consultant na ng Sparkle GMA Artist Center), Mariole Alberto, mga manager at road manager na nakatrabaho nila through the years.

Sa kanyang speech bago ang celebratory toast, sinabi ni Direk Lauren na, “Siyempre, sa inyong mga kapatid na artista and performers who’re not here with us, we toast to all our Star Magic artists.

We also toast to our friends in media, lahat po ng mga supporter, follower at lahat ng tumatangkilik po sa aming mga artista, maraming, maraming salamat po for keeping them in the trending list, for always watching them and supporting them and for always just being there with them through their ups and downs. For making them always relevant even during the times of uncertainty.

And here’s to our 30 years and 30 more years and beyond.”

Base sa AVP na ipinalabas sa okasyon, mukhang aariba ang Kapamilya stars sa mga susunod na buwan at taon.

“We’re trying to conitnue to serve. We’re here to still… that’s it, tutal may tapings na naman, eh. ’Yung mga rallies nga ngayon, ang dami na ring tao, ’di ba? So might as well, we’re slowly getting to, hopefully, a semblance of the new normal. We’re excited, excited,” pahiwatig ni Direk Lauren.

Tumanggi siyang i-entertain ang posibilidad na may mga Kapamilyang magbabalik ’pag active na silang muli.

Katwiran niya, “We always want to be fair with the people who stayed. We have to weigh it, eh. But as I said, importante sa akin kung sino ’yung nandito. Kung sino ’yung nag-stay. ’Yun na lang, i-focus ko attention namin du’n, ayoko na munang entertain idea na may babalik o hindi babalik. Kasi that might not even happen.”

As for a new franchise or frequency, hindi raw niya mapangungunahan ang pamilya Lopez sa usaping ito.

“I cannot speak for the owners, I cannot speak for the Lopezes but I think with the mandate of wanting to serve a wider Filipino audience, it’s important for us to be able to reach them the way we were able to reach the public, ’yung kasuluk-sulukan ng ating bayan, that was only possible at that time when we were on free TV. Sana, kapag pagkakalooban ng pagkakataon at ng… God willing that we’re given the privilege to have another franchise and frequency, we will embrace it and we will really serve the public,” ani Direk Lauren.

Hindi rin niya isinasara ang pintuan sa posibilidad ng partnership sa iba pang players dahil “we’re doing it naman with Channel 5 already and with A2Z. So, I think the way to go really, tutal, it’s a digital world also, is to really have more partners.”

Hindi raw niya sigurado kung posible ang partnership sa pagitan ng ABS-CBN at ng AMBS ni dating Sen. Manny Villar sa ngayon, pero may partnerships na nu’ng una, hindi rin nila inakalang mangyayari.

“Parang ’di ko nga ma-imagine na dati parang makakapag-partner kami sa maraming broadcast… only abs was able to do that. Malay mo naman in the future, may partnership kami with the other players in the industry, malay mo,” dagdag ni Direk Lauren.

Sa ngayon, bukod sa local production, aktibo rin sila sa collab with international players at maraming possibilities pa ang maaaring i-explore ng kumpanya bilang isang content company.

Pag-amin niya, “Actually, lumuwag ’yung mundo namin nu’ng hindi lang focus namin, eh, free TV. Content company na kami, eh. Ang dami palang pwedeng gawin, maraming pwedeng pagsilbihan, maraming puwedeng gawin, there’s a global market now, hindi lang Pilipno ang pinagsisilbihan namin.”

Maaaring lugi pa raw sila ngayon dahil napakalaki ng lugi nila nu’ng 2020, pero positibo si Direk Lauren na mas maigi na ang magiging financial situation ng Kapamilya network this year.

“This year would definitely be better, next year, I’m sure, will be better. We can only hope. But I’m sure with the plans of management and the hard work of the people, maitataguyod namin. Konting paghihigpit ng sinturon pero matataguyod namin,” pagdiriin niya.