NEW YORK, NY, DECEMBER 4, 2015 – The recent visit of ABS-CBN President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Content Officer Charo Santos-Concio to New York provided an opportunity for many to advance their understanding on the significant role that the head of the Philippines’ leading information and entertainment multimedia conglomerate plays in the global Filipino community and in the international media industry.
Casting A Spotlight On The Next Wave of Global TV
Santos-Concio reinforced her role as an international industry leader by being the first Filipina media executive to chair the gala of the International Emmys (iEmmys), now on its 43rd year, with the awards ceremony last November 23 at Hilton Midtown Manhattan drawing a global who’s who of the industry.
Hosted by popular Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef, dubbed the “Jon Stewart of the Arab world”, the iEmmys was graced by, among others: Downton Abbey creator and writer Julian Fellowes who was presented the honorary International Emmy Founders Award by the show’s executive producer Gareth Neame and actress Elizabeth McGovern, who stars in said show as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham; award-winning actor Michael Douglas who presented the honorary International Emmy Directorate Award to Richard Plepler, chairman and CEO of HBO; Tovah Feldshuh and Michael Cudlitz who play Deanna Moore and Abraham Ford, respectively, in AMC’s The Walking Dead; Mozhan Marnò who plays former Mossad agent and assassin Samar Navabi in NBC’s The Blacklist; Robin Taylor who plays The Penguin on Fox’s Gotham; Tony Best Actress in a Musical (Pippin) awardee Patina Miller of The Hunger Games Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2; Lea DeLaria of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black; George Takei of the classic Star Trek TV series and films and who currently stars in the hit Broadway musical, Allegiance, with Filipina Laurence Olivier and Tony Best Actress in a Musical (Miss Saigon) awardee Lea Salonga.
The Philippines’ foremost lead actor Piolo Pascual, who joined Santos-Concio at the red carpet (shown in photo above by NMFernandez), presented with Karla Mosley, Maya Avant in CBS’ daytime soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful, the Best Telenovela award to Brazil’s Imperio (Empire).
In the December 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter, the iEmmys was described as “the gold standard for global TV, consistently ahead of the curve on worldwide viewing trends.” Bruce L. Paisner, president & CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, is quoted in said story as saying that “this is truly the era of international television, and we are the people to showcase it.”
“Ms. Charo Santos-Concio is an internationally respected broadcast producer and executive who has spearheaded the growth of her organization to a leading position in the Philippines and the region beyond,” said Paisner. “We are delighted to have her Chair our 2015 International Emmy Awards Gala.”
Joining Santos-Concio and Pascual at the iEmmys were ABS-CBN Head of Integrated Acquisition and International Sales Distribution Evelyn “Leng” Raymundo, ABS-CBN Talent Management and Development Center Managing Director Mariole Alberto, ABS-CBN Head of Integrated Corporate Communication Kane Choa and Santos-Concio’s stepdaughter Rina Concio-Quinto (all shown from left to right with make-up artist RB Chanco in a photo above by NMFernandez).
Celebrating Filipino History, Art and Talent at Asia Society Museum New York
AT THE ASIA SOCIETY MUSEUM WITH PHILIPPINE GOLD BENEFIT COMMITTEE MEMBERS. From left, ABS-CBN Global Head of Corporate Affairs & PR Nerissa Fernandez, Monette Rivera of TFC Adobo Nation’s “NY Chika”, Aureo Sales, Dr. Angie Cruz, Agnes Jamora, Asia Society Executive Vice President Tom Nagorski, actor Piolo Pascual, ABS-CBN President, CEO & COO Charo Santos-Concio, Ayala Museum Consulting Curator Florina Capistrano-Baker, Edwin Josue, Marilyn Abalos, Jerry Sibal, ABS-CBN Head of Integrated Acquisition and International Sales Distribution Leng Raymundo, Don Tagala of TFC’s Balitang America and ABS-CBN Head of Integrated Corporate Communication Kane Choa. (Photo by Ellen Wallop/Asia Society)
Forbes reported last April that the Philippines holds the world’s second largest gold reserves, a fact not lost on foreign mining firms who have lined up with their applications to tap the gold and other precious metals sitting under Philippine ground.
This fact injects a lot of sense to the exhibit, “Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms”, at the Asia Society Museum on Park Avenue and 70th Street in New York City. This spectacular and historically intriguing exhibition of about 100 works of gold from the 10th to the 13th centuries – more than half a millennium before Ferdinand Magellan reached the Philippines in 1521 – goes back to societies that, as The New York Times reviewed, “left no enduring architecture, monuments or literature. One thing is certain, however: they were astoundingly skillful goldsmiths.”
Moreover, they had gold – lots of it – to work with.
Santos-Concio, Pascual and their entourage were given a private tour of the exhibit, most of the items of which came from Ayala Museum. Their visit to Asia Society Museum not only drew more attention to the Philippine Gold exhibit (which ends on January 3, 2016), but enabled Santos-Concio and Pascual to interact with the Philippine Gold Benefit Committee members who made this historic exhibit possible in New York.
For Pascual, it was also a moment to shine on the international stage as the acclaimed Erik Matti-directed feature film, On The Job, in which he starred, was screened at the museum as part of its New Philippine Cinema series. Santos-Concio addressed the intimate crowd of fans and media, praising Asia Society for its promotion of Filipino art and talent. Pascual had a Q & A hosted by Edwin Josue of the Philippine Gold Benefit Committee and a Meet and Chat right after.
Award-winning actor Piolo Pascual charms with candid replies at the Q & A hosted by Philippine Gold Benefit Committee member Edwin Josue. Right, Charo Santos-Concio thanks Asia Society for promoting Filipino art, history and talent. (Photos by Ellen Wallop/Asia Society).
Promoting Filipino Identity and Leadership
One of the liveliest legs of Santos-Concio’s visit to New York was the “Lunchtime with Ms Charo” on November 21, a Welcome Lunch Reception organized by the United Mindoro International, Inc. and held at the Astoria World Manor in Queens.
Headed by organization president Juliet Payabyab, the event led Santos-Concio back to memory lane with a surprise meeting with her childhood friends and classmates in elementary and high school from her hometown, Calapan City, capital of the province of Oriental Mindoro in the Philippines (Photo above by NMFernandez). Described by Payabyab as their batch’s “forever Snow White and pinakamagandang babae sa balat ng Mindoro (the most beautiful woman from Mindoro)”, Santos-Concio thoroughly enjoyed the nostalgia, the jokes, the playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks and the warmth of a solid Mindoreno camaraderie.
Aside from her townmates, joining the welcome for Santos-Concio at the event were Consul General Mario Lopez De Leon Jr. and wife, Eleanor, (shown with Palabyab at the head table in photo by NMFernandez) community leaders, entrepreneurs, and friends from the media and entertainment industry.
Santos-Concio praised the Consul General, his wife, Palabyab and the United Mindoro International, Inc. of New York for promoting Filipino culture and heritage and proclaiming “with your organization name your ethnic identity and your national pride in this big international city where you now live. You also educate the people who live here about Mindoro. Wherever you are, you remind Filipinos of our province, our hometown, and you promote Mindoro to the rest of America.”
Santos-Concio also appealed to the audience to support the programs of ABS-CBN Foundation to transform select towns and cities in Mindoro into ecotourism sites that would provide sustainable livelihood opportunities to locals. She also announced to all that she is looking for real life stories to feature in her award-winning, longest-running Filipino drama anthology, Maala-ala Mo Kaya (Would You Remember) shown on ABS-CBN in the Philippines and on The Filipino Channel (TFC) worldwide.
In the evening of the same day, Santos-Concio, Pascual, and the ABS-CBN TFC team trooped to the residence of Consul General De Leon in the stylish neighborhood along 5th Avenue for a Welcome Reception with the Filipino American community leaders of New York (shown above in a photo by NMFernandez). The Consul General and his wife Eleanor introduced his Consulate team and the Filipino movers and shakers to the ABS-CBN head and her entourage in New York. Both sides underscored the value of media and local organizations supporting each other in meaningful, strategic and impactful partnerships to strengthen the Filipino community in the East Coast.
Throughout her visit, Santos-Concio mentioned that she was filled with gratitude for the very warm welcome by the Filipino community of New York and her colleagues at the iEmmys, for the rekindling of childhood friendships, and for the learning and discoveries about the lives of overseas Filipinos in the region. More than ever, her passion to serve them burns more fervently knowing what empowering community and industry milestones could be accomplished working hand in hand with her international media peers and the overseas Filipinos worldwide. (NMFernandez)
