ABS-CBN’s forced shutdown in July has undoubtedly provided practically everyone it employs the perfect reason to leave the company. Its loss of franchise opened many doors which somewhat makes walking away from their home network much easier and without guilt, for some.
Following the denial of ABS-CBN’s new franchise in July, the network has given its all contract stars complete freedom to part ways with the company and seek better opportunities in other tv stations. While some staunch Kapamilya loyalists remained and pledged further commitment to the embattled tv giant, many of the network’s homegrown stars decided to accept offers from rival stations, and began appearing on either GMA Network or TV5.
While some of these departures are not completely shocking, some big names to leave the network surprised netizens, because most of them were with ABS-CBN for the longest time, and were still actually either doing or set to do a project with the network.
The list of those who already left goes a long way, so we will take note just of the most important stars who parted ways with ABS-CBN.
Alex Gonzaga
Alex Gonzaga has shifted back and forth between ABS-CBN and TV5 a couple of times, before finally going back to the latter in October this year to co-host TV5’s noontime show, Lunch Out Loud (LOL) alongside Billy Crawford.
As a Kapamilya artist, she was part of several shows and starred in a number of tv series and movies, including Pangarap na Bituin (2007), My Only Hope (2009), Toda Max (2013), Dance Kids (2013), Pinoy Big Brother (2018), Home Sweetie Home (2019), I Can See Your Voice (2017), and the Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin (2014).
Bea Alonzo
Bea was with ABS-CBN’s talent management arm, Star Magic from 2001 to 2020, eclipsing her tenure as an exclusive Kapamilya star for 19 years. Among her most memorable projects with ABS-CBN are several box-office record-setting films which she starred with her longest on-screen partner, John Lloyd Cruz—Now That I Have You (2004), One More Chance (2007), Miss You Like Crazy (2010), The Mistress (2012) and A Second Chance (2015). Her most recent film was 2019’s Unbreakable, where she was joined by fellow Kapamilya artists Angelica Panganiban and Richard Gutierrez.
On television, Alonzo led Kapamilya series, Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay (2002), It Might Be You (2003), Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin (2005), Maging Sino Ka Man (2007), Magkaribal (2010), and A Love To Last (2017). Through her films with Star Cinema, Alonzo was able to receive a number of Box Office awards, giving her the title, ‘This Generation’s Movie Queen’. Alonzo’s move to depart from Star Magic allows her to accept offers from other tv stations and production houses. She is set to star in a film produced by GMA Films, where Kapuso star, Alden Richards will be her leading man.
Beauty Gonzalez
Gonzalez’s entry to local showbiz was through the hit reality competition, Pinoy Big Brother, where she joined as a housemate for the show’s second teen season in 2008. After her PBB stint, she straightaway made her acting debut via a minor role in Claudine Barretto/Angelica Panganiban-led series, Iisa Pa Lamang.
After a streak of supporting tv roles, she finally bagged her first leading lady role, through the primetime family drama, Dream Dad (2014), where she was paired with Zanjoe Marudo. She again played one of the main roles in the daytime drama, Ningning in 2015. Her most successful tv series is undoubtedly the top-rated, afternoon series, Kadenang Ginto (2018).She now stars in TV5’s weekly drama, I Got You, alongside fellow former-Kapamilyas, RK Bagatsing and Jane Oineza.
Billy Crawford
Billy is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars to leave ABS-CBN after it lost its franchise in July. Admitting that the shutdown almost made him and his wife Coleen leave the country and settle overseas, Crawford revealed that an offer from Viva Entertainment to host the Philippine adaptation of the international reality talent show, Masked Singer, convinced him to stay, He officially became a Kapatid star when TV5’s newest weekday noontime show, Laugh Out Loud, premiered on October 19.
As a Kapamilya, Crawford served as host and presenter to a number of reality and talent shows, the most popular of which include, It’s Showtime, Pilipinas Got Talent, ASAP, Pinoy Dream Academy, Little Big Shots, and Idol Philippines.
Dimples Romana
Romana’s first major tv role was as Kayla Reneza in the 2002 primetime soap opera, Kay Tagal Hinintay, where she was supposed to be John Lloyd Cruz’s character’s main love interest. She went on to star in more tv shows, including Lobo (2008), Only You (2009) Agua Bendita (2010), Mara Clara (2010), The Greatest Locv (2016), Bagani (2018), and the phenomenal hit, Kadenang Ginto (2018).
Romana is now one of the lead stars on TV5 sitcom, Oh My Dad!, opposite Ian Veneracion. She was with ABS-CBN for 23 years.
Ian Veneracion
Ian Veneracion made several tv series and movies for ABS-CBN before starring in his own sitcom on TV5—Oh My Dad!—which premiered last October. Prior to such shift, he gained incredible fame via Kapamilya seryes, Got To Believe (2013), Pangako Sa’Yo (2015), and A Love To Last (2017). His most recent major role in a Kapamilya teleserye, is as Ted Villarica in the romcom series, Make It With You, which got eventually canceled after initially halting production in the wake of the pandemic.
In movies, Veneracion starred in Feng Shui 2 (2014), All You Need is Pag-ibig (2015), and The Achy Breaky Hearts (2016).
Jane Oineza
Oineza’s first shot at acting came in the form of a minor role in the primetime drama Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan (2001), which starred Claudine Barretto. She was just five then. She later on joined the popular kiddie gag show, Goin’ Bulilit which allowed her attract more acting stints within the Kapamilya network. She played one of the main cast members of the primetime drama, Kung Fu Kids.
As a teenager, Oineza went on to star in Muling Buksan ng Puso (2013), Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita (2015), and many others. Her selection as one of Pinoy Big Brother’s celebrity housemates in 2014, has arguably catapulted her to greater fame. She then starred in movies Haunted Forest and Bloody Crayons, both released in 2017, Ang Henerasyong Sumuko sa Love (2019), and Us Again (2020). She now stars as one of the lead characters in TV5 drama, I Got You.
Khalil Ramos
Ramos first came to showbiz through the reality talent search, Pilipinas Got Talent where he emerged as one of the grand finalists in 2011. He then appeared in a number of Kapamilya tv series, including Princess and I (2012), A Love To Last (2017), and La Luna Sangre (2018). In movies he made several awards through acclaimed performances in films, Kid Kulafu (2015), Honor Thy Father (2015), 2Cool2BeForgotten (2016), and Dead Kids (2019).
Ramos stayed as a Kapamilya and Star Magic talent for 9 years before moving to GMA Network, October, this year.
Korina Sanchez
Sanchez had been repeatedly reported to have resigned from ABS-CBN News even before the network was denied a fresh franchise, although she continued to host news magazine show, Rated K, until ABS-CBN’s shutdown. She is among the biggest Kapamilya news personalities to depart from ABS-CBN this year. Through Brightlight Productions’ blocktime partnership with TV5, she is able to revive her magazine show, which is now entitled Rated Korina.
As a veteran ABS-CBN journalist, Sanchez anchored several flagship newscasts including, The World Tonight, Bandila, and the long-running, TV Patrol.
Maja Salvador
Salvador’s long history as a Kapamilya actress goes back to as early as 2003, when she was first cast as a minor role in the hit tv series, It Might Be You. She slowly rose to fame through various minor and supporting roles during her first few years in showbiz. Her first leading role in a Kapamilya teleserye came in 2009, when she got paired with then new Kapamilya star, Coco Martin, in afternoon drama, Nagsimula sa Puso. She made a string of successful tv dramas including Impostor (2010), Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin (2011), My Binondo Girl (2011), Ina Kapatid Anak (2012), The Legal Wife (2014), Bridges of Love (2015), and FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano (2015). Her arguably most successful and acclaimed tv appearance, is as Lily Cruz/Ivy Aguas in the breakthrough revenge-drama, Wild Flower (2017).
Salvador earned several accolades through her movies, including a best supporting actress nomination for the film, One More Chance (2009), and a Best Actress award for her film Thelma (2012), from both Luna Awards and Gawad Urian Awards.
In 2020, following ABS-CBN’s loss of broadcast franchise, Salvador signed up as one of Brighlight Productions new talents and began hosting TV5’s Sunday musical-variety noontime show, Sunday Noontime Live (SNL), where a number of former Kapamilya stars, also play as presenters and performers.
Maris Racal
Racal first came to prominence via her stint as a housemate in ABS-CBN’s reality competition, Pinoy Big Brother in 2014. She then went on to become one of the members of the girl group, GirlTrends and starred in various Kapamilya tv shows, including Hawak Kamay (2014), Ningning (2015), Hanggang Saan (2017), and Pamilya Ko (201)
In movies, Racal headlined Bloody Crayons (2017), Haunted Forest (2017), I’m Ellenya L. (2019) and Block Z (2019). Through Star Music, she was able to release hit songs “Ikaw Lang Sapat Na” and “Sugarol”. She now performs regularly on TV5’s Sunday Noontime Live, and stars in weekly primetime series, Stay-in Love.
Piolo Pascual
Pascual is among the most senior stars to depart from ABS-CBN in the wake of the network’s failure to secure a fresh broadcast franchise from Congress in July. His early days as a Kapamilya leading man saw him star in various Kapamilya dramas including Mara Clara (1995), Gimik (1996), and Esperanza (1998). He catapulted to greater fame through a number of tv series and movies where he was paired up with Judy Ann Santos. Among their most successful projects are tv dramas, Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka (2003), Sa Piling Mo ( 2006), and movies, Bakit Di Totohnanin (2001), Till There Was You (2003), and Don’t Give Up On Us (2005). Outside his on-screen partnership with Santos, he achieved more success through various projects in movie and television, including the ones he starred with Claudine Barretto (2004 film, Milan and 2007 primetime soap, Walang Kapalit). His 2014 film with Toni Gonzaga, Starting Over Again, is considered is his biggest film to date, in terms of its box-office earnings.
In 2020, Pascual shifted to ABS-CBN’s rival TV network, TV5, to host the Sunday noontime musical variety show, SNL.
Pokwang
Marietta Subong, more popularly known as ‘Pokwang’, first rose to fame via the reality talent show for stand-up comedians, Clown in A Million, where she emerged as the winner. After her win she made various appearances in a string of Kapamilya tv shows and movies, her most popular projects being tv dramas Crazy For You (2006), Toda Max (2011), Aryana (2012),and Nathaniel (2015), noontime shows Pilipinas Win na Win (2010), and Happy Yippee Yehey (2011), and movies, Edsa Woolworth (2015), Call Center Girl (2013), and A Mother’s Story in 2012.
Pokwang’s move to TV5 is arguably motivated by financial constraints, following the cancellations of some of her tv projects in ABS-CBN. In TV5, she was tapped to host game show, Fill in the Bank, and morning talk show, Chika BESH!
Richard Yap
Richard Yap’s rise to fame started with his breakthrough role in Kim Chiu-led primetime series, My Binondo Girl, as ‘Papa Chen’, but its arguably his stint as Sir ‘Chief’ in daytime drama, Be Careful with My Heart, which catapulted him to stardom. As a Kapamilya he made a string of successes in both movies and television, and earned some major endorsements too. His other successful television projects include Walang Hanggan (2012), Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita (2015), Sana Dalawa ang Puso (2018), Kadenang Ginto (2019). In movies, his biggest lead roles are Praybeyt Benjamin 2 (2014), The Achy Breaky Hearts (2016), and Mano Po 7 (2016).
Yap confirmed his transfer to ABS-CBN’s rival network, GMA Network, on December 18.
Ted Failon
Ted Failon was still anchoring ABS-CBN’s long running flagship newscast, TV Patrol, when he decided to take TV5’s offer to host one of its radio programs on Radyo 5. Failon was among ABS-CBN’s longest-serving anchors, having hosted and anchored several news and current affairs programs, including Hoy Gising and Failon Ngayon.
Failon’s impressive stint as a Kapamilya journalist is made possible by both his sucessful radio and tv career which spans decades. He now hosts Ted Failon at DJ Chacha sa Radyo 5 on TV5’s 92.3 NewsFM.
