In an interview, Director Laurenti Dyogi recounted his experience with the ABS-CBN Shutdown. He admitted that it was a painful experience.
When asked how he processed the ABS-CBN Shutdown, he admitted that he struggled to look back on 2020.
“It was a struggle for us to look back because it was really very painful, a very painful experience. Andaming nangyari sa personal na buhay, sa trabaho, sa bansa. So nahirapan kaming to look back. Kung naprocess ko na ba?” said Dyogi.
He admitted that it was a tedious process for him. Then, he compared the shutdown to a series of tragedies they experienced.
“Matagal na proseso yun eh, para ka kasing namatayan. Para kang namatayan, nasunugan, na abuso, lahat lahat. I’ve never experienced as much anxiety and stress na naidulot ng 2020,” said Dyogi.
Dyogi recounted the Congressional hearings and how he helped the panel who faced Congress as one of the teams behind their preparation.
“At the same time, dinaanan namin na, that Congressional hearings. Even if I was not in the panel, we were part of the team that was preparing the people who would face Congress. So ang sakit, ang hirap, ang hirap. And then just watching it on TV. I was just forcing myself na, hindi kailangan ko na I have to be with them, kahit in spirit, and to go through it. But it was really really very painful,” said Dyogi.
He then reaffirmed that ABS-CBN remains “alive and kicking” and that they are ready for 2021.
“So buhay pa tayo, we are alive and kicking, and we survive it. So I suppose we are stronger for 2021,” said Dyogi.
In 2020, ABS-CBN lost their franchise after Congress denied their renewal with 70 solons in favor of the decision. As a result, ABS-CBN had to shut down. After that, it affected ABS-CBN leading to retrenchments of some of the 11 000 of the network and their some assets. The Kapamilya network shifted to digital platforms to adapt. Then, they made a block time deal with ZOE TV 11 to have their programs return to free TV.
