“I was with GMA for 18 years and I thank them for all those memorable years I’ve been with them,” he says. “Actually, wala pa kong pinipirmahang contract sa TV5. I thought it best na magpaalam muna ko sa GMA. Kinakabahan ako when I talked to Atty. Felipe Gozon, Jimmy Duavit and the GMA execs led by Ms. Lilybeth Rasonable. But it turned wala akong dapat ikanerbiyos kasi Atty. Gozon was so warm. He wished me well and encouraged me to just do my best. They appreciate it daw na nagpaalam ako sa kanila nang maayos kaya naging maganda talaga ang pag-alis ko. Atty. Gozon even said if they could help me in anything, sabihin ko lang sa kanila. So I said, gusto ko sanang mag-promote ng 25th anniversary concert ko in their shows and he said, no problem, they’ll help me and I can promote daw.”
How about his co-stars in ‘Bubble Gang’? “Siempre, malungkot lahat, pati EP, director, the cameramen. I told them them di puedeng hindi ako magpaalam sa kanila kasi hindi na sila iba sa akin.”
His GMA contract expired June 30 and he’s not been working since then. “Busy lang ako preparing for my concert, then I work out, nag-aalaga ako ng bata. I feel so nice na hindi na ako nagtatrabaho ngayon pag Sunday. Kasi ilang years na rin akong kahit Sunday, nagtatrabaho ko sa SOP then Party P. Ang sarap pala ng feeling na walang pressure kahit na ano pag Sunday.”
How about the news that he’ll be replacing Willie Revillame’s show on TV5 and he’ll do another one with Aga Muhlach? It’s said he’ll also star in a family drama called “The Gift”, a TV5 co-prod with APT Entertainment of Tony Tuviera.
“Mabuti pa kayo’t mas marami yata kayong alam kaysa sa akin. The truth is there’s nothing definite yet. May mga pinag-uusapan pero wala pang sigurado other than they will make the head of their music department. As to what exactly I will do as head, pag-uusapan pa lang namin.”
TV5’s offer to him is said to be so big it cannot be matched by GMA. “At this point in my life, money is not the central issue. Hindi talaga yun. Talagang it’s a result of a long discernment process. Pinagdasal ko yun. Kasi, sa totoo lang, wala naman na akong mahihiling pa. I have a great family, I have a good career, so I just want to continue singing, writing and acting. Si MVP (Manny Pangilinan), matagal ko nang tatay yan, bago pa man siya nag-TV5. Ninong siya nung ikasal ako kay Michelle (Van Eimeren) at nang ikasal kami ni Regine, ninong din siya uli. We all know TV5 is not doing that well and he told me, tulungan mo naman ako. Mahirap siyang tanggihan kasi pamilya na rin ang turing ko sa kanya. So naisip ko, baka dito naman ako nilalagay ng Panginoon ngayon sa TV5. Para makatulong.”
What’s his reaction when Regine answered a fan in Instagram telling him not to take her with him to TV5? “I was touched na pinagtanggol niya ko, pero nandun din yung feeling na, ikaw naman, ba’t pinatulan mo pa yan? But I can understand kung bakit siya napikon, e. Kasi pinangangaralan kami. Tapos, sabi sa’kin, Ikaw na lang ang malaos, wag mo na idamay si Regine. E, ako, ang response ko sa ganun, lagi lang ‘God bless you’. Hindi ko naman sinasama si Regine. She has her own manager at hindi kami nakikialam sa career ng isa’t isa.”
Ogie will have no less than 28 guests, a mixture of Kapuso and Kapamilya stars, in his 25th anniversary concert, “I Write the Songs”, to be held on August 16, 8 PM at the SM MOA Arena. “Dapat, 25 guests lang kasi nga 25th anniversary ko,” he says. “Kaya lang, ang daming nag-volunteer na gustong maging part nito, so nagdagdagan nang nadagdagan ang lineup namin.”
All the songs the guests will sing are compositions of Ogie himself, except for Gloc 9 who’d sing his own hit, “Sirena”. Ogie will also be doing a rap number with him. Among the guests are his wife Regine Velasquez, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Kuh Ledesma, Anne Curtis, Daniel Padilla, Dingdong Avanzado, Ebe Dancel, Janno Gibbs, Jaya, Kyla, La Diva, Abra, Manilyn Reynes, Michael V., Noel Cabangon, Rachel Alejandro, Randy Santiago, Rico Puno, Ryan Cayabyab. The others cannot be named and will fall under the label “surprise guests”. Ogie himself acts as talent coordinator, arranger of his own songs and this promises to be the year’s biggest, most star-studded concert ever. Proceeds of Ogie’s concert will go to World Vision to help provide food, clothes, medicines and education to 105,000 poor children all over the Philippines. You can get your tickets, ranging from P320 for general admission to P5,280 for special VIP tickets, from World Vision, tel. 374-7618 local 224.
Ogie is also busy promoting his new movie, “Raketeros”, a comedy produced by Heaven’s Best Productions and to be released by Star Cinema on August 7. He plays Julio, a singer at funerals, co-starring with QC Mayor Herbert Bautista, Andrew E, Dennis Padilla, Long Mejia and Eula Caballero, directed by Randy Santiago.
