BOY ABUNDA is happy to see the entertainment press again when he was launched as the endorser of the Sendwave money transfer app that has now partnered with G Cash to make sending your money from the U.S.A. to the Philippines much easier and without any fees.
Lately, there have been talks that he’s moving to GMA-7 but Boy denies this.
“I wanna go back to television, that much I would say,” he says. “Napunta ako sa digital platform by circumstance, by default, kahit hindi naman ako digital expert.
"But natuto ako because I wanted to do my interviews at, sa awa ng Diyos, napagbigyan tayo. But as to what’s gonna happen in the future, I just wanna go back to television.”
He admits there are talks about his possible work in the future.
“Hindi ko itatatwa na may mga pag-uusap sa iba’t ibang mga istasyon, sa iba’t ibang mga tao, pero wala pang confirmation, nothing final.
"I have not signed a contract with anyone. I’m in a conversation with various groups, but that will be discussed in another presscon.”
He’ll make sure he will burn no bridges when he moves.
“Makikipag-usap ako nang matino. I value relationships. That makes this whole process difficult. I started my TV career with Channel 7 in 1994.
"Parati kong sinasabi na doon ako natuto maglakad, natuto naman akong lumipad sa ABS-CBN where I moved in 1999. Mahirap dahil may mga relasyon ako na pinangangalagaan.
I’m not just starting a career in television. Malapit na akong malaos, let’s be very honest.
"I mean, for lack of the better word. All of us will go. If there’s one immutable law in the business, it is that nothing lasts forever.”
How was he during the pandemic?
“Takot na takot din ako noong umpisa because, like everybody else, hindi natin alam kung ano ang susunod na mangyayari.
"Things were very uncertain. Noong umpisa, meron pa akong pakiramdam na hindi magtatagal ito.
"Kaya natin ito, siguro by the end of the year, baka wala na. Yun ang feeling ko.
"Pero habang tumatagal, July came, nagsara ang ABS-CBN, lalong dumoble yung takot, na parang ang uncertainty was not just about life but also a lot of people close to us were dying.
"Nandoon na yung paranoia. Paranoia na 'What will happen to me? What will happen to my family?'
"Yan ang naging concern ko noon, ang kalusugan. Tago ako nang tago. I went to Samar, I went to my resthouse in Tagaytay and farm in Lipa.
"I was spending a lot of time sa mga lugar na walang masyadong mga tao."
But he learned how to adapt during the pandemic.
“God is good. Natuto akong mag-digital. I went to Facebook, I went to YouTube and a couple of months ago, I tried TikTok because I wanted to do my interviews.
"Sabi ko nga noon, magkaroon lang ako ng five, ten thousand subscribers sa YouTube, okay na ako.
"Huwag lang tatanggalin sa akin yung gusto kong makapag-interview. Gusto kong magkaroon ng pagkakataon na gawin yung ginagawa ko sa telebisyon.
"So I became very busy kasi maraming conferences na digital o Zoom. Kung meron halimbawa na isangdaan na convention ng pharmaceuticals, I probably hosted ninety of them.
"Financially, it was not as much as we would be paid by doing live television or live gigs for example pero binuhay ako ng Panginoon.
"I was very, very busy during COVID. I was teaching, nagtuturo ako online. I was hosting conventions, ang dami.
"I was hosting awards virtually. So, yun ang naging buhay ko at adjustment na nadaan sa dasal.
"Hindi ko alam kung paano. Mahirap pero palagay ko meron tayo niyan lahat, the will to survive. Mahirap, pero kinaya."
He’s happy to endorse Sendwave. “I’ve tried it myself when I was in the U.S. and it’s very convenient, mabilis, efficient, and fee-free.”
The Sendwave money sending app is currently available in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and parts of Europe, and sends funds to 15 receiving countries for nearly a million users.
It currently has a 4.6-star rating on Trustpilot. The decision to launch in the Philippines was an easy one for the company.
Sendwave entered the market at a time when many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were facing instability due to the pandemic.
They saw a need in the Filipino community for a fee-free service with high exchange rates, and they worked quickly to provide that.
Using the app is really simple. Users can download Sendwave from the App Store or Google Play (look for the friendly little penguin).
After entering their information at sign up, they can select the country they wish to send funds to. From there, users can add a new recipient, select the payout method, and enter the required information for the recipient.
After entering the amount they wish to transfer, all they have to do is click the send button, confirm their transaction, and voila! The money is on its way.
Representing Sendwave in the launch of Boy is Aica Macazo while G-cash was represented by head on international remittance Julie Abalos.
With Sendwave’s link with G Cash and its digital wallet that has 71 million users in the Philippines, your relatives can get the money you send in an instant.
“I know how hard our family and friends work overseas, and how important it is to support their loved ones back home,” says Boy Abunda.
“So I’ve been talking with my good friend the Sendwave Penguin and learning how using Sendwave is just as easy and affordable as sending a text message.
"Now, I don’t like to kiss and tell. But if the penguin asked me, I’d definitely choose Sendwave over chocolates!”
