ABS-CBN Cebu wraps up after three decades of public service

The last episode of the war on TV Patrol Central Visayas aired in the late afternoon of Friday, August 28, 2020. | Photos courtesy of Jude Michael Torres

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu regional office of media giant ABS-CBN officially signed on Friday, August 28, 2020, after 32 years of public service.

The station broadcast its latest episode of TV Patrol Central Visayas late Friday afternoon through its official social media.

ABS-CBN Cebu, based in Barangay Jagobiao in Mandaue City, broadcasts local television programs for viewers throughout the Central Visayas region.

The station decided to suspend the operations of all its regional stations, the first victim after Congress denied the renewal of their franchise that would have given them another 25 years to operate.

In Cebu, his last day of work left the segment’s producers, anchors, reporters and crew members teary-eyed as they began packing their belongings and saying goodbye to their colleagues.

“We don’t know where we are going after ABS CBN Cebu … training in news writing and news operation to prepare for this day,” veteran journalist and presenter from Cebuano Leo Lastimosa told TV Patrol viewers – Central Visayas soon before getting off the air. Friday.

(We still don’t know where we’ll be heading after ABS CBN Cebu. No amount of training and news operation prepared us for this day.)

However, Lastimosa said the station’s 100 or so employees are grateful for the public’s support and trust.

Though excited, Lastimo shared his optimism that a stronger and more formidable ABS-CBN will soon resurface.

“It just came to our notice then. We are confident that ABS-CBN will return, stronger, more prepared, better able to overcome the truth while protecting the voice of the oppressed,” Lastimosa said.

(We are confident that this is not the end of the road for us yet. We are confident that a much stronger and better prepared ABS-CBN will one day resume operations to give voice to the oppressed again.)

READ: ABS-CBN Employees in Visayas: Goodbye

Media groups and ABS-CBN supporters blamed President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies for the rejection of their franchise renewal offer.

An ongoing signature campaign seeks to drive the network’s franchise renewal through a popular initiative. The signatures required are at least 3 percent of the registered voters in each legislative district and at least 10 percent of the total registered voters in the country. / with reports from the Philippine Daily Inquirer

Read next