Alden shares takeaways from latest docu special; GMA touts Viber community
Box-office sensation alden Richards has been on a roll with various projects coming his way. But this does not mean that the star has not been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic himself. Like most celebrities and as a business owner, alden has experienced how this invisible enemy is taking a toll on various industries.
This is why alden can relate to his upcoming project with gma Public affairs. airing on September 27, Lockdown: Food Diaries is a documentary that offers a glimpse into the lives of various workers in the food sector, and highlights their courage and determination as they put their safety on the line just to keep the supply chain running.
Lockdown: Food Diaries is alden’s first project since the lockdown that involved on-location shoots. and since the special was shot after the Metro was placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine, alden and the show’s production team had to deal with the challenges of shooting, making sure that they follow all the protocols of taping on location.
alden, who was recently named as Department of health’s anti-covid-19 awareness Campaign ambassador, notes of everyone’s “new normal” way of preparing to go out: “Dati noon nung wala pang Covid, ’pag aalis ng bahay lagi lang nating sini-secure ang mga dadalhin—’yung pitaka natin, bag, susi ng kotse. Ngayon, nasanay na tayo na may face mask, face shield, alcohol.”
in the docu, alden features quarantine food trends. from burnt cheesecake to ube cheesecake and sushi bake, he samples these “quarantine-born” food items. But beyond taking a bite of these sumptuous food items, alden looks at how the pandemic has made a dent on the food industry, taking note of how filipino ingenuity rises amid adversity.
Being a restaurant owner and a food-chain franchise owner, alden also shares how his businesses suffered and how he has adapted to the changes. “Nagkaroon lang ng certain adjustments and scheduling,” he says. “Kasi para sa amin po, mas importante ’yung tao, ’yung staff more than income na magigi-generate ng mga restaurants namin. Kasi hindi naman po kami kikita kung hindi din dahil sa mga taong nagtatrabaho at naghihirap every day.”
alden takes viewers into his restaurant and shows them the changes they had to implement to deal with the new normal. These included making sure the area has foot mats, disinfection zones, logbook for contact tracing, checking of body temperature, providing guidelines to dine-in customers, and observing physical distancing.
in doing Lockdown: Food Diaries, alden also found inspiration from people who pivoted amid the pandemic. he said these people have shown him how no one should let the pandemic dictate our lives; instead, we should endeavor to push ourselves further so that we can rise above the situation.
“Ako, ito ’yung quote ko every day: ‘The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude,” he concludes. Lockdown: Food Diaries airs on September 27, 3:45 pm, on gma.
Meanwhile, the media giant also announced that fans of its stars and programs no longer have to miss out on the newest updates and opportunities for interaction with the gma entertainment Viber Community.
highlighting the special bond that fans and celebrities have created through similar interests and love for all things gma, this Viber Community is another avenue where fans can get the latest showbiz news, trends, and behind-the-scenes stories about various gma artists while gaining friends online.
at the same time, the Kapuso Viber Chat feature treats fans to chat with their favorite artists.
also making daily conversations even more fun and colorful is the Proud to be Kapuso Sticker Pack which includes various stickers that showcase witty catchphrases from artists and references from well-loved gma shows. These exclusive stickers will be downloadable soon.