Alden shares takeaways from latest docu special

Alden Richards has been on a roll lately 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, he experienced how this invisible enemy has taken a toll on various industries.

This is why Alden can relate to his upcoming project with GMA Public Affairs. Airing 3:45 p.m. tomorrow on GMA Network, “Lockdown: Food Diaries” is a documentary that offers a glimpse into the lives of 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. Since the special was shot after the metro was placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), Alden and the show’s production team had to deal with the challenges of shooting, making sure that they follow all 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 noong wala pang COVID, ‘pag aalis ng bahay lagi lang nating sine-secure 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 treats, Alden looks at how the pandemic has made a dent on the food industry, taking note of how Filipino ingenuity arises amid adversity.

Being a restaurant and food chain franchise owner, Alden also shares how his businesses suffered and how he adapted to the changes.

“Nagkaroon lang ng certain adjustments and scheduling,” he says. “Kasi para sa amin, mas importante yung staff more than nung income 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 to 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 they have shown him how no one should let the pandemic dictate our lives but instead endeavor to push ourselves further so that we can rise above the situation.

“Saludo po kami sa inyo at binibigyan ninyo kami ng inspirasyon na huwag sumuko sa laban ng buhay ngayon. Dun talaga natin makikita na yung mga Pinoy, hindi talaga ma-pride. Gagawin natin lahat para mag-survive, para makapagsustento sa mga mahal natin sa buhay. Ako, ito yung quote ko every day: ‘The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude,” he says.

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‘The School Nurse Files’ now streaming on Netflix

Quirky fantasy series “The School Nurse Files” premiered yesterday on Netflix. Ahn Eun-young (“Train to Busan” star Jung Yu-mi) is a school nurse who has special powers to see supernatural Jellies that are invisible to everyone else. She discovers disturbing occurrences at her new school and solves these mysteries with the help of Classical Chinese teacher Hong In-pyo (Nam Joo-hyuk).

The Jellies are invisible blobs of greed which are unleashed when In-pyo accidentally breaks their containment seal in the school basement. Eun-young faces the greatest challenge of her life when she battles these supernatural creatures. Fortunately, she discovers that In-pyo has a special energy that recharges her powers and protects her. With the help of the man who had been the cause as well as the cure, she wages war against the Jellies to defend the school and the students.

In-pyo is curious by nature and he readily steps into this fight to help. As the grandson of the school founder, he is dedicated to protecting it. There is humorous tension between these two awkward characters who are thrown together by circumstance and must become a complete and efficient jelly-fighting team in the process.

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Eugenio ‘Gabby’ Lopez III resigns as ABS-CBN Chairman Emeritus

Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III tendered his resignation Thursday for personal reasons as Chairman Emeritus and Director of ABS-CBN Corporation. He also tendered his resignation as director of ABS-CBN Holdings Corporation, Sky Vision Corporation, Sky Cable Corporation, First Philippine Holdings Corporation, First Gen Corporation, and Rockwell Land Corporation effective immediately.

He expressed his appreciation for the trust of the stockholders as well as to his co-directors and senior management for the privilege of having served with them over the years.

At the organizational meeting held Sept. 24, the Board of Directors of the Corporation accepted with regret the resignation of Lopez.

“We thank him for his dedication and leadership in expanding and transforming ABS-CBN beyond television through the years. Just like his father, Eugenio ‘Kapitan Geny’ Lopez Jr., Gabby is a visionary and a compassionate leader driven by his love for the Philippines and the Filipino people. He would always tell the men and women of ABS-CBN that being a part of the network is not a job, but a calling.”

“We respect his decision, offer him our full support, and express our sincerest gratitude for the tradition of innovation, nationalism, and public service that he cultivated in the minds and hearts of all Kapamilyas, past and present. We shall continue the journey that he and his father began as we remain in the service of the Filipino.”

Also on Thursday, the Board of Directors elected Mario Luza Bautista, 66, as Director of the Corporation to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Lopez.

Bautista has served as the General Counsel of the Company and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Company since 2011. He is also a Board Adviser of First Philippine Holdings Corporation, a Founding Partner of the Poblador Bautista and Reyes Law Office, and has been its Managing Partner since 1999.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Arts from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1975. Bautista obtained his Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of the Philippines in 1979 and ranked sixth in the Bar Exams that year.