ABS-CBn vacancy: Villar plans nationwide broadcasting network
Former Senate president Manuel Villar Jr. has revived plans to build a radio-TV-satellite broadcasting network amid the void left by the ABS-CBN media empire.
Villar’s political ally, Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona, on Wednesday filed a bill seeking a nationwide franchise for Villar’s new venture, AllBroadcast Corp.
Madrona’s brother, Emmanuel, filed a similar bill in 2017 seeking a nationwide telecom franchise for another Villar company, Streamtech Systems Technologies, but whose application for third telco accreditation has since been abandoned.
After obtaining a franchise in 2018, Streamtech instead concentrated on providing internet and cable TV services, acquiring Planet Cable to expand its footprint to Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Ilocos, Iloilo, Bulacan and Antipolo City.
For still unclear reasons, a copy of the new Madrona bill was not immediately made available to the media.
According to Madrona’s congressional page, the bill had already been referred to the House committee on legislative franchises for further deliberations.
The same committee has, incidentally, not only just voted to renew the franchise of a little-known provincial radio-TV network, Kaissar Broadcasting Network, but even expanded its coverage throughout the entire country as well.
With the non-renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise, the radio and TV frequencies vacated by Lopez networks since May 2020 have been unutilized and are now up for grabs.
Hapi a step closer to own race track The “Hapi (Horse Aficionados of the Philippines Inc.) Group” of horse owners is a step closer to forming their own race track, with their franchise application obtaining favorable endorsement from the House committee on legislative franchises.
The Hapi Group plans to build a 50-hectare race track in either Cavite, Laguna, or Batangas and counts on the support of horse breeders Aristeo “Putch” Puyat, Oliver Velasquez of SC Stockfarm, Elmer de Leon of Bell Racing, Emmanuel Santos of Jade Brothers Farm, and R. Puyat Stables.
“Given that the future of Philippine horse racing currently hangs in the balance” despite the operations of the Manila Jockey Club, Philippine Racing Club, and Metro Manila Turf Club, House sponsor Xavier Jesus Romualdo is lobbying his congressional colleagues to grant the Hapi franchise application to build the fourth race track in the country.
Established in 1867 originally in Quiapo, Manila, the listed Manila Jockey Club operates a race track in Carmona, Cavite while the pre-World War II Santa Ana Turf Club in Makati, now renamed Philippine Racing, has also transferred and operates in Naic, Cavite.
Metro Manila Turf Club, meanwhile, is located further south in Malvar, Batangas.
Coincidentally, Metro Manila Turf’s franchise is expiring next year and is now seeking to renew and expand its franchise to operate a racetrack in the Quezon province as well.
Heard through the grapevine
The citizenship application of Chinese immigrant Chen Tian Man being pushed by party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano has been jeopardized after a certain “Tian Man Chen” was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation for allegedly selling overpriced thermal scanners.
The citizenship bill had already been passed by the House committee on justice, and has thus obtained the sponsorship of committee chairman Vicente Veloso III as well.
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