The Trubitastic Impact Of Carlo Lopez Katigbak

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OPINIONS, ENTERTAINMENT, LIFESTYLE | March 4, 2020

ABS-CBN president and chief executive officer Carlo Lopez Katigbak appears along with the network's high-ranking officials on the Senate Committee on Public Services' hearing regarding issues surrounding its broadcast franchise renewal last February 24, 2020. (Image Source: ABS-CBN News)

During the Senate Committee on Public Services' hearing on the issues surrounding the Philippines' premiere media and entertainment company and its impending broadcasting franchise renewal, one person calmly and confidently answered the questions behind these issues, cleared the heads of those who inflamed their own roller coaster of emotions and at one point humbly apologized to the President of the Philippines at a reverent tone if the network offended him. Days before, he expressed his appreciation to those who are supporting the network in light of these issues in a video message shown on the network's flagship daily newscast. That person is none other than Carlo Lopez Katigbak, president and CEO of ABS-CBN Corporation.

Born in April 24, 1970, Carlo Joaquin Tadeo L. Katigbak is a graduate of Ateneo De Manila University and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2009. He started his twenty-year stint in broadcasting and telecommunications as Head of Access, having managed the operations of SKYcable. He eventually became SKY's Vice-President for Provincial Operations in 1998. A year later, he helped the country's largest broadcasting company usher into the digital age through entering the realm of online and mobile businesses as Managing Director of ABS-CBN Interactive. He then returned to SKY where he served as Chief Operating Officer from 2005 to 2012 and then became President in 2013.

Two years later, he became ABS-CBN's newest President and Chief Executive Officer succeeding Charo Santos-Concio who is now the network's chief content officer and president of ABS-CBN University. Millions of Filipino viewers may have seen him for a while in the announcement of the grand winner in the finale episode of ABS-CBN's reality shows and even the network's Christmas specials since he began his stint at the beginning of 2016. However, little did they know that he has shown his humility and kindness within the network's offices and towards its workforce - something that was showcased during the Senate hearing and his message to the viewing public on television which gained positive reception from ordinary people, netizens, showbiz personalities and those who have been supporting ABS-CBN and rooting for its broadcast franchise to be renewed.

Katigbak represents a new era for ABS-CBN which is now a different company than it was 25 years ago. In an interview with Karen Davila on ANC HeadStart prior to the February 24th Senate hearing, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo acknowledged Carlo's humility and honesty considering that he noted that the network is not perfect and may have made mistakes sometimes. On the other hand, his values shown while facing the Senate were praised by House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano assuring the public that the renewal of the network's franchise will be under due process the right way. Furthermore, he made ABS-CBN's culture more spiritual and inspired the company's entire workforce without being hostile and self-righteous. In the foreseeable future, Carlo Lopez Katigbak is slated to be one of the many reasons why ABS-CBN will be the hardest to kill in any chapter in the Philippine broadcasting history books as he is making every Filipino begin to believe that #FamilyIsLove and #FamilyIsForever for ABS-CBN no matter what challenge it enters.