A few days before the extended enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed on Luzon ends, Malacañang announced that production of movies, music, and television programs may resume after April 30 but only in areas that are under the general community quarantine (GCQ).
In a press briefing on Tuesday, April 28, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque mentioned the sectors allowed to operate including the motion picture, video and television program production, sound recording and music publishing activities as long as shooting and taping will be done in areas under GCQ.
“Ang ibig sabihin, ‘yung mga telenobela, dapat i-tape sa GCQ areas. Hindi pa po puwede sa Metro Manila,” he said.
However, entertainment-related mass gatherings including but not limited to theaters, cinemas, large concerts, festivals, carnivals, conventions, shows, pubs, and bars are still not allowed to open both in places under ECQ and GCQ until further notice.
On the business side, trade shows, conferences, conventions, workshops, retreats, and other activities that promote mass gathering are still prohibited even in places under GCQ.
Furthermore, gambling and betting activities, libraries, museums, archives, training, games, tournaments, championships, and the like are still banned from opening.
On March 14, GMA Network and ABS-CBN announced that they will temporarily suspend the production of live entertainment shows and programs in compliance with the government’s declaration of community quarantine in Metro Manila and to ensure the safety and health of their artists, production team, crew, as well as their families, and the general public from the viral disease.
The on-going pandemic has dramatically affected the television industry as it delayed the production of TV programs, reduced advertising sales, and rendered many people working in the industry jobless.
While some of their pre-taped episodes were continued to be released on-air, both GMA Network and ABS-CBN came up with new programming line-ups to keep their audience entertained during this crisis.
Included in the new programming line-up of GMA Network were previously aired shows like Ika-6 na Utos, Encantadia, Kambal Karibal, My Husband’s Lover, Alyas Robin Hood, and Onanay.
ABS-CBN, on the other hand, chose to re-air 100 Days to Heaven, May Bukas Pa, On the Wings of Love, Walang Hanggan, The Legal Wife, Got to Believe, and Wildflower.
