Alden Richards vowed to remain a Kapuso until the end of his career during his contract renewal with GMA Artist Center on Friday, October 15, 2021.
As several celebrities are shifting to other networks, Richards affirmed his loyalty to GMA Network, saying he will remain “till the end of my career”.
The actor was then asked to define loyalty with the question “loyalty begins and ends with ______.”
“Grabe, pang-beauty pageant naman ang tanong,” he quipped.
He added, “Loyalty begins and ends with gratefulness po for me. It begins with gratefulness and ends with gratefulness.
“Kasi, sa buhay naman po natin, our life is made of choices and no matter what choices we make, when it comes to loyalty, we just always need to be grateful to the people who have been there, who helped us, who guided us, who have been part of our journey.
“So parang with that kind of attitude po, there’s no mistake na doon. Wala ka nang pagkakamali doon. The thing is that we are grateful and even though you’re saying goodbye to them, you’re still grateful to those people.
“I think, loyalty begins and ends with gratefulness po.”
Richards has been staying with GMA Network for 11 years. The actor was thankful for the trust and support he received from the network all throughout those years.
“Of course, GMA first trusted me. Of all the people, of all the networks. GMA gambled on me. Hindi sila sigurado, pero they decided na bigyan natin ng risk yung Alden Richards.
“So parang ako naman, being a newbie during that time, sino ba naman ako para to take that opportunity for granted? The only thing I can do is to work hard wholeheartedly, passionately and parang it’s the least I can do for the trust, e.”
“Yun kasi siguro ang isa sa pinakamahirap makuha when it comes to relationship, yung trust. Because it’s the basis of all relationships.
“So for you to be able to be given that kind of trust by one of the biggest networks in the Philippines… I mean, the biggest network in the Philippines… parang yun na lang ang puwede kong ibigay na kapalit.”
Richards described his more than a decade stay in GMA Network as a “limitless” experience.
“And I said limitless because, throughout the years that I’ve been in GMA, yung mga nagagawa kong trabaho under their wings and outside their wings is also limitless.
“And what I appreciate about my bosses in GMA and all GMA Artist Center, they really gave me an opportunity to fly further by doing projects outside the wall of the network.
“At hindi nila ko, kumbaga, nire-restrict na ‘dito ka lang.’ Walang ganun.
“Hindi po ako nare-restrict with the potential that I can give because I can give more. So pinayagan po nila ako to do projects even outside.
“So with those kind of moments na nangyayari sa akin, lalo talagang natatanim sa puso ko na tama yung desisyon ko to be with GMA and to stay with GMA.”
“Siguro until the end of my career,” Richards stated.