XB GENSAN WINS SHOWTIME GRAND FINALS

It was indeed their time.

Dance group “XB Gensan” of General Santos City came back from elimination to notch a dramatic win in “Showtime The Finals” Saturday (July 24) at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.

Just a day after winning the wild card round of the hit talent-variety show, the 13-member dance crew gave a hair-raising and heart-thumping performance that brought the “Madlang Pipol” and the judges to their feet.

With a score of 9.875, “XB Gensan” won a close fight with crowd-favorite “Philippine Islands Assasin (9.7) of Marikina City, and fellow wild card winner “Boys Unlimited” (9.625) of Pangasinan. Completing the eleven finalists were Enlighten Black Theater Group of San Juan, Metro Manila (9.425), Mortal Combat and the Showgays of Quezon City (9.3), Savannah Kids and Ballroom Dancers (8.775) of Antipolo City, E-Crew (8.575) of Laguna, Perlas ng Silangan (8.575) of Olongapo City, Sensei (8.1) of Roxas City in Capiz, Kasibulan (7.375) of Muntinlupa City, and Beatguys (7.325) of Quezon City.

“XB Gensan’s” come-from-behind win was the perfect ending for “Showtime’s” energetic and jam-packed ultimate competition, which featured the surprise return of 39 out of the 73 guest judges in the show’s nine months on air including Gladys Reyes, Andrew E, Alessandra De Rossi, Jon Avila, and Jhong Hilario.

The show also paid tribute to the people working in the program from the creative staff to the production people, cameramen, the show’s director and creator Bobet Vidanes, and ABS-CBN Business Unit Head for Game Shows Alou Almaden.

“Showtime” began its second season with hosts Vhong Navarro, Anne Curtis, Kuya Kim Atienza, Jugs of Itchyworms, Teddy of Rocksteddy and resident judge Vice Ganda last Monday (July 26).

ABS-CBN STARS AND EXECS LIGHT UP THE 21ST AD CONGRESS IN SUBIC

It was a starry, starry night last Thursday (Nov 19) and the “Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko” craze was felt again when the country’s top advertisers and creative minds gathered for ABS-CBN: One Way Up! Kayang-Kaya Kapamilya, the ABS-CBN trade event during the 21st Philippine Advertising Congress in Subic.

The network’s brightest actors and actresses, most talented performers, and hottest love teams led by Judy Ann Santos, Piolo Pascual, John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo, Anne Curtis, Jericho Rosales, Kristine Hermosa, Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson, Jake Cuenca, Cristine Reyes, and Ms. Kris Aquino with her son Baby James, entertained a crowd of 3,000 delegates and also teased them with the Kapamilya network’s much-anticipated 2010 program offerings like “Habang May Buhay,” “Kokey@ako,” “Rubi,” and “Pilipinas, Got Talent.”

Also bringing the house down was the surprise performance of the station’s top management led by ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Lopez III, ABS-CBN president Charo Santos-Concio, and Channel 2 head Cory Vidanes, who all gamely danced to the hit Korean song “Nobody” with ABS-CBN Sales heads. They also thanked advertisers for their support as ABS-CBN continues its leadership in ratings, viewership, and programming.

Finally, to cap a magical night, the Kapamilya stars and officials sang the ABS-CBN Station ID with all the guests. They were each given a miniature parol, which they would wave in unison while singing the song. It was indeed a star-studded event, a night of fun and hope which made everybody excited about Christmas once again.