ABS-CBN unveils Bulacan soundstagesABS-CBN Corporation marks its 65th founding anniversary with the inauguration of its brand- new soundstages in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan in December 2018.

ABS-CBN president and chief executive officer Carlo L. Katigbak (CLK) said the two soundstages were built to support the company’s efforts towards expanding its audience and content output beyond the Philippines and to foreign audiences.

“We want to bring ABSCBN content to the international stage, and having a state-of-the-art facility and a world-class production team is a big step for us towards that direction and dream,” CLK said.

ABS-CBN chairman Mark L. Lopez added: “What I’m most proud of about this project is that we’re creating Hollywood-level soundstages which puts us at par with the rest of the world.”

This project was the brainchild of ABS-CBN chairman emeritus Eugenio Lopez III (EL3), who saw that building the studios is the best way to keep in step with the world’s top entertainment companies, which shoot bigger percentages of their programs and films on soundstages and not in remote locations.

“Completing the soundstages represents a very major step for ABS-CBN in terms of our ability to create much better production. Through this we can show the world the best of the Filipino,” said EL3.

The soundstages represent the beginning of a plan to establish a production hub with soundstages, backlots, production and postproduction facilities and offices that will allow ABS-CBN and Philippine-based productions to match production facilities found elsewhere in the world.

Inaugurated in time to celebrate not only its 65th anniversary but also Star Cinema’s 25th anniversary, the stages will enhance the production output for both TV and film in the years to come. (Story/Photos by: Kane Choa)