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Even before move to ABS-CBN, Sunshine Dizon backed network amid franchise crisis

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Miguel Dumaual, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/05/04/sunshine-dizon.jpg"/><figcaption>Screen veteran Sunshine Dizon.<em> Instagram: @m_sunshinedizon</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Even before becoming a Kapamilya, screen veteran Sunshine Dizon was among the celebrities who rallied behind ABS-CBN amid the franchise crisis that resulted in its free-TV broadcast being shuttered.</p><p>Dizon, a former contract artist of GMA-7 for 25 years, had openly criticized the government on the issue of ABS-CBN’s franchise denial, mentioning the thousands who would lose their jobs, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>“‘Wag na tayong magbulag-bulagan. Kailangan nating ipaglaban ang ating kalayaan at protekatahan ang ating karapatang pantao,” she said at the time, also referring to the anti-terror law.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/07/27/20/wag-na-tayong-magbulag-bulagan-sunshine-dizon-blasts-governments-priorities">&#x27;Wag na tayong magbulag-bulagan&#x27;: Sunshine Dizon blasts government&#x27;s priorities</a></li></ul><p>During a recent media conference introducing her as a new Kapamilya, Dizon said she still stands by her statement supporting ABS-CBN, and censuring the administration.</p><p>“It’s a very small industry,” she said, when asked to recall why she felt the need to speak up in support of a competing network at the time. “Sa totoo lang, kung puwede lang na wala na sanang barriers, at i-unite na natin ‘yung buong industry… If that is possible, bakit hindi?”</p><p>“At that time, I just really felt bad and I felt so down na there are thousands of people na nawalan ng trabaho, tapos ngayon pang pandemic,” she said.</p><p>ABS-CBN was forced off free television and radio broadcast on May 5, 2020, a day after its franchise was left to expire in the House of Representatives.</p><p>In July 2020, ABS-CBN’s application for a fresh 25-year franchise was rejected by a congressional panel, shuttering the network’s flagship business and leading to the retrenchment of thousands of its employees.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Prior to her move as a Kapamilya, Sunshine Dizon was among the artists who spoke up against the franchise denial of ABS-CBN. As the shutdown reaches a year on May 5, she says, “I took a stand and that’s what I believed — and still believe.” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WelcomeKapamilyaSunshine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WelcomeKapamilyaSunshine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABSCBNNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/pzJVt93YJ0">pic.twitter.com/pzJVt93YJ0</a></p>— Miguel Dumaual (@migueldumaual) <a href="https://twitter.com/migueldumaual/status/1388050360133029890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2021</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>“If you cannot relate to that or sympathize with that, there must be something wrong with you,” Dizon said.</p><p>“Ako, I just took a stand. That’s what I felt and I believed, and still believe,” she added.</p><p>Dizon is also one of the active members of Aktor, an organization of Filipino actors which similarly issued a statement against the denial of ABS-CBN’s franchise application.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/07/30/20/sunshine-dizon-tanggap-ko-ang-bashers-kung-kapalit-ay-kamulatan-ng-nagtutulugtulugan">Sunshine Dizon: ‘Tanggap ko ang bashers kung kapalit ay kamulatan ng nagtutulugtulugan’</a></li></ul><p>Dizon admittedly became the target of mudslinging when she voiced out her opinion on ABS-CBN’s franchise. But as she did then, she is also paying no heed to “bashers” in light of her network switch.</p><p>“Ang tagal ko na in the industry to know that we really cannot please everyone. I just hope na ‘yung mga taong may negativity pa sa katawan, alisin na nila, kasi nakaka-chaka ‘yan!” she quipped.</p><p>“I think it’s easier to just be grateful and happy for others. For our mental health, huwag na lang natin pansinin ‘yung mga nagne-nega-nega pa. Basta ako, I’m very happy right now that I’m still able to work, and on top of that, it’s a very good project,” Dizon said.</p><p>For her ABS-CBN debut, Dizon will star in the upcoming teleserye, “Marry Me, Marry You,” alongside Janine Gutierrez and Paulo Avelino.</p><p>Cameras will start rolling for the Dreamscape Entertainment production in mid-May, with a target release within the year.</p><div><strong>Related videos:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1675221" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/itdswirJOo4?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><div> </div>

<p>“If you cannot relate to that or sympathize with that, there must be something wrong with you.”</p>

“If you cannot relate to that or sympathize with that, there must be something wrong with you.”

Even before move to ABS-CBN, Sunshine Dizon backed network amid franchise crisis

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Even before move to ABS-CBN, Sunshine Dizon backed network amid franchise crisis

Miguel Dumaual,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 04, 2021 08:15 PM PHT

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Updated May 04, 2021 08:16 PM PHT

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