Gilberto Duavit Jr. | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Duavit in 2024 | |
| Born | (1963-10-16)October 16, 1963 (age 62) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
| Title | President and CEO ofGMA Network Inc. |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Father | Gilberto Duavit Sr. |
| Relatives | Jack Duavit (brother) Jose Roy (grandfather) Mel Lopez (father-in-law) Karl Roy (cousin) Alex Lopez (brother-in-law) Manny Lopez (brother-in-law) |
Gilberto "Jimmy" Roy Duavit Jr. (born October 16, 1963)[1] is a Filipino businessman, philanthropist, producer, and writer. He is the president andchief executive officer ofGMA Network Inc., one of the largest media networks in the Philippines. Duavit inherited the position from his father,Gilberto "Bibit" Duavit Sr., who was the network's founding chairman. Duavit first became involved with GMA in 1993 as a film producer for the network's production company,GMA Pictures, which was then named Cinemax Studios and later GMA Films. He produced some of the company's most successful films, includingJosé Rizal (1998) andMuro-Ami (1999), both of which won theMetro Manila Film Festival Award for Best Picture successively. After his promotion as the network's vice president in 2000, Duavit became involved in the network's television production, having created the showsLiwanag ng Hatinggabi (1999–2000),Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw (2002–03), andHanggang Kailan (2004).
Since Duavit assumed the presidency from the network's longtime chairmanFelipe Gozon in 2010, he and Gozon, who became CEO, have been attributed for the network's rise as one of the country's leading media networks.[2] Duavit concurrently served as GMA'schief operating officer until 2023. The network had won severalPeabody Awards,Asian Television Awards, and theNew York Television Festival awards during Duavit's presidency.[2] Duavit replaced the retiring Gozon as the company's CEO from January 2024, while the latter continues to serve as chairman and adviser of the Board of Directors[3]
Duavit is the thirty-seventh-wealthiest person in the Philippines, with a net worth of $440 million, according toForbes.[4]
Duavit was born on October 16, 1963, as the second eldest child of GMA Network chairmanGilberto Duavit Sr. (1934–2018) and Vilma Roy Duavit, the daughter of former Philippine SenatorJose Roy (1904–1986). His older sister, Judith Duavit Vasquez, previously served as a GMA board member. His youngest brother,Michael John Duavit, currently serves as arepresentative forRizal's1st district, which he has served for five terms since 2001, a position that his father and second youngest brother, Joel Roy Duavit, also served; Duavit Sr. served as the district's congressman from 1994 to 2001, while Joel served the position for two consecutive terms from 2010 to 2016.[5] Duavit graduated from theUniversity of the Philippines Diliman with aBachelor of Arts degree inphilosophy.[6][7]
Since 1991, Duavit has served as the president andchief executive officer (CEO) of Film Experts Inc., amagnetic storage andoptical disc manufacturer based inMakati.[3][8]
In 1995, the GMA Network launched Cinemax Studios with Duavit as one of the supervisors. In 1998, Cinemax Studios was renamed toGMA Films in order to avoid confusion withHBO's sister channelCinemax, which had then recently entered into the Southeast Asian market.[9] Duavit was involved in the production of the studio's first films following the move,Sa Pusod ng Dagat andJosé Rizal, serving as the two films' producer. Both films were directed byMarilou Diaz-Abaya and were critical and commercial successes.José Rizal won all the 17 awards it was nominated for at the1998 Metro Manila Film Festival, includingBest Picture.[10] The following year, Duavit produced another of Diaz-Abaya's films,Muro-Ami.Muro-Ami grossed₱66,987,181 at the box office and won 13 awards at the1999 Metro Manila Film Festival, including Best Picture.[3][11]
In 1999, Duavit was elected to the GMA Network'sboard of directors.[3][8]
After the success of GMA Films in the late 1990s, Duavit ventured into television production atGMA Network. He conceptualized thehorrordrama seriesLiwanag ng Hatinggabi, which premiered on December 6, 1999. Duavit was inspired by the concept ofmagic realism, a style of fiction often associated withLatin American literature. The series was directed byJoel Lamangan and starredLorna Tolentino,Angelika Dela Cruz, andVictor Neri in the lead roles. It ran for a total of 17 episodes until March 27, 2000.[3][12]
In 2000, Duavit collaborated again with Lamangan for the melodrama filmDeathrow; Lamangan directed, while Duavit served as one of the film's producers.[13] The film was shown at theCairo International Film Festival in Egypt, theToronto International Film Festival in Canada, and theBusan International Film Festival in South Korea.[3][14] It was awarded thePrix Du Meilleur Film Engage au Service d’une Cause (Prize for the Best Committed Film Championing a Cause) at theBrussels Independent Film Festival in Belgium for its depiction ofcapital punishment on juvenile offenders.[15]
On December 31, 2000, Duavit became the network's executive vice president andchief operating officer (COO).[3][8]
As COO, Duavit continued his work on writing television shows for the network. In 2002, he created the drama romance seriesAng Iibigin ay Ikaw, starringChristopher de Leon,Alice Dixson, andRichard Gomez.[16] The series ran for a total of 200 episodes between July 8, 2002, and April 11, 2003. It was commercially successful through its run, resulting in GMA Network producing a sequel series,Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw Pa Rin. It replaced the timeslot ofAng Iibigin ay Ikaw and ran for a total of 93 episodes, concluding on August 22, 2003. Duavit served as producer for the sequel series.[17]
In 2004, Duavit created another drama romance series,Hanggang Kailan. Duavit collaborated with writersJose Javier Reyes andMark A. Reyes. The series reunited him with Tolentino sinceLiwanag Ng Hatinggabi and de Leon and Dixson sinceAng Iibigin ay Ikaw. It premiered on March 8, 2004, and concluded on August 13, commissioning a total of 95 episodes.[18]
In 2007, the GMA Network announced it would offer its shares to the public from an initialpublic offering between₱6.39 billion to₱7.78 billion.[19] On June 28, thePhilippine Stock Exchange approved the network's offering. On July 23, formerIlocos Norte representativeImee Marcos sent a letter to theSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC) contesting her claim of ownership to 28.35 percent of the network's shares held by the Duavit family. The shares were entrusted to Duavit's father, Gilberto Duavit Sr., by Marcos' father, former PresidentFerdinand Marcos, to whom the senior Duavit served as Assistant Executive Secretary for Social, Political, Legal, and Economic Affairs (1966–1970), Acting Executive Secretary (1969), and Senior Deputy Minister of theMinistry of Youth and Sports Development under. The junior Duavit's lawyer responded to Marcos' claims, saying that Duavit acquired the shares "on his own." Imee Marcos, citing a handwritten note given to her from the senior Duavit in 1983, stated that "Duavit did not own the shares but was merely the representative of a 'silent partner.'"[20] Thereafter, GMA counsel Atty. Gener Asuncion stated that the junior Duavit and his family "are the real and actual owners" and "have concrete proof of their ownership" of the network's shares. According to an official statement by the network, its owner in 1986 (when it was then called the Republic Broadcasting System), Loreto Feliciano Stewart (the wife of its co-founder,Robert "Uncle Bob" Stewart), "sought to recover the shares of the Duavits and asked for an injunction to prevent the registration of the shares in their favor but was rejected by the court. Stewart then gave a notice of dismissal of her complaint and the court dismissed it on November 28, 1986." Asuncion also stated that GMA Network would push through with its scheduled release of listed shares on July 30, following the SEC's approval of the network's registration statement and issuance of a "Securities for Sale" permit.[21]
Under Duavit's leadership as COO in the late 2000s, GMA began securing themedia franchise of foreign shows in order for the network to adapt Philippine versions. In August 2007, GMA producedCelebrity Duets, which was the Philippine edition of the British reality singing contestJust the Two of Us, through alicensing agreement withFremantleMedia.[22] GMA purchased the rights to theIdol franchise from FremantleMedia to producePinoy Idol, which premiered in September. The franchising rights were previously used by the Associated Broadcasting Company (now theTV5 Network) to producePhilippine Idol.[23] The network also produced Philippine versions oftelenovelas that year, most popularlyMarimar starringMarian Rivera andDingdong Dantes, which was based on the1994 Mexican series of the same name.[24] That year, the network also produced Philippine versions ofZaido: Pulis Pangkalawakan (based on the JapanesetokusatsuSpace Sheriff Shaider) and the game showsKakasa Ka Ba sa Grade 5? (based on the American game showAre You Smarter than a 5th Grader?) andWhammy! Push Your Luck (based on the American game showSecond Chance).[25]
In October 2010, Duavit was elected president of the GMA Network by the network's board of directors.[3][8] Duavit served the role alongside his concurrent role as the company's COO.[26]
Under Duavit's presidency, the network produced the country's firsthistorical drama series,Amaya (2011–12), set duringthe pre-colonial period of the Philippines.[27]
In February 2012, Duavit led the signing of the network's three-year deal withFox International Channels.[28] The deal allowed Fox cable channels in the Asia Pacific to air GMA media across the region. GMA media that Fox has re-aired since the deal was signed include the showsWish Ko Lang! (2002–2020),Pinoy Abroad (2005–06),Encantadia (2005–06),Pinoy Meets World (2006–2009),Super Twins (2007),Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita (2008),Dyesebel (2008),Darna (2009–10),Stairway to Heaven (2009),Kaya Kong Abutin ang Langit (2009), andTrudis Liit (2010); and the filmsJosé Rizal (1998),My Best Friend's Girlfriend (2008),When I Met U (2009),Yaya and Angelina: The Spoiled Brat Movie (2009), andTemptation Island (2011).[29]
In February 2012, amid reports that business tycoon and TV5 Network chairmanManuel V. Pangilinan had announced a possible merger deal between the two networks,[30] Duavit initially stated that the GMA Network would not be offered to any party with interest inacquiring it.[31] However, he later clarified that the network is sellable but only if the offer price would interest the network's shareholders. He also disclosed that, in 2001, GMA and TV5 (then the Associated Broadcasting Company) had reached amemorandum of understanding for the latter to acquire the former, with a price and sale of the majority having already been reached. However, the agreement was never finalized because of issues encountered byMediaQuest Holdings, the parent company of TV5.[32]
In April 2012, Duavit reported that the network had reached a consolidated revenue of₱13.083 billion in 2011, despite the loss of₱2.054 worth of revenues fromcampaign advertising for the2010 Philippine general election, theEuropean debt crisis, and the "slow"economic recovery of the U.S. from theGreat Recession. He described the network's performance as "fairly competitive", noting a "significant, single-digit increase" in the first quarter of that year than the previous year.[33]
In March 2013, Duavit announced that the GMA Network would depend oninternal financing for its estimated₱1 billioncapital expenditure program for the year as per tradition, dispelling appeals that the network should utilizeexternal financing such as fundraisers to source its program. He stated that the network would utilize its program mainly for the establishment of additionalstations in rural areas "where close to half of all television viewers reside." He also added that over₱100 million of the program would be used to fund equipment for the network's coverage of the2013 Philippine general election.[34]
In August 2015,San Miguel Corporation CEORamon S. Ang alleged that GMA executives embezzled his corporation's₱1 billiondown payment for its acquisition of 34 percent of the network's stakes that failed. While Ang filed charges against Gozon and several other GMA executives for syndicatedestafa, Duavit was excluded from the charges as he pledged to return his portion of the₱1 billion.[35]
In July 2016, Duavit's father, Gilberto Duavit Sr., was elected to the board of directors of the GMA Network, serving alongside him.[36][37] The senior Duavit served as member until his death in December 2018.[38]
In January 2019, it was reported that 88.4 percent of GMA's sales in 2018 were sourced from advertising. As such, GMA fell behind its main competitor in the media industry,ABS-CBN, which generated a total of₱29.5 billion that year. ABS-CBN had extended itsrevenue model to other business segments that counterbalanced decreasing advertising revenues, resulting in a large percentage of ABS-CBN's revenue to be attributed to its involvement in thecustomer experience sector. GMA generated a total revenue of₱11.1 billion, which was₱11.4 billion behind ABS-CBN. In response, Duavit and other GMA executives partnered with Pangilinan'sPLDT to shift todigital broadcasting. On January 9, GMA and PLDT executives signed a "technology, content, and distribution" agreement for PLDT to assist in the enhancement and innovation of the media network's digital transition.[39][40]
According to the general information sheet the GMA Network submitted to the Philippine Stock Exchange in 2019, Duavit owns 0.08 percent of the total 4,007,017 shares that the network listed. His shareholdings comprise 4,007,006common stocks and 12preferred stocks.[41] The network listed 12.5 billionauthorized capital stocks, which is divided into 5 billion common stocks with par value of₱1 each and 7.5 billion preferred stocks with par value of₱0.20 each.[42]
Under GMA Network Inc., Duavit also serves as the chairman ofGMA Pictures and GMA Worldwide (the network's trans-Pacific broadcaster targeted forOverseas Filipinos); president and CEO of Scenarios Inc. (set production and design), Script2010 Inc. (events management), andRGMA Marketing and Productions Inc. (music production); and president of Citynet Inc. (television production) andMediaMerge Corporation.[43]
In July 2021, GMA Network launched GMA Ventures, which focuses on investing in startups, and named Duavit as the vice chairman of the firm.[44]
In December 2023, GMA chairman and CEOFelipe Gozon announced his retirement from the chief executive role and named Duavit as his successor. The leadership change, which took effect in January 2024, sees Gozon retain his role as the company's chairman and adviser.[3]
Duavit is the president and a trustee of theGMA Kapuso Foundation, the network'scivic engagement arm.[3][1]
He is a trustee of the Guronasyon Foundation Inc., an organization based inBinangonan, Rizal, to support teachers from the province.[8] He is also a board adviser of the HERO Foundation.[3]
Duavit married Rosanna Lopez, daughter of formerManila mayorMel Lopez, on November 19, 1994. They currently reside inQuezon City with their twin sons, born in 2001.[45]
Through his mother's side, he is cousins with singer Kevin Roy, lead singer of the rock bandRazorback, as well asKarl Roy, lead singer of the bandsP.O.T. andKapatid, who died on March 13, 2012, frompulmonary edema.[46]
| Year | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | My Guardian Debil | Executive Producer |
| Sa Pusod ng Dagat | Producer | |
| José Rizal | ||
| 1999 | Muro-Ami | |
| 1999–2000 | Liwanag ng Hatinggabi | Developer, Executive Producer |
| 2000 | Deathrow | Producer |
| 2002–03 | Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw | Creator |
| 2003 | Ang Iibigin ay Ikaw Pa Rin | Producer |
| 2004 | Hanggang Kailan | Creator, Producer |
| 2009 | Manila Skies | Associate Producer |
Duavit has won theMetro Manila Film Festival Award for Best Picture twice consecutively forJosé Rizal (1998) andMuro-Ami (1999), as producer of both films.[11]
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| Preceded by | President, GMA Network 2010–present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
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