King of Talk Boy Abunda revealed he is in talks with various groups for his much-awaited television comeback, adding that he misses being on television so much.
"Wala pang confirmation. Hindi ko itinatatwa na may paguusap sa iba't ibang station pero I have not signed a contract. I am in conversation with various groups. But that will be for another presscon. Hindi biro yun," said Abunda, when asked if he was leaving ABS-CBN, during the launch of his latest endorsement for Sendwave, a money transfer app for people in the USA, Canada, and parts of Europe to send money to their loved ones in 22 countries, including the Philippines, with zero remittance fees and near instantaneous transfers, held in Quezon City on Nov. 14.
"I keep on moving. I just wanna move. Isa lang. I have not much to say. Sabi ko nga that's for another presscon. But I wanna go back to television. That much I can say. I really wanna go back to television.
"Ako'y napunta sa digital platform by circumstance. By default. Hindi naman ako digital expert, digital native pero natuto ako kasi I wanna do my interviews. At sa awa ng Diyos, napagbigyan tayo ng malaki. But as to what's gonna happen in the future, a lot of things are gonna happen. A lot of movements within or without to wherever I am but I wanna go back to television," Abunda added. (I went to the digital platform by circumstance. By default. I'm not a digital expert, a digital native but I learned because I wanna do my interviews. And by God's mercy, we were given a lot)
At the same press event, Abunda recalled his life during the pandemic.
"Katulad ng iba, I was so afraid. 2020 I was so afraid because hindi natin alam ang susunod na mangyayari. (Like everyone else, I was so afraid. 2020 I was so afraid because we don't know what will happen next)
"Noong umpisa, may pakiramdam pa ako na hindi magtatagal ito. Kaya ko ito. Siguro by the end of the year wala na. Yun ang feeling ko. (At the beginning, I still had a feeling that it wouldn't last long. I can do it. Maybe by the end of the year it will be gone. That's my feeling)
"Pero habang tumatagal and July came nagsara na ang ABS-CBN, lalo naging doble na ang takot. Ang uncertainties are not just about life. (But as time went on and ABS-CBN closed down in July, the fear doubled. Uncertainties are not just about life)
"Ang naging concern ko is yung kalusuguan ko so tago ako ng tago. I went to Samar, I went to my house in Tagaytay, my farm in Lipa. I was spending my time doon sa mga lugar na walang masyadong tao. Hirap na hirap. (My concern was my health, so I kept hiding. I went to Samar, I went to my house in Tagaytay, my farm in Lipa. I was spending my time there in places where there are not many people. It was very difficult)
"Pero mabait ang Diyos. Natuto akong mag digital. I went to YouTube. I went to Facebook. I also tried TikTok. Sabi ko nga nuon magkaroon lang ako ng 5 to 10,000 subscribers sa YouTube okay na ako. Wag lang tatanggalin sa akin yung gusto kong makapag-interview. Magkaroon ng pagkakataong gawin yung ginagawa ko sa television. (But God is kind. I learned how to be digital. I went to YouTube. I went to Facebook. I also tried TikTok. I said then that I would only have 5 to 10,000 subscribers on YouTube and I would be okay. Just don't take away the interviews. Had a chance to do what I do on television)
"Pero noong COVID I really became very busy. Sabi ko nga kung merong 100 na conventions ang mga pharmaceuticals, I probably hosted 90 of them. Financially it was not as much we would be paid during live television or live gigs pero binuhay ako ng Panginoon. (But during COVID I really became very busy. I said that if pharmaceuticals had 100 conventions, I probably hosted 90 of them. Financially it was not as much we would be paid during live television or live gigs but the Lord revived me)
"I was teaching online. I was hosting conventions. I was hosting awards virtually. I hosted TOFA twice digitally. Yun ang naging buhay ko. Nag-adjust din pero nakuha sa dasal. Mahirap pero kinaya," Abunda added. (I was teaching online. I was hosting conventions. I was hosting awards virtually. I hosted TOFA twice digitally. That was my life. I also adjusted but got it through prayer. It was difficult but I coped)
Also at the launch were Julie Abalos, International Remittance Head at GCash, and Icka Macazo, Sendwave Brand Ambassador.
GCash has partnered with Sendwave to help overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families make the most out of their hard-earned money by offering remittances with zero transaction fees and very reasonable exchange rates.
Through the Sendwave app, OFWs can securely send money back home directly to a family member’s GCash app – without the need to fill out forms, line up, or leave to go to a bank or remittance center.
Sendwave is a new app to help overseas foreign workers and Filipinos living abroad send more of their hard-earned money back home. Now the King of Talk is helping spread the word to make sure all Kababayan know about the revolutionary app that sends money quickly and fee-free.
“I know how hard our family and friends work overseas, and how important it is to support our loved ones back home,” said Abunda. “So I’ve been talking with my good friend the Sendwave Penguin and learning how using Sendwave is just as easy and affordable as sending a text message.”
“Now, I don’t like to kiss and tell,” Abunda also said. “But if the penguin asked me, I’d definitely choose Sendwave over chocolates!”
For a limited time, new users in the US, Canada and parts of Europe can use the promo code CHOCOLATE for $10 free credit on their first transfer.
Sendwave first launched in 2014 and has since expanded to parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Nearly one million people have used Sendwave to send over $10 billion to their friends and family.
"The pandemic revealed a need to shift toward more digital options for sending money," said Dan Santos, Sendwave Growth Manager for the Philippines. "We wanted to help address that for the Filipino community and provide them with a more affordable way to send funds to the people they care about." Sendwave estimates that it can save the OFW over a $1 billion in remittance fees each year, Santos says.
Sendwave launched in the Philippines in September 2021 in response to Covid-19. “The pandemic was a very unstable time for many overseas Filipino workers, so we wanted to make sure as much of their money as possible is getting to their families, and in the quickest way possible,” said Santos.
The future of cash
Sendwave works by partnering with traditional money transfer methods, like bank transfers or cash collection, as well as digital wallets like GCash. “Digital wallets are really the future, because they are able to quickly and affordably link people around the world, especially in areas where people have not had as much access to traditional banks,” Santos added.
GCash is the largest digital wallet in the Philippines, with 83 percent of the adult population currently using the service. “Close to 70 million Filipinos are now placing their trust in GCash and we are still growing,” Abalos announced earlier this year. “We vow to continue providing reliable service to our customers and innovate to deliver their fintech and lifestyle needs.”
Using the Sendwave app is simple and intuitive. Anyone in the US, Canada and parts of Europe can download it from the App Store or Google Play (look for the Sendwave penguin). After entering your information at sign up, you can select the country you wish to send funds to.