GMA Network Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon thanked the Lord for the blessings, including saving his life in four incidents during his youth.

Gozon recalled his brushes with death when he was younger in a speech during his 84th birthday held at the EDSA Shangri-La Manila in Mandaluyong City last Dec. 9.

"So allow me to first publicly thank the Lord for all the blessings bestowed on me, which are more than what I prayed for, including those I prayed for that were not granted, which I later realized would not have been good for me.

"Because all blessings flow from the Lord, I continuously thank Him not only every day but in every opportunity I have. I also ask Him to forgive my many sins.

"I particularly thank the Lord for Tessie, a good wife given to me by God, who, after going steady with me for 11 years and being married to me for 54 years and 6 months, I can truly say is the love of my life; my three good children: Annette, valedictorian in her grade and high school from Colegio de San Agustin, Makati; Cum Laude graduate in Management Engineering from Ateneo Manila University, Cum Laude graduate and valedictorian in Law from the U.P. College of Law; and Master of Law graduate from Harvard Law School; Philip, valedictorian in his grade school, salutatorian in high school from Colegio de San Agustin, Makati, graduate with honors in Management Engineering from Ateneo de Manila University, graduate (no. 7) in Law from U.P. College of Law and Master of Law graduate from Harvard Law School; and Maritess, valedictorian in her grade and high school from Colegio de San Agustin, Makati, Magna Cum Laude graduate in BS Psychology, U.P.; and among the top in her class in Medicine from the U.P.; and my 8 wonderful grandchildren: Annette’s children, Anja, No. 1 in her grade and high school in Poveda and Magna Cum Laude graduate in Management Engineering from Ateneo de Manila University; and Andy, First Honor and Gold Award for academic excellence High school graduate from Everest Academy. He is now studying at the University of Toronto; Raffy, Baste, Bono, and Fort who are Maritess’ children are either at the top of their grade and high school classes or near the top at Colegio de San Agustin, Makati City; and Philip’s children Ariana and Henry who are the youngest and in pre-grade school," Gozon said.

Gozon also recalled the four incidents in which the Lord saved him from death when he was young.

"I also thank the Lord for saving me from death in four incidents that happened to me when I was young.

"When I was about 3 to 4 years old, I fell in the Malabon Sugar Factory and in a small well in my maternal grandfather’s residence in Malabon.

"When I was a little older, about 6 to 7 years old, I was run over by a passenger jeepney on Arellano St. Malabon and hit my head in the barnacles in the underside of the wide and long Salambao (a bamboo raft used in fishing in the Malabon river). If I was not able to swim to the light I would have drowned," he said.

Having survived these incidents, Gozon said his mother, who he described as very religious, believed that "God must have a plan for me."

The network executive said he could see God's hand in the choices he or his parents made when he was too young to make his own decisions.

"That is to say, from the schools I attended (Malabon and Union Elementary School, U.P. High and U.P. Preparatory High School, U.P. College of Law, and Yale Law School); the law firm I joined after returning from Yale (Ponce Enrile, Siguion-Reyna, Montecillo & Belo); in joining Philippine Airlines as its Vice President for Legal; in forming a law firm with Enrique Belo (a former senior partner in the Ponce-Enrile law firm) which is now known as Belo, Gozon, Elma, Parel, Asuncion & Lucila; and in assuming the position of Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of GMA Network, Inc. and later as Chairman/CEO until now," Gozon said.

He added: "I continue to ask our Lord to let me know what it is He wants me to specifically do."

In the same speech, Mr. Gozon announced the GMA Board of Directors had approved my retirement as Chief Executive Officer effective Dec​. 31, 2023. ​"But I will​ still continue as Chairman/Adviser and Chairman of the​ Programming Committee.​"

​Gozon also announced the Board approved his recommendation to elect Mr. Gilberto R. Duavit Jr. as the new Chief Executive Officer to replace him effective Jan. 1, 2024. His new title will be President/CEO. He will continue to act as Vice-Chairman of the​ Program Committee.

​"At the recommendation of Mr. Jimmy Duavit, to which I​ concurred, the Executive Committee has elected Mr. Joel​ Marcelo Jimenez as the Chairman of the Executive Committee,​ vice Mr. Duavit resigned as Chairman of the ExCom​ effective Dec​. 31, 2023.​"

Prior to the big announcement, Gozon cited some selected facts about GMA Network. 

1) As of Nov. 30, 2023:

​a) With 106 TV stations and 21 radio stations, GMA undisputedly​ has the widest reach and the best quality audio/video signal​ among the broadcast stations in the Philippines. Based on​ Nielsen TV Audience Measurement data from Jan​. 1 to​ Nov​. 28, 2023, GMA Network’s combined people net reach including GTV and its other digital channels was at 93 percent​ or 73 million viewers in Total Philippines;

b) With 300 artists, exclusive to GMA, it has by far the most​ number of on-cam artists;

(c) With more than 300 awards and recognitions it has received​ this year alone, GMA Network continues to be the most awarded​ and recognized broadcast network in the country since 2005.;​ The awards include the most coveted and very prestigious​ George Peabody Award which was given to GMA four times; the​ “Television of the Year” award given in 2023 by the Manila​ Overseas Press Club, Asia’s​oldest and most prestigious press​ club, and ​the Best Employer award given at the Philippines’​ Leadership Congress and Awards 2023.

d) With more than 41 billion video views across Facebook, Tiktok​ , and YouTube, GMA Network is the number one local channel in​ the Tubular Worldwide rankings.

e) The total number of GMA’s employees (regular, talents, project​ employees, contractuals, etc.) was 5,617​, and for the last ​five years,​ from 2018 to 2022, GMA paid the total amount of more than​  ​P22 billion to the Government in taxes and fees.

2. Three years and four​ months after we assumed the​ position of Chairman, President​, and Chief Executive Officer of​ GMA Network in October 2000, or in January 2004 GMA became​ no. 1 in Mega Manila ratings of Nielsen, the only area rated by​ Nielsen then. Since then, GMA was not no. 1 in Mega Manila​ ratings for only 1 year, in 2010.

Three years and six months after Nielsen started to report​ the National Urban TV Audience​Measurement (NUTAM) in July​ 2007, or in January 2011 GMA became no. 1 in NUTAM ratings.

Since then, GMA was not no. 1 in NUTAM ratings for only three​ years – 2013, 2014​, and 2019.​ Our AM radio station (DZBB) became ​the no. 1 in Mega Manila in May​ 2020. Except for five months, DZBB has been the No. 1 AM​ radio station in Mega Manila since then up to the present.

Our FM radio station (DWLS) became no. 1 in Mega Manila in July​ 2020 and has remained no. 1 since then up to the present.

​"I am proud and gratified that, over the years, GMA Networks have​ provided the public with superior, quality and innovative​ entertainment and public affairs programs and news na walang​ kinikilingan, walang pinoprotektahan, walang kasinungalingan,​ serbisyong totoo lamang​.

​"With the Lord’s help and the changes we are implementing, we are​ confident that GMA Network and GTV will not only continue to​ maintain their top rankings in ratings and superiority in gross​ revenues and net income in the coming years but improve on them​," Gozon added.

Gozon said his family started to celebrate his birthday every five years since his
60th birthday. "But because I need to make an important announcement regarding GMA Network this year, we decided to hold the celebration of my birthday this year to provide the venue for my announcement."