under the tradename VIVA FILMS – Spurred by the tremendous success and nationwide appeal of his young music talent (Sharon Cuneta), Mr. Vicente del Rosario, Jr. (Viva’s Chairman of the Board and CEO) hit on a brilliant idea - why not translate her albums’ success into the big screen (movies). So in 1981 Viva Films was born and the rest is history.

Viva Films (VPI’s film label) introduced the sleek, glossy, well-made melodramas or the “Viva Look” to the Philippine cinema. With core competency in CREATIVE CAPITAL, this has resulted into hit after hit after hit propelling Ms. Sharon Cuneta, Mr. Andrew E, and Mr. Robin Padilla into “SuperStar” status.

VIVA INTERNATIONAL PICTURES (VIP) – A division of VIVA Productions, Inc. (VPI), Viva International Pictures banners all of VIVA’s foreign film acquisitions both from Hollywood and the Asian region. It has closed deals for the Philippine distribution of movie packages from the following Hollywood independent distributors:

Bauer Martinez - Harsh Times, I Could Never Be Your Woman, The Groomsmen

Icon Entertainment – Butterfly on a Wheel, It’s A Boy Girl Thing, Poker Night, Seraphim Falls, The Darwin Awards

Inferno Distribution – Smother, The 13th Apostle, The Air I Breathe

Lakeshore Entertainment - Wicker Park

Lions Gate Films – Crank, Open Water, Saw Series, Hotel Rwanda, Shattered Glass, Confidence

Mandate Pictures - Because I Said So, Bruno, Juno, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, My Sassy Girl, Rise, The Grudge 2, The Messengers, The Wedding Date, Whisper

Summit Entertainment – Babel, Miss Potter, Strange Wilderness

Syndicate Films – Crazy Dog, Gray Matters, Shortcut to Happiness, The Accidental Husband Within the Asian region, VIP counts the following among its distribution partners:

Emperor Motion Pictures – Blade of the Rose, New Police Story, Rob-B-Hood, The Myth

Cineclick Asia - My Wife Is A Gangster, The Doll Master

Cinema Service - Arahan, R-Point

Miro Vision – Ghost Train, Loft


In place is a theatrical booking & distribution department responsible for securing the most favorable playdates for VIVA’s local & foreign movie titles. Its 25 years of booking experience and distribution expertise has made VIVA a major film supplier to national theater circuits, major Metro Manila theater chains, as well as key provincial circuits and independent theaters.

Complementing its Metro Manila office (the booking center of the country), VIVA maintains regional offices in the key cities of Cebu and Davao. This ensures better coordination of physical distribution and promotions implementation in those major regions.

With its 25 years of track record in the entertainment business, VIVA now owns the largest local entertainment content library in the country with over 2,000 titles (movies, telecines, concerts, and sports events) in stock. Its annual output of 8 to 10 local movies assures full theater, video, music, free TV, cable TV, concerts, and talents’ exposure as well as full commercial exploitation to attain maximum revenue potential. With its mix of new & catalogue movies, VIVA has continuously supplied products to the country’s free TV channels (ABS-CBN 2, ABC 5, GMA 7, RPN 9, and IBC 13).

To push its software across another medium, Viva ventured into television production in 1986 thru local filmdom’s hottest property - Ms. Sharon Cuneta (the Mega Star). Her big screen success easily fueled her musical variety TV show to the top of the ratings where it stayed until mid-1997 (when she semi-retired).

Since then, Viva’s television unit had branched out into drama anthologies, action features, and comedy fare for teens and yuppies. It is now a significant player among free TV blocktimers and has successfully spun off theatrical versions of its more popular youth-oriented shows.

In the year 2000, VTV set Philippine television ablaze when it pioneered the “game show” segment. These 2 shows were “WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE” hosted by Mr. Christopher de Leon and “THE WEAKEST LINK” hosted by Edu Manzano.

Viva’s pioneering success in these 2 game shows spawned the emergence of the game show genre across the major free TV stations in the Philippines.
In 2001, Viva further enhanced its reputation as a Star-maker & a trendsetter by producing and launching the highly successful talent search show: STAR FOR A NIGHT on IBC Channel 13. The weekly program hosted by Asia’s Songbird Ms. REGINE VELASQUEZ showcased the best among the young Filipino singing talents dressed up in a professional setting. This highly rated show led to the discovery of SARAH GERONIMO and MARK BAUTISTA, who are now established recording artists and TV/movie stars.

In 2002, Viva co-produced with the GMA7 TV network another highly successful TV talent search program SEARCH FOR A STAR. This talent search program led to the discovery of RACHELLE ANN GO and RAYMOND MANALO. Both are now also established recording artists and TV singing stars.

Viva’s talent search success also spawned similar program formats from the 2 major free TV stations in the country.

In 2005, Viva is a co-producer of ABS-CBN Channel 2’s weekly talent search program SEARCH FOR A STAR IN A MILLION. This program is envisioned to produce and discover another major singing star from among the country’s best & brightest aspiring & young talents.

With a top-notch production team, Viva Television can partner with local and international teams interested in production ventures for local television.

Launched last August 2003, is Pinoy Box Office (PBO), Viva’s new 24-hour all Filipino movie & entertainment channel. PBO is now distributed throughout the Philippines, as well as in the U.S. (thru the Mabuhay Channel), the Middle East, and soon in Europe and South Asia.

In August/September 2005, PBO will observe its 2nd anniversary. Lots of prizes and surprises await PBO subscribers as Pinoy Box Office celebrates this important milestone.

Drawing strength from the Vintage Enterprises, Inc.’s (VEI) long association with professional boxing both at home and abroad, and its efforts to promote billiards, Viva Sports anchored its sports division activities on the three most popular sports as defined in a nationwide survey conducted by the prestigious Social Weather Station (SWS)… Basketball, Boxing, and Billiards.

For three years (2000 to 2002), Viva Sports coverage of the PBA resulted in consistent double digit ratings and a solid audience share despite what appeared to be a decline in the overall popularity of basketball and the troubles besetting the league. But the major impact of Viva Sports was in boxing and billiards. Its continued association with the original “Team Pacquiao,” the management group that handled ring gladiator Manny Pacquiao established Viva’s presence as a key player in boxing. Viva Sports kept its faith in Pacquaio’s awesome punching power and his grim determination to become a world champion when it acquired the exclusive Philippine television rights to Pacquiao’s IBF junior featherweight title fight against South Africa’s touted world champion Lelohonolo Ledwaba. It was the main supporting bout on the fight card featuring the world championship battle between “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya and Jose Luis Castillo.

Viva Sports had consistently acquired the title fights of De La Hoya and the addition of Pacquiao on the undercard enhanced the value of the fight and further attracted Filipino fight fans. It was no surprise when the Pacquiao-Ledwaba title fight rated a remarkable 28 percent with the Gen. Santos warrior’s stunning 6th round KO victory. This resulted in nationwide celebrations as the Philippines at long last had a world champion.

Viva Sports organized a motorcade for the returning champion where thousands lined the streets of the central business district of Makati and the main streets of Manila. This was capped by a tumultuous reception at City Hall hosted by longtime Pacquiao supporter Manila Mayor Lito Atienza. It was followed by a coutesy call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo which was undoubtedly the highpoint of the TV Special “Return of the Champion”.

Viva Sports and its Chairman Vic del Rosario, Jr. kept their commitment to Pacquiao and their faith in the new sports hero by covering his subsequent title defenses against WBO champion Agapito Sanchez and Emmanuel Lucero before a huge multi-million peso offer from another sports organization wrenched Pacquiao away from Viva Sports. However, to this day, Pacquiao continues his fine relationship with Viva Sports through coverage of his many events outside the ring as well as regular interviews and coverage of his training both in the country and at trainer Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

The Main Event

The many activities of Pacquiao, interviews with the Ring Magazine featherweight champion and highlights and sidelights of his fights form an integral part of Viva Sports top-rated weekly boxing show “The Main Event.” The program is telecast every Sunday from 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. over RPN9

“The Main Event” features world championship boxing and major international fights from the leading boxing networks including HBO Sports and Top Rank. The show has also made its mark by being the only program to telecast fights of Filipino boxers in South Korea, South Africa, Australia, Indonesia and Thailand and select fights in the boxing hotbed of Cebu. This has been made possible through Viva Sports excellent relationship with such eminent boxing people as:

• WBC founding secretary general Atty. Rudy Salud
• Well known Cebu boxing patron Antonio Aldeguer
• South Korean promoter and manager of WBC featherweight champion Injin Chi, businessman-sportsman Kusung Lee and
• Widely known Japanese boxing manager, matchmaker and journalist Joe Koizumi.

Among the Filipino boxers on “The Main Event” have been:
• Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation minimum weight champion and World Boxing Council No. 1 Rodel Mayol in his OPBF title fights
• OPBF featherweight champion and WBC No. 2 Randy Suico in his WBC world title eliminator against South Africa’s Mzonke Fana
• The fights of OPBF No. 1 super flyweight champion Z “The Dream” Gorres
• WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion and world rated Re “Boom Boom” Bautista among others.

World Championship fights of HBO telecast over “The Main Event” in 2004 included:

• The sensational comeback of Felix “Tito” Trinidad, the Puerto Rican hero against Ricardo Mayorga, the stunning KO victory by Glen Johnson over Roy Jones Jr., the two title fights of Arturo Gatti, the WBC welterweight title fight between Lakva Sim and Juan Diaz, the WBO welterweight title fight between Jermain Taylor and Raul Marquez, the welterweight championship showdown between Antonio Margarito and Hercules Kyvelos, the bantamweight battle between Rafael Marquez and Pete Frissina, the heavyweight wars of “Baby Joe” Mesi, Dominick Guinn, Monte Barrett and Duncan Dokiwari and the Marco Antonio Barrera comeback fight against Paulie Ayala following the legendary Mexican’s eleventh round annihilation by Pacquiao.

Viva Sports produced a separate special on the Barrera-Ayala fight with comments by Pacquiao, Filipino trainer Buboy Fernandez and Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario. Other specials included a three-part series on “Manny Pacquiao’s Knockouts & Knockdowns” starting with the early years, his OPBF and WBC flyweight campaign along with his IBF International junior featherweight fights and finally, his IBF world title fights including brief highlights of his fights against Barrera and Marquez, the pre-fight build-up and the post-fight events including interviews with Pacquiao, international promoter Murad Muhammad, business manager Rod Nazario and other well-known boxing personalities.

DVD Productions

Viva Sports also produced a top-selling VCD/DVD featuring “Manny Pacquiao: No Fear” which traced his boyhood days and culminated in his devastating victory over Barrera. This was followed by a second episode which featured ‘The Life of Manny Pacquiao” both of which became collectors items.

Viva Sports is currently shooting and doing the necessary research for a similar documentary on perhaps the greatest Filipino champion of all-time, the late Gabriel “Flash” Elorde who reigned as world junior lightweight champion for nearly seven-and-a-half years. Historic footage of some of Elorde’s fights will provide a never-before-seen dramatic dimension to the documentary.

Other Filipino world champions being lined-up for the series are two-division world champion Luisito Espinosa, former world junior lightweight champion Rolando Navarrete and former WBC super flyweight champion Gerry Penalosa.

Viva Sports is also in the midst of obtaining fight footage of former light flyweight and flyweight champion Dodie Boy Penalosa, Rolando Bohol, Ben Villaflor, Morris East, Rene Barrientos, Bobby Berna, Andy Ganigan, Rey Tam, Jesus Salud and other world champions and contenders for a collectors line-up of Filipino boxing greats.

Viva Sports also produced a highly successful DVD on the LG Flatron Challenge billiards one-on-one match between Efren “Bata” Reyes, known around the world as “The Magician” and the stunningly attractive women’s World Pool Champion Jeannette Lee at the jam-packed Casino Filipino amphitheater near the international airport in Paranaque. The event itself which was telecast on a delayed basis over IBC 13 drew a record rating of 52 percent, establishing a new mark in sports on television.

Other billiards specials in the works are a special on “The Magician,” the ”Trickshots of ‘Bata’ Reyes” and others on 2004 World Pool Champion Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan as well as Francisco “Django” Bustamante.
Billiards on Viva Sports

Viva Sports launched a series of big international billiards tournaments in the country featuring some of the greatest pool players of all-time in a mutually beneficial partnership with Mr. Aristeo “Putch” Puyat of Puyat Sports. Events were staged at the Araneta Coliseum, Casino Filipino, the Makati Coliseum and the Metropolis in Alabang where record crowds turned up to see such big names as Earl Strickland, Ralf Souquet, Mika Immonen, Corey Deuel, Nic Varner, Johnny Archer, Kunihiko Takahashi match their skills with Reyes, Bustamante, Rodolfo Luat, Warren Kiamco, Antonio Lining and others.

Volleyball

One of the more exciting sports especially when played by talented and attractive women, Viva Sports has had a very fruitful relationship with the world governing body, FIVB, and the Philippine Amateur Volleyball Association in recent years, having staged and covered the Women’s World Volleyball Grand Prix events which won accolades all around. The possibility of re-entering the arena of women’s volleyball looms large in the near future.

The Future

At present, Viva Sports has centered its sports telecast activities in boxing and in the production of DVD’s centering on the champions of the past. However, plans are in the works for a broadening of involvement in boxing and a revival of Viva Sports premier position in billiards and even in basketball.

There are a whole new range of sports and sports-related activities taking shape for a major thrust mid-year, fueled by a great deal of enthusiasm anchored on a long-standing feel for the market and what Filipino audiences are looking for.
Viva Sports is committed to strive at being the best in what we do. Its record speaks for itself.

Its core business is video acquisition and distribution. Viva is the exclusive video distributor of Viva Films’ Tagalog titles. It also acquires on a select basis the video rights to other locally produced titles.

Viva Video likewise secured video distribution rights to the foreign film features from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and from the American Film Market Association (AFMA) members to complement its local titles:

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
A major production house in Hollywood (also a News Corporation company) for which VVI is the exclusive Philippine video distributor.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE)
a Walt Disney company (owned by parent company ABC/Capital Cities), BVHE has licensed their labels (Walt Disney Home Video, Touchstone Home Video, and Hollywood Pictures) to VVI.

Playboy Home Entertainment
for the mature audience providing adult entertainment covering full length features, celebrity-based features, and special interest titles.

Apart from the major labels above, Viva Video has a virtual lock on the childrens’ market with the acquisition of the Sesame Street label, the Barney label, and the Nickeledeon label.

Viva’s video products are distributed thru major wholesalers and video retail chains. At the same time, VVI has its own mobile sales force catering to the Mom & Pop (neighborhood) video rental shops nationwide.

Committed to the development and expansion of the legitimate video market, Viva pioneered the market in 1995 by opening Sell Thru accounts in mass merchandise (department stores & supermarkets) and specialty merchandise (bookstores, sports shops, toy shops, music stores) retail outlets in the capital city of Metro Manila. Today, the Sell Thru segment, with more than 100 Sell Thru outlets nationwide, is a significant contributor to the company’s business.

With the video industry’s consistent positive growth rate, the opportunities in the retail side of the business became too attractive and thus, was born Video City. From a strictly Sell Thru chain based solely in SM Malls (the Philippines’ largest retail/commercial/entertainment chain), Video City expanded aggressively into the high margin yet lower cost off mall rental market. This has transformed Video City into one of the largest video retail chains in the country.

From twelve (12) outlets in early 1997, Video City is now the undisputed Philippine market leader with nearly 300 outlets nationwide. This expansion continues to be fueled by an expanding population base, non-stop urbanization driving a new lifestyle, and a middle class consumer base with stable purchasing power.

Interested investors with the entrepreneurial spirit and the drive to succeed partook of this nationwide expansion program thru “Video City’s Partner Kita” franchising program. This was anchored on a Win-Win-Win relationship with investors and customers.

Launched this July 2005 was Video City’s first international branch in Taipeh, Taiwan. Seven (7) more stores are lined up in Taiwan within the next 2 years. Set to be launched within the year is Video City’s first branch in Europe.

Viva Label

Spearheading the Viva Music Group with its mainstream music appeal is the Viva label. The Viva label has a balanced artists roster catering to different music segments. This roster is bannered by female artists Regine Velasquez, Sarah Geronimo, Jaya, Rachelle Ann Go, Allona, Butuin Escalante, and Allona. Established male artists include Ogie Alcacid, Mark Bautista, Raymond Manalo, Wency Cornejo, and Nonoy Zuniga. Among bands/groups, Viva counts on Freestyle, The Company, and the ever popular Hot Babes ensemble.

V3 Label

It may be the proverbial David against Goliath struggle but V3 Records is determined to pull off the feat nonetheless. V3 is the newest music label bent on making its mark on the alternative scene.

V3 is a lean but mean machine. At its disposal is a well-oiled machinery, being a division of the Viva Music Group. But despite its solid connection, V3 opted for creative autonomy, a direction that its mother company respected. The outfit’s self-rule: “In the light of the growing alternative and independent music scene in the Philippines, and the continuing commitment of the Viva Music Group to original Pilipino music, V3 was established as an independent unit of the music group. Viva acknowledged the specialized needs and unique approach in developing and marketing alternative music, which can be best addressed by a tight unit independent of Viva Records.”
The label will be managing a very lean roster of artists in order to give each act all support it deserves. V3 now has in its roster the following music acts/bands: Velcro, Chicosci, Ntwine, Mongols, Sheila & the Insects, Protein Shake, Valley of Chrome, Soapdish, Annapolis Experiment, and 18 th Issue.

To capitalize on the vast distribution network of the Viva Music Group, V3 is also accepting distribution deals from independent artists and producers.

Uncompromising in their stand and resolute in their goal of leaving a dent in the music business, V3 will gear up to engage the gargantuan task at hand. Surely, these are pretty exciting and highly competitive times in the local industry.

Harmony Music Publishing

Viva, through its publishing arm, Harmony Music Publishing, Inc., continues to lead the industry through its pioneering effort in the area of wireless media. The first to use its controlled songs for ring tones and caller ring back tunes, Harmony Music enjoys the advantage of owning and having the publishing rights to some of the most-prized musical compositions in the country today. Harmony has the publishing rights over all the songs of award-winning composer, Willy Cruz, whose songs like “Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas” “Bituing Walang Ningning” “Init sa Magdamag” are already considered classics aside from being the theme songs of movies we have loved in our youth.

Today, Harmony also controls and manages the songs of some of the most popular and talented composers in the country, namely Wency Cornejo, Totop and Jinky Suzara of Freestyle, Rico Blanco of Rivermaya, and Ely Buendia. Truly, Harmony bridges the gap between yesterday’s classics and today’s most wanted hits--a testament to Viva’s unassailable position as a true leader in the entertainment industry.

Amerasian Recording Studios

Completed last 1997 is Viva’s own recording studios, the Amerasian Recording Studios. It utilizes state-of-the art digital recording, mastering, and mixing facilities at par with US standards.

With Filipino talents taking the center stage, VIVA created an artists agency, the Viva Artists Agency, Inc., in recognition of their importance and vast potentials. Viva recruits new talents with multi-dimensional (acting, singing, and dancing) abilities. These talents are trained and coached both to hone & improve their thespian skills, as well as to develop their individual personalities. Viva offers professional management & representation services to its contract stars - from talent development and packaging to production of live shows/concerts.

Its artists agency now services the in-house artists’ requirements of the VIVA Entertainment Group. Likewise, advertising agencies, company functions/events, hotels and music lounges have also been tapping Viva for their talent requirements.

With the relaunch of the Araneta Coliseum, Viva decided to exploit the concerts market, through the Viva Artists Agency, Inc. With its array of music talents honed thru music gigs exposure, made popular thru multiple-hit albums, Viva mounted major concerts commencing year 2000.

The country’s biggest names in music as well as marketable foreign acts wowed local audiences in one major concert after another. Regine Velasquez, Freestyle, Pops Fernandez, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Lani Misalucha, Jaya, Jeremiah, Ely Buendia, Wency Cornejo, Blakdyak, Janno Gibbs, and Ogie Alcasid spearheaded Viva’s local talents.

For the retro fans, Viva mounted in 2003 its highly successful Just Once Greatest Hits concert series anchored on the 80’s music superstars Rico J. Puno, Hajji Alejandro, Rey Valera, Nonoy Zuniga, and Marco Sison culminating in a mega sold out concert at the Araneta Coliseum.

Immediately after the success of the Greatest Hits concert series, VIVA produced “Night of the Champions” and “Pinoy Idols” in 2004, for young talents Sarah Asher Geronimo, Mark Bautista, Rachelle Ann Go, Raymond Manalo, Erik Santos, Christian Bautista, Sheryn Regis and Frenchie Dy. These young talents likewise made successful concert rounds nationwide during the year. Moreover, in September 2004, the concert “Night of the Champions” was brought to four (4) states of the U.S. Due to its 2004 success, Viva again blazed the US concert scene with a 2005 tour series (May & June 2005).

On foreign talents, Peabo Bryson, Jeffrey Osborne, Air Supply, Michael Learns to Rock, and Bryan McKnight were just some of the headliners of Viva’s previous concerts in the Philippines.

More recently, Viva Concerts brought the Motown Sound (the Temptations, the Supremes, the Miracles, and Jr. Walker All Star Band) and Ms. Avril Lavigne to the Philippines by Viva to entertain local fans in hugely successful concert events.

The newest addition to the Viva family launched last November 2003, Viva Interactive is in charge of the distribution of Viva content and properties via wireless medium. Viva Interactive supplements Viva’s projects and product releases with SMS services.

It supplies content for mobile services (video, caller ring back & VAS or value added services).

Current projects include “Mang Levi Celerio Song Writing Contest, PBO Cinema Club, Globe and Smart Ring Back Tunes, Ringtones, Hotbabes SMS Fan Page, Sarah Geronimo SMS Fan Page, Andrew E. SMS service, the Viva Hot Babes Kikay Album launch, the Night of Champions concert, and Kulimlim the Movie (a Manila Film Festival entry).

Upcoming projects are: Planet Viva Club and Mobile Chat for the Original Pinoy Music tv channel.