MANILA — Enchong Dee understands the decision of some of his fellow Kapamilya stars to accept job offers outside their home network, ABS-CBN, after its radio and free TV broadcast was forced shut early this year.

Dee was asked for his opinion on the temporary departure of some ABS-CBN artists during a recent virtual conference of Sun Life Philippines, which he endorses.

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“At the end of the day, a lot of my contemporaries, a lot of artistas are breadwinners,” Dee said.

“Hindi mo naman puwedeng alisin sa kanila yung pagkakataon na magtrabaho sa isang lugar.”

Amid the back-to-back crises to beset the network — the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the denial of its franchise renewal by the Duterte administration — ABS-CBN was forced to retrench thousands of its employees, including entire units.

Retrenched workers, and some artists identified with ABS-CBN, subsequently found job opportunities outside the network, producing or appearing in programs in the same time slot as currently airing Kapamilya shows.

Dee, 32, has been with ABS-CBN since 2006. At the height of the controversy surrounding the network’s franchise, Dee was among the most visible and vocal celebrities expressing support for ABS-CBN.

Asked on the topic of “loyalty,” in light of his colleagues switching networks, Dee said: “Hindi ko kasi puwedeng gawing measurement iyong loyalty just because of what’s happening now.”

Dee brought up his financial security as a factor in his situation, of being able to stay with ABS-CBN despite challenges that continue to beset the network.

“Siguro sa akin na lang, I’m very fortunate and very blessed that I was able to invest my money as early as pagpasok ko pa lang sa showbiz fifteen years ago. Kumbaga, hindi ako naging kampante,” he explained.

“So now, with all these things happening, hindi ako masyado worried about saan ko kukunin y’ung pambayad ng kuryente, ng tubig, ng renta, ‘yung mga ganong bagay. Because I invested my money properly.

“So, ngayon, hindi masyadong mahirap sa akin ‘yung desisyon na, ‘Okay, lilipat ba ako o hindi?’ Because, again, show business is only a certain part of who I am.”

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