MANILA, Philippines – Veteran host Boy Abunda dedicated the 16th Asian Television Awards’ Best Talk Show nod for his show “The Bottomline with Boy Abunda” to his motherland and its dreamers. 

“With humility I say, I dedicate this trophy to everyone in this country who has a dream. To everyone in this country who has dreamed. Para po ito sa inyo. And sa lahat po ng ating mga kababayan, maniwala po kayo, ‘yung pakiramdam that we have every reason to be proud of this country.

“I love this country. And this trophy is for the Philippines,” the host on “The Buzz” on Dec. 11.

“The Bottomline” bested entries from Malaysia, Singapore, India and Hong Kong at the awards ceremony held in Singapore last Dec. 8. It was commended particularly for its episode featuring Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangundadatu on the Maguindanao massacre.

The victory was unexpected, said Boy, relating, “Binibiro nga namin, ito’y biro lamang po, sabi namin na just before ‘Bottomline’ won, siguro mga five awards lahat CNN ang nananalo. And then there was a band that performed.

“Sabi namin, ‘pag nanalo ang… kahit sino ang nanalo at natalo tayo, i-boo natin ha. Biro lamang po!” he said, laughing.

Asked what went through his mind when “The Bottomline” was announced as winner, Boy admitted that he “didn’t know what happened.”

“Sabi nila I just ran to the stage, and I don’t know what happened next. Hindi ko po alam,” he added.

On his experience at the ceremony, Boy shared, “’Pag ikaw pala’y you’re among your peers in Asia—these are some of the most brilliant minds in Asian television—parang lumalabas talaga ‘yung pagiging palaban mo bilang isang Pinoy. At ang tawag sa’yo, hindi pangalan [kundi] ‘Philippines.’ ‘Philippines, excuse me.’

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