Pokwang explains why she skipped 2025 GMA Gala
Pokwang didn't attend the GMA Gala last Aug. 2, Saturday, and she minced no words in citing her reason why.
On X, social media users have been wondering why she skipped the star-studded event.
In a quote tweet, Pokwang explained that she got busy cooking for her food brand Mamang Pokwang's Gourmet.
According to its Instagram page, the Antipolo-based brand sells laing, aligue, alamang, gourmet tuyo, gourmet tinapa, atchara, callos, roasted chicken, espesyal suka, chili garlic, and ube halaya.
"Nagluto po ako ng paninda ko sa Mamang Pokwang’s Gourmet meron po kasi deadline mga bulk na order po," the 54-year-old comedian said.
But after that, Pokwang dropped a bombshell.
"Attend ka ng [GMA Gala], gagastos ka [e-effort] ka tapos lalaitin ka pa ng tao hahahhaha edi magluto nalang ng paninda," she said.
It wasn't immediately clear what incident Pokwang was referring to.
A commenter then replied to her, "Minsan lang 'yan mamang dapat sumusuporta ka din sa mother network mo na nag bibigay ng work sayo!"
Pokwang, however, didn't lower her guard.
"Hindi sa ayaw mag support nagkataon na hindi keri ng sched sa dami ng lulutuin[.] [Hands] on po ako sa pagluluto. [U]mattend po ako last year," she said.
Pokwang then retweeted a post from a fan account that shares updates about GMA. The tweet showed a photo of the actress and Kim Atienza at GMA's "Beyond 75" anniversary celebration last June 29.
"Beautiful people, let’s not be too quick to judge Mother @pokwang27. What she said came from the perspective of a hardworking single mother," the account wrote.
Pokwang broke up with her partner, American Lee O'Brian, in 2021. They have one daughter together.
Though she said they were on good terms at the time, Pokwang filed a deportation case against him for allegedly rendering work in different production companies without proper permits from the Department of Labor and Employment and the Bureau of Immigration.
The BI said O'Brian was deported on April 8, 2024.
Many commenters threw their support behind Pokwang's decision to skip this year's GMA Gala.
"Wow ang sipag mo lang talaga dapat lang dahil sa dumami order na yan eh kaya pagtuloy mo pokie at least kumita ka pa at tiyaga-tiyaga to paraan lamang to," one user said.
"Kung saan po kayo happy at komportable, go lang!" another user said.
Another user, meanwhile, gave a sample computation of expenses in the gala, noting that the hair and make-up, and gown may cost P10,000 and P25,000 alone, respectively.
"Dyan pa lang, talo ka na," the user said.
This year's GMA Gala was held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay.
The event aims to raise funds for the GMA Kapuso Foundation. This year's gala also marks the network's 75th anniversary.
