‘ASAP’ relaunches ahead of 30th anniversary in 2025

The premier Sunday noontime musical-variety program is getting a revamp.

On Sunday, September 1, the Philippines’ longest-running musical-variety show ‘ASAP’ will debut its new look, with the centerpiece being the change of its title.

Almost six years after it was relaunched as ‘ASAP Natin ‘To’ in November 2018, it will finally revert to its original title, which is simply ‘ASAP,’ ABS-CBN’s communication group said in its statement.

“‘ASAP,’ the longest-running and multi-awarded Sunday musical variety show on Philippine television, brings new experience to viewers while continuing to showcase world-class talents and performances this Sunday (September 1) via Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, and TV5,” ABS-CBN said in its press release.

The changes are part of the musical-variety show’s upcoming 30th anniversary in February 2025, the content production company also revealed.

Over at the ‘ASAP’s’ official social media pages, various shapes and icons have been teased, presumably for the program’s new title card.

‘ASAP,’ an acronym for ‘All-star Sunday Afternoon Party,’ was first launched on February 5, 1995 as a replacement for ‘Sa Linggo nAPO Sila’ — which was reformatted as the Monday-Saturday program ‘Sang Linggo nAPO Sila’ after the switch of ‘Eat Bulaga’ from ABS-CBN to GMA.

During its debut year, it was led by the first roster of main hosts composed of Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez, Ariel Rivera, and Miss Universe 1993 Dayanara Torres.

In the early 2000s, it was caught in a fierce competition with GMA’s ‘SOP,’ which boasted its own powerhouse roster of mainstays led by Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Janno Gibbs, and Jaya.

‘ASAP’ was then relaunched as ‘ASAP Mania’ in 2003, with the offshoot teen-oriented program titled ‘ASAP Fanatic’ premiering the following year.

Between 2005 and 2009, the program used the last two digits of the year as its subtitle (i.e. ‘ASAP ’08’).

The annual change of title was also carried over in the early part of the 2010s, with ‘ASAP’ getting the respective subtitles ‘XV’ (for its 15th anniversary), ‘Rocks,’ ‘2012,’ ’18,’ ’19,’ and ’20,’ from 2010 until 2015.

In 2016, it finally reverted to its original title after 13 years, although that was short-lived as the program once again took on a new title upon its 2018 relaunch.

Coinciding with the transfer of Regine Velasquez to ABS-CBN and her joining the musical-variety show, ‘ASAP’ was officially retitled as ‘ASAP Natin ‘To’ and incorporated people-centric segments, on top of its usual production numbers.

The switch back to the original title spells the third time that it would be used in the program’s almost three decades on-air, as well as the first time that show is rebranding itself after the ABS-CBN network shutdown in 2020.

The new era of ‘ASAP’ will begin on Sunday, September 1, at 12:00 nn on ABS-CBN platforms, A2Z, and TV5.

---