Director Laurenti Dyogi will be the next head of ABS-CBN’s talent management arm, the media giant said in a statement on Friday, September 25.

Dyogi, who currently heads ABS-CBN’s Entertainment Production, will take over Star Magic beginning January 1, 2021. He replaces Mariole Alberto, and will head both Entertainment Production and Star Magic for ABS-CBN.

ABS-CBN said the changes are “in line with the organizational changes due to the separation program currently being implemented by the company.” Alberto will officially leave ABS-CBN on December 31, 2020.

Johnny Manahan, who co-founded Star Magic in the early 90s, will also be leaving ABS-CBN, the network’s head of corporate communications Kane Errol Choa told Rappler. Manahan is the chairman emeritus of Star Magic.

ABS-CBN did not say when Manahan would leave the network, although he is slated to be part of a new Sunday noontime variety show on TV5.

“Over the years, Mariole has been instrumental in the discovery, development, and success of many of the country’s top talents. ABS-CBN would like to acknowledge and thank Mariole and Johnny Manahan or “Mr M” for their many contributions to the company, Star Magic, and to the industry,” ABS-CBN said.

“Lauren, together with the Star Magic Team, will continue to be responsible for discovering, developing and managing talents. They will identify opportunities for our talents, while ensuring that these opportunities are aligned with the talent’s equity,” ABS-CBN said in their statement.

Dyogi, affectionately referred to in the industry as “Direk Lauren,” is best known for directing the ABS-CBN-produced Philippine franchise of Big Brother.

He earlier announced ABS-CBN’s plans for future shows and projects, despite the network being denied a new legislative franchise by a House committee.

ABS-CBN is among the country’s biggest media corporations.

Aside from its entertainment production and talent management arms, ABS-CBN also has units for news, current affairs, sports, and lifestyle publications, among others. Many of its units have had to either fold up or scale down since the network was forced off free TV, leading to the retrenchment of many of its 11,000 workers. – Rappler.com