Lasting friendships in the entertainment industry may be few and far apart, but the best ones have withstood the test of time and business. Mike Tuviera and Jojo Oconer are a good example of a friendship that has lasted several decades.
Mike and Jojo run Archangel Media, Inc., a content provider and production house that has produced top rating shows like “Iskul Bukol,” “Valiente,” “Kidlat” and “Killer Karaoke.” They have also worked on “Sunday Pinasaya” and “Princess in the Palace.”
Together with their partner company APT, they also produced films like “Imagine You and Me,” “Jack Em Popoy: the Puliscredibles,” “The Janitor,” “Cara X Jagger,” “Isa Pa with Feelings,” “Banal,” “Urduja” and “Mission Unstapabol: The Don Identity.”
Tuviera and Oconer started out as classmates at the Ateneo de Manila University where they took communications and a business course respectively.
After graduating, Tuviera went on to direct movies and TV shows under Regal Films, GMA Films, GMA Network among others. He is also called as Direk Mike in the industry.
Meanwhile, Oconer pursued a finance career and worked in the stock market as a broker and analyst. In 2000, he went to the USA to take up his Master of Business Administration degree in Pepperdine University.
Tuviera left for the US in 2001 to pursue his Master of Fine Artis degree at the University of Southern California.
It was in the US that this strong friendship really took flight. As Filipinos in America, they met frequently and talked about what the future held for them. Their mutual dream was to start a business that would maximize both their creativity and finance know-how.
Oconer came back to the Philippines in 2003 and started working in a post-production house owned by Direk Mike called Imaginary Friends, Inc. In 2005, Tuviera came home and furthered his career as director for GMA-7 and TV5.
They both came on board at APT Entertainment officially with Tuviera as Chief Executive Officer and Oconer as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer in 2008. In 2010, they finally started Archangel Media.
Archangel is set to produce even more content for both film and television. For its 10th anniversary, the team will be producing three new shows for Channel 5—two game shows and a talk show that premiered this month.
The game shows are “Bawal na Gameshow,” hosted by Paolo Ballesteros and Wally Bayola and “Fill in the Bank,” with Jose Manalo and Pokwang.
A daily talk show named “Chika, BESH! (Basta Everyday Super Happy)” will feature hosts Pokwang, Pauleen Luna-Sotto and Ria Atayde.
In the works are three more TV programs and two film projects. They will also be producing digital content to address the changing media and viewing landscape.
What started out as a friendship is now a full partnership. Tuviera and Oconer are intent on producing more exciting and entertaining programs for the Filipino audience.