Vic del Rosario Jr. looks beyond lifetime honor as Viva commits to another 50 years

For Vic del Rosario Jr., receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award was not simply an occasion to look back on a career that has stretched across generations. It also became an opportunity for the veteran entertainment executive to make clear that he still sees a long future ahead for Viva and Philippine filmmaking.

The chairman and CEO of Viva Communications Inc., widely known in the industry as Boss Vic, was honored by the Film Development Council of the Philippines during the closing ceremony of Philippine Film Industry Month 2026 at Seda Vertis North in Quezon City on September 30.

Del Rosario received the distinction for a career that spans six decades in music and nearly 45 years in motion pictures. Despite those milestones, he said his enthusiasm for creating new projects remains unchanged.

“Sixty years na ako sa music business at halos 45 years na ako sa pelikula, pero hanggang ngayon, excited pa rin ako sa bawat bagong proyekto na ginagawa namin,” he said in his acceptance speech.

The award also brought Del Rosario back to Viva’s beginnings in 1981, when he started the company with Mina Salvador and his sister Tess del Rosario-Cruz.

Among the names he remembered was Sharon Cuneta, one of the earliest stars associated with the company. He also acknowledged the late Eddie Garcia as Viva’s first director and thanked the late Pasay City Mayor Pablo Cuneta for helping the company during its formative years.

Viva Films’ first movie, P.S. I Love You, starring Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion, was released in 1981. What began as a young entertainment venture would eventually develop into a major company with interests spanning film, music, television, talent management, live entertainment and other platforms.

Aga Muhlach pays tribute to ‘Boss Dad’

Adding a personal dimension to the ceremony was Aga Muhlach, who introduced Del Rosario as one of the evening’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

Their connection goes back more than four decades. Muhlach recalled that Del Rosario gave him an important early break by casting him in Bagets in 1984, a movie that became a defining project in the actor’s career.

That history was reflected in Muhlach’s affectionate name for the Viva founder: “Boss Dad.”

Decades after that early opportunity, Muhlach remains one of Philippine entertainment’s enduring leading men, while his professional relationship with Del Rosario has continued through the years.

A legacy shared with family

Del Rosario made his acceptance speech as much about the people around him as about his own achievements.

He expressed gratitude to Viva’s artists, directors, writers, production crews and employees who helped build the company through the decades. He also singled out his family, particularly his four children — Vincent, Veronique, Valerie and VR — as well as his grandchildren and partner, former beauty queen and actress Joanne Santos.

Rather than presenting Viva’s accomplishments as the work of one individual, Del Rosario emphasized the collective effort behind the company.

“Sama-sama nating binuo ito and sana ito ay maiparating sa inyo at, siyempre, sa mga manonood,” he said.

His family was present for the milestone, turning the industry recognition into a celebration that crossed generations.

One thousand films — and no plans to stop

Perhaps the strongest message from Del Rosario that evening concerned what comes next.

After some 45 years in cinema and roughly 1,000 films, he said Viva remains committed to producing movies for another half-century, with his children and grandchildren helping carry the company forward.

“In forty-five years, we’ve done 1,000 films, and Viva is committed for the next fifty years, with my children and apo,” he declared.

“Kasama kong tutulong to do fifty more years of filmmaking.”

The statement earned strong applause from the audience and underscored that, for Del Rosario, the Lifetime Achievement Award does not represent a farewell.

Boss Vic remains optimistic about Philippine cinema

Del Rosario also rejected the recurring notion that the Philippine movie industry is slowly disappearing.

For him, the industry is changing rather than dying. Cinemas and television remain part of the landscape, while streaming has created additional ways for audiences to discover Filipino productions.

“Definitely, it’s not dying,” he said.

He pointed to the increasing number of platforms available to producers and audiences, arguing that films can now have a longer life because they can move across theatrical, television and streaming markets.

“Mas madami nang platforms, ang paggawa ng production, hindi nawawala. Dumarami yung avenues,” he explained.

His outlook for the coming decade remained positive: “Ten years from now, ang pelikulang Pilipino ay lalong sisigla at lalaki.”

Del Rosario shared the Lifetime Achievement honors with veteran actress Hilda Koronel, film scholar Tito Genova Valiente and the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino.

But as the industry celebrated Boss Vic’s decades of work, his own attention appeared firmly fixed on what remains to be created.

After 60 years in music, nearly 45 years in cinema and a filmography numbering around a thousand productions, Del Rosario’s message was less about concluding a career than extending a legacy.

For Boss Vic and the generations of the family now carrying Viva forward, the next chapter could be another 50 years in the making.