Prime Media Holdings Inc. is about to turn a page—and possibly accelerate the plot.
The listed holding company, whose investments are concentrated in the media sector, disclosed the resignation of Atty. Manolito A. Manalo as Director, Chairman, and President and CEO, citing health reasons and other professional commitments.
His departure leaves a rare leadership vacuum at the top of Prime Media’s structure, one the board appears intent on filling deliberately rather than defensively.
Prime Media told the Philippine Stock Exchange that its board will begin the selection process to identify and appoint a qualified and eligible successor, in line with applicable laws, regulations, and corporate governance policies..The phrasing of the disclosure may sound routine, but in context it reads like preparation, not pause.
Prime Media is majority controlled by RYM Business Management Corp., a holding company linked to the family of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. With ownership stable and political capital intact, the leadership change is less about continuity risk and more likely a strategic recalibration.
For a company operating in a fast-shifting media landscape, leadership matters. Prime Media’s flagship broadcast arm, Prime TV Philippines, already occupies valuable distribution real estate. It airs radio content from DWPM 630 and ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol, and reaches viewers across major urban centers: Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, Baguio, Iloilo, and Naga. The channel is available on BEAM TV, free-to-air digital frequencies, and Sky Channel 21—an unusually broad footprint for a relatively young platform.
The reach hints at untapped upside. A new chief executive could signal a more aggressive push into original content, partnerships, or platform expansion, especially as traditional broadcasters rethink scale and strategy in the digital era.
Exits of business leadership can mean retrenchment—or runway. Given Prime Media’s assets, backing, and timing, this looks less like a slowdown and more like a harbinger: a company lining up the right pilot before pushing the throttle.
