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Drew Arellano never entertained the thought of losing his travel show, Biyahe ni Drew, even during months and months of travel ban as a result of the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Source: 'Biyahe ni Drew'

What concerned him the most though was the livelihood of the team behind the program.

“It was more of a pahinga,” he tells GMANetwork.com during a virtual interview to promote the upcoming new episode of Biyahe ni Drew airing this Friday, November 13.

“I got worried for the crew though and I actually had to contact my producer to ask kung kumusta na 'yong mga cameramen natin, if they needed financial help. But it was a good thing that GMA actually did that na.”

For Drew, the extended downtime afforded him the chance to slow down and spend more time with his wife, Iya Villania, and their three kids, Primo, Alonzo, and Alana.

“Don't get me wrong, but I was pretty shocked when they told me na, 'Uy, shoot na tayo.' I was like, 'What, that soon?' But yeah, I'm happy to shoot again, happy to travel again.”

SAFETY FIRST

Drew though admitted having reservations at first with the thought of hitting the road again.

His misgivings were due to the lingering threats of the virus. He also wondered how a travel show could be relevant at this time of a pandemic.

“I was very close with the people I work with, our producer, our program manager [and] we were like, 'How on Earth are we going to do this?'”

“Buti na lang they did some brainstorming and then they decided to have a change of mindset, which I think is brilliant,” Drew says.

That change of mindset means embracing a new sense of purpose to align the show's content to the current situation that we're all in.

“It opened new doors in terms of what to change with the treatment of the show. Parang it's now our job to tell everyone how to travel during this time. It became our job to inform people that, 'Hey, it's ok to travel but ito 'yong certain set of guidelines ng LGU (local government units) na pupuntahan namin.'”

He continues, “We also want to push tourism because we also want to help 'yong mga negosyo, maliliit na negosyo that deals with tourism, 'yong mga nagbebenta ng pasalubong doon sa mga lugar na 'yon, I'm sure nawalan din sila ng trabaho.”

Drew and the production team, of course, are following strict health and safety protocols to ensure both their safety and the people they interact with.

“We are following our shooting protocols to make us feel that we are safe when we're shooting outside,” says Drew.

“We have our limitations as well when we're shooting so that when we go home we are safe and we're safe around our family members.

"We follow our own safety protocols as a team. At the same time, we also follow the LGU guidelines.”

A HEALTHY TIME OFF

The new episode of Biyahe ni Drew will see Drew and his team visit the remote town of Doña Remedios Trinidad in Bulacan.

The trip entails a lot of walking, climbing, and hiking for Drew to reach some of the town's most stunning attractions.

“Hindi naman nakakapagod because me and my wife hindi naman [kami] nag let go in terms of fitness,” answers Drew when asked if he struggled physically after months of not doing the show.

“Nakakapanibago dahil, 'Uy, nasa bundok ulit ako!'” he excitedly recalls.

“Ang sarap and outdoors ulit [so] sobrang welcoming ng feeling.”

He was also impressed by the beauty of the place and its accessibility to city dwellers.

“Ang lapit lang nito sa Metro Manila. I think it's going to be a great, solid first episode because it is geographically convenient for Manileños.”

Of course, resuming hosting duties for Biyahe ni Drew means not seeing his family again for a couple of days.

“It's normal for me to miss my family kahit na nung pre-pandemic. But it's also very healthy for some me-time,” Drew confides.

“But what's great is that I'm shooting for only two days. Sakto on the second day, I get to see my family again. So I think it's such a great balance.”

Catch the new episode of Biyahe ni Drew on Friday, November 13, at 9:15 P.M. on GMA News TV.