The Final Pitch, the Philippines’s first and only business reality TV show, is set to premiere its seventh season on CNN Philippines starting October 24, and will air every Sunday at 9:00 pm with replays every Tuesday at 8:00 pm and Saturday at 5:30 pm.
Hosted by the show creator John Aguilar, the 10-episode series will feature aspiring entrepreneurs and startups with business solutions equipped for the country’s transition to the new normal who will have a chance to pitch their innovative ideas to a diverse panel of investors looking to fund and back their initiatives.
With its theme “virtual edition,” the show offers a hybrid setup where the investor judges will virtually interact with the contestants as they pitch their businesses on-location at The Final Pitch studios. The new season also aims to encourage Filipinos to pursue entrepreneurship and continue with their plans despite the current pandemic surge.
“We want to make a statement with this season that just because there is a pandemic and a delta variant out there, it doesn’t mean that we should stop conducting businesses, trying to look for solutions, and even making a living. This is also a very aggressive call out for entrepreneurs with solutions for all of the challenges we face and to those who had their businesses particularly adapted to the new normal,” Aguilar said.
This year’s distinguished panel of investor-judges include Dennis Uy, Chief Executive Officer of Converge ICT Solutions; Bernard Dy, Cauayan City Mayor; Ricky Villarante, Chairman and CEO of 8Ventures; Rose Ong, Senior Executive Vice President – COO of Wilcon Depot; and David Almirol, Founder & CEO of Multisys Technologies Corporation.
The Final Pitch ultimately aims to continue its mission to make an impact in nation-building. However, considering the pandemic’s current dilemma, the show now wants to focus on nation rebuilding.
“Before, we used to always emphasize nation-building, but with the challenges we continue to face, we realize that it is first and foremost a collective nation rebuilding effort. That’s the focus of this season— to give a break to these entrepreneurs and introduce them to the right people who may be in a position to help them, whether it’s through funding, resources, or network,” shared Aguilar.
All contestants went through a virtual business mentorship with selected business mentors, namely Dean Bernales, Managing Director, Uniquecorn Strategies; Patt Soyao, Managing Director, Icon Executive Search; and Hiyasmin Neri-Soyao, Managing Director, Shoppertainment Live.