Still reeling from the decision that wiped a major broadcast platform off the Philippines terrestrial free-TV map, local creators and talent are staring into an abyss that has for many – particularly in sports and current affairs – replaced their livelihoods and left a gaping hold where their professional families used to be.

Others are hunkering down, hoping for the best, making contingency plans for a range of scenarios, participating in noise barrages and other protests, and generally praying for better days.

For many, ABS-CBN has been their only employer in a deeply divided broadcast market of high passion and fierce loyalties to one or another of two major networks. 

ABS-CBN is expected to complete its layoffs by the end of August following the decision in July not to grant a new broadcast franchise. In total, the company employs about 11,000 people. It's not yet clear how many will lose their jobs and rumours of 90% cuts have not been confirmed. 

More broadly, the industry is watching to see how a 65-year-old broadcaster, with some digital smarts, a full-on domestic streaming platform, a traditional cable TV company, and some 24 million Facebook followers, will pivot into a digital-first enterprise at a faster rate than anyone ever thought it would have to.

Heartbroken staffers spoke to ContentAsia about "the pain we go through every day", with dramatically stunted reach and the knowledge that, limited to online services, they are cut off from communities without broadband access.  

"Not everyone has the capacity to spend loads to watch us on their cellphones," one veteran producer said. 

"Filipinos lost a vital source of information — accurate and essential information and educational programs aside from the famous teleseryes and variety shows. When there are storms, calamities and big events, ABS-CBN has always been at the forefront. Now, we are nowhere to be seen and people don’t know where to get the right information and news," he said. 

For now, it's one day at a time while ABS-CBN bosses sift through the wreckage of what once was a company with billions of dollars of revenue. 

"We are so heartbroken and sad with what happened to our company, our colleagues and friends and the effect of this on their families," a still-employed news staffer who has been with the network for more than a decade told us on condition of anonymity. 

"Something in us died... We are taking it one day at a time".