BATANGAS CITY - There is enough time for the House of Representatives to consider the various bills granting ABS-CBN Corp. a fresh 25-year franchise to operate its broadcast businesses, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said.
Speaking to the media at the sidelines of the House plenary session in Batangas City on Wednesday, Cayetano said he spoke to the chairman of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises Rep. Franz Alvarez about the matter.
Cayetano expects hearings on as many as 50 franchise applications to begin next month. He said the House panel would begin with those with complete requirements.
“I talked to Chairman Chicoy and he’s recommending we start...there are about 40 to 50 franchise bills so first week of February daw, he will start and kung sino daw ang mga kumpleto ang (those with complete) requirements, he will start the hearings," Cayetano said.
He said the hearings might begin the "week after next week."
Cayetano reiterated his previous statement that the House will be fair in considering the franchise application. President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly said he would oppose ABS-CBN's franchise renewal.
“I’ll just reiterate that we have committed to the Filipino people that we will have fair hearings, that we will hear the issues and also hear the replies, and we cannot promise you any decision until we finish the hearings, to be fair with everyone," he explained.
When pressed by reporters if there is enough time to decide on the franchise bills considering Congress will go on its summer recess by March 11, Cayetano said: “We have enough time. Kung 'yung budget na P4.1 trillion natapos natin ng isang buwan, 'yun pa kayang franchise na siguro, sobra 'yung issues, 2-3 hearings sobrang exhaustive na 'yun.”
(If the 2020 national budget that's P4.1 trillion we finished in one month, how much more the franchise where the issues we can cover in 2 to 3 hearings, that's already very exhaustive.)
On Tuesday, an author of one of the bills renewing the ABS-CBN franchise urged the House leadership to let the majority decide the fate of the company’s license to operate its radio and television business.
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez told media that he spoke with Alvarez to schedule hearings on the renewal, stressing that there were only 21 session days left before Congress adjourns for its summer break.
ABS-CBN's broadcast franchise expires at the end of March 2020.
Rodriguez emphasized that it is the duty of the committee to hold the hearings so that the majority could rule on the fate of the franchise.
The House leadership has not acted on various bills renewing the franchise as the President has opposed it, even urging the owners of the company to just sell it. He has accused the network of biased reporting, not airing his 2016 campaign advertisements, among other issues.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/22/20/cayetano-says-house-has-enough-time-to-tackle-abs-cbn-franchise-bills
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Tick-tock: There’s still ‘enough time’ for ABS-CBN franchise renewal – Cayetano
BATANGAS CITY, Philippines — With a little over two months before the franchise of media giant ABS-CBN expires, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday expressed optimism there is still “enough time” to tackle the issue.
“‘Yung budget na P4.1 trillion natapos natin ng isang buwan, ‘yun pa kayang franchise na siguro sobrang—‘yung issues two-three hearings sobrang exhaustive na nun,” Cayetano told reporters following the House session held in Batangas City.
(For the P4.1 trillion national budget, we were able to finish that in one month. What more with this franchise that maybe two to three hearings would be exhaustive already.)
Republic Act No. 3846 requires television and radio broadcasting companies to secure a franchise from the government before they are allowed to operate. It is Congress that will decide whether to extend the franchise to public utilities, such as the media.
ABS-CBN’s franchise will expire on March 30.
Cayetano said he has already talked to Palawan 1st Dist. Rep. Franz Alvarez, chair of the House committee on legislative franchises, who recommended that franchise bills be tackled on the first week of February.
“There are about 40 to 50 franchise bills so first week of February daw he will start and kung sino daw ang mga kumpleto ang (whichever has the complete) requirements can start the hearings,” Cayetano said.
Quo warranto petition
Cayetano said issues related to the reported quo warranto petition of state lawyers against ABS-CBN may affect the granting of the franchise if raised during hearings.
But Cayetano added: “Not all violations of the franchise is equivalent to not granting the franchise.”
“Parang sa high school ‘yan, iba yung kick out, iba yung suspended, iba ‘yung pagsasabihan ka lang,” Cayetano said.
(It’s like in high school, being kicked out is different from being suspended and receiving a warning.)
Cayetano also assured that the hearings will be “fair”.
“No one in Congress want a dictatorship. Bakit? Unang sinasara media siyempre mahirap rin kasi may social media. Pero kung hindi, pangalawa, unang sinasara rin Congress eh. ‘Yung dictatorship, one-man o one-woman rule, halos sabay sinasara ang Kongreso at ang media,” Cayetano said.
(No one in Congress wants a dictatorship. Why? First to be closed is media but it is hard given there is still social media. But if not, second, the first to be closed is Congress. Dictatorship is a one-man o one-woman rule. Congress and media are being shut almost at the same time.)
“So rest assured, iba-iba ang views pero lahat tayo ay (even if there are varying views but we are all) pro-democracy because no one wants to shut down the media nor shut down Congress, but that doesn’t mean na (that) automatic may mag-apply (when someone applies), ibibigay mo (you surely give it),” he added.
Duterte has repeatedly said that he would block the franchise renewal of the ABS-CBN due to supposed “violations” committed by the media giant.
At one point, Duterte even urged the Lopez family, the owner of the company, to just sell it off.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1218202/tick-tock-theres-still-enough-time-for-abs-cbn-franchise-renewal-cayetano
“‘Yung budget na P4.1 trillion natapos natin ng isang buwan, ‘yun pa kayang franchise na siguro sobrang—‘yung issues two-three hearings sobrang exhaustive na nun,” Cayetano told reporters following the House session held in Batangas City.
(For the P4.1 trillion national budget, we were able to finish that in one month. What more with this franchise that maybe two to three hearings would be exhaustive already.)
Republic Act No. 3846 requires television and radio broadcasting companies to secure a franchise from the government before they are allowed to operate. It is Congress that will decide whether to extend the franchise to public utilities, such as the media.
ABS-CBN’s franchise will expire on March 30.
Cayetano said he has already talked to Palawan 1st Dist. Rep. Franz Alvarez, chair of the House committee on legislative franchises, who recommended that franchise bills be tackled on the first week of February.
“There are about 40 to 50 franchise bills so first week of February daw he will start and kung sino daw ang mga kumpleto ang (whichever has the complete) requirements can start the hearings,” Cayetano said.
Quo warranto petition
Cayetano said issues related to the reported quo warranto petition of state lawyers against ABS-CBN may affect the granting of the franchise if raised during hearings.
But Cayetano added: “Not all violations of the franchise is equivalent to not granting the franchise.”
“Parang sa high school ‘yan, iba yung kick out, iba yung suspended, iba ‘yung pagsasabihan ka lang,” Cayetano said.
(It’s like in high school, being kicked out is different from being suspended and receiving a warning.)
Cayetano also assured that the hearings will be “fair”.
“No one in Congress want a dictatorship. Bakit? Unang sinasara media siyempre mahirap rin kasi may social media. Pero kung hindi, pangalawa, unang sinasara rin Congress eh. ‘Yung dictatorship, one-man o one-woman rule, halos sabay sinasara ang Kongreso at ang media,” Cayetano said.
(No one in Congress wants a dictatorship. Why? First to be closed is media but it is hard given there is still social media. But if not, second, the first to be closed is Congress. Dictatorship is a one-man o one-woman rule. Congress and media are being shut almost at the same time.)
“So rest assured, iba-iba ang views pero lahat tayo ay (even if there are varying views but we are all) pro-democracy because no one wants to shut down the media nor shut down Congress, but that doesn’t mean na (that) automatic may mag-apply (when someone applies), ibibigay mo (you surely give it),” he added.
Duterte has repeatedly said that he would block the franchise renewal of the ABS-CBN due to supposed “violations” committed by the media giant.
At one point, Duterte even urged the Lopez family, the owner of the company, to just sell it off.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1218202/tick-tock-theres-still-enough-time-for-abs-cbn-franchise-renewal-cayetano
PH’s first Ibis Styles hotel soon to rise in Cubao
 |
| Binibining Pilipinas 2019 titleholders join representatives from Araneta City, Accor, and Megawide Construction Corp. in the topping-off ceremony for Ibis Styles hotel. |
Araneta City on Monday held a topping-off ceremony for Ibis Styles hotel, a brand under the international hospitality company Accor, along General Roxas Avenue in Cubao.
Present at the event were representatives from Araneta City, Accor, and Megawide Construction Corp., as well as titleholders from last year’s Binibining Pilipinas pageant.
The 30-storey Ibis Styles will house 300 rooms, twelve function rooms, an overhanging pool with a glass bottom, and an all-day, all-night restaurant and patisserie connected to the New Gateway mall.
Its interiors will feature designs based on historical events at the Araneta Coliseum – which is a stone’s throw away – such as the 1975 Thrilla in Manila and the Binibining Pilipinas pageants.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/01/21/20/phs-first-ibis-styles-hotel-soon-to-rise-in-cubao
House panel OKs DDR bill
The House Committee on Appropriations yesterday approved a bill creating the Department of Disaster Resilience.
The House panel, chaired by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, approved the funding provisions of the unnumbered substitute bill creating the DDR.
“Item No. 1 is very important and the call of the times, considering the eruption of Taal Volcano and aside from that, we have been visited by so many typhoons and earthquakes,” he said in his opening speech during the panel initial deliberation on the DDR bill.
Under the bill, the new department is tasked “to lead, organize, and manage the national effort to reduce disaster risk, prepare for, and respond to disasters, recover and rehabilitate, and build forward better after the occurrence of disasters.”
Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor, one of the principal authors of the bill, moved for the approval of the DDR bill, which is a priority legislative measure of President Duterte.
Defensor presented the substitute bill before the Ungab panel and sought its immediate approval.
“The urgency to create a focal agency to be at the helm of the country’s disaster preparedness and management is imperative. We can no longer ignore the devastation caused by these disasters, especially on the impact on agriculture, economy, as well as as the lives of Filipinos. With our collective efforts, we can mitigate the consequences of these disasters and we can start with a cohesive government agencies specifically intended for disaster preparedness and reduction,” Defensor said.
He said the current fiscal year’s unexpended and unobligated appropriations of all agencies absorbed, transferred, and attached to the new department shall fund the initial implementation of the proposed act. (Charissa L. Atienza)
http://tempo.com.ph/2020/01/22/house-panel-oks-ddr-bill/
The House panel, chaired by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, approved the funding provisions of the unnumbered substitute bill creating the DDR.
“Item No. 1 is very important and the call of the times, considering the eruption of Taal Volcano and aside from that, we have been visited by so many typhoons and earthquakes,” he said in his opening speech during the panel initial deliberation on the DDR bill.
Under the bill, the new department is tasked “to lead, organize, and manage the national effort to reduce disaster risk, prepare for, and respond to disasters, recover and rehabilitate, and build forward better after the occurrence of disasters.”
Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor, one of the principal authors of the bill, moved for the approval of the DDR bill, which is a priority legislative measure of President Duterte.
Defensor presented the substitute bill before the Ungab panel and sought its immediate approval.
“The urgency to create a focal agency to be at the helm of the country’s disaster preparedness and management is imperative. We can no longer ignore the devastation caused by these disasters, especially on the impact on agriculture, economy, as well as as the lives of Filipinos. With our collective efforts, we can mitigate the consequences of these disasters and we can start with a cohesive government agencies specifically intended for disaster preparedness and reduction,” Defensor said.
He said the current fiscal year’s unexpended and unobligated appropriations of all agencies absorbed, transferred, and attached to the new department shall fund the initial implementation of the proposed act. (Charissa L. Atienza)
http://tempo.com.ph/2020/01/22/house-panel-oks-ddr-bill/
House to listen to Taal victims amid 'risks' in Batangas —Cayetano
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday assured those affected by the Taal Volcano eruption in Batangas that the House of Representatives is ready to listen to their plight despite the danger they are getting themselves into in holding session in the province.
Cayetano made the remark in his speech during the opening of the House's out-of-town session at the Batangas City Convention Center.
"Love God above everything and everyone with all our hearts, spirit, and mind, and love others as we love ourselves. We are here to show Batangas, including Cavite and Laguna, that we love you as we love ourselves," Cayetano said.
"Yes, there is a risk of being here, but you are facing that risk every single day. So, what is one day for your National Congress, the House of the People, to be here with you to listen and to hear so that we may legislate effectively?" he added.
Cayetano himself announced that the House would hold their session in Batangas City in an act of solidarity with the residents whose lives and livelihood were affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. This is even as Alert Level 4 is still raised over the volcano, signifying that a hazardous eruption remains a possibility.
"We want to go home having a clear vision of what needs to be done, not only in the area of response and relief, but also in the area of rehabilitation," Cayetano said.
"We will be hearing different representatives from evacuees, barangay captains, mayors today and babaunin po natin pauwi ang kanila pong mga bilin sa atin ngayong hapon," he added.
The move did not sit well with Senator Francis Pangilinan, a member of the opposition, who said he hopes the session will not get in the way of ongoing relief operations.
Pangilinan also hoped House members will not become victims themselves if ever Taal Volcano erupts while they were there.
“That's their business. I just hope they don't get in the way of disaster relief and operations and become victims as well should a hazardous eruption take place while they are there,” Pangilinan said in a text message to GMA News Online.
Among the speakers who shared with the lawmakers the situation and their experience during the aftermath of the Taal Volcano eruption were Brgy. Captain Joceline Bayanay of Alas-as, San Nicolas, Batangas, Mayor Daniel Reyes of Agoncillo town and Mayor Lester De Sagun of San Nicolas town.
The House also opened the sponsorship and debates on the measure seeking to create the Department of Disaster Resilience. —KBK, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/723137/house-to-listen-to-taal-victims-amid-risks-in-batangas-cayetano/story/
Cayetano made the remark in his speech during the opening of the House's out-of-town session at the Batangas City Convention Center.
"Love God above everything and everyone with all our hearts, spirit, and mind, and love others as we love ourselves. We are here to show Batangas, including Cavite and Laguna, that we love you as we love ourselves," Cayetano said.
"Yes, there is a risk of being here, but you are facing that risk every single day. So, what is one day for your National Congress, the House of the People, to be here with you to listen and to hear so that we may legislate effectively?" he added.
Cayetano himself announced that the House would hold their session in Batangas City in an act of solidarity with the residents whose lives and livelihood were affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. This is even as Alert Level 4 is still raised over the volcano, signifying that a hazardous eruption remains a possibility.
"We want to go home having a clear vision of what needs to be done, not only in the area of response and relief, but also in the area of rehabilitation," Cayetano said.
"We will be hearing different representatives from evacuees, barangay captains, mayors today and babaunin po natin pauwi ang kanila pong mga bilin sa atin ngayong hapon," he added.
The move did not sit well with Senator Francis Pangilinan, a member of the opposition, who said he hopes the session will not get in the way of ongoing relief operations.
Pangilinan also hoped House members will not become victims themselves if ever Taal Volcano erupts while they were there.
“That's their business. I just hope they don't get in the way of disaster relief and operations and become victims as well should a hazardous eruption take place while they are there,” Pangilinan said in a text message to GMA News Online.
Among the speakers who shared with the lawmakers the situation and their experience during the aftermath of the Taal Volcano eruption were Brgy. Captain Joceline Bayanay of Alas-as, San Nicolas, Batangas, Mayor Daniel Reyes of Agoncillo town and Mayor Lester De Sagun of San Nicolas town.
The House also opened the sponsorship and debates on the measure seeking to create the Department of Disaster Resilience. —KBK, GMA News
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/723137/house-to-listen-to-taal-victims-amid-risks-in-batangas-cayetano/story/
#NoToABSCBNShutdown: Celebrities petition for franchise renewal
Stakeholders of media giant ABS-CBN are now getting more vocal about the issue surrounding the renewal of the network’s legislative franchise, set to expire in just a little over two months.
If none of the bills extending ABS-CBN’s franchise for another 25 years is not passed and signed into law by March 30, the network’s broadcast services will cease operation.
Last week, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines started an on-ground and online signature campaign petitioning that Congress renew ABS-CBN’s franchise.
“[W]e continue to hope that you, the elected representatives of the people, can rise above your leader's (Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano) petty vindictiveness and strike a blow in defense of freedom of the press and of expression,” reads the petition made available online.
The media rights group estimates that between 10,000 to 11,000 workers are at risk of losing their jobs.
After the NUJP collectively gathers a million signatures from the on-ground signing, as well as the change.org petition, they will submit these to Congress for review.
The online petition has collected over 120,000 signatures as of writing, with some celebrities finally speaking out.
https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2020/01/22/1986645/notoabscbnshutdown-celebrities-petition-franchise-renewal
If none of the bills extending ABS-CBN’s franchise for another 25 years is not passed and signed into law by March 30, the network’s broadcast services will cease operation.
Last week, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines started an on-ground and online signature campaign petitioning that Congress renew ABS-CBN’s franchise.
“[W]e continue to hope that you, the elected representatives of the people, can rise above your leader's (Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano) petty vindictiveness and strike a blow in defense of freedom of the press and of expression,” reads the petition made available online.
The media rights group estimates that between 10,000 to 11,000 workers are at risk of losing their jobs.
After the NUJP collectively gathers a million signatures from the on-ground signing, as well as the change.org petition, they will submit these to Congress for review.
The online petition has collected over 120,000 signatures as of writing, with some celebrities finally speaking out.
https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2020/01/22/1986645/notoabscbnshutdown-celebrities-petition-franchise-renewal
Potential ABS-CBN shutdown a loss for Filipino audiences and culture too, scholars note
Broadcast network ABS-CBN faces the possibility of having to shut down indefinitely if a bill to renew its franchise is not passed into law before March—a prospect that President Rodrigo Duterte has hinted at if not virtually guaranteed.
The Palace has insisted that franchise renewal is an issue that solely rests with the legislative branch, where the PDP-Laban-led administration has overwhelming numbers, while media watchdogs and journalists' groups have called the threat to let the franchise lapse a strike against press freedom.
The possibility of ABS-CBN shutting down puts thousands of jobs in peril, but Asian culture and media studies scholars noted that closing of one of the biggest media companies in the country will also impact Philippine culture and society.
TV amplifies voices of the poor
Global Digital Media associate professor Jonathan Ong, who teaches at the Department of Communication at University of Massachusetts Amherst, said that TV in the Philippines is more than just a source of news, information and entertainment but it is also an “institution that the Filipino poor would turn to in times of need and calamity.”
Ong has a doctorate in Sociology from the University of Cambridge and a master's degree in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics. He is also the author of "The Poverty of Television: The Mediation of Suffering in Class-Divided Philippines", which was published in 2017.
“In my research in Filipino slum communities and their TV rituals, what stood out for me was the intimacy developed with television. TV is not just a coping mechanism but for the most desperate, they are real places to visit and line up for so they could tell their own stories in the game show, or request for charity assistance,” Ong told Philstar.com in an email.
TV networks in the Philippines reserve their noontime slot for variety shows that feature games and nationwide talent competitions.
'TV, movies shape us a people'
Asian culture scholar Laurence Castillo meanwhile pointed out that while TV and movies entertain, their stories “shape how we imagine, dream about and understand, the society, the nation and the world.”
“How we relate to the world beyond our living rooms is influenced by how we see this world on the TV or movies,” he added in an e-mail exchange with Philstar.com.
Castillo is a PhD candidate in Asian Studies at the University of Melbourne, and a literary and cultural studies professor at the University of the Philippine Los Baños.
Public awareness, disaster response
ABS-CBN runs programs from early morning until late at night and airs talk shows, variety shows, local and dubbed foreign teleseryes—some of which have become household names—and even situational comedies.
Its news and public affairs programs on free TV include periodic news updates throughout the day and primetime newscasts. It also hosts documentaries.
The ABS-CBN News Channel, ANC, runs news and current affairs shows round the clock.
Ong noted that through ABS-CBN’s Bantay Bata program, founded by the late Gina Lopez, helped “shaped public awareness about children’s rights,” while its Sagip Kapamilya program serves as a channel for disaster response that has, at times, arrived in disaster zones ahead of government relief.
Bantay Bata is the country’s first media-based helpline for children’s welfare that continues to protect disadvantaged and at-risk children.
Castillo also said that ABS-CBN “is an influential force in shaping popular tastes, developing new forms of storytelling, and defining the ever evolving landscape of mass culture.”
In the 1990s, ABS-CBN produced "Sineswekla" to teach Science to kids, "Bayani" to introduce Philippine history and our country’s heroes, "Math Tinik" for math, "Pahina" for Philippine literature and "Hiraya Manawari" for teaching kids life lessons.
ABS-CBN now airs "Wansapanataym", which takes a leaf from "Hiraya Manawari".
Conduit for culture exchanges
In the 2010s, ABS-CBN saw the export of its Philippine-made dramas like "Pangako Sa’yo", "On the Wings of Love", "Be Careful with my Heart" and "Wildflower".
With this, the television giant “has likewise become a conduit for the transnational circulation and exchange of popular cultures,” Castillo pointed out.
Over the years, TV imported animated series to teleseryes—from Mexico to the now popular Korean dramas—and has “introduced local TV audiences to cultural works from other countries.”
He adds: “TV series produced by the station have also been exported, introducing Philippine pop culture to audiences in other countries.”
In September 2019, ABS-CBN announced that its 2017 primetime drama “Wildflower,” a revenge-themed drama, aired on French channel Outre-mer la 1ère.
Afternoon drama and cult favorite “Kadenang Ginto” has also announced that it has just been remade for Indonesia audiences.
'Shrinking spaces for creative freedom'
Castillo noted that ABS-CBN’s “creative forms have gone to the extent of communicating, even commenting on, socio-political issues.”
He stressed that a shutdown of ABS-CBN’s broadcast unit "[would mean] the loss of one influential platform for popular cultural dissemination, and more disturbingly the loss of employment for thousands...in the creative industries.”
"It sends a chilling message about the ever shrinking spaces for creative freedom and artistic practice in the political context,” Castillo added.
In the 1990s, ABS-CBN had post-martial law era sitcom "Abangan ang Susunod na Kabanata" that poked fun at a corrupt congressman and his rich family, and told the story of the family of a man juggling odd jobs to get by.
Comedy show "Goin’ Bulilit" had children performing in sketches that offered social commentary and political satire before it went off the air after 14 years,
Gothic turned paranormal drama “The Killer Bride” has also created a massive following on social media as users share clips of the show's characters throwing lines that border on commentary on national issues.
These include controversies on Sen. Imee Marcos’ educational background, the Dengvaxia controversy, and falling rice prices that have affected Filipino farmers.
Ong said that a possible shutdown of ABS-CBN would mean loss of disaster responders and full-scale charity operations such as Bantay Bata and Sagip Kapamilya.
“Historically, Philippine TV acts as the government in the context of a weak state unable to respond to the needs of its poor constituents,” he said.
“Philippine TV is the ‘big man’ patron of the poor. Under Duterte’s strongman government, other ‘big men’ patrons would pose a threat,” Ong added.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has launched a signature campaign to call for Congress to renew the legislative franchise of ABS-CBN.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/01/22/1986873/potential-abs-cbn-shutdown-loss-filipino-audiences-and-culture-too-scholars-note
The Palace has insisted that franchise renewal is an issue that solely rests with the legislative branch, where the PDP-Laban-led administration has overwhelming numbers, while media watchdogs and journalists' groups have called the threat to let the franchise lapse a strike against press freedom.
The possibility of ABS-CBN shutting down puts thousands of jobs in peril, but Asian culture and media studies scholars noted that closing of one of the biggest media companies in the country will also impact Philippine culture and society.
TV amplifies voices of the poor
Global Digital Media associate professor Jonathan Ong, who teaches at the Department of Communication at University of Massachusetts Amherst, said that TV in the Philippines is more than just a source of news, information and entertainment but it is also an “institution that the Filipino poor would turn to in times of need and calamity.”
Ong has a doctorate in Sociology from the University of Cambridge and a master's degree in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics. He is also the author of "The Poverty of Television: The Mediation of Suffering in Class-Divided Philippines", which was published in 2017.
“In my research in Filipino slum communities and their TV rituals, what stood out for me was the intimacy developed with television. TV is not just a coping mechanism but for the most desperate, they are real places to visit and line up for so they could tell their own stories in the game show, or request for charity assistance,” Ong told Philstar.com in an email.
TV networks in the Philippines reserve their noontime slot for variety shows that feature games and nationwide talent competitions.
'TV, movies shape us a people'
Asian culture scholar Laurence Castillo meanwhile pointed out that while TV and movies entertain, their stories “shape how we imagine, dream about and understand, the society, the nation and the world.”
“How we relate to the world beyond our living rooms is influenced by how we see this world on the TV or movies,” he added in an e-mail exchange with Philstar.com.
Castillo is a PhD candidate in Asian Studies at the University of Melbourne, and a literary and cultural studies professor at the University of the Philippine Los Baños.
Public awareness, disaster response
ABS-CBN runs programs from early morning until late at night and airs talk shows, variety shows, local and dubbed foreign teleseryes—some of which have become household names—and even situational comedies.
Its news and public affairs programs on free TV include periodic news updates throughout the day and primetime newscasts. It also hosts documentaries.
The ABS-CBN News Channel, ANC, runs news and current affairs shows round the clock.
Ong noted that through ABS-CBN’s Bantay Bata program, founded by the late Gina Lopez, helped “shaped public awareness about children’s rights,” while its Sagip Kapamilya program serves as a channel for disaster response that has, at times, arrived in disaster zones ahead of government relief.
Bantay Bata is the country’s first media-based helpline for children’s welfare that continues to protect disadvantaged and at-risk children.
Castillo also said that ABS-CBN “is an influential force in shaping popular tastes, developing new forms of storytelling, and defining the ever evolving landscape of mass culture.”
In the 1990s, ABS-CBN produced "Sineswekla" to teach Science to kids, "Bayani" to introduce Philippine history and our country’s heroes, "Math Tinik" for math, "Pahina" for Philippine literature and "Hiraya Manawari" for teaching kids life lessons.
ABS-CBN now airs "Wansapanataym", which takes a leaf from "Hiraya Manawari".
Conduit for culture exchanges
In the 2010s, ABS-CBN saw the export of its Philippine-made dramas like "Pangako Sa’yo", "On the Wings of Love", "Be Careful with my Heart" and "Wildflower".
With this, the television giant “has likewise become a conduit for the transnational circulation and exchange of popular cultures,” Castillo pointed out.
Over the years, TV imported animated series to teleseryes—from Mexico to the now popular Korean dramas—and has “introduced local TV audiences to cultural works from other countries.”
He adds: “TV series produced by the station have also been exported, introducing Philippine pop culture to audiences in other countries.”
In September 2019, ABS-CBN announced that its 2017 primetime drama “Wildflower,” a revenge-themed drama, aired on French channel Outre-mer la 1ère.
Afternoon drama and cult favorite “Kadenang Ginto” has also announced that it has just been remade for Indonesia audiences.
'Shrinking spaces for creative freedom'
Castillo noted that ABS-CBN’s “creative forms have gone to the extent of communicating, even commenting on, socio-political issues.”
He stressed that a shutdown of ABS-CBN’s broadcast unit "[would mean] the loss of one influential platform for popular cultural dissemination, and more disturbingly the loss of employment for thousands...in the creative industries.”
"It sends a chilling message about the ever shrinking spaces for creative freedom and artistic practice in the political context,” Castillo added.
In the 1990s, ABS-CBN had post-martial law era sitcom "Abangan ang Susunod na Kabanata" that poked fun at a corrupt congressman and his rich family, and told the story of the family of a man juggling odd jobs to get by.
Comedy show "Goin’ Bulilit" had children performing in sketches that offered social commentary and political satire before it went off the air after 14 years,
Gothic turned paranormal drama “The Killer Bride” has also created a massive following on social media as users share clips of the show's characters throwing lines that border on commentary on national issues.
These include controversies on Sen. Imee Marcos’ educational background, the Dengvaxia controversy, and falling rice prices that have affected Filipino farmers.
Ong said that a possible shutdown of ABS-CBN would mean loss of disaster responders and full-scale charity operations such as Bantay Bata and Sagip Kapamilya.
“Historically, Philippine TV acts as the government in the context of a weak state unable to respond to the needs of its poor constituents,” he said.
“Philippine TV is the ‘big man’ patron of the poor. Under Duterte’s strongman government, other ‘big men’ patrons would pose a threat,” Ong added.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has launched a signature campaign to call for Congress to renew the legislative franchise of ABS-CBN.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/01/22/1986873/potential-abs-cbn-shutdown-loss-filipino-audiences-and-culture-too-scholars-note
Celebrities, supporters join campaign for ABS-CBN franchise renewal
Celebrities, fans, and supporters have joined a signature campaign urging Congress to renew the broadcasting franchise of television network ABS-CBN.
Among those who signed for the 1 million signature petition launched by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) via petition site Change.org are celebrities Lea Salonga, Anne Curtis, Vice Ganda, and Ogie Alcasid.
The petition has garnered 128,275 signatures as of posting. An on-ground signature campaign is also making rounds.
In a Twitter post, Salonga said she has "personal and professional reasons" for supporting the cause, while It's Showtime! host Curtis fear that a franchise non-renewal means many ABS-CBN employees will lose their jobs.
NUJP said the signature campaign is a challenge to Congress to prove its independence by approving the media network's franchise extension and leaving its fate to President Rodrigo Duterte, who has repeatedly threatened to block the renewal.
"We're challenging Congress not to be a rubber stamp because they shouldn't be a rubber stamp," NUJP chairman Nonoy Espina said.
"Given the time we have, we need to ramp it up but we do hope that we could reach 1 million," he added.
Lawmakers have yet to act on bills seeking another 25-year franchise for the network with only 23 regular session days left until its expiry.
Espina explained that the threats against ABS-CBN are also threats to press freedom.
"I hope the people understand that when we say freedom of the press, it's not just about the freedom of the media. It's about the freedom of the people to receive vital information so they can decide on our collective future," he said.
"I think the issue is resounding to people," he added.
Actress Liza Soberano earlier appealed to President Duterte earlier this month to reconsider his stand on the media giant's franchise renewal.
Duterte last Dec. 30 said owners of ABS-CBN should just sell the network.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/21/20/celebrities-supporters-join-campaign-for-abs-cbn-franchise-renewal
Among those who signed for the 1 million signature petition launched by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) via petition site Change.org are celebrities Lea Salonga, Anne Curtis, Vice Ganda, and Ogie Alcasid.
The petition has garnered 128,275 signatures as of posting. An on-ground signature campaign is also making rounds.
In a Twitter post, Salonga said she has "personal and professional reasons" for supporting the cause, while It's Showtime! host Curtis fear that a franchise non-renewal means many ABS-CBN employees will lose their jobs.
NUJP said the signature campaign is a challenge to Congress to prove its independence by approving the media network's franchise extension and leaving its fate to President Rodrigo Duterte, who has repeatedly threatened to block the renewal.
"We're challenging Congress not to be a rubber stamp because they shouldn't be a rubber stamp," NUJP chairman Nonoy Espina said.
"Given the time we have, we need to ramp it up but we do hope that we could reach 1 million," he added.
Lawmakers have yet to act on bills seeking another 25-year franchise for the network with only 23 regular session days left until its expiry.
Espina explained that the threats against ABS-CBN are also threats to press freedom.
"I hope the people understand that when we say freedom of the press, it's not just about the freedom of the media. It's about the freedom of the people to receive vital information so they can decide on our collective future," he said.
"I think the issue is resounding to people," he added.
 |
| A man signs a petition after a protest by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines calling for Congress to extend ABS-CBN Corp.’s franchise which is set to expire at the end of March this year, Jan. 17, 2019. Alec Corpuz, ABS-CBN News |
Actress Liza Soberano earlier appealed to President Duterte earlier this month to reconsider his stand on the media giant's franchise renewal.
Duterte last Dec. 30 said owners of ABS-CBN should just sell the network.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/21/20/celebrities-supporters-join-campaign-for-abs-cbn-franchise-renewal
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