How the Kapamilya nourishes the Pinoy soul

MANILA, Philippines - When May Bukas Pa was launched in February 2009, the show about a young boy’s closeness with Jesus whom he calls “Bro” and who helped people by producing miracles, it was supposed to run for only 13 weeks.

But with the overwhelming response from viewers, the teleserye that made Santino a household name ran for a year, ending strongly last week with a high 47.3 percent viewership nationally as reported by TNS.

The success of May Bukas Pa is a reflection of ABS-CBN’s philosophy in understanding people’s conditions when creating entertainment programs, an important factor that made many of its offerings successful in recent years.

“If you respect the audience, they will respect you back,” said ABS-CBN head of Research and Business Analysis Vivian Tin at the fifth Pinoy Media Congress.

She said Filipinos are looking for reassurance that there is hope because life has been very hard especially after typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng wrecked havoc in the country.

“May Bukas Pa tells you that even if life is difficult, you can have a meaningful life by connecting with God,” Tin explained to some 1,200 mass communications students and professors nationwide attending the event at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

While ABS-CBN entertainment programs continue to give hope and inspire the Filipino public, its news and current affairs programs report the hard truth so the people will stay informed and be empowered.

“News is not about creating good or bad image. It is about reality,” said Maria Ressa, ABS-CBN head of News and Current Affairs. “Entertainment tells you the stories of your lives. News gives you the stories of nations. We present reality.”

Ressa, who is leading ABS-CBN’s election advocacy Boto Mo, i-Patrol Mo: Ako ang Simula, cited how citizen journalism has helped ABS-CBN’s news coverage like the information and photo sent by a Boto patroller about the Ampatuan massacre that were first reported on ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel.

And at the height of the typhoons last year, Ressa shared how citizens swapped photos, sent reports, and took videos of what were happening in their areas that media could not reach because of the floods.

She told the young crowd that they have a big role in 2010 and how they can become part of an army of change.

To date, ABS-CBN’s election advocacy campaign has some 24,595 fans on Facebook, about 7,474 followers on Twitter, about 3,000 members in Multiply, and receives reports via SMS, voicemail, and e-mail every day.

The delegates were encouraged to sign up and become a Boto patroller during the two-day annual summit organized by ABS-CBN and the Philippine Association of Communication Educators.

The event, which had won Awards of Excellence at the prestigious Philippine Quill Awards and Anvil Awards, not only exposed the delegates to the workings in TV entertainment and journalism, but also on ethics in newsgathering, political advertising, TV ratings, public opinion, and social advocacies.

ABS-CBN executives led by ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Lopez III, president Charo Santos Concio, Channel 2 head Cory Vidanes, Corporate Communications head Bong Osorio, abs-cbnnews.com head Charie Villa, and ABS-CBN Foundation managing director Gina Lopez spoke and answered a wide array of questions on various issues and trends in media and communications.

In capping the event, Vidanes gave a simple but meaningful advice to the student delegates who want to pursue a successful career in media. “The work is not easy. It is challenging. But with passion, hard work, and commitment, one of you might be the future channel head of ABS-CBN,” she said.