ABC television group may hire Pinoy talents

WASHINGTON – The Disney-ABC television group tried to make nice with Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in Washington on Thursday in an apparent attempt to mollify the community outrage over a perceived racial slur in the “Desperate Housewives” TV series six months ago.

In the first of a series of outreaches to Filipinos across the United States, Disney-ABC group executives led by Bob Mendez, senior vice president for diversity, and Tim McNeal, vice president for talent development, met with about 50 candidates wishing to pursue careers in television as actors, writers, directors and producers.

“It would be a wonderful opportunity for ABC to deepen the talent pool with candidates from the Filipino community,” Mendez said.

Filipinos at home and abroad were incensed last October when actress Teri Hatcher, playing one of the lead characters in “Desperate Housewives,” asked to see her gynecologist’s diploma “to make sure that they’re not from some med school in the Philippines.”  

Following a wave of protests across the United States, statements of indignation and condemnation by government officials in Manila and threats of a lawsuit and boycott,  Mendez agreed to explore a program that might help increase opportunities for Filipinos at ABC. 

Jon Melegrito, communications director of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, said instead of threats and lawsuits, NaFFAA believed convincing the network to open employment opportunities at all levels for Filipino-Americans was more productive.

Melegrito said most of those who attended Thursday’s meeting submitted their resumés and had one-on-one interviews for possible jobs as scriptwriters, directors and performers.

He said ABC executives were impressed with the candidates’ talents. 

Successful candidates will be given a one-year $50,000 fellowship to shadow established ABC directors, producers and other talents.

If they do well they will be offered full-time jobs.