BLESSINGS continue to pour in for The Filipino Channel’s 20th year celebration with the opportunity to give back to all our kapamilyas in North America.
Just last Tuesday, TFC’s daily newscast Balitang America’s coverage of Typhoon Yolanda’s 24-hour telethon won the 2014 Cablefax Best Shows or Series News, beating Jorge Ramos Fusion Network’s “America”, E! Entertainment’s “E! News”, and OWN/Harpo Studios’ “Oprah: Where Are They Now?”.
The Annual Cablefax Program awards honor the best in cable content. This special Balitang America 24-hour Telethon on Typhoon Yolanda, was broadcasted worldwide through the Filipino Channel last November. This was TFC’s opportunity to give back to our kababayans, especially those affected by the wrath of Haiyan.
The telethon raised $320,000, which have been helping the victims rebuild and rehabilitate their lives and their communities.
Meanwhile in Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 11, The Filipino Channel also had another opportunity to give back to its loyal subscribers by bringing the popular weekend variety show ASAP Live to America.
More than 10,000 kapamilyas from far and near packed the LA Sports Arena to celebrate TFC’s 20th birthday, and see their favorite Kapamilya stars and Fil-Ams who have made it big in the US mainstream entertainment industry.
The members of the audience all said one thing: being there made them feel closer to “home”, and made them feel like they were virtually transported back to the Philippines.
Here are some of the highlights of the show as chronicled by Balitang America correspondents. Don Tagala flew to Los Angeles and reported what fans and the people onstage did and said — on and behind the ASAP cameras:
“The Voice” Philippines coach Apl.de.Ap and Yeng Constantino channeling Fergie brought the house down with Black Eyed Peas’ hit song “I Got A Feeling.”
“I just want to say, happy 20th anniversary and team ASAP ako,” said the Black Eyed Peas star. “It’s been an amazing experience, it’s a privilege to be part of the 20th anniversary, ang saya, so many exciting moments, great artists up on the stage there and the crowd too – galing!”
With more than 50 of the biggest and the brightest Kapamilya stars performing live at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, Saturday.
“Para kaming nasa Pilipinas,” said Vic Mallari, who came from San Diego.
Teen king Daniel Padilla says he and everyone else worked really hard to give Kapamilyas in the City of Angels the best ASAP Live show ever.
“Talagang nagre-rehearse kami ng sobra-sobra para lang mapaganda ang mga shows naming,” said Padilla. “Pero ito eh very special sa amin.”
American Idol star Jessica Sanchez showed the crowd what a world class Filipino performance is all about. The world class Pinay admits that she is a big ASAP fan growing up in Chula Vista, Calif.
“I’m so excited,” said Sanchez. “I kinda great up watching it when my grandma used to come and visit, and the channel on all the time, I used to watch it, so it’s like an honor to come and perform here now. I’m excited!”
Seen among the crowd are world class Fil-Am Hollywood celebrities like actress/singer Tia Carerre, Grimm star Reggie Lee, Marc Anthony Nicolas among many others.
“ASAP was amazing. What a monster concert,” said Tia Carerre. “I mean, Apl being here, Charice, Jessica Sanchez, and all these stars from the Philippines, so happy to be able to be introduced to them. … It’s three hours of non-stop energy here. I can’t wait to see it on TV.”
Meanwhile, Balitang America’s LA Correspondent Steve Angles talked to more fans who drove miles just to be part of the celebration. He reported on how this big birthday party bash was more than just entertainment, from the perspective of the men and women behind ASAP Live in LA:
Zeny Fabros drove 10 hours from Arizona and named her favorites stars: Gary Valenciano, Maja Salvador, Gerald Anderson, and Kim Chiu as she waited for the doors to open.
While they’ve followed their favorite stars and shows while in the Philippines, for the past 20 years they were able to continue following them through TFC – but they say the channel is more than entertainment.
“I was so excited so happy. I feel like home, I feel like I’m in the Philippines,” explained Lily Simbahan from Temecula, California.
“You don’t feel so much homesick,” said Ledy Espinosa, who lives three hours away in Bakersfield.
While major events drawing thousands are now common year round extravaganzas, many remember TFC’s humble Northern California roots.
“Nobody knew what The Filipino Channel was and it was so difficult to get people to sell this product. I remember our first sale to our first hundredth sale, and today were almost at a half a million,” recalled Raffy Lopez, ABS-CBN Chief Operating Officer.
“I was the very first person to have any kind of role in passing out fliers to introduce this new concept called The Filipino Channel; it was just a concept, just an idea, big satellite dish. It was just an idea that turned to what it is today. Twenty years later it’s like the best thing they’ve invented since the balikbayan box,” said long time kapamilya star Martin Nievera.
ABS-CBN President Charo Santos Concio saw the early days differently. “I knew in my heart it was just a matter of time, yes, because the Filipinos love artists, love entertainment, and you know we’re one of the happiest people on earth,” she said.
Shortly before the show, the mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti had presented a proclamation read on stage by Senior Vice President Ging Reyes. The proclamation declared October 11, 2014 as “ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel ASAP Live in LA Community Empowerment Day”.
“For us to have been able to be part of the lives for the community for this long, it’s just, I think, something that’s really an inspiring thing, and I expect will go on for 20 more, and many more beyond my lifetime,” said Lopez.
Maraming salamat po, mga kapamilya!
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
