My Top 10 Proposed Philippine TV Shows

On my last article, I’ve mentioned that 63.5% of Filipino household has TVs; far more than those with PCs. In line with this, the following are my Top 10 proposed TV shows for the new-improved Philippine programming:

10 – Batas Pilipinas: A gameshow that gauges each Filipino’s knowledge of the Revised Penal Code, his or her Rights and Liberties, Civil Code, Tax Law, and the likes. Prizes are not in monetary form but given as major university scholarships to selected beneficiaries.

9 - Jose Rizal Adventures: A cartoon show that features the life of Jose Rizal that features his voyages, learnings, inventions, discoveries, writings and more. Great for kids.

8 – Si Betty at Si Yasmien: A story of the two high school best of friends. Betty is a Christian while Yasmien is a Muslim.The drama highlights how they value each other despite their religious differences plus other teen issues.

7 – Magtrabaho Tayo!: An informative livelihood show that features top Filipino businessmen and how they succeeded on their business endeavors. The show will also provide tips and tutorials on how to do proper commercial activities in the Philippines.

6 – Disip-Lino: A soap opera that features the day-to-day adventures of the fictional character called Lino. He’s a decent, refined and amazingly disciplined ordinary Filipino. But his life will be full of hardships courtesy of his archenemy: Juan Tamad.

5 – Word of the Lourd: Instead of the less than five minute-segment shown on TV5 before the Evening News, I propose that it should be made into a full-blown 30-minute. Lourd de Veyra’s creative commentaries on social issues and politics should be featured in our larger TV networks. Si Lourd na ang bahala.

4 – Pinoy Big Brother: Politicians Edition: A reality TV show that would have national or local politicians as the Big Brother’s housemates. Activities should challenge individual strength, experience, and leadership qualities. Each week, a politician will be evicted. The Big Winner wins the political seat through votes casted from PCOS Machines. Works best for Senators, Governors, Mayors, Congressmen, and ofcourse for the Presidential seat.

3 – FlipTop TV Battles: A rap battle show that features battle MCs that would never diss or insult the other but instead, would praise and acclaim the other rapper. Instead of uttering some degrading words, only positive things should be said of the other. Anygma and other organizers can also make a “Politicians Edition”. Debates in the Congress or the Senate should be off the top with or without the matching hip-hop beats. An important note though: no reading from prepared statements.

2 – Advertisement Buster: A show that reviews and points out TV commercials and their half-truths/lies presented in our TV sets everyday. Just like in Discovery Channel’s MythBuster, Jamie and Adam would try to scientifically debunk the fallacious promises and lies by the commercials that plagued our TV sets.

1 – Politi-Cam: An expose show that stalks and stealthily checks on corrupt politicians through mounted hidden cameras. The cameras should be secretly installed in any politician’s office, city/municipal hall, and the view under his table (To see if the monies really passed under their office tables). Politicians caught doing bad will then be filed with criminal charges and then be dismissed from their offices. The show should be shown on a primetime, complete with reruns, and little updates (like that of the traffic updates on morning shows).

Wanna share your ideas? You also have your proposed TV shows for the Philippines?

Holler back and type down your proposals on the Comment Section located below this post! :-)

A Critique on the TV Shows in the Philippines

Panaghiusa Mindanao Rap: The Voice of Mindanao

Last week, I had the opportunity of shooting a music video with the Rapnophobia Clan (Iligan City's top rap group). We shot the video at Initao-Libertad Protected Seascape and Landscape.

The setting was just so amazing, a forest overlooking the rich Misamis Oriental shores. It was last week when we released the video but the song was recorded two months ago.

The word, panaghiusa means "unity" in Cebuano. Last dry season (not summertime); I told Spyx of my intentions of making a rap collaboration with him which he replied positively.

Then, last May, I went to their crib and recorded this song at his home studio. It was my first personal contact with the Rapnophobia Clan. Spyx was my student in Philippine History last year and, it was also last year, when I found out about Rapnophobia's cybersuccess as well as Spyx's Youtube videos that has tens of thousands of views already.

Spyx was our director for the shoot. He chose for the location of the shoot as with the concept.
The whole point of the vid was simple: Mindanaoans letting their voices be heard about the so-called "Mindanao Conflict".

The problem here is quite internal and was from age-old conflict between the Spanish and the Mindanao Muslims and Lumads. Definitely, we can not point out some of the many reasons for the wars' continuity.

The Mindanao conflict is not because of a religious issue. Of the many factors; we can blame it to the sensationalized "bombing and terrorism" news of the media (99% of TV news about Mindanao are all about bombings, terrorisms, etc. according to the UP undergrad thesis of Miss Quebee Dusaran and Rawnna Crisostomo), the inability of the government to address the basic necessities in the region, the deaf ears of the central government to the Muslims and minorities, as well as the age-old psychological biases and prejudices held off against both the Lumads and Muslims.

The video tells the world of our small voices. I, JR Lopez Gonzales, represent the voice of the Ilonggos (although, I've only two lines of Hiligaynon dialect and with the rest in Tagalog); Zeff represents the Muslims (he used his native Maranao dialect), and Spyx rapped in Bisaya-Iligan. The song was not just a simple rap song about the war, but a song that aimed to enlighten each Filipino's mind about the causes and probable solutions to this problem.

We stand against wars as aside from being costly, would never kill ideologies. We advocate peace and lasting harmony between the Mindanaoans by eradicating the psychological barriers as well as the prejudices that we have against each other.

We believe that any ethnic group is capable of loving and caring. We aim for love to reign in the Mindanao Island. We are advocates of cultural understanding and equal treatment. We despise how the media treats the whole island of Mindanao as the place where evil terrorists lurk. We love our heritage; we need the government to work for peace and development here in the place where we're born. We firmly believe that unless understanding be fostered; there will never be genuine peace

As such, we ask for your support; we ask for your participation for change. This video may be a small contribution yet we aim that our message would get across every viewer's heart and soul. (If you're with us, we would be happy if you'd share the video to other people).

We are the voice of Mindanao. The key that would open up understanding and peace lies in our very hands. One Mindanao, One Philippines. Love and faith has no religion. We all want peace and we are one.