Article by Keischa Calumpiano Graphics by Gibrianne Derequito
November 9, 2022
Teleseryes have been a part of every Filipino’s childhood, we can’t really change the channel when grandma gets into her shows now, can we? As a child who grew up watching teleseryes, I noticed a repeated pattern among the shows. It’s always about forbidden love or family members competing over heritage. This idea has been recycled over and over and they keep stretching the story to almost 50 episodes. Filipino shows taste bland to the point many people look for foreign shows to get addicted with.
K-Dramas has given a variety of unexpected twists and turns to their series that makes it addictive and binge-worthy. Now that it is accessible on every streaming platform, it seems that Filipinos have stopped watching shows aired on television and Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada noticed this phenomenon. He proposed to ban K-dramas for the Philippine entertainment industry to flourish. Instead of putting a stop to K-dramas, I see this as an opportunity for the local film and entertainment industry to step up their game.
Based on an article from the Korea Legislation Research Institute , their Government has funds solely meant to support and invest in their film industry in producing high quality entertainment materials. The Philippines on the other hand seems to rely more on private film producers and receives little to none support from the government. If the officials want to improve the entertainment industry so badly, they can create a stronger support system in this field where they focus on giving a concrete foundation for great writers and actors in the Philippines waiting to shine. Honestly, there is no need to ban K-dramas, as long as we can produce a great story that is as captivating as the one they produce. I believe it is best to discuss how we should balance K-Drama and teleserye when it comes to television show time. It has been noticeable that the shows are either K-Drama itself or a Filipino version of Korean shows.
Everyone heard about Sen. Padilla’s idea to put tariffs on foreign shows. This idea might be the answer to the funding problem of the Philippine film industry. The only concern in this matter is how to make the fund go exactly where it belongs. It is saddening that a lot of films that deserve foreign attention will be stuck in our country which might take away the chance for our actors to be recognized by international award-giving bodies and pave a way for them to be part of foreign films. With the idea of producing better Filipino dramas, we will have a fighting chance of being accepted by other countries the way K-Dramas made waves.
Kommentare