If you're a huge fan of K-dramas, then you better brace yourself: Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has just announced that he's considering proposing a ban on Korean dramas in the Philippines, citing the need to divert the Filipinos' support to locally made shows and movies.
Last Tuesday, October 18, a Senate hearing on the 2023 budget of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) discussed how Filipino artists are losing jobs because local viewers are more supportive of Korean actors and their projects.
“Ang aking obserbasyon pag patuloy tayo nagpapalabas ng Korean telenovela, ang hinahangaan ng ating mga kababayan ay itong mga Koreano at nawawalan ng trabaho at kita ‘yung ating mga artistang Pilipino,” says the senator.
“Kaya minsan pumapasok sa aking isipan na i-ban na itong mga telenovela ng mga foreigner at dapat ang mga artista nating Pilipino, na talagang may angking galing sa pag-arte, ay 'yun naman dapat ang ipalabas natin sa sariling bansa natin," he further adds, noting how banning foreign shows in the Philippines might be the solution to our local entertainment dilemma.
Given the Filipinos' obsession for all things Korean, the senator also pointed out the need to prioritize locally made products. He explains, “Kung ang pino-promote natin ay mga produkto ng Koreano, kaya nagkakaroon tayo ng halos maraming produktong Korean dito sa atin imbis na i-promote natin yung sarili natin ang napro-promote natin yung mga banyaga.
While not exactly echoing support to ban foreign dramas, FDCP Chairman Tirso Cruz III acknowledged need to strike a balance in order to protect and promote Filipino films, citing one of the agency’s programs which to is to focus on creating and promoting local films.
“Ang isa pong pangunahing programa namin ay talagang mag-focus sa pag gawa ng mga local film muna dahil sabi namin ang unang-una importante ay ang maniwala ang kapwa Pilipino sa pelikulang Pilipino,” he said.
The FDCP chairman adds, “Kaya ang ginagawa naming focus ay sa local films dahil kung kami man po ay pupunta sa film festival ay gusto naming dala yung sariling atin na ilalaban natin sa competition na ipakikita natin sa mga festival na ang mga Pilipino ay mas matindi gumawa ng pelikula at madamdamin at mas maganda.”
Why Are Filipinos Obsessed with Everything Korean?
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