Don’t blame K-drama

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has mentioned, during the budget hearing of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, wanting to ban K-dramas and other foreign shows in the Philippines as a way to boost and protect local shows. Once again, our lawmakers turn to bans instead of enhancing local alternatives, leaving Filipinos with even fewer choices. The secret to reviving the local entertainment industry isn’t to stop foreign entertainment from coming in, but instead to provide local showrunners the resources to tell good stories. What is the point of having protectionist policies in entertainment when show budgets are still low-balled? We’ll still have hastily put-together shows whose stories are drawn out so long, or sequels ad nauseam. A strong entertainment industry requires long-term investment, a combination of public and private patrons who appreciate the vision of a world-class Filipino entertainment without demanding immediate short-term gain. It is true that we are not lacking in talent; we are simply lacking in resources and the political will to invest in art and entertainment.

Filipinos have been watching foreign shows long before K-drama arrived. Hollywood has had a strong presence in the country ever since we were colonized by the US. My childhood was peppered with Mexican telenovelas like “Marimar,” as well as Taiwanese dramas like “Meteor Garden.” Back then, as I would see billboards of Chinese and Taiwanese dramas peppered along Edsa, I remember thinking to myself, “See, Filipinos would be willing to watch shows with stars they don’t know.” I didn’t watch “Meteor Garden” because I knew who Jerry Yan was; I knew him because of the show. This was proof that Filipinos are willing to watch good or interesting stories, regardless of name recall, which unfortunately is a strategy still ongoing in our local industry. I rarely see networks take a chance on a relatively unknown actor in a lead role, opting instead for well-established names who may not be a good fit for the actual character.

We also benefited from the exportation of TV shows. I remember how famous “Pangako Sa ’Yo” was in Malaysia when I visited long ago, with locals asking me if I knew Jericho Rosales personally (Sadly, I don’t). I also know that hit shows such as “Mulawin” and “Encantadia” were distributed in the region. More recently, ABS-CBN Film Restoration has released restored classics like “Oro, Plata, Mata” on Netflix, with other titles such as “Himala” and “Markova: Comfort Gay” coming soon. Filipino dramas have also started appearing in international streaming sites such as Viu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV. This doesn’t even include local streaming and pay-per-view sites such as iWantTFC, Vivamax, and KTX.PH.

I wonder if Senator Estrada’s lament is mostly centered on the declining traditional medium for entertainment, over-the-airwaves TV and movie theaters, rather than on the local industry itself. Banning foreign shows won’t bring these back. We have to accept that online subscription services are a force to reckon with. This is why the most adaptive entertainment networks have invested in their own streaming services and have negotiated distribution deals. The government has played a role in limiting choices for free TV as well. It has shut down ABS-CBN, a major producer of local shows with a track record of being able to export their shows abroad, and has handed their channels over to amateur companies with seemingly little willingness to invest in their talents or programs. A lot of countries have their own government-funded channels, which serve to produce and promote quality content, usually for education and instilling good social values, that other for-profit networks might ignore. The United States has PBS, South Korea has KBS, and the UK has BBC, all of which produce competitive-enough content. Our own government-funded channels, however, remain woefully underfunded and have been unable to reach similar visibility as their private counterparts.

Senator Estrada also remarked on how our local actors and talents are losing jobs. However, what has remained largely unscrutinized is the local industry’s policy of limiting talents to one network. The noncompetitive clause in local talents’ contracts have been so absolute, unlike with South Korean talents. Variety stars in South Korea can have as many as eight shows running at any given time, in different networks. If local talents are free to pursue projects regardless of network, then there would be healthy competition for good scripts, good production, and good casts. Networks themselves can be free to cast the best people for the specific role, instead of being limited to their usual stable of talents. Talents who have not landed exclusive contracts with networks can enjoy a more level playing field if casting was left wide open. We don’t need more protectionism in our entertainment industry—we need investment and autonomy toward the making of good stories.

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