JEDDAH, 25 July 2005 — The Filipino Channel (TFC) yesterday said it had been getting more and more subscriptions across the Middle East in the past few weeks amid the raging political crisis in the Philippines.
Art Los Ba?os, senior sales and marketing manager of ABS-CBN Middle East, the distributor of TFC Direct in the region, said the surge in new subscriptions is an indication that many Filipinos abroad are very much concerned with what’s happening at home.
“It could only be due to the Filipinos’ interest and concern over political developments at home that they want to see what is going on live on television,” the Dubai-based Los Ba?os said.
He said more than half of the 1.5 million Filipinos in the Middle East have been watching daily the live coverage of the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) on issues such as the jueteng (illegal numbers game) scandal and the congressional hearings of the so-called “Gloriagate” scandal that is threatening to bring down the government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
TFC sales manager Tony Tantuan confirmed to Arab News that as a result of the political crisis, they have been receiving more than 20 new subscribers daily in Jeddah alone.
“Some of the new subscribers cannot wait. They want to have their TFC connection right away, saying they want to catch up with the news at home,” said Tantuan.
Even the non-subscribers are known to have made it a point to watch news from TFC in the home of their friends since the “Gloriagate” scandal erupted.
“Malaking tulong ang TFC sa pagbibigay ng latest at maaanghang na balita maging ito ay politics or entertainment (TFC is a big help in giving us up-to-date news, be it on politics or entertainment,” said AC technician Henry Purisima.
Former restaurant worker-turned businessman Abe Sta. Ana, added: “Kahit sa panonood lang ng television ay para ka ring nasa ‘Pinas. Nakikita mo agad kung ano ang mga kaganapan doon (It’s like you are in the Philippines when you are watching TFC. You could monitor every development at home).”
ANC is a purely 24-hour news, information and talk show channel which is part of the TFC Direct! bundle that carries four TV and two radio channels.
