GMA International, the business unit that manages the operation and distribution of GMA Network’s international channels, marks another year of success as it continues to strengthen its presence abroad.
The year 2013 saw GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV and GMA News TV International reaching more Filipino households abroad with Palau and Malaysia being the latest addition to over a hundred countries and territories where the channels are available.
In an effort to provide its viewers with better services, the channels were also launched on new carriers in Singapore, Canada, and, most notably, in the Middle East which has the second largest Filipino population next to North America.
Consistent with the Network’s purpose of providing superior news and entertainment, GMA Pinoy TV and GMA Life TV presented its subscribers with new original shows such as The Balikbayan Project, the first original series produced by GMA Pinoy TV, which follows the Basco family as they rediscover their roots in the Philippines, and Home Away From Home, a docu-series that features the homes of noteworthy Filipinos from all over the world. Furthermore, GMA News TV International has included regional newscasts in its programming lineup, in order to connect our kababayans overseas with their home provinces.
As a testament to its successful endeavors throughout the year, GMA International has also been recognized by various award-giving bodies for their business practices and original programs. GMA won a record of eight NAMIC Excellence in Multicultural Marketing Awards (EMMA), a prestigious global marketing competition, which is the most the Network has received in its history of inclusion in the said competition.
GMA Pinoy TV’s longest running program on immigration law, Pusong Pinoy sa Amerika, garnered a bronze Telly Award in the Information Category and won for Best TV Show in the Migration Advocacy and Media Awards. Moreover, the program was cited for its Outstanding Reporting on Civil Liberties Ethnic Communities in the NAM Ethnic Media Awards.
Furthermore, Power ng Pinoy, a program that showcases success stories of Filipinos abroad, also accumulated major wins in three prestigious competitions, receiving two gold Hermes Awards, two bronze Tellys, and an Honorable Mention in the Plaridel Awards.
Continuously upholding its promise of bringing Filipinos closer to home, the Network’s international operations unit goes beyond developing original and relevant programming for its Filipino subscribers by also initiating on-ground events for the Filipino community abroad.
To celebrate its eighth year, GMA International, with My-HD, its new partner in the Middle East, brought Christian Bautista, Rachelle Ann Go, Julie Ann San Jose and Marian Rivera to Dubai for a concert entitled Kapusong Pinoy sa Dubai which attracted scores of supporters from the Middle East.
Likewise, Kapuso artists were on hand to join their fellow Pinoys in the different celebrations of Philippine Independence Day outside the country. Apart from these festivities, GMA International also took part in the OPM Festival and Pista sa Nayon event in Canada, which highlighted the best of Filipino Music; Battle of the Barrios, a talent competition for the Fil-Am youth in New York; and the eagerly anticipated My Husband’s Lover US Tour that solidified the show’s status as a groundbreaking success.
Owing to recent events, some carriers of GMA International broadcast the channels free of charge, effectively keeping our overseas countrymen updated on the developments since the Yolanda tragedy. GMA International also showed solidarity with the Filipino community abroad in the fundraising initiatives for the victims of the typhoon.
“GMA International remains one at heart with Filipinos abroad,” expressed GMA VP and Head of International Operations, Joseph Francia. “We look forward to continuing our efforts of sharing the Kapuso experience to our kababayans in the years to come.”