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| Can you name these three GMA Network dramas that have made waves in several Latin American countries? (Image Source: GMA Network/GMA Worldwide Inc.) |
From the mid-90s to the beginning of the new millennium, Filipinos were getting hooked to the Mexican telenovela craze which began with "Marimar" aired on then RPN-9 in 1996. Nowadays, the tides have turned. When these dramas made their comeback on Philippine free TV, the Filipino teleserye wave brought by two major television networks in the Philippines is gaining ground in several countries across Latin America.
GMA Network, the largest broadcasting network in the Philippines, began exporting some of its dramas to the said continent in 2017 through a deal with Latin Media Corporation. The country's premiere media and entertainment company ABS-CBN Corporation followed suit during the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The local success of Filipino-language television dramas has spurred the adoption and production of Spanish-dubbed Filipino teleseryes in Latin America as well as the Caribbean. It is without question or doubt that the Filipino teleserye wave has garnered support and appeal of the greater majority of masses much like Spanish soap operas and telenovelas since their dramatic scenes and time-tested storytelling resonate well with both Filipino, Latino and Caribbean viewers.
In a press release in 2019, GMA Worldwide vice president Roxanne Barcelona stated, “Our dramas rate well in the countries where they are shown because while retaining common elements like family, romance and relationships, our content features unusual themes that keep viewers engaged and boost ratings for the broadcasters." On the other hand, when he visited the GMA Network Center in 2019, Latin Media Corporation founder and CEO Jose Escalante shared why Filipino telseryes, especially those produced by GMA, are faring well in Latin America. “When I started thinking of bringing [programs from] a country from Asia, I thought of bringing the Filipino dramas because we look the same, our families, our values are very similar in terms of culture and [in] the way we educate ourselves," Escalante pointed out.
The 'why's' and 'how's' of Filipino teleseryes' continuing success and popularity in Latin America does not require rocket science as the only things need for a Latin American viewer to discover the answer to the said thought is to try it out for himself or himself. Besides, the Philippines and Latin America both sport similar but share different cultures with each other since they were once under the Spanish rule. The only big difference between the two, unfortunately, is that the Philippines was not keen in adopting the Spanish language although there are a rare few Filipinos who have tried. Let's just hope and see that the hallyu wave and the Asian drama craze won't be a stopover to the overriding success of the Filipino teleserye wave in different parts of the globe, especially in Latin America.
