NEW YORK — It was a shining moment for the Philippines when ABS-CBN president, chief content officer and CEO Charo Santos-Concio and Piolo Pascual set foot on the International Emmy Awards (IEmmys) stage in New York recently.
Charo was the first Filipino and the first Asian in recent years to be named as gala chair of the prestigious annual event that gathers the best producers, creative and talents from around the world.
“I am thrilled to be your gala chair this year,” she said in her speech. “The International Emmy Awards does not only celebrate television excellence from all over the world. It also demonstrates the power of television as a medium of empathy, connection and understanding. It does not shrink the planet into one small village. It turns us into one big family.”
According to Bruce Paisner, president and CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Charo was chosen for her influence in the Philippines and achievements of ABS-CBN.
“I think Charo is a wonderful chairman for us,” Bruce said in an interview with Don Tagala of ABS-CBN North America News Bureau.
Charo, who wore an elegant black terno designed by Cary Santiago, told the audience at the IEmmys awards night how Filipino programs have already been warmly welcomed in several territories and how they thrive in a globalized environment.
“We are grateful that through our content, we can show the world the real wealth of our country. These are our strong family values and our resilience as a people. We see no better way of achieving it than through television,” she explained.
Aside from Charo, Piolo also carried the Philippine banner as the first Filipino presenter in the prestigious International Emmys.
Together with American TV actress Karla Mosley of CBS series The Bold and the Beautiful, Piolo presented the Best Telenovela category, where Brazilian series Imperio of Rede Globo was named winner.
“More than anything, it’s being pride to the country and bringing it out there. This is epic. This is historical for us. So it is just one way for our media to be known around the world,” Piolo said in an interview aired in TV Patrol.
A few days before the International Emmy Awards, Charo and Piolo were honored at various events in New York, such as the Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms exhibit organized by the Asia Society in New York where the best contemporary works in Philippine Cinema were shown including On the Job.
Charo was also given a Lifetime Achievement Award by her fellow Mindoreños based in New York, the United Mindoro International, Inc., at a luncheon in Astoria World Manor. She shared with her fellow Mindoreños the ecotourism and community livelihood projects for Mindoro that ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc.’s Bantay Kalikasan plan to undertake.
Philippine Consul General to New York Mario de Leon hosted a dinner reception at his residence for the historic achievement of being part of the world’s most important annual television event.
Over the years, various ABS-CBN entertainment programs, newscasts and stars have bagged nominations in the International Emmy Awards, such as MMK (Best Drama Series, 2013), Jane Oineza for MMK (Best Actress, 2013), Precious Hearts Romances presents Impostor (Best Telenovela, 2011), Dahil May Isang Ikaw (Best Telenovela, 2010), Sid Lucero for Dahil May Isang Ikaw (Best Actor, 2010), Kahit Isang Saglit (Best Telenovela, 2009), and Angel Locsin for Lobo (Best Actress, 2009), TV Patrol (Best News, 2011), and Bandila (Best News, 2007).
So what does it take to win an IEmmys? Bruce said, “We have jurors all over the world. I think it is fair to say you can never know whether any particular program is going to win. Different jurors look at different programs in different ways. The important thing is for a company to enter a lot of programs. The more entries you have, the better chance you have.”