MANILA, Philippines – The Filipino Channel (TFC) scored a double, consecutive win for JuanEUKonek and TFC@theMovies as the show won Best TV Program and EDSA Woolworth clinched Best Film at the recently-concluded Media Advocacy and Migration Awards (MAM) of the Inter-agency Commission (IAC) on the Month of Overseas Filipinos held at Social Security System (SSS) in Quezon City, Philippines.
JuanEUKonek, a program produced by JREM exclusively for TFC, won its second straight win as the Best TV program (regular category) just as it celebrated its second anniversary.
According to CFO executive director undersecretary Mary Grace Tirona, JuanEUKonek won for showing the varied lives of Filipinos in Europe — from the conditions of au pairs (specifically Filipinos living with a host family and their children on the basis of an equal, mutual and caring relationship) in Scandinavia, to the plight of Filipino nurses, especially the achievements of Filipinos, and including the reality of same-sex marriages which caught the attention of the jury.
Representing JuanEUKonek was executive producer and host Rose Eclarinal who received the award on behalf of fellow presenters ABS-CBN Middle East and Europe Bureau chief Danny Buenafe and Legal Consultant and community leader Gene Alcantara.
Meantime, TFC@theMovies won its second award for its second exclusive production EDSA Woolworth which told the story of a blended family. Produced by ABS-CBN Global COO Rafael “Raffy” Lopez and ABS-CBN Corp. CCO, president of ABS-CBN University and executive adviser to the chairman Charo Santos-Concio, and directed by John-D Lazatin, EDSA Woolworth is TFC@theMovies’ second production since A Mother’s Story, which also won a MAM Award under the same category in 2012.
Lead actress Pokwang who received the award with reel and real-life partner Lee O’ Brian said: “EDSA Woolworth shows the Filipino’s love for family. When it comes to family, we are ready to face any challenge. The movie helped us realize the migrant’s life is not easy. They send us gifts at Christmas but we do not know the real picture — that they are actually having a hard time.”
Through MAM Awards, the IAC which includes the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has been receiving entries that hope to capture more of the real issues that overseas Filipinos face, through the print, TV, film, radio and online media.
CFO chairperson Sec. Imelda Nicolas admitted the jurors had a hard time choosing from the 50 entries because of the richness of the Filipino talent across platforms.
Through MAM Awards, CFO and the other inter-agency committees hope to provide another sustainable platform that will showcase not only the innate Filipino talent but also keen sense on the issues that affect the migrants.
The other winners were Nene Ho, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the free monthly newspaper-magazine for Asians in Taiwan — The Migrants (Best Newspaper-Magazine on Migration);
Edna Manlapaz, one of the authors of the book on Filipina migration and women empowerment — Many Journeys, Many Voices (Best Book on Migration); and Maria Genevie Kim and Lee Kwang-Hoon of the Woongjin Foundation for their cultural and entertainment radio show for Filipino migrants in South Korea — Philippine Language Multicultural Family Music Radio (Best Radio Show on Migration).