TV5 launches Bilang Pilipino 2016

MANILA, Philippines - TV5 launched yesterday its election coverage campaign, promising unparalleled engagement with Filipino voters via data-driven content pushed over broadcast, digital, mobile and social platforms.

The official handle of TV5’s election coverage is Bilang Pilipino 2016 or #BilangPilipino, which will be conducted in partnership with PLDT, Smart, Cignal, The Philippine STAR, BusinessWorld, Radyo Singko, InterAksyon.com and Bloomberg Philippines.

“This will be a 360-degree coverage as only the Kapatid Network can deliver,” TV5 president and chief executive officer Noel Lorenzana said during the launch at the Marriott Grand Ballroom yesterday.

“Bilang Pilipino will deliver news, information, opinion and insights about the election, wherever and however Filipinos consume content – on television, radio, cable, phones, computers, tablets and, thanks to The Philippine STAR and BusinessWorld, even in newspapers. It will engage with everyone over social media.

“This wide and deep partnership for content will be amplified by the unparalleled reach afforded by our technology and platform partners,” he added. “Beyond the broadcast audience of TV5 and Radyo Singko, we will reach more than 75 million PLDT, Smart, Sun and TnT subscribers, more than 11.2 million combined fans and followers on Facebook and Twitter, and the millions of mobile users empowered over Voyager’s free-data Safezone community.”

News5 head Luchi Cruz-Valdes also promised “the fastest, deepest and most credible election coverage,” leveraging not only off the multi-platform distribution capacities of the PLDT Group – of which TV5 is a member – but also off strategic partnerships forged with government, civil society, academe and the private sector.

“‘Bilang’ means a number of things, and Bilang Pilipino signals three things about our coverage. First, it speaks to our content: it will be heavy not just with facts, but with numbers. Bilang commits us to data-driven content so we can assure our audience of reliable information and insights. Second, Bilang Pilipino speaks to our mission: in an election, every vote, every voter, every Filipino counts,” Valdes explained.

“Finally, Bilang Pilipino is a call to action. In English, it literally also means ‘as Filipinos.’ Thus, Bilang Pilipino, as Filipinos, we are all called to be responsible, to take these elections seriously, to think beyond the elections for the betterment of our nation. Bilang Pilipino carries this promise: we will deliver not only as professional journalists, but as proud citizens of a hopeful Philippines,” she added.

Bilang Pilipino 2016 will be also mounted in cooperation with the Commission on Elections, National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila, Far Eastern University, University of Santo Tomas, the Social Weather Stations, Makati Business Club, Philippine Business for Social Progress and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

TV5 will also have PLDT Alpha, Voyager and Talas as technology partners.