TGIF Feature: Stirring song from 'Les Miserable' irks Philippines' Duterte

A scene from the music video 'Di Niyo Ba Naririnig.'

Celebrities from the Philippines' film, theater and music world took part in a rousing rendition  of “Di Niyo Ba Naririnig”, a Tagalog translation of Les Miserable musical number "Do You Hear The People Sing?"

The song was played during “Tinig ng Bayan: #SONAgkaisa online concert” which streamed July 27, the same time that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was delivering his State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The stirring video apparently hit a raw nerve with Duterte, who responded in Tagalog a few days later, "There’s a song about a revolution that was put out by the government’s critics. ... let’s not prolong the process. If you want (to oust me), do it now."

The song, translated by Vincent de Jesus with additional lyrics by Rody Vera and Joel Saracho was first performed in 2017 during an event to mark the 45th anniversary of  Martial Law under the Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

This newest iteration of the song interspersed with the singers photos of the the more unsavory elements of Duterte's regime including the extrajudicial killings of drug offenders, the war against a free press and the closure of the country's biggest media corporation, ABS-CBN. Many of the participants in the video worked on shows that was aired on the network before the government closed the network last month.

Les Miserables is based on the 1862 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, which is set in France and follows the life of Jean Valjean, a man who is imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread.
The novel – considered one of the greatest of the 19th century – concludes against the background of the Paris Uprising of 1832.

The song "Do You Hear The People Sing?" is among the most recognizable from the hit musical. Its performed twice – during the story, as students prepare to launch a rebellion, and again to close the show. It has since been adapted as a protest song many times over, in different languages. 

Most recently, Hong Kong demonstrators sang the militant song during a takeover of a mall  during a protest.

Angel Locsin, Iza Calzado and Enchong Dee joined a rendition of “Di Niyo Ba Naririnig” in time for the SONA. Image: Facebook/@AngelLocsin, Instagram/@missizacalzado, @mr_enchongdee

Filipino actors Angel Locsin, Enchong Dee, Jodi Sta Maria, Iza Calzado, and Noel Cabangon are among those who took part in the music video. 

Other featured artists include Agot Isidro, Mylene Dizon, Celeste Legaspi, Monique Wilson, Ebe Dancel, Kean Cipriano, Mae Paner, and Jim Paredes.

Following is the translation into Tagalog with the additional lyrics specific to the situation in the Philippines: 

DI NIYO BA NARIRINIG? Tinig ng bayan na galit Himig ito ng Pilipinong Di muli palulupig Dudurugin ang dilim Ang araw ay mag-aalab At mga pusong nagtimpi Ay magliliyab Ikaw ba'y makikibaka At hindi maduduwag Na gisingin ang mga panatikong bingi’t bulag Kasinungalingan labanan hanggang mabuwag Di niyo ba naririnig? Tinig ng bayan na galit Himig ito ng Pilipinong Di muli palulupig Dudurugin ang dilim Ang araw ay mag-aalab At mga pusong nagtimpi Ay magliliyab Ikaw ba ay dadaing na lang Kimi’t magmumukmok Habang nagpapakasasa Ang mga trapong bulok Gisingin ang puso Galitin hanggang pumutok Di niyo ba naririnig? Tinig ng bayan na galit Himig ito ng Pilipinong Di muli palulupig Dudurugin ang dilim Ang araw ay mag-aalab At mga pusong nagtimpi Ay magliliyab! Magliliyab!

* DI NIYO BA NARIRINIG? (Do You Hear the People Sing from Les Miserables by Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel and Herbert Kretzmer) Filipino Translation by Vincent A. de Jesus Additional lyrics by Rody Vera and Joel Saracho Musical Arrangement by Vincent A. de Jesus Music Producer: Paulo Zarate of Studio Z Video Producer: Chuck Gutierrez of Voyage Studios Executive Producer: Noel Ferrer Creative Producer: Baby Ruth Villarama Cinematographer: Dexter dela Peña Photos by Raffy Lerma, Neil Daza & Chiara Zambrano

Philippine gov't shuts down network critical of Duterte regime

SCREEN CAPTURE / ABC

Filipinos protests the closure of the giant Philippine broadcasting network.

Subscribers to The Filipino Channel will still be able to watch their favorite soaps and game shows, most of which come from the Philippines, despite the network's mother company went dark on Tuesday, May 5.

The channel is the international subsidiary to ABS-CBN, the largest broadcasting network in the Philippines, airs programming aimed at the Philippine diaspora of millions of Filipinos in the US, Canada and other parts of the world.

Ironically, the day after World Press Freedom Day on Sunday, the license to broadcast ended for ABS-CBN, the Philippines largest media giant. The Solicitor General ordered the broadcasting network to shut down, effective immediately. The station went dark for its viewers in the Philippines after the last news show "signed off," Tuesday evening.

"TFC assures its many subscribers around the world that it will remain and continue to deliver relevant news and information, TV shows and movies across our different channels and platforms via cable and satellite, IPTV, and TFC Online," the embattled network said in an statement.

"We will continue our commitment to be of service to Filipinos, worldwide," the short statement concluded.

TFC operates several bureaus throughout the US and Canada that provides local programming of community events, local news and programming produced in the Philippines. The bureaus have been major sponsors of cultural events organized by Filipino American and Canadian communities, such as the Philippine Independence Day celebrations that have attracted thousands of Filipinos seeking a connection to their homeland or the homeland of their parents or grandparents.

The media corporation is owned by the prominent Lopez family of the Philippines. President Rodrigo Duterte has been at odds with the network since his 2016 campaign. Duterte accused the company of not running his campaign commercials.

Besides the broadcast network, Duterte has also attacked several media outlets, including Philippine Daily Inquirer and Rappler Holdings Corp., for their reporting on his drug war that has killed thousands with Duterte's open season on suspected drug dealers.
The Philippines' Solicitor General Jose Calida alleges that the ABS-CBN had issued Philippine Depositary Receipts to foreigners, raising questions about foreign ownership of the broadcast and print giant, which against the Philippine Constitution. 

Since those assertions arose, the network's foreign investors sold their shares to Filipino investors. Legislation granting the network its license has been stalled in the Duterete-controlled House of Representatives for several months.

In a May 5 letter sent by the NTC, ABS-CBN was ordered to stop operating all of its free TV and radio stations across the country. The network’s 25-year franchise expired on Monday, May 4.

The National Tellecommunications Commission stressed that, based on the radio control law, no person or company may operate any radio or TV broadcasting station without a congressional franchise.

“We have done all the requirements for renewal, and we have not violated any laws,” ABS-CBN President Carlo Katigbak said in a live broadcast minutes before its main television channel went off the air Tuesday evening.

The government action came as a surprise to the lawmakers in both houses of Congress. On March 10 the NTC committed to legislators that they would grant ABS-CBN a provisional authority to broadcast, while Congress tackles the bill for a new franchise for ABS-CBN.

"Ordering ABS-CBN to stop its operations is an outrageous attack on media freedom... The Filipino people need accurate information from independent sources. The government must act immediately to keep ABS-CBN on air and cease all attempts to curtail media freedom," Amnesty International's Philippines section director Butch Olano said in a statement.

"This latest move against ABS-CBN occurs after repeated attacks in the past against the network by President Duterte himself. It is yet another attack on freedom of expression in recent weeks, following the authorities' legal threats against people who criticised the government's response to the pandemic."

Duterte is reportedly “completely neutral” on the issue of ABS-CBN’s shutdown, his spokesman Harry Roque said Tuesday in a television interview.

The threat to the network drew protests from Filipino Americans during the 34th anniversary of the People Power Revolution in the Philippines that brought down the Marcos dictatorship. 

A show of solidarity came from the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, or NaFFAA, the Asian community of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Filipino American Human Rights Alliance, the U.S. Pinoys for Good Governance and the Fil-Am Press Club.

They said that it was the people that brought back democracy then — that same united force will fight for freedom of speech under the Duterte administration.

“ABS-CBN and TFC are a significant media resource whose importance to the Filipino American community cannot be overstated,” the National Federation of Filipino American Associations said in a statement. “As a Filipino news and media entity dedicated to artistic and journalistic excellence, they thoughtfully bridge the gap between the Philippines and its diverse diaspora across the United States and the world.

“Since the founding of NaFFAA, ABS-CBN has been a consistent and strong collaborative partner in NaFFAA’s efforts to empower Filipino Americans. They have helped further NaFFAA’s mission through support of programs such as the Biennial National Empowerment Conference, through TFCUniversity (TFCU), and Kollective Hustle.”

Human rights and journalist groups have slammed the sudden closure, with Amnesty International calling it a “dark day for press freedom in the Philippines, reminiscent of martial law when the dictatorship seized control over news agencies.”

“Ordering ABS-CBN to stop its operations is an outrageous attack on media freedom,” the group added.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) likewise reiterated the need for freedom of the free press in its statement, saying, “mainstream media, particularly ABS-CBN, have been vital to combatting the virus of fake news and have been instrumental to giving the most neglected sectors in this health crisis a voice.”

Sunday Read: Support gathers steam for news, entertainment source for Filipino Americans

Demonstrators in the Philippines rallied for press freedom last Friday, Feb. 21.

Filipino Americans are expressing support for the media giant ABS-CBN that has become one of the major sources of information about the Philippines and Filipino America.

ABS-CBN, which operates the The Filipino Channel in the US and has US editions of the Inquirer newspaper, is being threatened by the regime of President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a press statement, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) praised the network’s programming, which “reflects the touchstones of Filipino culture and heritage.” ABS-CBN, through its global television network, The Filipino Channel (TFC), connect over-four million Filipinos in the United States to their country of origin.

“ABS-CBN and TFC are a significant media resource whose importance to the Filipino American community cannot be overstated,” says Brendan Flores, NaFFAA National Chairman. “As a Filipino news and media entity dedicated to artistic and journalistic excellence, they thoughtfully bridge the gap between the Philippines and its diverse diaspora across the United States and the world.

“Since the founding of NaFFAA, ABS-CBN has been a consistent and strong collaborative partner in NaFFAA’s efforts to empower Filipino Americans. They have helped further NaFFAA’s mission through support of programs such as the Biennial National Empowerment Conference, through TFCUniversity (TFCU), and Kollective Hustle.”

From Honolulu to Toronto, the media giant operates bureaus in major urban centers in the US and Canada under The Filipino Channel or Balitang America. Much of the news broadcasts are in English although most of the station's entertainment programming originating from the Philippines is in Tagalog. The US edition of the Inquirer prints in English

The Philippines' media are granted franchises with time limits that allow them to operate. ABS-CBN's franchise agreement is due to end at the end of March.

Duterte's administration is using the renewal of the 25-year licensing agreement as an opportunity to rein in criticism of the current president.

“We want to put an end to what we discovered to be highly abusive practices by ABS-CBN,” the solicitor general, Jose Calida, said in a statement. “A franchise is a special privilege granted by the state, and should be restricted only to entities which faithfully adhere to our constitution and laws.”

When the media giant refused to air Duterte's campaign commercials in 2016, the strongman said, “I will make sure that you will remember this episode of our times forever.” Calida denied that politics were behind the decision to file the petition.

SCREEN CAPTURE / TFC

The Filipino Channel covers Filipino American events such as the Parol Festival in San Francisco.

Calida alleges that the media company had issued Philippine Depositary Receipts to foreigners, raising questions about foreign ownership of the broadcast and print giant, which against the Philippine Constitution. The media corporation is owned by the prominent Lopez family of the Philippines.

“We did not violate the law. This case appears to be an attempt to deprive Filipinos of the services of ABS-CBN,” the company said in a statement.

Calida and Duterte used the same argument against Rappler, an online news site that has been critical of the Philippine president.

“These actions are part of a broader crackdown on media outlets and civil society groups that dare criticize him (Duterte),” lobby group Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

“This proves without a doubt that this government is hell bent on using all its powers to shut down the broadcasting network,” said the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines “We must not allow the vindictiveness of one man, no matter how powerful, to run roughshod over the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of the press and of expression, and the people’s right to know.”

Thousands of supporters were joined by ABS-CBN personalities and employees in rallies in Manila and Bacolod City Friday evening urging the government to grant the franchise license.
ABS-CBN has produced a number of investigative reports highlighting extrajudicial executions and other human rights abuses committed as part of the government’s so-called “war on drugs” according to Amnesty International.

“It is unacceptable for the authorities to blatantly attempt to restrict freedom of expression and then expect people in the Philippines to simply remain silent," said Amnesty International’s Regional Director Nicholas Bequelin.

"If anything, the government’s continued efforts to undermine the press’s ability to report freely will only invite more criticism," he continued. "The government would do better by listening and addressing what is driving such criticism rather than resorting to legal theatrics to suppress human rights.”

TGIF Feature: Dean Devlin returns to the Philippines for new TV series

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Dean Devlin, left, and 'Off Tropic' star Christian Kane on the set of 'The Librarians.'

A new TV series intended for US audiences will be shot in the Philippines with a Filipino cast  

Heading the project is Filipino American executive producer, Dean Devlin, who will write the first two episodes and direct the finale of Off Tropic, a 10-episode crime drama series. Devlin has huge Hollywood cred producing movie blockbusters such as Independence Day, Godzilla and The Patriot. His best known TV series is the adventure fantasy, The Librarians.

The star of The Librarians, Christian Kane, will play the lead in Off Tropic.


The series, part crime drama and part travelogue, is set mostly in Cebu and will air in the United States via the cable company, WGN America. Devlin, head of Electric Entertainment, will be partnering with the Philippines' media giant, ABS-CBN, which will be making it’s first foray into Hollywood television production.

“It’s a lifelong dream to get do something here, I wish my mom was alive to see it… I haven’t spent much time here and now we get to do a show here,” said Devlin during his contract signing last month with ABS-CBN International.

“We’re trying to show the Philippines to people from the United States and around the world in a way that they’ve never seen before,” added Devlin who shared the series will be filmed in several locations all over the Philippines. Filming will begin in November.

Off Tropic, originally titled Almost Paradise, centers on Alex Walker (Kane), a former US DEA agent who was forced into early retirement. Once the DEA’s most resourceful undercover operative, the combination of his partner’s betrayal and a life-threatening battle with hypertension has sent him as far from the madness as he can go … a small tropical island in the Philippine archipelago. He now runs the gift shop in the island’s luxury resort hotel.  

The island’s luxury resort has attracted rich, powerful, and sometimes criminal elite from around the world, often on a collision course with Alex. Despite his best efforts to begin a tranquil new life, he’s pulled back into a world of dangerous people and deadly situations, either through his friends in the local police or running into people from his old life. And the problem is, he likes it.

“This is a first of many strategic partnerships and collaborations with partners from all over the world and we are very thrilled that we are partnering with a formidable team, Electric Entertainment, to line produce the US series for them,” said Ruel S. Bayani, ABS-CBN head of international production and co-production division. 

ABS-CBN’s international co-production division has other partnerships and collaborations with other companies from all over Southeast Asia, the United States, and Europe.

“We chose to partner with ABS-CBN because they have been so instrumental in the development of talent here both in front and behind the camera. I think they have the most experience and they have just been amazing partners. This is going to change the way people perceive the entertainment business in the Philippines,” Devlin said.

“It’s great to be back, I love this country, there’s so many great people, so many colors here, it’s going to be fun," said Kane. "I don’t think the US has seen anything like this on TV before and we’re so excited to bring it home."

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TGIF Feature: The Filipino Channel reaches out to Filipino Americans as it celebrates it's 25th anniversary

SCREEN CAPTURE /YOUTUBE

A scene from the TFC-produced video #BeingFilipno.

In honor of their 25th anniversary, The Filipino Channel (TFC) launched a digital video series on social media platforms to highlight the diversity in the Filipino communities and their contributions to the US.

In #BeingFilipino, directed by filmmaker Marie Jamora, the series of videos feature three Filipinos — a teacher, doctor and a poet — and the impact they’ve made on the people in their lives. It will be debuting this month on YouTube and other digital platforms.

Olivia De Jesus, COO of ABS-CBN Global, said fthe media company always created content for Filipinos in the Philippines. targeting the Filipino immigrants who wanted entertainment content from the Philippines. However, the emerging Filipino American market, the second and third generation, has become large enough to deserve content aimed at their needs.

“Today, there are more native born Filipinos — those born in the U.S., in Canada and all over — and they identify more as Americans, Canadians and other nationalities because the countries their parents migrated to are the only ones they’ve ever known,” De Jesus told NBC. “And we feel like we have to be a part of it to let overseas Filipinos know that we are able to bring them a piece of home.”

A TFC-sponsored concert presented Aug. 3 in San Jose, Calif. , ASAP Natin 'To In the Bay Area  featuring performers from TFC's ASAP show. TFC brought in Filipino American entertainers including Youtube's AJ Rafael, Jej Vinson (The Voice), Jasmine Trias (American Idol) and Angelica Hale (America's Got Talent).

Last week, TFC released #BeingFilipino on social media platforms Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

De Jesus said while they have other projects planned for TFC in the near future, she hopes that #BeingFilipino can be the beginning of more digital content to come for not only TFC, but all their platforms.

“We have to help the younger generation appreciate the culture and heritage and values of their parents and grandparents,” De Jesus told NBC. “They have to understand that being Filipino isn’t just defined by the color of their skin, but by behavior and traits that were passed on from generation to generation, and guided by this knowledge, they can continue making a positive impact on the world.”

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New film festival shines a light on movies by Filipinos and Filipino Americans

FILMS FROM Asia are gaining more notice by Western audiences but movies from the Philippines have not received the same exposure than the films from other Asian countries. That oversight is about to change.

Cinematografo, a new San Francisco film festival featuring movies, documentaries and short films from the Philippines and productions by Filipino/Americans, hopes to present the new wave of Filipino and Filipino/American film talent to U.S. movie goers.

Motion pictures in Japan have always been received well by international film audiences. In recent years, the movies from South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and India have gained fans and acceptance outside of Asia.

Even though the motion picture industry in the Philippines has been in existence just as long as Asia's other movie-making centers, with few exceptions, films made in the Philippines, have not received similar critical recognition. 

Sometimes marred by poor production values, overly dramatic or fluffy plots and acting, Filipino filmmakers and studios didn't attempt to appeal to international audiences. They were satisfied to cater almost exclusively to the local movie goers with 

Fortunately, as audiences in the Philippines became more sophisticated and demanded better productions on par with Hollywood or Hong Kong, the Philippine movie industry is changing. 

Signs of the maturation of the Filipino film industry and the growing appeal of Filipino productions to international audiences included the awarding of the Best Actress award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival given to Jaclyn Jose for her gritty portrayal of a drug-dealing matriarch in a Manila slum in Ma' Rose.

Last month, Across the Crescent Moon, a film that was hardly noticed in its the home country of the Philippines, ran away with Best Global Feature Film and Best Ensemble Acting awards at the International Film Festival Manhattan. It was directed by Baby Nebrida.

A musical number from Ang Larawan that will open the film festival.

Cinematografo happens on Nov. 9-12 at the AMC Dine-In Kabuki 8 Theatres in San Francisco's Japantown. Over a span of four days, the festival will show 11 feature films, seven documentaries, a bevy of short films and a number panels.

The exhibition of screenings, panels, and intimate industry networking will feature narratives, documentaries, and short films from North America and the Philippines from Filipino and Filipino-American filmmakers.

The festival opens with the U.S. premiere of Ang Larawan (The Portrait), adapted from the musical play of the same name based on  the Philippines' National Artist Nick Joaquin’s three-act play “A Portrait of a Filipino as an Artist.” Director Loy Arcenas, lead actress Rachel Alejandro and composer Ryan Cayabyab will be attending the event on today, Nov. 9.

Ang Larawan , a musical, was shown at the Tokyo International Film Festival last month to favorable reviews and was an audience favorite.

The Philippine production was hailed as “stirring … handsomely produced… impeccably performed and crisply photographed” by Variety’s Richard Kuipers in a Nov. 1 essay.

Hopefully, Once More, the popular romantic comedy featuring Lea Salonga will be the festival's Saturday night feature. The 1995 production, which was filmed in the San Francisco Bay Area, was remastered for this showing.

The closing film Sunday night will be The Ghose Bride, a 2017 horror movie of a girl who makes a deal to marry a dead man.

One of the best known documentary filmmakers, Ramona Diaz, will be feted. Her latest, award-winning film Motherland (Sundance 2017), about one of the world’s largest maternity wards located in Manila, will be screened, followed by a conversation about her work and prolific career as one of the best known Asian women documentary makers today.

Besides the Diaz tribute, there will be panels on the "State of the Nations" (the Philippines and the U.S.). Another panel, "Minority as the New Majority," will feature a discussion among industry insiders.

The CIFF, sponsored and organized by ABS- CBN International, hopes to become the premier event for Filipinos and Filipino/Americans to tell their stories, and to become the platform to bring these films to the world stage.

Raffy Lopez, COO of ABS-CBN International, stated that he “has always believed that films are powerful purveyors of culture. When moviegoers leave the theaters, we provide them with a little more understanding of who we are or we trigger a curiosity or hunger for them to know and learn more about our culture and all its complexities and nuances." 

While opening night. including dinner, is by invitation, all other presentations are open to the public. Tickets for the festival offerings, including the panels, mixers, conversations wiith filmmakers, can be bought at the door.

For a schedule of all the screenings and events and for more information, click here.

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