I HAVE been watching Asian dramas since the early 2000s but it was when GMA aired the Tagalized version of Winter Sonata that I really became a fan of Korean dramas. Unlike those who cringe when they watch Tagalized foreign dramas, I love them because they allow me to do something else while half-watching. I don’t need to have my eyes glued to the TV for the subtitles.
I follow the @OfficialGMAHOA account on Twitter but I didn’t realize that it was for a new channel. As it happens, the Heart of Asia channel is the new digital channel of GMA and its launch is timely because the network is marking its 70th anniversary.
Heart of Asia brings to digital TV viewers the biggest and the freshest Korean drama titles alongside the best Asian series.
I’m very excited to watch SKY Castle, the story of four women and their families. These women live in a luxurious residential area called SKY Castle in suburban Seoul. All have one ambition—for their kids to get into the most prestigious universities in Korea. SKY is actually an acronym for Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University. Now for the fun part: GMA actresses Lotlot de Leon, Angelu de Leon, Chynna Ortaleza, Angelika dela Cruz and Sunshine Dizon will be the voices of the main female characters.
Another show to look forward to is the historical drama Dong Yi, which is about a woman who started in the palace as a water maid and later became a concubine. She would later give birth to a future king.
Love in Trouble, or Suspicious Partner, stars Ji Chang-wook as Gerald Noh and Nam Ji-hyun as Monique Eun in a drama about career, murder and love (of course).
The Chinese fantasy series Starry Night, Starry Sea is the story of a girl, Shen Luo (Bea Hayden), and a merman, Wu Julan (played by Feng Shaofeng).
Heart of Asia will also air the Lakorn (Thai drama) You’re My Destiny, starring Esther Supraleela as Martina.
It is the story of a law office clerk who was given the moniker “Sticky Note Girl,” and whose life changes after a one-night-stand with Paolo (Wisetkaew Sukrit), who stands to inherit the company.
Aside from Filipino-dubbed Asianovelas, Heart of Asia also offers all-time favorite Kapuso content that vary from “The Best of GMA” to various Pinoy and foreign movies.
These include Philippine TV’s first-ever epic-serye Amaya, topbilled by Marian Rivera. Set in the precolonial period of the 1500s, Amaya is about a princess who is forced into slavery.
She later discovers her extraordinary powers that she uses to lead her people. Viewers can also catch the 2011 remake of Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin, starring Barbie Forteza, Joshua Dionisio, Joyce Ching and Kristoffer Martin. Meanwhile, Legacy stars Heart Evangelista and Lovi Poe together with award-winning actress Alessandra De Rossi. The series tells the story of three daughters battling each other for their father’s name and estate.
Viewers can catch the Heart of Asia channel on the GMA Affordabox and other digital TV boxes on free-to-air broadcast.
The GMA Affordabox does not use a Conditional Access System and none of its channels (GMA, GMA News TV and Heart of Asia) are encrypted, making these readily accessible to the viewing public via any set-top box. Other set-top boxes use CAS to restrict public access to select encrypted channels.
The GMA Affordabox also comes with added features, such as a multimedia player and a personal video recorder which its competitors do not have.
“After the recently-launched digital channel Heart of Asia, we are also looking at adding more digital channels within the year that will complement our program offerings on GMA and GMA News TV. GMA Affordabox’s sales are doing very well. Our original projection was to sell 600,000 units for the balance of the year but we are on track to exceed that projection. Hence, we are ordering more,” said GMA Network Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon.
Meanwhile, a new user behavior study conducted by Carousell, one of the world’s largest and fastest growing classifieds, showed that Filipinos adapted to the lockdowns around the country through selling and buying. During the lockdown period, the average Filipino made ₱55,000, selling on Carousell.
Filipinos made more than 450,000 transactions for second-hand items to earn extra money. Selling used items was a way to save for rainy days, supplement income or even cushion the blow of losing a job during the pandemic. Carousell user Jhocen sold her preloved and vintage items on Carousell and earned over ₱10,000 on Carousell during the quarantine.
But many others sold their items with a different purpose in mind. Carousell user Ashley’s was to start an initiative with a few of her friends to raise funds for those who lost their sources of income during the quarantine.
Meanwhile, Gabbi listed her second-hand clothes on Carousell to raise funds because she wanted to help daily wage earners and local businesses. There is still a lot more value to be unlocked in selling underused items. On Carousell’s marketplace alone, Filipinos could be selling an additional ₱3.8 billion worth of second-hand items.
I remember selling my second-hand items on Carousell a few years back. It’s a good platform. If you’re someone with a lot of things at home and you think other people would be interested in treated in them, Carousell would be a good place to sell.
Second-hand marketplaces are a top-of-mind destination for certain items like women’s fashion and electronics, two of Carousell’s historically popular categories. But during the quarantine period, another popular category emerged.
Food and beverages businesses affected by the quarantine took to Carousell to continue selling their homemade delights, using the newly-launched Local F&B category, where users are able to search within a 10km radius of their location to narrow down the food nearest to them. It’s no secret that Filipinos love their food—during the quarantine period alone, chats for items in the F&B segment alone increased by 188 percent. Filipinos were both selling their homemade goods on Carousell and using it to source for their cooking and baking needs too, right down to the nitty-gritty of equipment such as whisks, which more than doubled in demand.
To celebrate and share the stories of Carousellers who have exemplified true grit and resourcefulness, Carousell has launched a #MakingTheBest campaign that will roll out over the next few months.
“The country’s lockdowns brought about by our efforts in flattening the curve of the virus spread have shown the need to remain interconnected while apart. We are proud to be part of facilitating these vital commercial flows of buying and selling that are crucial in these difficult times. It is inspiring to see such great entrepreneurial drive mirrored in the stories of our users, and we want to ensure that our platform continues to empower them and allow their businesses to thrive,” said Raffy Montemayor, general manager of Carousell Philippines.