"TV Patrol": 25 years of empowering Filipinos

CEBU, Philippines - “TV Patrol,” the country’s longest-running and leading Filipino primetime TV newscast, is celebrating its 25 years of patrolling the nation to deliver the biggest news and latest happenings while empowering citizens to become actively involved in nation-building.

‘Kayaban’ Noli De Castro, Korina Sanchez, and Ted Failon, the most experienced and credible team of broadcast journalists in the country, will present a special silver anniversary episode on Monday (Mar 5) and launch the “TV Patrol Balitandaan,” which will mount 25 mini-monuments, each to be revealed every week, in landmarks where the 25 biggest news events in the last 25 years happened.

“TV Patrol” will also undertake a venture called “Beinte Singko Para sa Kabayan Ko,” which will encourage Filipinos to drop in 25 cents in customized TV Patrol cans to be distributed in 25 provinces all over the country. The fundraising target amount of P2.5 million will be given to selected beneficiaries.

Through the program’s commemorative activities, “TV Patrol” seeks to engage Filipinos towards a common goal and bolsters their role as ‘patrollers’ that exhibit concern and service for the nation.

In 1987, the trailblazing "TV Patrol" revolutionized the way Philippine TV networks produce their primetime newscasts when it introduced a novel, mass-oriented format that appealed to Filipinos’ craving for news reports and information when democracy was restored. It not only set the trend in how newscasts should be done but also became the undisputed top news program in the country until today.

Its first 25 years saw a string of groundbreaking firsts for TV media – it became the first news program to deliver news on weekends and the first to be available online via livestreaming – innovative steps to deliver relevant and timely news and cater to more Filipinos in the country and around the world. More notably, “TV Patrol” has redefined the concept of citizen empowerment by encouraging Filipinos to be active and vigilant.

Moreover, “TV Patrol” has become a byword for journalistic integrity, while its anchors are deemed as icons of credibility in Philippine broadcasting. The team of De Castro, Sanchez, and Failon topped the 2011 survey in the National Capital Region by StratPolls Inc. as the most credible news team on Philippine television.

Don’t miss 25th anniversary episode of "TV Patrol” on Monday (Mar 5). Watch out for a special documentary marking the silver anniversary of "TV Patrol" airing soon on ABS-CBN.  (FREEMAN)