The Duterte admin may have succeeded in taking ABS-CBN out of free TV but it still remains in the hearts and minds of many Filipinos according to award-winning actor John Arcilla.
In an interview with Miguel Dumaual, Arcilla whose popularly known for his role in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano said that it’s only the network’s ‘house’ that was shut-off but not its spirit in serving the Filipino people.
According to him, ABS-CBN’s soul definitely remains in every Filipino evident by the recent success and achievement of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.
“Alam ko na naputol tayo sa ere..pero ano eh, alam mo, tuloy-tuloy pa rin yung ano eh, tuloy-tuloy yung pagconnect ng ABS-CBN sa tao. And yung tao hinahanap talaga kung saan mapapanood yung ABS-CBN.”
“The soul of ABS-CBN is still here, in every Filipino’s psyche.”
"The soul of ABS-CBN is still here, in every Filipino's psyche," John Arcilla says of the broadcast shutdown of Channel 2.
Arcilla is part of "FPJ's Ang Probinsyano," which had been the country's No. 1 TV show for 5 years until the network was forced off free TV | @migueldumaual pic.twitter.com/CteHMq6lKh
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) June 9, 2021
Recently, FJP’s Ang Probinsyano made a buzz online after beating its own daily record of concurrent views.
For eight consecutive days, the Kapamilya teleserye made record-breaking numbers of concurrent views on Kapamilya Online Live on Youtube.
FPJAP recorded its highest on Thursday, June 3, and it reached as high as 154,039 concurrent views.
Sa bawat gabi ay damang-dama namin ang inyong tumitinding pagmamahal at suporta sa #FPJsAngProbinsyano. Maraming salamat, mga Ka Probinsyano! Patuloy lang kaming andito para sa inyo. pic.twitter.com/o1LALbW7cZ
— ABS-CBN PR (@ABSCBNpr) June 4, 2021
Ratings-wise, FPJAP, and ABS-CBN also scored a win for consistently ranking 4th among the most-watched weekday TV programs in the country. This given the fact that it only airs over A2Z and TV5 which has limited reach compared to rival GMA Network.
ABS-CBN has been in shutdown for more than a year now after NTC issued a cease and desist order against the network and the subsequent denial of its franchise application.
Currently, most ABS-CBN shows aired over A2Z and TV5 via their respective block time agreements. ABS-CBN also find a platform in cable channel Kapamilya Channel and digital platforms Kapamilya Online Live, iWantTFC, and WeTV iFlix.