From values-laden and socially-relevant teleseryes to anthemic station IDs and headline-dominating red carpet shows, ABS-CBN’s participation in shaping up the Filipino pop culture has been unmistakable and unparalleled.
ABS-CBN’s shutdown would not have been deemed a gigantic blow to Philippine pop culture had it not established itself as a pioneer in the local entertainment scene and media over the years.
Through the years, ABS-CBN has extensively taken part in establishing the local pop culture itself, spearheading trends and building indelible icons that could potentially remain perpetually enshrined in the history of the local showbiz industry.
The Kapamilya Network’s impacts are not limited to television alone, as its influence extended to various realms of media, including radio, recording, fashion, and the big screen. The biggest names emerged in the industry through the years, with ABS-CBN at the helm, proving the titanic role in building the biggest stars and making legends of the industry.
That influence is well-reflected by the rise of iconic love teams, who didn’t just capture the realm of television, but of cinema, recording, and live performing as well. We are introduced to the likes of KathNiel (Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla), MarJo (Marvin Agustin and Jolina Magdangal), and EchoTin (Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa), because of ABS-CBN.
Big screen giants John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo rose to massive fame largely because of the films they did for Star Cinema, the same film outfit that made Vice Ganda, Kathryn Bernardo, Ai-Ai de las Alas, Kris Aquino, and Daniel Padilla, among the biggest-grossing movie stars of our time. Likewise, Star Cinema’s imprint in our local pop culture is embedded through the cinematic greats that it was able to produce in the past three decades, including Magic Temple (1996), Isusumbong Kita Sa Tatay Ko (1999), Anak (2000), One More Chance (2007), and Hello Love, Goodbye (2019).
Star Cinema films, Hello Love, Goodbye (2019) and The Hows of Us (2018), are the two biggest-grossing Filipino films of all time. But before them, the title belonged to The Super Parental Guardians (2016), A Second Chance (2015), The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin (2014), Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy (2013), Sisterakas (2012), The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin (2011), and No other Woman (2011). Through ABS-CBN Film restoration, the network is at the forefront in preserving the local cinema’s finest legacies. It’s an effort that not too many in the industry can afford to pull off.
ABS-CBN has given birth to countless television and social media phenomena, including the emergence of modern teleserye, through the likes of Pangako Sa’yo (2001), Marina (2003), Basta’t Kasama Kita (2004), and May Bukas Pa (2009). Filipino soap operas, Mara Clara (1992), Mula sa Puso (1997), and Esperanza (1997), are forever revered as among the most successful Filipino dramas of all time, given their massive influence, not just on local audiences, but on the local entertainment scene, in general.
We have witnessed ABS-CBN’s lead in bringing to local audiences the Asianovela craze through the original Meteor Garden (2003), and the Korean drama, Lovers in Paris (2004).
ABS-CBN has been among the biggest players in ensuring that the Philippine comedy remains alive by delivering some of the most remarkable comedy shows ever showcased on both the big and small screens. Through classic sitcoms, Home Along Da Riles, Abangan Ang Susunod Na Kabanata, Oki Doki Doc, and Kaya Ni Mister, Kaya Din ni Misis, ABS-CBN kept its commitment to make the Filipino brand of comedy a thriving part of the ever-developing local pop culture.
With ABS-CBN, Filipinos came to know new names in the industry, who soon became royalties in their own right, via the network’s various talent-reality shows. Through Star Circle Quest, Pinoy Big Brother, among other ABS-CBN reality searches, audiences are blown away by the massive talent and artistry of Kim Chiu, Sandara Park, Erich Gonzales, Yeng Constantino and Darren Espanto. We totally immersed ourselves in the process of discovering these stars and making their careers thrive amidst intense competition.
ABS-CBN delivered some of the most anthemic Christmas songs through its Christmas Station IDs, as most of which became staple Christmas anthems that have ultimately defined our Holiday celebrations through the years. That’s the same for summer and rainy season station IDs that the network has managed to develop, making ABS-CBN the undisputed leader in this field. Christmas will never be the same again without ‘Star ng Pasko’ and ‘Thank You, Ang Babait Ninyo’.
The biggest gathering of stars in showbusiness has never been possible if not for ABS-CBN’s Star Magic Ball—now called ABS-CBN Ball.
The annual red-carpet affair established a convergence point for the industry’s finest fashion designers and the biggest stars in showbiz. An unforgettable night of ultra-extravagance and elegance, The ABS-CBN Ball has made fans and casual viewers front seat witnesses to the gods and royalties of Philippine showbiz.
ABS-CBN’s magic does not stop on television and film, as it has captured the world of recording and live to perform, as well. The Kapamilya craze thrives through the aid of the network’s own music label, Star Music, which has given birth to countless recording icons. Star Music’s influence in shaping the modern OPM is well-reflected by how it has relentlessly produced some of the country’s biggest music icons and their chart-topping hits. ABS-CBN has taken massive investment in enriching the country’s music-making industry, as it has allowed new composers to thrive through its annual Himig Handog contest.
When Novelty became a phenomenal trend in the recording scene, Star Music was at the helm, giving rise to the likes of Vhong Navarro and Bayani Agbayani. Today, Star Music is among the biggest contributors to the continuing expansion of the P-Pop phenomenon to the global stage. This year alone, P-POP Groups, BINI, and BGYO have each gone leaps and bounds in their quest to become frontrunners in sending P-POP to the global music stage.
And with its shift to the digital realm, ABS-CBN remains among the most important architects in the sustained shaping of the modern Pinoy Pop culture. As the local entertainment scene embraces the changes in how media entitles deliver content and how viewers consume them, the network makes sure it is at the frontlines making the industry-wide shift a success.
ABS-CBN pioneered the local entertainment scene’s gradual shift to streaming platforms via its various services, including iWantTFC, KTX, and Kapamilya Online Live. These platforms will be proven instrumental tools in keeping the local entertainment alive as the country becomes completely digital.
There is no question now that ABS-CBN will keep its place among the biggest and most important players in keeping the Filipino pop culture alive. It will continue to shape it amid the challenges presented by its lack of a free TV franchise.
And as the whole industry, itself, moves forward to welcome the drastic changes in audiences’ viewing habits and content consumption, ABS-CBN is well-poised to lead the industry again with its innovative and fresh ideas, which will surely inspire others to follow suit.
