“Our blood may be Chinese but our roots grow deep in Philippine soil. Our bonds are with the Filipino people. “ -Teresita Ang-See
Last 8.8.8, August 8 at 8pm, Fil-Chi Productions unveiled 1CH1NOY: Chinese by Blood, Filipino by Heart, debuting this new season in its new home with CNN Philippines.
Shining a spotlight on the Modern Chinoy, this TV series breaks the mold in more ways than one. Fil-Chi Media Productions Inc President Alvin Tan shares, “When we started CHiNOY TV 菲華電視台 , a big part of what we wanted to accomplish was to share and promote the Chinese culture to the Philippine audience. Focusing on lifestyle seemed like the most practical way to do it, and it served us well for the last several years.
But times have obviously changed, and in these last months alone, we realized that we could actually do something different, if not better. And so, conquering the unknown with nothing but grit and the support of the people who always believed in us, we came up with CHiNOY TV’s first documentary-style program.”
Tradition and Modernity
The first episode premiered with 8 Chinoy profilers—Philippine Star editor Doreen Yu and columnist Wilson Lee Flores, eventologist Tim Yap, Miss Chinatown 2014 Nicole Cordoves, award-winning illustrator Rob Cham, children’s story book author Patricia Ngo, host Janeena Chan, and radio DJ Stan Sy—ranging in age, career path, and life story, serve as the season storytellers as we dive deep into the histories and insights of one iconic Chinoy per episode. In the next one, we feature living legend Teresita Ang-See.
“She became, at the height of this horrible spur of kidnapping, of Chinoys, she became the lone brave voice,” describes Doreen Yu, one of the eight profilers, about Teresita Ang-See, “There are countless families, countless victims who will say they owe their life to Tessie.”
This episode delves into the trials and tribulations that thrust Ang-See into a leadership role for the community, speaking out for the usually quiet community. Single-handedly, Ang-See faced police, politicians, media and took on the mantle of being a voice for the voiceless. She reveals the story of what truly went on behind those headlines and what she knows now having lived through those times.
“The pandemic has opened doors for new issues and ideas to emerge, that we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to potentially make a difference for the next generation of Chinoys by using them to our advantage.
All of this is in line with what we hope to achieve with the new CHiNOY TV through the #1CH1NOY movement, and how we envision what modern Chinoys should be. They embrace changes, take even greater risks, and go after their goals no matter what, all the while staying true to their Chinoy roots. If we are to make this remotely close to a possibility, we might as well start with ourselves first,” Alvin Tan sums up best.
Catch 1CH1NOY: Chinese by Blood, Filipino by Heart only on CNN Philippines via Free TV Channel 9, Sky Cable Channel 14, Cignal Channel 10. It will also simultaneously air on CNN Philippines’ webpage www.cnnphilippines.com.
