GMA Public Affairs is the
public affairs division of the Philippine media conglomerate
GMA Network, Inc. that currently produces and airs documentaries, magazine, tv series, films, anthology, infotainment and other public affairs genre programs and content for free-to-air TV channels (
GMA Network
GMA Network (an acronym of its legal name, Global Media Arts and commonly known as GMA) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine commercial broadcast network, serving as the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network (company), ...
and
GTV) and online platforms. It later ventured into television series and movie production.
History
GMA's Public Affairs division was established in 1987
when
Tina Monzon-Palma, then head of
GMA News, recognized that a 30-minute newscast was not adequate and sufficient to inform the general Filipino public on what is happening to the recently established
Aquino government after the historic
People Power Revolution in February 1986.
The public affairs division started with five news personnel including Marissa La Torre-Flores (who would later lead GMA News and Public Affairs as its senior vice president until 2022), and held office inside the cameramen's locker room before moving into the state-of-the-art
GMA Network Center
The GMA Network Center is the headquarters and broadcast complex of GMA Network, a major radio and television network in the Philippines. It is located at EDSA corner Timog Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. It is the network's main television and ...
with no experience, equipment, camera and an improvised set broadcasting at the old GMA building in
EDSA with only a passion-to-work attitude.
Today this division, with more than 500 news personnel—both locally based and with international assignments—and producing 16 of the most awarded programs on Philippine television today, is one of the more active.
''
Weekend with Velez'' was the first network-produced public affairs program on GMA, afterward renamed ''Velez This Week'' and was hosted by Jose Mari Velez.
From a makeshift and improvised set, the once GMA News and Public Affairs garnered several honors and recognitions from local and international award-giving bodies, including two gold medals in the New York Festivals and their first
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
in 1999.
Coinciding with its 20th anniversary in broadcasting excellence, GMA News and Public Affairs aired a documentary entitled ''20: Dalawampung Taon ng GMA Public Affairs'' (''20: Twenty Years of GMA Public Affairs'') on October 28, 2007.
On April 27, 2020, GMA News and Public Affairs Digital launched a podcast channel available on
Spotify and
Apple Podcasts.
Effective October 2022, as Flores stepped down in retirement as SVP of News and Public Affairs, GMA News rebranded as "
GMA Integrated News
GMA Integrated News (simply known as GMA News; formerly known as RBS News Department, GMA Radio-Television News and GMA Rainbow Satellite News; and later GMA News and Public Affairs) is the news division of the Philippine media company GMA Network ...
" with the appointment of Oliver Victor Amoroso as its head/SVP, splitting GMA News and Public Affairs into two distinct departments. GMA Public Affairs retained its name with Nessa Valdellon currently heading the department as its First Vice President (FVP).
Accolades
In 1999,
George Foster Peabody Award recognized the documentaries "Kidneys for Sale" and "Kamao" by Jessica Soho and the ''
I-Witness'' team and Jay Taruc's child labor story on ''
Brigada Siete''.
On December 9, 2003, the
Philippine House of Representatives 12th Congress commended GMA News and Public Affairs through Resolution 787 authored by Rep. Rodolfo Plaza for its efforts in uplifting the standards of the Philippine broadcast industry by receiving the first Peabody Award for television news awarded to an Asian country in 1999.
In 2010,
Kara David's ''
I-Witness'' documentary, "Ambulansiyang de Paa," won GMA News and Public Affairs second Peabody Award.
GMA News TV's documentary program ''
Reel Times "Salat" episode received a Peabody Award in 2013. In 2014, Peabody awards recognized ''
Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho'' and four GMA News programs ''
State of the Nation with Jessica Soho'', ''
24 Oras'', ''
Saksi'', ''24 Oras Weekend'' for its coverage of the
Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
Programs
Currently aired TV programs
Defunct TV programs
List of films
*''
The Cheating Game'' (2023; co-produced with
GMA Pictures)
*''
Firefly'' (2023; co-produced with GMA Pictures)
*''Lost Sabungeros'' (2024; co-produced with GMA Pictures)
*''
Green Bones'' (2024; co-produced with GMA Pictures, distributed by
Sony Pictures Releasing International via
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
label)
*''
P77'' (2025; co-produced with GMA Pictures, distributed by
Warner Bros. Pictures)
List of drama series
*
''Titser'' (2013)
*
''Katipunan'' (2013)
*''
Sa Puso ni Dok'' (2014)
*
''Ilustrado'' (2014)
*''
Dangwa'' (2015)
*''
D' Originals'' (2017)
*''
I Heart Davao'' (2017)
*''
My Guitar Princess'' (2018)
*''
Inday Will Always Love You'' (2018)
*''
TODA One I Love'' (2019)
*''
One of the Baes'' (2019–2020)
*''
The Lost Recipe'' (2021)
*''
Owe My Love'' (2021)
*''
Love You Stranger'' (2022)
*''
Lolong'' (2022–present)
*''
The Write One'' (2023)
*''Zero Kilometers Away'' (2023)
*''In My Dreams'' (2023)
*''
Black Rider'' (2023–2024)
*''
Makiling'' (2024)
*''Recipes of Love'' (2024)
*''
Maka'' (2024–present)
*''
My Ilonggo Girl'' (2025)
*''
Beauty Empire'' (2025)
Presenters
Program presenters
References
External links
*
{{GMA Network Inc.
GMA Network (company) divisions