Bash landing on you: Sen. Jinggoy clarifies statement about banning K-dramas

After being mercilessly pilloried on social media over an earlier statement he had made about banning K-dramas, Senator Jinggoy Estrada clarified on Wednesday that he was only speaking out of frustration over the state of the Philippine entertainment industry.

During Tuesday’s Tuesday’s budget hearing for the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Estrada had confessed that the idea of outlawing Korean dramas and other foreign-produced television programs occasionally crossed his mind due to the lack of patronage for the local film industry.

The statement stirred up a hornet’s nest among netizens who blamed the pathetic quality of entertainment produced in the Philippines for the viewing public’s lack of appetite for local TV shows and films. The netizens argued that instead of banning world-class Korean dramas and movies that earn accolades around the world, the senator should incentivize the Filipino entertainment industry to uplift its standards and produce quality content that is able to compete in the global stage.

A day after his unfortunate brain fart, Estrada clarified that his earlier statement was not a proposal to outlaw Korean and other foreign-produced entertainment in the country.

His statement, which was posted on his Facebook page, reads:

Kaugnay sa aking pahayag kahapon sa mga foreign-made shows, my statement stems from the frustration that while we are only too eager and willing to celebrate South Korea’s entertainment industry, we have sadly allowed our own to deteriorate because of the lack of support from the moviegoing public. I wish that the zealousness of our kababayans in patronizing foreign artists can be replicated to support our homegrown talents who I strongly believe are likewise world-class. I have nothing against South Korea’s successes in the entertainment field and admittedly, we have much to learn from them. Pero huwag naman nating kalimutan at balewalain ang trabaho, ang mga pinaghirapan at angking likha ng ating mga kapwa Pilipino. South Korea’s phenomenal success is rooted in their love of country. It is high time that we follow their example and do the same for our own entertainment industry that is at best, barely surviving.

Estrada, who is also an actor and producer, has starred in such cinematic gems as “Ang Erpat Kong Astig” and “Walang Iwanan…Peksman!”