Presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said he is planning to do just what the South Korean government did with its highly popular K-drama and K-pop and come up with the Philippines' own version of "hallyu" that will have a great impact around the world.
In the press conference of “Yorme: The Isko Domagoso Story” last Nov. 26, Domagoso said he would invest heavily in the local entertainment industry to make it a global phenomenon too, should he win in the upcoming elections.
"If we can go on the same path where the Korean government spent so much money to develop their movie industry, I think we can do the same. It took them 20 years to introduce Korean culture through visual arts to the world, we can do it as well," he said.
The success of the Korean wave, especially K-pop groups like BTS and Blackpink, played a crucial role in boosting the economic growth of South Korea.
"Imagine how Korean culture is now ingrained globally. All because of their entertainment industry that is also contributing substantially to their economy,” Domagoso said.
“So just imagine if we can do the same for our talents and artists. They can surely conquer the world... the entertainment world. Imagine how it can help our economy grow. If BTS can do it, hopefully someday, somehow, we can do it also,” he said.
Domagoso also pointed out that providing a capital for the country's entertainment industry will help create more quality movies and television shows.
Through this, Filipino artists can also showcase their creativity and talent to the rest of the world, he added.
“So, all we need to do as government is to really invest. Ang ganda, ganda ng CCP . Ang ganda ng mga talents natin. Gwapo ang mga artista natin at talented silang lahat (Our talents are beautiful. Our artists are handsome and they are all talented). In fact, we keep on winning in terms of talent," said Domagoso, citing Filipino artists like Lea Salonga and John Arcilla.
“May K-Pop ba tayo? Pwede na ‘yung P-Pop, kahit anong pop basta Pilipino pop, ‘yun ang importante (Do we have K-Pop? P-Pop is fine, whatever pop, as long as it's Filipino pop, that's what's important). Let’s introduce that to the world and it can be done. It’s a matter of giving attention, value, premium, and time," the Manila mayor added.
Domagoso, who was an artist himself, said this is also his one way in giving back to the industry that once gave him a chance to rise up from poverty.
"This industry gave me the big push that opened up many opportunities in my life and if given the chance, this will be my way of giving back and thanking this industry," he said.
‘Yorme’ is a musical film that revolves around Domagoso’s rise from a being scavenger into an actor and later as a public servant through hard work, perseverance, and always looking after the welfare of the ordinary people.