菲中电视台——施玉娥和庄琳琳推动菲华人文化

（本文摘自《亚洲飞龙》杂志第54页至57页）

They’re putting Mandarin in the spotlight
To encourage youngsters to speak the language, mother-and-daughter team Lolita and Louella Ching create fresh and engaging content for TV

By Joy Rojas
Photographs: Paul San Juan

When your mother also happens to be your boss, expect work to carry over into your home—or bedroom, in the case of Chinatown TV founder and president Lolita Ching and her only child, daughter Louella Hazeline.

“We used to stay together in one room,” says Lolita with a giggle. “Now she moved to her own room. And she closes the door!”

“She would literally come into my room at 3 or 4 am and wake me up to ask if I replied to some emails,” explains Louella, Chinatown TV producer. “I tell her, ‘Office hours, please!’”

Indeed, running the first and only hour-long Chinese-Filipino newsmagazine program is a full-time commitment whose demands can really gnaw at you—it’s practically what preoccupies the minds and conversations of this mother-and-daughter duo. So when stress levels reach an all-time high, the elder Ching, who launched the groundbreaking nationwide show 17 years ago, usually leaves her daughter with a gentle reminder. “I always tell her, we’re making history,” she says with a sweet smile.

This they did last October when they launched Chinese News TV (CNTV), the first and only trilingual news program in the country. Airing Monday to Friday from 7 to 7:30 am on NET 25, CNTV delivers local and international news in Mandarin and English, supplemented with English subtitles and Pilipino headlines. Chinatown TV’s male and female hosts take turns anchoring the news written and translated by Louella, who also provides voiceovers on the show. “We work closely with the Chinese Embassy, and it was Ambassador Zhao Jianhua who encouraged us to come up with a news program,” she says.

Like the millennial-skewed Chinatown TV, CNTV’s goal is to expose the newer generations of Chinese-Filipino to Mandarin, a language that has apparently lost its relevance among the youth. “The only language they follow is English,” notes Lolita.

“Most of the younger generations today speak Fookien, which is spoken at home,” adds Louella. “It’s the provincial language, whereas Mandarin is like Filipino.” While cable TV, the internet, and even the mandatory Chinese language programs offered in schools are helpful, they have their limitations, too, says Louella. It’s harder to assimilate a language when there is not enough material, she points out.

Being fluent in Mandarin isn’t just a way for Chinese-Filipino to honor their roots. Louella, who learned to speak it as a child by watching Mandarin TV shows every day with her dad, would eventually find it useful in her professional life. The Applied Mathematics graduate from the Ateneo de Manila University received a language bonus for her ability to converse and do business in Mandarin when she worked for a year at Deutsche Bank and then in Canada as a financial analyst. “It’s definitely given me an advantage everywhere I go,” she says.

For now, her closest friends are starting to see the value in it. Some have subscribed to Chinatown TV and CNTV’s YouTube channels, while others have gone as far as spending a year in China to study Mandarin. “A lot of people are realizing the importance of the language,” she says. “Whether you plan to get into business or not, it’s an added asset.”

Developments like these are a huge victory for Lolita, who never saw her unexpected foray into broadcasting as a moneymaking venture. “I treat it as an advocacy,” she says. “We try to be the bridge between Filipino and Chinese cultures.”

To achieve this, mother and daughter support popular events mounted by the local Chinese community. In 2013, the Chings revived interest in the long-running Mr. and Miss Chinatown Philippines pageant, co-producing it with ABS-CBN. Together with the network giant, the ladies also co-produced the traditional countdown to Chinese New Year at the Quirino Grandstand for a number of years. The elder Ching believes that this annual telecast influenced the Philippine government to declare the Lunar New Year a public holiday.

And then there is Chinatown TV’s preference for the word Tsinoy (instead of intsik) to describe members of the Chinese-Filipino community. The constant use has since made it part of the Pinoy vernacular. Today, the Chings’ office on Escolta Street displays a number of Anak TV awards, an accolade given to personalities and programs that promote television literacy and child-sensitive, family-friendly shows. “I think we helped in our own little way,” Lolita says with characteristic modesty.

A Business Administration graduate from Mapua Institute of Technology, Lolita imported cement for a living, and one of her regular clients was William Tieng. Many years before he became chairman of media outfit Solar Entertainment Corporation, Tieng had a middle-class housing project; he also brought in Chinese films, which he supplied to local movie theaters.

In the ’80s, Tsinoy cinemas suffered with the arrival of the Sony Betamax, a consumer product that allowed the mass market to watch films at home and as often as they liked by loading the machine with a movie in a cassette format magnetic tape. With so many unscreened films in his possession, Tieng turned to Lolita, an active figure in the Chinese community, and managed to convince her to put up a Chinese variety TV program so he could show the films he acquired.

Ching initially thought he was joking, but after some hesitation she plunged whole-heartedly into it, surveying students in Chinese schools to ask what they wanted to watch and auditioning potential hosts for the show. When she was ready, Tieng, to her surprise, had gone off to the US to shop for content for Solar Entertainment.

By then it was too late for the petite lady to back out. “I started it, I might as well finish it,” she said, and went to look for a network to air her show’s pilot episode—a task that was easier said than done. “It’s so hard to buy air time,” she says of those early years. “And it’s not about how much you have but who you know.”

Eventually, Ching found a home in NBN 4 after she saved the government station from having its electricity cut on the day she dropped by. Known as AM@ NBN, it lasted a year as the network was scheduled to be reformatted into a sports channel following the change in administration. Ching then moved to IBC 13 where she has been ever since. AM@IBC became Chinatown TV in 2012 and the 60-minute program with fresh and engaging segments on art, beauty, food, fashion, sports, people, places, and topics of interest to the Chinese-Filipino community airs every Sunday, 10 to 11 am and 11 pm to 12 midnight. The shows are also broadcast on NET 25 every Saturday from 9 to 10 am, thanks to a memorandum of agreement signed between the Chings and the top brass of Eagle Broadcasting Corporation in December 2016.

For all she’s achieved, often single-handedly and with no experience, Lolita, now a tireless 70, credits William Tieng as the godfather of Chinatown TV. When the two eventually crossed paths, Tieng graciously gave her half of her initial investment in the business. To some extent, Chinatown TV still operates the old-fashioned way. “As long as you find peace with me, okay sa akin,” says Lolita, who continues to maintain many of her original employees. But with Louella’s return from Canada in July 2016, the business has been infused with what she calls “millennial contributions.” She pushed for a website (www.chinatowntv. net), opened Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube accounts, and created a formal media kit. Last August, she partnered with the dating site www.kaysiao.com and organized “Dice & Dine,” a Chinese singles party timed with the Mid-Autumn Festival. Held at the Makati Shangri-La hotel, the intimate social gathering that doubled as a marketing event for Chinatown TV was a huge success, with all its 200 tickets sold.

Her involvement couldn’t have come at a better time. Lolita was recovering from a stroke, and Louella found herself at a career crossroads. “When I came back, I saw that this was where I was needed,” she says. Together, mother and daughter have set their sights on the obvious next step of their venture: to have the first dedicated 24-hour Chinese network in the Philippines. “Other Southeast Asian countries with big Chinese communities have one,” says Louella. “TV may not be for the future, but it’s still a platform that can be viewed digitally or through an online counterpart.”

This means more work for the twosome—and more barging into Louella’s bedroom at 3 am? “I’m very stubborn. I always believe in my way,” says Lolita with a giggle. “And she’s very stubborn, too.”

“We have a very strong love-hate relationship,” admits Louella, a confession that makes her mother laugh. “But I’m used to her scolding me. At the end of the day, no hard feelings, it’s for the betterment of the show.”

Leisure trips diffuse any tension between the two. Lolita, a widow for the past five years, has been to all the Disneylands (and their rides) with her daughter. The Chings have also traveled to the US and Europe together and enjoy the occasional cruise.

If conflict between this mother and child is inevitable, so are admiration, respect, and love.

“Sometimes, old ways don’t always work,” says Lolita with a smile.

“After arguing with her, there are many instances when I realize I was wrong,” concedes Louella. “She knows better than I do.”

她们让普通话引起关注
为了鼓励年轻人讲这种语言，施玉娥和庄琳琳这对母女档为电视创作了新鲜而引人入胜的内容

当你的母亲也是你的老板时，要做好将工作带回家或者睡房里的准备。这是菲中电视台创办人兼台长施玉娥和她的独生女庄琳琳的故事。

施玉娥笑着说：「我们曾经还睡一个房间。现在她搬到自己的房间了，并且关上门！」

菲中电视台制作人庄琳琳解释说：「她会在早上三、四点进入我的房间叫醒我，问我有没有回复电子邮件。我告诉她，请在办公室时间谈！」

确实，经营第一个也是唯一一个菲华新闻节目，是一种全职承诺，其要求真的可以吞噬一个人——因此，这对母女档所想的和彼此之间的对话，基本说都围绕着它。因此，当压力快爆棚时，17年前推出这个里程碑式全国节目的施玉娥，通常会这样劝告她的女儿：「我经常这样告诉她，我们是在创造历史。」她甜蜜地微笑着。

Atty. Citedina Zarate, EBC President Jorge A. Cabacungan, Lolita Ching, and Louella Ching (Photo courtesy of Eagle Broadcasting Corporation)

她们去年10月推出国内第一个也是唯一一个中文电视节目菲中新闻台。菲中新闻台每周一至周五早上7时至7时半在NET 25播出，以普通话和英语报道本地和国际新闻，配上英文字幕和菲语标题。菲中电视台的男女主播轮番报道由庄琳琳撰写和翻译的新闻。她也为节目提供配音。她说：「我们和大使馆密切合作，是赵鉴华大使鼓励我们制作这个节目的。」

就像倾向于千禧一代的菲中电视台一样，菲中新闻台的目标是让年轻一代的华裔菲人接触到普通话，显然在年轻一代中这门语言已无关紧要。施玉娥说：「他们懂得的唯一语言是英语。」

庄琳琳补充说：「现在多数年轻一代在家里讲的是闽南话。这就像外省方言一样，而普通话就像菲律宾语。」她说，虽然有线电视、互联网和学校提供的强制中文课程有帮助，它们也有局限性。她指出，若没有足够的材料，很难吸收一种语言。

普通话流利不只是华裔菲人尊重他们的根的方法，从小和父亲每天看普通话电视节目长大的庄琳琳认为，它对自己的专业生涯非常有帮助。从亚典耀大学应用数学系毕业的她，在德意志银行工作一年，以及到加拿大担任金融分析师期间，因能讲普通话和可以用它和客人交流而获得语言补贴。她说：「无论我去到哪里，它绝对能为我带来好处。」

目前，她最亲密的朋友开始看到它的价值。他们有些人已经关注菲中电视台和菲中新闻台的YouTube频道，有些甚至到中国学习普通话一年。她说：「很多人认识到语言的重要性。无论你是否想经商，这是额外的资产。」

这些发展对施玉娥来说是巨大的胜利，她从未想过通过意外进入广播行业赚钱。她说：「我视它为一种鼓吹运动。我们试图在菲律宾和中华文化之间搭建一座桥梁。」

为了达到这个目的，这对母女支持本地华社的一些著名活动。在2013年，她们恢复了历史悠久的菲华小姐和菲华先生选美赛，并与ABS-CBN共同制作。她们也和这个电视台一起在基仁诺检阅台举办传统的春节倒计时活动多年。施玉娥相信，这个一年一度的电视直播节目，影响了菲律宾政府宣布农历新年为公共假日。

还有就是菲中电视台坚持使用华裔菲人（Tsinoy）而不是引叔（intsik）来称呼菲华社区。经常使用这个名词已让它成为菲人常用词汇之一。

今日，她们在伊斯古沓街的办公室内，摆放着许多Anak电视奖，这个奖是颁发给那些推广电视扫盲、对儿童敏感和对家庭友善的节目的人。施玉娥谦虚地说：「我认为我们以自己的方式提供了帮助。」

毕业于马波亚工专学院商业管理系的施玉娥以进口水泥为生，她的常客之一是丁家伦(William Tieng)。成为Solar娱乐公司董事长之前的许多年前，丁家伦有个中层阶级的住房项目；他也引进中文电影，并提供给本地电影院。

在上世纪八十年代，随着Sony录像带的兴起，让大众市场能够在家里看电影，华人电影院受到巨大影响。由于自己手上还有很多未播放的电影，丁家伦找到活跃于华社的施玉娥帮忙，并说服她设立一个中文电视综艺节目，并播放他购买的影片。

施玉娥刚开始以为他在开玩笑，但犹豫归犹豫，她还是全心全意投入，并在华文学校分发调查问卷给学生，问他们想看什么节目，同时寻找潜在的节目主持人。她准备好之后，很惊讶发现丁家伦去了美国寻找Solar娱乐公司的内容。

那时候，这名个子娇小的女子已经无法退缩了。她说：「我既然开始了，那就要有始有终。」她开始寻找愿意播映她的节目首档的电视台——这个任务说的简单做起来却很难。她说：「很难购买时段。这不是看你有多少钱，而是看你认识什么人。」

最终，施玉娥在NBN四号电视台找到了家，她进入他们办公室的当天，拯救了这个政府电视台的电力不会被剪断的危机。它当时被称为AM@NBN，存在了一年，因为随着更换政府，四号电视台计划被转变成一个体育频道。施玉娥就转移到IBC十三号电视台，一直到现在。 AM@IBC在2012年成为了菲中电视台，并每周日早上10点到11点，和晚上11点到12点推出1个小时的节目，介绍和菲华社区有关的艺术、美容、美食、体育、人物、地方和感兴趣的话题。根据施玉娥和老鹰广播公司于2016年12月签署的协议备忘录，这些节目也会于每周六早上9点至10点在NET 25播映。

她的一切成就，通常是自己一手创造出来的，而且先前毫无经验，现年70岁的施玉娥依然孜孜不倦。她称丁家伦为菲中电视台的教父。两人再次相遇时，丁家伦大方地支付了她在生意中最初投入的资本的一半。

在某种程度上，菲中电视台仍然以老旧方式继续运作。施玉娥说：「只要你能容得下我，我不会计较。」她仍然维持很多旧员工。但庄琳琳2016年7月从加拿大回来后，生意就加入了她声称的「千禧一代的贡献」。她推动设立网站（www.chinatowntv.net），开设脸书、Instagram和YouTube账号，并制作正式媒体资料包。去年8月，她和约会网站www.kaysiao.com合作，在马加智组织菲华单身人士「博中秋晚会」。这个社交聚会也充当菲中电视台的宣传活动，非常成功，卖掉了200张票。

她在最好的时机加入。施玉娥当时中风并在恢复中，而庄琳琳走到了职业生涯的十字路口。她说：「我回来后，看到这里需要我。」就这样，这对母女拍档将目光转向她们的生意的下一步：成立菲律宾第一个24小时中文频道。庄琳琳说：「有庞大华人社区的其他东南亚国家都有一个。电视可能不是未来，但它仍然是一个可以通过数码或网站来观看的平台。」

这意味着两人会有更多工作——是否会更频繁地在清晨3时进入琳琳的房间？施玉娥笑着说：「我很固执。我一直相信我自己的方式。她也很固执。」

庄琳琳承认：「我们有很强烈的爱恨交加的关系。」这句话让她母亲开怀大笑。庄琳琳说：「但我已经习惯她责骂我。最终都没往心里去，一切都是为了把节目做得更好。」

休闲旅游能化解两人之间的紧张情绪。守寡5年的施玉娥和女儿去过所有的迪士尼公园（包括它们的机动游戏）。她们也一起前往美国和欧洲旅游，偶尔也会乘坐邮轮。

如果母女的冲突不可避免，敬仰、尊重和爱亦然。

施玉娥微笑着说：「有时老方法不一定管用。」

庄琳琳承认：「和她争论后，很多情况下我意识到我是错的。她比我知道得更多。」