Bakekang, the US version

Newsbreak contributor, Ralph Bartholomew, writes about the success of Ugly Betty (or more known as Betty La Fea here in the local shores) in the United States. His article, which appeared in the magazine's recent January issue, also noted the success of telenovelas (chinovelas, koreanovelas, teleserye, fantaserye, among others) here in the Philippines.

"Here in the Philippines, as well as in South and Central American nations, Taiwan and Korea, where telenovelas have thrived for years, the idea of a pioneering teleserye may sound like an oxymoron," Bartholomew wrote. "Ever since 1996, when the Mexican import Marimar, which debuted on RPN-9, dominated ratings and made the actress Thalia a household name, foreign and local telenovelas have been staple of Philippine prime-time television."

Read the story here.

In case you do not know, Bakekang is the name of a hit soap opera in local network GMA-7 about an aesthetically-challenged woman who succeeds despite the difficulties and discrimination she encounters in life.

Personally, I am not much of a fan of these soap operas. Give me Bakokang instead.