THE PHILIPPINES, MARCH 6, 2012: To celebrate its 25th year in the Philippine airwaves, ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol launched the “TV Patrol Balitandaan” (a play on “balita” and “palatandaan” – news and marker or clue, respectively) alongside its special silver anniversary episode, which aired March 5, 2012. Each week, one mini-monument will be unveiled in a landmark significant to one of the 25 biggest news events in the past 25 years.
Along with “Balitandaan”, a fundraising campaign dubbed “Beinte Singko Para sa Kabayan Ko” (Twenty-five for my Countrymen). Customized TV Patrol cans will be distributed to 25 provinces in the country, to be filled by the citizens by dropping in 25 cents. A targeted PHP2.5 M will be given to selected beneficiaries.
TV Patrol first aired in 1987, originally hosted by Robert Arevalo, Mel Tiangco, Angelique Lazo, and Noli “Kabayan” de Castro. TV Patrol became the first news program to deliver news on weekends and also the first to be available online via live streaming. It began its worldwide simulcast in 1994 through The Filipino Channel.
It also underwent several anchor switches through the years, which included Frank Evangelista, Christine Bersola, Julius Babao, Aljo Bendijo, Ces Orena Drilon, Henry Omaga Diaz, Karen Davila, Alex Santos, and Bernadette Sembrano (the latter two for the weekend edition). The current hosts are de Castro, Korina Sanchez, and Ted Failon.
Among its innovations is the Bayan Mo, iPatrol Mo (Your Town, You Patrol), formerly Citizen Patrol and dubbed as Boto Mo, iPatrol Mo (Your Vote, You Patrol) during the election period, which engages viewers to provide their own news updates gathered and recorded using their cellular phones, digital cameras, and other devices, sent as text messages, MMS, email, or status updates through social networks.
