They say the more success you achieve, the more you appreciate your humble beginnings.

This became the theme of "Tagumpay ng Kapuso," GMA Network's 60^th anniversary station ID. Gathering entertainment and news personalities, plus network officials and employees, the station ID celebrates the Kapuso's climb to the top, years after "it all started with a dream."

Still using the music video format now being frequently used by local networks in their station IDs, "Tagumpay ng Kapuso" starts with clips from GMA Network's early years. Those who have been a "Kapuso" even before the term was coined will surely feel nostalgic upon seeing videos from old programs like Student Canteen and That's Entertainment, as well as images of GMA-7 icons Helen Vela, Inday Badiday, Uncle Bob and more. Accompanying these images is a stirring song with lyrics about the changes that the network has gone through over the years.

And when the music transitions to its upbeat, modern  pop-rock the video shows GMA-7 today, taking pride in its technology, facilities, awards and people.  Viewers are shown the transmission tower, the OB vans, the state of the art equipment and studios, a stable of TV superstars—all assets that the network did not have when it started small, 60 years ago.

Amidst the showcase of network pride and company patriotism, the station ID takes viewers behind the scenes, to give us a rare glimpse of the people behind GMA-7's recipe for success.


Like a restaurant with a glass-walled kitchen, we actually see how Kapuso personalites cook up for viewers everyday: their programs, their finished products. Although obviously staged, the scenes depict Kapuso values and the work environment, something that viewers usually miss when we are too focused on just getting our news from 24 Oras or entertainment from Party Pilipinas.

The message we see in this station ID is that GMA-7 will never be where it is today without these values and without the solid company culture they cultivated through the years. The programs they serve us everyday aren't just TV productions but the collective dedication, time and hard work of their personalities and employees. Pursuing all these values, their success story will go on and together they will reach even greater heights.

The station ID effectively drums up company pride and even morale among the network's people.  It makes one feel good about belonging to such a respectable organization with a rich history and inspiring success story.

But something's lacking. In the effort to put the spotlight on the good men and women of GMA-7, less focus has been devoted to the role of the public—the audience and fans—in the network's growth as one of the country's broadcast industry leaders.


To follow-up on the restaurant kitchen analogy, yes, we caught a glimpse but there's still a glass wall that separates the viewers from the performers, and differentiates the normal people (fans) from the adored few (stars).  Despite the insider's perspective, at the end of the day, we're still outsiders.

This is why among all the scenes in the station ID, it is the Eat Bulaga and Party Pilipinas segments that can evoke the most emotions— even when compared to the grand finale with the celebratory fireworks.  For station IDs of this kind to connect well with the audience, it must give the fans a sense of belonging to the network, an entitlement to call the network their own (and in return, be acknowledged as one of the network's assets). They should feel like guests in the victory party and not just gatecrashers. Especially now that this is not just any other celebration for GMA-7: it's their sixth decade in the broadcast industry.

And speaking of the 60^th year milestone, it might also have helped in upping the SID's "goosebump factor" if GMA-7 added more clips from the past showing their highlights and triumphs throughout the years. After all, the ID is about network's moments of  "tagumpay."  The network's evolution should have been a rich source of materials.

All in all, this particular station ID should be remembered for being different from GMA's previous works—from the concept to the theme music—and GMA should be commended for exploring braver and bolder ideas. Also a noticeable difference of this latest ID is the positive energy that it brings, giving not even a single hint of the fierce network wars that GMA-7 is currently involved with. No affirmations of affiliations, no battle cries against the competition. 


The 60th anniversary station ID simply celebrates GMA-7's colorful history, shows gratitude for its achievements, and rightfully boasts the Kapuso spirit.