Simula ngayong July 2, 2023, Linggo, magsisimulang mapanood ang two-part episodes ng ika-sampung taong anibersaryo ng Biyahe ni Drew kunsaan, si Drew Arellano ang host.
Read: ‘Biyahe ni Drew’ to air 2-part 10th anniversary special episodes
Isang dekada na pagbibiyahe at pagpapakilala ng iba’t ibang lugar sa loob at labas ng bansa ay hindi biro. Pero, nagawa ni Drew at ng kanilang programa.
Nang tanungin tungkol sa pakiramdam niya na sampung taon na ang Biyahe ni Drew sa naging zoom mediacon, nagbiro ito na pakiramdam niya ay matanda na siyang talaga.
“How do I feel? Wow, sometimes I feel old when you realize na ilang years na naming ginagawa ‘to,” aniya.
“'Tapos nakita ko kanina na 500 plus episodes na pala ang Biyahe ni Drew. You know, you feel old but at the same time, you feel very blessed.
“Even though some shoots are tiring, it’s always fulfilling. There’s nothing like having a different experience every week, malaking bagay iyon.
"And even though, merong mahirap like sometimes, puyat and whatever challenges that will come our way during our shoot, palagi kong iniisip na we’re so blessed pa rin because hindi kami na-stuck sa office job.”
At saka ito nagpasintabi sa mga may office job daw.
Pero sabi rin niya, “You know what I mean? It’s still a pretty cool feeling to host a travel show. And I think a lot of people would kill to take my place as a travel show host.”
Going Hallyu
Kadalasan na hindi masyadong popular o "unadulterated" na mga lugar ang itinatampok ng Biyahe ni Drew. Pero para sa kanilang ika-sampung taong anibersaryo, tila nakisakay sa kasikatan ng "Hallyu" o "Korean wave" ang show.
Kasama pa ni Drew sa kanyang biyahe sa South Korea ang misis niyang si Iya Villania.
“I think, hindi natin puwedeng hindi banggitin na there’s really such a K-pop craze, anything Korean. And at the same time, we never featured that side of Korea before, lalo na a one whole episode.
"It’s such a phenomenon and you know, one of our goals naman as a travel show is to let the viewers also have the chance to experience such thing, in what we experienced in South Korea.
“Ang first episode kasi, focusing on K-pop and K-drama, then second episode, focusing on the other side.
"But If we go back to K-pop, K-drama, tourists can actually immerse themselves in that culture, because they have this one building—actually, Korean Tourism organization. Multi-level building nila and it’s everything.
"It’s such a grand thing. At puwede pala ang mga turista rito.
“Lalo na tayong mga Filipino, ang daming K-pop, K-drama fans.
"So, once we heard this episode, automatic yan, iisipin nila, I want to experience that too. But at least, we make an option for them to experience that as well.”
DREW, THE "ULTIMATE BIYAHERO"
Dahil na rin sa show niyang Biyahe ni Drew, tinatawag siyang "Ultimate Biyahero." Ano ang pakiramdam niya tungkol dito?
“Sometimes, nahihiya ako,” nakangiti niyang sagot.
“Of course, nakakahiya lang just to be put up on that actual name. But siyempre, I feel proud because it’s not just me, but also my team. Mostly my team, ako lang ang humaharap sa camera.
“And yun nga, like what I mentioned a while ago, it’s such a blessing. It’s such an honor to host a travel show and to host for this long, to do this show for this long and experience so many beautiful places, so many good food, and meet interesting people along the way.
“So yeah, if I can do this for another ten years, that would be okay.”
Sa two-part 10th anniversary special ng Biyahe ni Drew, kasama niya si Iya sa pagbiyahe. Pero sa normal na mga biyahe niya para sa show, madalas ay siya lang mag-isa.
Dahil nakikita silang madalas na tila hands-on parents sa kanilang apat na anak, may usapan ba sila nila ni Iya na hindi sila dapat magkasabay na bumibiyahe para may maiwan kina Primo (5), Leon (3), Alana, (2) at Astro (1)?
“A lot of people think that my week is really loaded with work. It’s actually not,” lahad niya.
“Currently, I do my Biyahe ni Drew Wednesday-Thursday. I do AHA either Tuesday or Friday, which is another GMA show. But most days, I’m home pretty much.
“Iya does 'Chika Minute’ weeknights. So she needs to leave lang around 5:40 P.M. and she comes home. So, we’re so lucky to be put into that position that we have a lot of quality time with the kids and with each other.”
Ang 10th anniversary special ng Biyahe ni Drew sa South Korea ay mapapanood ngayong July 2 at 9, 8:30 P.M. sa GTV.