GMA Public Affairs

GMA Public Affairs is the public affairs division of the Philippine media conglomerate GMA Network, Inc. that currently produces and airs documentaries, magazine, anthology, infotainment and other public affairs genre programs and content for free-to-air TV channels (GMA Network and GTV) and online platforms. It later ventured into television series and movie production.

History
GMA's Public Affairs division was established in 1987 when Tina Monzon-Palma, then head of GMA News, recognized that a 30-minute newscast was not adequate and sufficient to inform the general Filipino public on what is happening to the recently established Aquino government after the historic People Power Revolution in February 1986.

The public affairs division started with five news personnel including Marissa La Torre-Flores (who would later lead GMA News and Public Affairs as its senior vice president until 2022), and held office inside the cameramen's locker room before moving into the state-of-the-art GMA Network Center with no experience, equipment, camera and an improvised set broadcasting at the old GMA building in EDSA with only a passion-to-work attitude. Today this division, with more than 500 news personnel—both locally based and with international assignments—and producing 16 of the most awarded programs on Philippine television today, is one of the more active.

Weekend with Velez was the first network-produced public affairs program on GMA, afterward renamed Velez This Week and was hosted by Jose Mari Velez.

From a makeshift and improvised set, the once GMA News garnered several honors and recognitions from local and international award-giving bodies, including two gold medals in the New York Festivals and their first Peabody Award in 1999.

Coinciding with its 20th anniversary in broadcasting excellence, GMA News and Public Affairs aired a documentary entitled 20: Dalawampung Taon ng GMA Public Affairs (20: Twenty Years of GMA Public Affairs) on October 28, 2007.

On April 27, 2020, GMA News and Public Affairs Digital launched a podcast channel available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Effective October 2022, as Flores stepped down in retirement as SVP of News and Current Affairs, GMA News rebranded as "GMA Integrated News" with the appointment of Oliver Victor Amoroso as its head, splitting GMA News and Public Affairs into two distinct departments. GMA Public Affairs retained its name with First Vice President Nessa Valdellon currently heading the department.

Accolades
In 1999, George Foster Peabody Award recognized the documentaries "Kidneys for Sale" and "Kamao" by Jessica Soho and the I-Witness team and Jay Taruc's child labor story on Brigada Siete. On December 9, 2003, the Philippine House of Representatives 12th Congress commended GMA News and Public Affairs through Resolution 787 authored by Rep. Rodolfo Plaza for its efforts in uplifting the standards of the Philippine broadcast industry by receiving the first Peabody Award for television news awarded to an Asian country in 1999.

In 2010, Kara David's I-Witness documentary, "Ambulansiyang de Paa," won GMA News and Public Affairs second Peabody Award. GMA News TV's documentary program Reel Time's "Salat" episode received a Peabody Award in 2013. In 2014, Peabody awards recognized GMA News' State of the Nation with Jessica Soho, 24 Oras, Saksi, 24 Oras Weekend and Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho for its coverage of the Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

List of films

 * The Cheating Game (2023; co-produced with GMA Pictures)
 * Firefly (2023; co-produced with GMA Pictures)
 * Lost Sabungeros (2024; co-produced with GMA Pictures)