Channel 4 documentary looking for nurses to share their experiences

Des Daniels from Lion TV asked us to pass on this message:

We are currently producing a programme for Channel 4 about hospital nursing and midwifery. We would like to hear about experiences from both nurses and patients. We are interested to find out about specific situations or events during your stay or work in hospital with the view of potentially doing an interview on camera. For example as a patient did the nurses make you feel safe and looked after or did something go wrong. If you are a nurse or midwife how do you find the day to day working life? What works well and what could be improved?

Whatever you tell us, we’ll treat the information confidentially and anonymously where necessary. Our aim is to make an fair and balanced programme about experiences in NHS hospitals today.

If you have a story to tell or if you would like to know more please feel free to get in touch by emailing me at [email protected] or you can call us on 0208 846 2175.

New TV Show is looking for Brits with a South East Asian Background

A TV production company is looking for young people with a South East Asian background to take part in a series revolving around food. The programme will take people on a cultural journey to South East Asia to give them a chance to see where and how our favourite foods are made.

They’ve asked us to post this press release:

Are you of South East Asian origin? A brand new BBC TV show is looking for Brits with a South East Asian background to go on a journey of discovery to find out here our food comes from.

Does food play a major role in your life?

Ever wondered where your food comes from?

Have you never had the chance to visit Asia?

We want to give you the chance to travel to South East Asia to find out how the food we eat is made.

If you are aged between 18 and 26 and interested in finding out more,
Please call one of the team on 01273 224 819
Or email [email protected]

Why you should ignore the petition against ‘Harry and Paul’

Over the past few days, the Filipino community has been brewing a storm over Episode 4 of the ‘Harry and Paul’ show. It contained a short sketch featuring a Filipina maid which some people found offensive enough to start a petition.

I don’t watch the show but caught the clip via the BBC iPlayer service. Personally, I think that the those complaining missed the real butt of the joke and that the issue was being blown out of proportion.

It was not the Filipina maid who was being mocked. The target was the British class system and culture. The skit ridicules stereotypes of the dim-witted Northerner and the pompous upper middle-class Englishman. What you see in the ‘Harry and Paul’ comedy series are typical examples of British self-deprecating and satirical humour.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines satire as:
“the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticise people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.”

You will find that this explains the comedy series perfectly. The same episode similarly pokes fun at Americans, South Africans and Russians, but above all, it mocks the latent stupidity within British culture.

Folks, this show is about British people laughing at themselves, not Filipinos.

As a community, we cannot overreact at every hint of perceived offence to our culture. We have more important things to be concerned about, such as the foreign national ID card. The National ID card and National Identity Register are serious intrusions into our right to privacy and freedom. For more information, please see no2id.

Edit: I’d just like to point out that these are my views. I’m not speaking on behalf of the Filipino community or anyone who is or has been associated with Phil-UK.

Here’s a clip showing the sketch:


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Documentary production company needs translators

A Chiswick based production company is currently filming a medical-based documentary in the Philippines and requires translators beginning the 22nd of August. They need 4-5 people to be able to translate from Tagalog and possibly Hiligaynon.

They will provide successful candidates with timecoded DVD’s from the 22nd of August and will need to have translated word for word onto a formatted word document as soon as possible.

This job is paid and will be negotiated on query.

Please get in touch ASAP if you’re interested and I’ll send you contact information.

Work experience for a TV production company

A London-based TV production company wants two fluent Filipino speakers to transcribe footage filmed in the Philippines. The position is available immediately until mid June. This is an unpaid work experience placement but they’ll cover travel expenses.

You’ll see the editing process within a small production company and get the chance to explore other departments. This should be great for your CV if you’d like to break into the industry.

Get in touch ASAP if you’re interested and I’ll send you more information.

Talk to a TV production company about balut

Are any UK-based Filipinos out there interested in being interviewed by a TV production company?

We just been contacted by a producer who’s looking for Filipinos willing to take part in some background research. The company is thinking about creating a program about unusual international delicacies. Of course, when it comes to the Philippines, the most obvious choice is to feature something about balut. They’d like to chat with people to get an idea of balut’s culinary properties and cultural significance.

If you’d like to be interviewed, please let me know and I’ll pass on your contact details. Should the project go ahead, they expect filming to take place over the next month or so. Time is tight so drop me a note as soon as possible.