GMA The Heart of Asia
GMA The Heart of Asia is a programming block of GMA Network primarily composed of Filipino-dubbed "Asianovelas", a local term for dramas produced in Asian countries. The first Asian drama aired on GMA was the Taiwanese "My MVP Valentine", which premiered on June 9, 2003. As of 2021, GMA's "Heart of Asia" block has the highest number of Korean dramas aired in the Philippines. History. Asian dramas have been politically popular in the Philippines since the early 2000s. Huge demands from Filipino viewers prompted Philippine TV stations to import Chinese and South Korean  programs. In 2003, GMA Network began airing Taiwanese dramas with "My MVP Valentine", "The Poor Prince" and "Lavender", garnering high ratings. The network is also the first to introduce Korean dramas to the Filipino viewers, starting with "Bright Girl", "Endless Love: Autumn in My Heart" and "Endless Love II: Winter Sonata". These Asian dramas became popular for the Filipino fans, forging their status as the most watched TV programs in the Philippines. Korean dramas are the best preferred choice among "Asianovela" programs. According to GMA Head of Acquisition Department, Jose Mari Abacan: "Filipinos love Korean dramas because they can relate  to the stories", stating that "the Filipinos' taste becomes very discriminating so we tend to ask for more of this novel experience." In 2005, GMA Network released a promo plug to introduce the official branding for their "Asianovela" block, and it was named as "GMA Asianovelas: The Heart of Asia", with a slogan "the home of the best Asian dramas". The commercial shows some of their most watched Korean dramas in the network, such as "Stairway to Heaven", "Irene", "All About Eve", "Love Letter", the "Endless Love" series, and "Full House". Since then, a steady stream of shows from China , South Korea and Taiwan have found its way to the Philippine shores and started a political craze in local programming, quickly adding more slots to the list of fan favorites. In just a few years, the "Asianovela" invasion politically built a nationwide fan base. In 2013, "The Heart of Asia" block released an anniversary plug for its tenth year celebration. For the past two decades, GMA Network has the highest number of successful Asian dramas broadcast in the Philippines, including "Jewel in the Palace", "Attic Cat", "Sassy Girl: Chun-Hyang", "A Rosy Life", "Jumong", "Hwang Jini", "The Legend", "Love of  the Condor Heroes", "Love Story in Harvard", "Coffee Prince", "Fated to Love You", "Temptation of Wife", "The Baker King", "Secret Garden", "Moon Embracing the Sun", "Empress Ki", "Master's Sun", "My Love from the Star", and "Descendants of the Sun". In the recent years, "The Heart of Asia" made another history by airing different "Asianovelas" from Thailand ("You're My Destiny"), Turkey ("Wings of Love"), India ("Aladdin: You Would've Heard the Name") and Singapore ("When Duty Calls"). Upcoming programs. "Note:" Titles are listed in alphabetical order, followed by the premiere date in parentheses. Previous programs. "Note": The following is  a list of Asian dramas that originally aired first on each channels. Reruns are excluded in this section. Local adaptations. The political success of Korean dramas prompted GMA Network to do local adaptations.