The First and True Home of Asianovelas

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.[4]

In 2003, ABS-CBN started airing Taiwanese dramas with the successful Meteor Garden and its sequel. In 2004, ABS-CBN introduced the Korean dramas to the Filipino viewers beginning with The Truth, Four Sisters, and Lovers in Paris. In the past decade, ABS-CBN has aired a numerous score of Korean dramas including Lovers in Paris, Only You, Green Rose, My Girl, Princess Hours, Spring Waltz, Boys Over Flowers, He's Beautiful, Cinderella's Sister, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, Pure Love, City Hunter, Dream High, Two Wives, To the Beautiful You, Missing You, The Love Story of Kang Chi, Crazy Love, and The Heirs.[5]

In 2015, ABS-CBN aired Fated to Love You, Unforgettable Love, Let's Get Married, and My Lovely Girl. The Asian drama block was discontinued in June 2015.

In 2016, ABS-CBN only aired one Korean drama, My Love Donna, which premiered on March 14, 2016, but was cancelled on April 8, 2016, making it the first Asian drama abruptly announced its "last two days" of airing. In the same year, ABS-CBN TVplus' digital channel CineMo! began airing Korean dramas with Blood, You're All Surrounded, Blade Man, and Orange Marmalade.

In 2017, Korean dramas had a successful return to ABS-CBN with Love in the Moonlight, Goblin, Legend of the Blue Sea, Weightlifting Fairy, and Hwarang. In the same year, CineMo! aired more Korean dramas like Doctor Stranger, Hyde, Jekyll, Me, Sensory Couple, Signal, and The K2.

In 2018, ABS-CBN boosts permanent Korean programming with Black, The King is in Love, I am Not a Robot, W, Doctor Crush, Go Back Couple, Hwayugi, My Time with You, and What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, together with the 2018 Chinese remake of Meteor Garden. Meanwhile, ABS-CBN TVplus launched its digital channel Asianovela Channel on July 30, 2018, which aired more Korean dramas with Bubble Gum, High Society, On the Way to the Airport, Uncontrollably Fond, and Woman with a Suitcase.

In 2019, Asianovela Channel obtained more Korean dramas with Because This Is My First Life, Cheongdam-dong Scandal, Goodbye Mr. Black, Live Up to Your Name, Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter, Mother, Something in the Rain, That Man Oh Soo, The Good Wife, Tomorrow, With You, and Two Cops. In August 2019, Korean dramas returned again to ABS-CBN with Encounter and Gangnam Beauty, followed by Code Name: Terrius, 100 Days My Prince, I Have a Lover, Hotel del Luna, and Touch Your Heart.

In the first quarter of 2020, ABS-CBN aired the last remaining Asian dramas on its main network: Flower Crew: Dating Agency, Story of Yanxi Palace, The Tale of Nokdu, and Love in Sadness. On May 5, 2020, both ABS-CBN and Asianovela Channel went off the air due to the cease and desist order by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and Solicitor General Jose Calida following the expiration of the network's legislative franchise on May 4, 2020. Love in Sadness and Story of Yanxi Palace were both cancelled as a result.[2] Asianovela Channel resumed its operations on June 1, 2020,[6] until the channel permanently ceased broadcasting on June 30 due to the NTC's alias cease-and-desist order (ACDO) against ABS-CBN TVplus and all the digital channels transmitted through Channel 43 frequency, after the NTC was pressured by the House of Representatives of 18th Congress (including Sagip Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, and Cavite 7th District Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla) who are against the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN.[7] The NTC finally recalled all the frequencies and channels (including Asianovela Channel) assigned to ABS-CBN after the franchise renewal was denied by the House Committee on Legislative Franchises.[8]

The Asian drama block continues to air on other platforms operated by ABS-CBN Corporation. On June 15, 2020, Korean cable dramas Familiar Wife and The World of a Married Couple were aired on pay cable and satellite via Kapamilya Channel (replacing Make It with You as part of Primetime Bida lineup due to cease and desist order). The Thai boys' love drama 2gether: The Series was released online via iWantTFC on June 28, 2020, making it the first BL series aired in the Philippines. Its sequel, Still 2gether, was also aired in August 2020. Meanwhile, the previously cancelled Asian dramas Love in Sadness and Story of Yanxi Palace resumed airing on Kapamilya Channel, completing all the remaining episodes. Through a partnership agreement between ABS-CBN and GMMTV, more Thai dramas were introduced on iWantTFC such as Come to Me, I'm Tee, Me Too, Dark Blue Kiss, Theory of Love, The Shipper and A Tale of Thousand Stars.[9]

In 2021, the final remaining Asian dramas were aired on television and online platforms: Count Your Lucky Stars, Suits, Meow: The Secret Boy, Criminal Minds, Melting Me Softly, and Come and Hug Me. Meanwhile, a Thai remake of Boys Over Flowers is slated to air on all ABS-CBN platforms.[10]

Note: Titles are listed in alphabetical order, followed by the premiere date in parentheses.

Note: The following is a list of Asian dramas that originally aired first on each channels. Reruns are excluded in this section.

The political success of Korean dramas prompted ABS-CBN to do local adaptations.

• My Girl (2008)
• Only You (2009)[11]
• Lovers in Paris (2009)[12]
• Green Rose (2011)[13]
• Pure Love (based on 49 Days) (2014)[14]
• Two Wives (2014–2015)[15]
• Flower of Evil (2022)[16]

• Asianovela Channel (defunct)
• List of programs broadcast by ABS-CBN (inactive)
• List of programs broadcast by Asianovela Channel (defunct)
• List of programs aired by Asianovela Channel (defunct)
• List of programs broadcast by Jeepney TV
• List of programs broadcast by Kapamilya Channel
• List of programs aired by Kapamilya Channel
• List of programs aired by Studio 23 (defunct)
• List of programs broadcast by A2Z (Philippine TV channel)
• List of iWantTFC original programming
• South Korean television dramas in the Philippines
• Korean drama
• Korean Wave
• GMA The Heart of Asia (GMA Network programming block)
• Heart of Asia Channel
• Hallypop (Philippine TV channel)