TFCN 2025 YEAR-END MUSINGS
(Updated 02/01/2026, 930hrs PST)
We are a new digital news platform, yet our roots run deep. Our reporters are veterans of community journalism across many territories—seasoned witnesses to history, shaped by decades of telling stories far from home.
New, yet old. That is who we are.
The year 2025 began with an ending. At the close of January, the ABS-CBN news platforms in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa closed, along with the network’s other overseas bureaus. By February, TFC News--the newscast, brand and platform I helped built— had ceased to exist. For many of us, it was not merely the loss of a newsroom, but the quiet grief of a calling interrupted.
In that moment of uncertainty, resolve took shape. With Maxxy Santiago, Lead for the Middle East Bureau, and Senior Correspondent Rachel Salinel, I took the initiative to gather what remained unbroken—our correspondents, our purpose, our commitment to community storytelling. Thus, The Filipino Correspondent Network (TFCN) was born, formed by veteran ABS-CBN overseas reporters who refused to let stories of overseas Pinoys go untold. Our aim was simple yet profound: to continue serving Filipino communities abroad.
On February 14, we officially launched our digital presence—Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and, a few months later, our website (www.tfcn.global). What followed humbled us. In ten months, our Facebook community grew organically to 42,000 followers—an extraordinary testament to trust, especially for a small, independent organization finding its footing.
At The Hague. In photo from left—Maxxy Santiago (TFCN Kuwait), Rose Eclarinal (TFCN UK), Jofelle Tesorio (TFCN The Netherlands), Counsel for the victims in the Duterte crimes against humanity case, Atty. Gilbert Andres, and Rachel Salinel (TFCN Dubai)
With ABS-CBN and Bilyonaryo News Channel, we reported on some of the most consequential stories of the year. On March 12, we covered the arrival of former President Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague. Our senior correspondent stood alone as the only Filipino journalist awaiting his arrival at the ICC detention facility, amid foreign media, vloggers, and supporters. Joefelle Tesorio’s reporting reached both ABS-CBN and the pages of Inquirer.net—a quiet affirmation of credibility earned through persistence.
When Pope Francis passed away on April 21, our Italy-based journalists reported with reverence and clarity on a loss deeply felt across nations and faiths. Senior correspondent Maricel Burgonio single-handedly delivered coverage across all TFCN platforms. Senior correspondent Mye Mulingtapang bore the weight of the moment for both TFCN and ABS-CBN, while Rome-based Jackie De Vega supported Mye in reporting for ABS-CBN.
In photo (from left): Maricel Burgonio (TFCN Turin), Mye Mulingtapang (TFCN Rome) and Rose Eclarinal (TFCN UK)
As the conclave commenced on May 7, I served as lead reporter for ABS-CBN, while TFCN flew in Portia Delgado. Mye Mulingtapang and Ernie Delgado joined the coverage for ABS-CBN, while Maricel Burgonio and cameraman Paolo Villasan joined the team of Bilyonaryo News Channel. It was a convergence of purpose—different banners, one shared responsibility to history.
The TFCN Crew at the Vatican led by Rose Eclarinal (centre) with Portia Delgado (right), Ernie Delgado (back in black)
TFCN Team serving the Bilyonaryo News Channel's (BNC) Korina Sanchez-Roxas, with Maricel Burgonio and Paolo Villasan; and reporting for ABS-CBN News, Rose Eclarinal and Mye Mulingtapang
In photo (from right, standing): Rose Eclarinal (TFCN UK), Korina Sanchez-Roxas (Bilyonaryo News Channel), Cheryl Cosim (News5) and Connie Sison (GMA News); (from right-seated) Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David,Vatican Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle and Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula.
We gathered again later in the year for our first-ever summit in the Netherlands. Reporters came from across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. There, we were granted a rare opportunity: a briefing at the International Criminal Court in September. It was the first such engagement the ICC had conducted with a Filipino media group, deepening our collective understanding of its processes, particularly while we all await for the confirmation of charges. It was not merely an access point, but a recognition.
The TFCN Summit held in The Hague in September 2025 with some of the correspondents from Europe, Middle East and North America
In September, our team broke the story on Zaldy Co’s alleged Paris property and his family’s lavish lifestyle while abroad—a reminder that accountability knows no borders.
The building in Paris where the alledged residence of former AkoBicol Partylist representative Zaldy Co is.
In the Middle East, we chronicled the visits of Philippine officials, including DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and Vice President Sara Duterte. And most critically, we continued to report on the enduring and devastating tension between Israel and Palestine—stories that demand both courage and compassion.
We still report for ABS-CBN’s flagship program, TV Patrol. We remain a Kapamilya—bound by shared values, and a tradition of journalism rooted in integrity and excellence. Yet TFCN has grown into something more: a home forged beyond institutions, built not on profit or prominence but on conviction and service, and unwavering commitment to the Filipino diasporas and communities wherever they may be.
This is your news.
Your story.
Your network.
Rose Eclarinal
Co-Founder and Head of Content
The Filipino Correspondent Network (TFCN)
