IF Cebu City has an “Iron Lady” in Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, the GMA Broadcasting Network has an “Iron Man” in Joseph T. Francia.

By “Iron Man,” I mean tough to work with, a perfectionist, a meticulous person with a strong will. But Joseph, “JTF” to his co-workers, is an Iron Man with a big heart. An Iron Man who is compassionate. “Kapuso ng bawat manggagawa ng GMA.” That’s how the GMA staff describes JTF.
“There are various adjectives to describe JTF as a boss, but it can be summed up to one that is meticulous, extremely meticulous,” says Cherry FlorCruz, his assistant. “He is very particular with details, especially with reports and office correspondence. Precision, accuracy and timeliness are so vital, as there is no room for error in international operations.”

But Joseph is a “kapuso.” Cherry adds, “He may be strict at work, but at the end of the day, he’s a friend and a kuya to all of us. He shows interest in our families and exerts an effort to get to know them whenever there is an opportunity. Thus, our parties are non-exclusive. Spouses, kids, boyfriends and girlfriends are always welcome and encouraged to join GMA International’s gimmicks and birthday celebrations.”

I first met Joseph through GMA EVP/COO Jimmy Duavit at the 3rd Global Filipino Networking Convention two years ago in Cebu City. Joseph, OIC/head of operations at GMA International, was all smiles and looked every inch a successful businessman in his pint-striped blue suit. He was told to give me a tour of GMA facilities as soon as I get back to Manila. True to his promise, Joseph invited me to lunch at Mario’s in Quezon City. After lunch, I was given a tour of GMA. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Joseph is married to Minnie Francisco and the father of a lovely three-year old girl, Ella. He met Minnie at ABS-CBN. There were other romantic involvements before her, but on the day he married Minnie in 1998, Joseph was convinced that God had preordained it all along. Joseph is young and good looking. To my question if Minnie gets jealous when she sees him with other pretty women, his response was, “I don’t think much about my age or good looks. I’d rather gain respect through achievements at work. Thank God that so far, I have not given Minnie any reason to be jealous or worried.”

Even as a teenager, Joseph had always wanted to work in media. He wanted to be a writer and studied Journalism at the University of the Philippines. He wrote for school publications and contributed to local newspapers and magazines. He became a newspaper reporter covering the Senate. After college, he worked with the ABS-CBN Foundation, where he tried on-cam field reporting, filing news stories on relief and rehabilitation efforts after the July 16, 1990 earthquake, Mt. Pinatubo eruption and Ormoc landslide. When he moved to ABS-CBN Broadcasting, he was exposed to AM and FM radio operations. Later, he got involved in ABS-CBN’s Regional operations, eventually spearheading the station’s radio and TV expansion into regional centers in Mindanao and most parts of Luzon.

“I guess my passion has always been media. I like to get involved in start-up operations. I relish the fulfillment of laying the groundwork for new business units. In ABS-CBN, I was happy to have been a part of revitalizing its regional operations from 1992 to 1997. After completing my MBA in Australia in 1999, it was a great experience setting-up e-commerce operations in Mexico, Indonesia and other countries. And now, I am privileged to be in the thick of GMA’s international expansion.”

Joseph adds: “I joined GMA in December 2004. Since then, we have launched GMA Pinoy TV in Japan, Guam, Saipan and Malaysia. In August last year, we launched GMA Pinoy TV in the US where the channel is on Comcast-Bay Area, Comcast-LA, Cox-San Diego, and nationwide via Direct TV. We just launched in the Middle East, where more than 1 million Filipinos reside. Over the last several months since we launched it, tens of thousands of our countrymen have subscribed to GMA Pinoy TV. We are very pleased with the initial results of our efforts.”

As OIC/head of operations of GMA International, his work includes overseeing the introduction of GMA’s first full international channel, GMA Pinoy TV, to international markets. The job involves identifying the most relevant markets for GMA, contract negotiations with the carrier partners in various countries, thinking of ways to increase the number of subscribers, and working with the company’s various teams to deliver the technical, marketing and programming requirements of the channel.

As in any organization, does office politics creep into Joseph’s work? He responds, “I just try to focus on my job, always giving my best in a full day’s work, if not more. As for politics in the organization, I take everything with a grain of salt. I cannot please everybody, though I try my best to keep harmonious working relationships with my colleagues at work. If there are tensions in the office, I listen first to what the others are saying, analyze the issues, and then I give my piece.”

Joseph is apparently happy with GMA’s top management. He works directly with the Chairman, President and CEO, Atty. Felipe Gozon, and the EVP/COO, Jimmy Duavit. He is challenged to “conquer new frontiers,” and encouraged to think critically about business situations GMA would face in the course of running its international business.

On August 2005, I was invited to the launching of GMA Pinoy TV. I was part of the making of history in broadcasting. GMA’s musicians and entertainers, headed by Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Janno Gibbs, Jaya, with Richard Gutierrez, Rufa Mae, Mark Herras, Jennylyn Mercado and many other GMA celebrities came together to prove that our Pinoy kababayans are indeed world-class.

Oliver Amoroso, former GMA Public Relations Specialist, describes Joseph as “the yuppie behind GMA Pinoy TV.” Amoroso believes that, “As GMA embarks on this new exciting area in broadcasting, a young and dynamic executive named Joseph Jerome T. Francia, head of GMA’s international channel, is leading the way.”

Joseph seems destined to stay in media, a profession in which he could really make a difference.

Email the author at drprotacio@comcast.net