Ang Dating Daan: From humble beginnings to global broadcasting

Manila, Philippines (10.31.09) – Starting with just three persons to produce a radio-TV program, Ang Dating Daan (The Old Path) that started way back in 1980 has reached its 29th year this 31st of October and is reaping hundreds of thousands of converts across the globe.

A religious program that not only dealt with God’s word, Ang Dating Daan is being hosted by Bro. Eliseo Soriano, himself as intriguing as the program that he hosts. Soriano is the Presiding Minister of Members of Church of God International (MCGI) and is highly in demand by the followers of this program but notorious to its opponents.

Not anymore a three-person production for having become sophisticated in its management, Ang Dating Daan has become a highly popular religious program today both locally and abroad. Now assisted with various media technologies, it has become possible for its scattered audience all over the globe to have a global celebration in their anniversary. It will be celebrated in multiple venues covering parts of six continents where MCGI has its chapters. As scheduled, it will have its live broadcast in UNTV 37 and live streaming in the Internet through untvweb.com.

The host venue will be in Apalit, Pampanga and it will accommodate participants from provinces in Luzon, while Araneta Coliseum, a dome that is able to accommodate 25 thousand people, will be for the participants of Metro Manila alone. The rest of the country will be able to monitor through the designated venues in every region, while the international chapters will accommodate the participants abroad.  The venues of the celebration will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. for members and visitors alike, especially for the guests who are curious or long to hear Bro. Eli preaching live in the congregants.

Bro.Eli Soriano and Ang Dating Daan have been recipients of 29 awards and recognitions due to the remarkable feature of the host and of the program. The exceptionality of the program among its religious genre is the live question-and-answer segment, Biblia ang Sagot, Itanong Mo kay Soriano (Ask Bro. Eli).

True to its name, Biblia ang Sasagot, Itanong Mo Kay Soriano, the answer that Bro. Eli gives is strictly coming from the Scriptures. Federation of Filipino Consumers, Inc., Development of Filipino Youth Inc., People Vision Magazine, National Biographic and Historical Research and the most recent Gawad Amerika foundation are just few of the many groups that recognized and awarded Bro. Eli through the program due to his sincerity in rendering religious service to the public.

The host on the other hand is an avid supporter of public service programs in the country, explaining the many support from the public to him. Some of the groups that recognized his charitable efforts are the Municipality of Apalit, Municipal Social Welfare and Development, Province of Pampanga; Sons and Daughters of Charity, Fil-Asia Research Society, Inc., International Research and Communication Center Inc., United Group of Charities and Human Development, Inc., Child Assistance and Rehabilitation Entity, Inc., and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Region 3.

Bro. Soriano was also awarded as Outstanding Religious Leader by Philippines Brotherhood and Sisterhood Council, Inc., the Free Media Associations of the Philippines, the Philippines Media Research and Progress Report, Inc., the Fifth Edition People Magazine, the New Life on Family Development and Youth Council, Inc., the Asian Research for Unity of Filipino Citizenry, and the Philippine Experimental Educational Research Society, Inc.

The Philippine Bible Society also recognized Bro. Eli with his contribution to the publication as he is associated with them in distributing the printed Bible free to the attendees of the Bible Expositions that MCGI is conducting.

These merits are proof of the distinctiveness of the humble yet in-demand religious program and its congregants as an asset to the nation. Soriano is highly regarded for his leadership both in civic and religious grounds.

Bro. Eli, as he is more popularly called, is in his 45th year in ministerial service while the program, Ang Dating Daan, is in its 29th year.

The three-person production that started the program was composed of Bro. Eli Soriano as the main host, Mr. Daniel Razon, the Vice-Presiding Minister of MCGI as then director and video editor, and Ms. Luz Cruz as researcher and make-up artist.

Razon happens to be the host now of Good Morning Kuya in UNTV.

Ang Dating Daan started over the radio as a 30 minute religious program in DWWA  in 1980 and the TV program was launched in 1983 on IBC 13. Sequence of events prompted the program to move from station to station. It is currently being aired nationwide in UNTV 37, while it is being aired on TOP channel in the boundaries of United States and Europe.