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A decade of i-Witness
Episode on November 9, 16, 23, 30, 2009 Monday night, after Saksi 
During the 1990s, documentaries were an unheard of genre in the Philippine broadcast industry. The usual melodramas, talk shows and news magazine programs dominated the airwaves, raking in ratings and awards for TV networks. Before the decade ended, GMA News and Public Affairs thought it was already time to produce a weekly documentary show. On January 18, 1999, I-Witness, the country’s first documentary series, aired on Philippine television. However, before I-Witness even aired, its one-topic presentation and style of storytelling was deemed too slow and boring. Some even said that Filipino viewers were not yet ready for this kind of program. i-Witness proved them all wrong. After more than 500 documentaries, I-Witness is now the country’s longest-running late night program still airing. It has already received numerous recognitions from both local and international award-giving bodies, including the Philippines’ first ever George Foster Peabody Award, Gold and Silver World Medals from the New York Festivals, the Asia-Pacific Child Rights Awards and the Asian TV Awards, among others. I-Witness also prides itself with having once had as its hosts many of the finest journalists and broadcasters in media including Jessica Soho and Mike Enriquez. Following their footsteps today are GMA Network’s most experienced senior journalists, namely Howie Severino, Kara David, Sandra Aguinaldo and Jay Taruc. Every Monday, these award-winning documentarists give viewers a new way of looking at and understanding the world we live in. “I-Witness has made documentaries a part of mainstream television, and inspired similar formats for other shows. It has inspired many to aspire to make documentaries and tell their own stories, because our show has demonstrated what a powerful medium the documentary is," Howie relates. For Howie, I-Witness is his “outlet and creative space for non-fiction stories that need time to be produced and air time to be told. It has made my career deeply satisfying. " The word “innovation" has been attached to I-Witness since its inception. Through the years, the program has introduced new techniques in video presentation and used fresh styles of storytelling, sometimes even bordering into the “avant garde." “I-Witness is not called television's finest hour for nothing." Sandra Aguinaldo explains. “I can say every episode is one step towards excellence since we are constantly challenged by management to set the pace for late-night shows and always be creative in presenting our reports to the people." Howie added that compared to other public affairs shows, I-Witness gives them more creative freedom in producing stories. “Most of our episodes don't even have spiels by the hosts and go straight into the story, like most classically done documentaries. That alone makes I-Witness unique among public affairs shows where hosts introduce and end each show with on-camera spiels. We are not required to do that." Because of its radical approach to documentary production, I-Witness has always been a talk-of-the-town after each airing, sometimes even irking the attention of the censors. Howie’s documentary Lukayo, which is “a dance by old women dressed like clowns and wielding phallic symbols in Laguna, got the program suspended by the MTRCB, simply because the censors deemed an age-old tradition practiced by grandmothers to be obscene, along with other fertility rituals from around the country." Instances like this, however, do not stop the program in producing ground-breaking documentaries. “I-Witness has become bolder and more ambitious in its subject matter, sometimes testing the limits set by government regulators. It aspires to lead in building a documentary movement in the Philippines by organizing documentary festivals with free screenings in popular theaters, sponsoring student documentary competitions, conducting annual seminars as well as more frequent talks and screenings on campuses, and by setting an example with its own work, often using small camera equipment similar to what ordinary, non-professional producers can use," adds Howie. Lives have changed, laws have been created, and viewers were compelled to act. More than the awards and innovations, the impact and influence that I-Witness has made to its viewers and case studies is what makes it a stand out among late-night public affairs programs in the Philippines. Laws on organ donation, for example, were approved in Congress because of Jessica Soho’s Kidneys for Sale. Kara David’s “Gamu-gamo sa Dilim" paved way to the installment of solar panels in Little Baguio, a small town devoid of electricity in Oriental Mindoro. Many of the case studies featured in I-Witness were given financial aids and scholarships by viewers. Kara David, widely known for her documentaries about children, attests to the privilege of giving service to the public that I-Witness carries. “I’ve always believed that the role of I-Witness is to give viewers a new pair of eyes with which to see the world. Through the show, I have found my lifetime advocacy as a journalist -- to use my medium as an instrument of empathy, an instrument to instill compassion to the powerless and voiceless. I-Witness not only opened the eyes of many viewers to the realities of life, but it also awakened their compassion, iyung malasakit na matagal nang nahihimlay sa kanilang puso. Because of I-Witness, I have started a small scholarship project for poor but deserving children, at plano kong palawakin pa ito in the future to become a legitimate foundation. I feel I became a better Filipino because of the program." This Novermber, I-Witness will celebrate its 10th anniversary with four special documentaries that are expected to change the broadcasting landscape. This time, I-Witness will air documentaries that were produced over a longer period of time than any other series of documentaries done for any TV program in the Philippines. "As early as April of this year, we have been shooting for the anniversary episodes--something that we don't usually do, or any other late night television programs have done, for that matter. The more time you spend in producing your story, the closer you get to the truth, and with these documentaries, we hope to bring out the truth in our specific topics," reveals Jay Taruc, who starts the anniversary month on November 9 with his documentary “Kristo," a graphic feature about the Senakulo, or the dramatic presentation of the Passion of the Christ in Cutud, Pampanga. Jay discovers that the person who presently plays “Christ" is quitting his oath next year. However, residents and officers are opposing the move to pass on the title because the town’s supposed successor is a self-admitted gambler and drunkard. Sandra Aguinaldo’s anniversary episode airs next on November 16. Her documentary “Bigatin" tackles the growing problem of obesity in the Philippines. Sandra follows the plight of two obese women and documents their struggle to bring their weight down through various ways of weight reduction. Sandra joins them in their fight as she subjects herself to arduous exercises and strict diets in order to prepare herself for pregnancy. On November 23, Kara David delivers the third installment of the anniversary celebration with a follow-up documentary on pediatric tuberculosis. Kara revisits her case studies in “Hingalo ng Bunso," an I-Witness episode she produced a few months ago, and reveals whether or not their conditions improved after their stories were aired on the program. Ending the anniversary month on November 30 is Howie Severino’s remarkable documentary about a transsexual’s journey to realizing her dreams of becoming a woman. Howie documents how Vincent Christar Ibardolaza, a.k.a. Plates, pulls all strings in order to become a “Trans-Pinay." However, Plates still needs to pass a battery of tests which will determine if she is mentally and emotionally prepared to undergo the sex reassignment operation. Join Sandra, Kara, Jay and Howie as they celebrate ten fruitful years of ground-breaking documentaries on I-Witness, airing on four Mondays of November over GMA, after the late night newscast Saksi.
Noong dekada nobenta, hindi pa alam ng mga Pilipino kung ano ang dokumentaryo. Mga drama, talk at magazine shows lang ang naghahari noon sa ere at nagpapasok ng mga parangal at mataas na ratings sa mga TV networks. Pero bago nagtapos ang milenyo, naisip ng GMA News and Public Affairs na bumuo ng isang programang magpapakilala sa publiko kung ano ang isang dokumentaryo. Dito nabuo ang programang I-Witness. Bagamat may mangilan-ngilang pag-aalinlangan noon kung papatok ang programa sa publiko, pumaimbulog at nanguna ang I-Witness sa unang buwan nito sa ere. Agad tinanggap ng masa ang kakaibang istilo ng pagkukuwento at paglalahad ng iisang istorya ng I-Witness, at matapos ang mahigit sa 500 dokumentaryo, ang I-Witness na ang longest-running late night program sa telebisyon ngayon. Tumanggap na rin ito ng napakaraming parangal mula sa iba’t ibang award-giving bodies sa loob at sa labas ng bansa, kasama na rito ang nag-iisang George Foster Peabody Award, mga ginto at pilak na medalya sa New York Festivals, dalawang Asia- Pacific Child Rights Award, ang Asian TV Awards, at marami pang iba. Sa I-Witness din nanggaling ang ilan sa mga itinuturing na haligi ng broadcast media ngayon, katulad nina Jessica Soho at Mike Enriquez. Sumusunod sa kanilang mga yapak ay ang mga batikang senior journalists ng GMA Network, sina Howie Severino, Kara David, Jay Taruc at Sandra Aguinaldo. Tuwing Lunes, binibigyan nila tayo mga panibagong paraan ng pagtingin at pag-intindi sa mundong ginagalawan natin. “Ang I-Witness ang nagpakilala sa mga Pilipino kung ano ang dokumentaryo, at naging inspirasyon ito ng ibang programa sa telebisyon at maging ng mga manood na gumawa ng sarili nilang dokumentaryo at ikuwento ang kanilang mga istorya. Ipinakita ng I-Witness na isang makapangyarihang medium ang dokumentaryo sa pagpapakita ng nangyayari sa ating kapaligiran," ani ni Howie. Dagdag pa niya, maituturing niyang “outlet" “at isang magaling na “creative space for non-fiction stories" ang I-Witness dahil nabibigyan sila ng sapat na panahon para maikuwento ang mga istoryang kanilang pino-produce kada linggo. Mula nang mabuo ang I-Witness, naging kakabit na ng programa ang salitang “originality." Sa mga nakalipas na taon, nanguna ang I-Witness sa paggamit ng mga modernong teknik sa video production at makabagong paraan ng pagkukuwento ng istorya, na kung minsan pa’y maituturing ng “avant garde" o progresibo. “Hindi naman tatawaging television’s finest hour ang I-Witness kung hindi ito progresibo," kuwento ni Sandra Aguinaldo. “Lahat ng episodes namin, mahusay na binuo at ni-research ng aming mga staff. Patuloy din kaming tsina-challenge ng management ng GMA na pangunahan ang departamento sa pagpo-produce ng mga makabuluhang kuwento in the most creative way." Dagdag pa ni Howie, mas nabibigyan sila ng “creative freedom" na i-produce ang mga istoryang gusto nilang gawin kumpara sa ibang programa. “Most of our episodes don't even have spiels by the hosts and go straight into the story, like most classically done documentaries. Isa ito sa kaibahan ng I-Witness sa ibang programa na kadalasan, requirement ang spiels ng hosts." Dahil sa radikal nitong paraan ng pagkukuwento, palaging usapin ang mga dokumentaryo ng I-Witness tuwing matatapos itong umere sa telebisyon. Nang minsan pa nga, sinuspindi ng MTRCB ang programa dahil sa pagpapalabas ng dokumentaryo ni Howie Severino tungkol sa Lukayo, isang tradisyon ng mga lola sa Laguna kung saan nagsasayaw sila habang may nakasabit sa kanilang mga bewang na mga kahoy na hugis-ari ng lalaki. “It got the program suspended by the MTRCB, simply because the censors deemed an age-old tradition practiced by grandmothers to be obscene, along with other fertility rituals from around the country." sabi ni Howie. Pero hindi naging hadlang sa I-Witness ang mga ganitong eksena para ipagpatuloy ang pagpapalabas ng mga makabuluhang dokumentaryo sa TV. “I-Witness has become bolder and more ambitious in its subject matter, sometimes testing the limits set by government regulators. Gusto ng I-Witness na makabuo ng isang documentary movement sa Pilipinas, kaya naman nagsasagawa kami ng mga libreng documentary festivals sa mga sinehan at mga documentary competitions para sa mga estudyante. Mayroon din kaming docu-seminar na nagtuturo ng basic documentary production," sabi ni Howie. Pero higit sa mga awards at radikal na pagkukuwento, ang epekto at impluwensiya ng I-Witness sa lipunan ang naghihiwalay sa kanya sa iba pang programang napapanood natin sa telebisyon sa Pilipinas. Maraming buhay ang nabago, mga batas na ipinasa, at mga aksyong isinagawa ng mga manonood nang dahil sa linggo-linggong pagpapalabas ng I-Witness ng mga may saysay na dokumentaryo. Nirebisa at inaprubahan ang batas ukol sa organ donation nang dahil sa dokumentaryong Kidneys for Sale ni Jessica Soho. Nagkaroon ng kuryente ang bayan ng Little Baguio sa Oriental Mindoro matapos silang tayuan ng solar panels matapos maipalabas ang Gamu-gamo sa Dilim ni Kara David. Marami sa mga case studies na nainterbyu sa I-Witness, nabigyan ng tulong at nakatapos ng pag-aaral dahil sa tulong na ibinigay ng mga nakapanood ng kanilang mga kuwento. Ayon kay Kara, na kilala sa kanyang mga dokumentaryo tungkol sa mga bata, isang pribilehiyo ang makapagbigay ng serbisyong totoo sa pamamagitan ng I-Witness. “I’ve always believed na ang papel ng I-Witness ay ang makapagpabago ng kamalayan sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakita ng katotohanan. Pero hindi lang viewers ang nababago ng I-Witness, pati kaming mga dokumentarista nababago rin nito. Because of I-Witness, I have found my lifetime advocacy as a journalist -- to use my medium as an instrument of empathy, an instrument to instill compassion to the powerless and voiceless. Makapagpalaganap ng malasakit, maging mikropono ng mga di naririnig, maging sandata ng mga walang kapangyarihan. I-Witness has not only opened the eyes of many viewers to the realities of life, ginising din nito iyung malasakit na matagal nang nahihimlay sa kanilang puso. Naging tulay ang I-Witness ng mga taong gustong tumulong at mga taong dapat tulungan." Ngayong Nobyembre, ipagdiriwang ng I-Witness ang ika-10 taong anibersaryo nito sa pamamagitan ng pagpapalabas ng apat na espesyal na dokumentaryong tiyak na magdadala ng pagbabago sa industriya ng broadcast TV ng bansa. Sinaliksik at binuo ang apat na dokumentaryo sa mas mahabang panahon, isang bagay na hindi pa nagagawa ng kahit anong programa sa telebisyon sa Pilipinas. “As early as April of this year, nagshu-shoot na kami ng mga anniversary episodes namin. Kasi ‘di ba, the more time you spend in producing your story, the closer you get to the truth. Sa pamamagitan ng mga dokumentaryong ito, gusto naming maipakita ang katotohanan sa mga napili naming istorya," kuwento ni Jay Taruc, na siyang magsisimula ng anniversary month ngayong Lunes, Nobyembre 9. Ang kanyang dokumentaryo, tututok sa buhay ng mga “Kristo" sa Cutud, San Fernando sa Pampanga. Madidiskubre ni Jay na may namumuong kontrobersiya sa taunang pagdiriwang ng Senakulo sa Cutud. Titigil na sa kanyang panata si Ruben Inaje Jr., na sumikat dahil sa kanyang taunang pagpapapako sa krus. Hindi pabor ang mga residente at opisyal ng senakulo sa taong papalit sa kanya dahil aminado itong isa siyang sugarol at lasenggero. Susunod na ipalalabas sa Nobyembre 16 ang dokumentaryo ni Sandra Aguinaldo na “Bigatin," na tatalakay sa lumalaking problema ng obesity sa Pilipinas. Sinundan ni Sandra ang buhay at pakikipaglaban ng dalawang babaeng obese sa pagpapayat at ipapakita kung paano nila sinusubukang bawasan ang kanilang mga timbang gamit ang iba’t ibang paraan ng weight reduction. Sasali rin si Sandra sa pagpapayat sa pamamagitan ng istriktong dieting at matinding ehersisyo bilang paghahanda sa kanyang pagbubuntis. Sa Nobyembre 23 naman, ipapakita naman ni Kara David ang lumalalang problema ng Pilipinas ukol sa pediatric tuberculosis. Babalikan ni Kara ang mga nakapanayam niyang mga bata sa kanyang dokumentaryong “Hingalo ng Bunso" na ipinalabas sa I-Witness ilang buwan lang ang nakalipas. Ipapakita ni Kara kung may pagbabago bang naganap sa kalusugan ng mga batang ito matapos nilang ipalabas ang kanilang dokumentaryo. Ang huling pang-anibersaryong handog ng I-Witness sa Nobyembre 30, ihahatid ni Howie Severino, at magpapalabas sa buhay na pinagdaraanan ng isang transsexual makamit lang ang pinakamimithi nitong pangarap - ang maging isang babae. Ilalahad ni Howie ang buhay ni Vincent Christar Ibardolaza o Plates, at ang kuwento nito kung paano niya binabago ang kanyang katawan para maging isang ganap na “Trans-pinay." Pero may isang malaking hadlang sa kanyang pangarap. Kailangang maipasa ni Plates ang napakaraming psychological at psychiatric exams na siyang magsasabi kung handa na ba siya na sumailalim sa isang sex reassignment operasyon. Samahan sila Sandra, Kara, Jay at Howie na ipagdiwang ang sampung taon ng mga makabuluhang dokumentaryo sa I-Witness, ipalalabas sa apat na Lunes ng Nobyembre sa GMA, pagkatapos ng Saksi.
During the 1990s, documentaries were an unheard of genre in the Philippine broadcast industry. The usual melodramas, talk shows and news magazine programs dominated the airwaves, raking in ratings and awards for TV networks. Before the decade ended, GMA News and Public Affairs thought it was already time to produce a weekly documentary show. On January 18, 1999, I-Witness, the country’s first documentary series, aired on Philippine television. However, before I-Witness even aired, its one-topic presentation and style of storytelling was deemed too slow and boring. Some even said that Filipino viewers were not yet ready for this kind of program. i-Witness proved them all wrong. After more than 500 documentaries, I-Witness is now the country’s longest-running late night program still airing. It has already received numerous recognitions from both local and international award-giving bodies, including the Philippines’ first ever George Foster Peabody Award, Gold and Silver World Medals from the New York Festivals, the Asia-Pacific Child Rights Awards and the Asian TV Awards, among others. I-Witness also prides itself with having once had as its hosts many of the finest journalists and broadcasters in media including Jessica Soho and Mike Enriquez. Following their footsteps today are GMA Network’s most experienced senior journalists, namely Howie Severino, Kara David, Sandra Aguinaldo and Jay Taruc. Every Monday, these award-winning documentarists give viewers a new way of looking at and understanding the world we live in. “I-Witness has made documentaries a part of mainstream television, and inspired similar formats for other shows. It has inspired many to aspire to make documentaries and tell their own stories, because our show has demonstrated what a powerful medium the documentary is," Howie relates. For Howie, I-Witness is his “outlet and creative space for non-fiction stories that need time to be produced and air time to be told. It has made my career deeply satisfying. " The word “innovation" has been attached to I-Witness since its inception. Through the years, the program has introduced new techniques in video presentation and used fresh styles of storytelling, sometimes even bordering into the “avant garde." “I-Witness is not called television's finest hour for nothing." Sandra Aguinaldo explains. “I can say every episode is one step towards excellence since we are constantly challenged by management to set the pace for late-night shows and always be creative in presenting our reports to the people." Howie added that compared to other public affairs shows, I-Witness gives them more creative freedom in producing stories. “Most of our episodes don't even have spiels by the hosts and go straight into the story, like most classically done documentaries. That alone makes I-Witness unique among public affairs shows where hosts introduce and end each show with on-camera spiels. We are not required to do that." Because of its radical approach to documentary production, I-Witness has always been a talk-of-the-town after each airing, sometimes even irking the attention of the censors. Howie’s documentary Lukayo, which is “a dance by old women dressed like clowns and wielding phallic symbols in Laguna, got the program suspended by the MTRCB, simply because the censors deemed an age-old tradition practiced by grandmothers to be obscene, along with other fertility rituals from around the country." Instances like this, however, do not stop the program in producing ground-breaking documentaries. “I-Witness has become bolder and more ambitious in its subject matter, sometimes testing the limits set by government regulators. It aspires to lead in building a documentary movement in the Philippines by organizing documentary festivals with free screenings in popular theaters, sponsoring student documentary competitions, conducting annual seminars as well as more frequent talks and screenings on campuses, and by setting an example with its own work, often using small camera equipment similar to what ordinary, non-professional producers can use," adds Howie. Lives have changed, laws have been created, and viewers were compelled to act. More than the awards and innovations, the impact and influence that I-Witness has made to its viewers and case studies is what makes it a stand out among late-night public affairs programs in the Philippines. Laws on organ donation, for example, were approved in Congress because of Jessica Soho’s Kidneys for Sale. Kara David’s “Gamu-gamo sa Dilim" paved way to the installment of solar panels in Little Baguio, a small town devoid of electricity in Oriental Mindoro. Many of the case studies featured in I-Witness were given financial aids and scholarships by viewers. Kara David, widely known for her documentaries about children, attests to the privilege of giving service to the public that I-Witness carries. “I’ve always believed that the role of I-Witness is to give viewers a new pair of eyes with which to see the world. Through the show, I have found my lifetime advocacy as a journalist -- to use my medium as an instrument of empathy, an instrument to instill compassion to the powerless and voiceless. I-Witness not only opened the eyes of many viewers to the realities of life, but it also awakened their compassion, iyung malasakit na matagal nang nahihimlay sa kanilang puso. Because of I-Witness, I have started a small scholarship project for poor but deserving children, at plano kong palawakin pa ito in the future to become a legitimate foundation. I feel I became a better Filipino because of the program." This Novermber, I-Witness will celebrate its 10th anniversary with four special documentaries that are expected to change the broadcasting landscape. This time, I-Witness will air documentaries that were produced over a longer period of time than any other series of documentaries done for any TV program in the Philippines. "As early as April of this year, we have been shooting for the anniversary episodes--something that we don't usually do, or any other late night television programs have done, for that matter. The more time you spend in producing your story, the closer you get to the truth, and with these documentaries, we hope to bring out the truth in our specific topics," reveals Jay Taruc, who starts the anniversary month on November 9 with his documentary “Kristo," a graphic feature about the Senakulo, or the dramatic presentation of the Passion of the Christ in Cutud, Pampanga. Jay discovers that the person who presently plays “Christ" is quitting his oath next year. However, residents and officers are opposing the move to pass on the title because the town’s supposed successor is a self-admitted gambler and drunkard. Sandra Aguinaldo’s anniversary episode airs next on November 16. Her documentary “Bigatin" tackles the growing problem of obesity in the Philippines. Sandra follows the plight of two obese women and documents their struggle to bring their weight down through various ways of weight reduction. Sandra joins them in their fight as she subjects herself to arduous exercises and strict diets in order to prepare herself for pregnancy. On November 23, Kara David delivers the third installment of the anniversary celebration with a follow-up documentary on pediatric tuberculosis. Kara revisits her case studies in “Hingalo ng Bunso," an I-Witness episode she produced a few months ago, and reveals whether or not their conditions improved after their stories were aired on the program. Ending the anniversary month on November 30 is Howie Severino’s remarkable documentary about a transsexual’s journey to realizing her dreams of becoming a woman. Howie documents how Vincent Christar Ibardolaza, a.k.a. Plates, pulls all strings in order to become a “Trans-Pinay." However, Plates still needs to pass a battery of tests which will determine if she is mentally and emotionally prepared to undergo the sex reassignment operation. Join Sandra, Kara, Jay and Howie as they celebrate ten fruitful years of ground-breaking documentaries on I-Witness, airing on four Mondays of November over GMA, after the late night newscast Saksi. Noong dekada nobenta, hindi pa alam ng mga Pilipino kung ano ang dokumentaryo. Mga drama, talk at magazine shows lang ang naghahari noon sa ere at nagpapasok ng mga parangal at mataas na ratings sa mga TV networks. Pero bago nagtapos ang milenyo, naisip ng GMA News and Public Affairs na bumuo ng isang programang magpapakilala sa publiko kung ano ang isang dokumentaryo. Dito nabuo ang programang I-Witness. Bagamat may mangilan-ngilang pag-aalinlangan noon kung papatok ang programa sa publiko, pumaimbulog at nanguna ang I-Witness sa unang buwan nito sa ere. Agad tinanggap ng masa ang kakaibang istilo ng pagkukuwento at paglalahad ng iisang istorya ng I-Witness, at matapos ang mahigit sa 500 dokumentaryo, ang I-Witness na ang longest-running late night program sa telebisyon ngayon. Tumanggap na rin ito ng napakaraming parangal mula sa iba’t ibang award-giving bodies sa loob at sa labas ng bansa, kasama na rito ang nag-iisang George Foster Peabody Award, mga ginto at pilak na medalya sa New York Festivals, dalawang Asia- Pacific Child Rights Award, ang Asian TV Awards, at marami pang iba. Sa I-Witness din nanggaling ang ilan sa mga itinuturing na haligi ng broadcast media ngayon, katulad nina Jessica Soho at Mike Enriquez. Sumusunod sa kanilang mga yapak ay ang mga batikang senior journalists ng GMA Network, sina Howie Severino, Kara David, Jay Taruc at Sandra Aguinaldo. Tuwing Lunes, binibigyan nila tayo mga panibagong paraan ng pagtingin at pag-intindi sa mundong ginagalawan natin. “Ang I-Witness ang nagpakilala sa mga Pilipino kung ano ang dokumentaryo, at naging inspirasyon ito ng ibang programa sa telebisyon at maging ng mga manood na gumawa ng sarili nilang dokumentaryo at ikuwento ang kanilang mga istorya. Ipinakita ng I-Witness na isang makapangyarihang medium ang dokumentaryo sa pagpapakita ng nangyayari sa ating kapaligiran," ani ni Howie. Dagdag pa niya, maituturing niyang “outlet" “at isang magaling na “creative space for non-fiction stories" ang I-Witness dahil nabibigyan sila ng sapat na panahon para maikuwento ang mga istoryang kanilang pino-produce kada linggo. Mula nang mabuo ang I-Witness, naging kakabit na ng programa ang salitang “originality." Sa mga nakalipas na taon, nanguna ang I-Witness sa paggamit ng mga modernong teknik sa video production at makabagong paraan ng pagkukuwento ng istorya, na kung minsan pa’y maituturing ng “avant garde" o progresibo. “Hindi naman tatawaging television’s finest hour ang I-Witness kung hindi ito progresibo," kuwento ni Sandra Aguinaldo. “Lahat ng episodes namin, mahusay na binuo at ni-research ng aming mga staff. Patuloy din kaming tsina-challenge ng management ng GMA na pangunahan ang departamento sa pagpo-produce ng mga makabuluhang kuwento in the most creative way." Dagdag pa ni Howie, mas nabibigyan sila ng “creative freedom" na i-produce ang mga istoryang gusto nilang gawin kumpara sa ibang programa. “Most of our episodes don't even have spiels by the hosts and go straight into the story, like most classically done documentaries. Isa ito sa kaibahan ng I-Witness sa ibang programa na kadalasan, requirement ang spiels ng hosts." Dahil sa radikal nitong paraan ng pagkukuwento, palaging usapin ang mga dokumentaryo ng I-Witness tuwing matatapos itong umere sa telebisyon. Nang minsan pa nga, sinuspindi ng MTRCB ang programa dahil sa pagpapalabas ng dokumentaryo ni Howie Severino tungkol sa Lukayo, isang tradisyon ng mga lola sa Laguna kung saan nagsasayaw sila habang may nakasabit sa kanilang mga bewang na mga kahoy na hugis-ari ng lalaki. “It got the program suspended by the MTRCB, simply because the censors deemed an age-old tradition practiced by grandmothers to be obscene, along with other fertility rituals from around the country." sabi ni Howie. Pero hindi naging hadlang sa I-Witness ang mga ganitong eksena para ipagpatuloy ang pagpapalabas ng mga makabuluhang dokumentaryo sa TV. “I-Witness has become bolder and more ambitious in its subject matter, sometimes testing the limits set by government regulators. Gusto ng I-Witness na makabuo ng isang documentary movement sa Pilipinas, kaya naman nagsasagawa kami ng mga libreng documentary festivals sa mga sinehan at mga documentary competitions para sa mga estudyante. Mayroon din kaming docu-seminar na nagtuturo ng basic documentary production," sabi ni Howie. Pero higit sa mga awards at radikal na pagkukuwento, ang epekto at impluwensiya ng I-Witness sa lipunan ang naghihiwalay sa kanya sa iba pang programang napapanood natin sa telebisyon sa Pilipinas. Maraming buhay ang nabago, mga batas na ipinasa, at mga aksyong isinagawa ng mga manonood nang dahil sa linggo-linggong pagpapalabas ng I-Witness ng mga may saysay na dokumentaryo. Nirebisa at inaprubahan ang batas ukol sa organ donation nang dahil sa dokumentaryong Kidneys for Sale ni Jessica Soho. Nagkaroon ng kuryente ang bayan ng Little Baguio sa Oriental Mindoro matapos silang tayuan ng solar panels matapos maipalabas ang Gamu-gamo sa Dilim ni Kara David. Marami sa mga case studies na nainterbyu sa I-Witness, nabigyan ng tulong at nakatapos ng pag-aaral dahil sa tulong na ibinigay ng mga nakapanood ng kanilang mga kuwento. Ayon kay Kara, na kilala sa kanyang mga dokumentaryo tungkol sa mga bata, isang pribilehiyo ang makapagbigay ng serbisyong totoo sa pamamagitan ng I-Witness. “I’ve always believed na ang papel ng I-Witness ay ang makapagpabago ng kamalayan sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakita ng katotohanan. Pero hindi lang viewers ang nababago ng I-Witness, pati kaming mga dokumentarista nababago rin nito. Because of I-Witness, I have found my lifetime advocacy as a journalist -- to use my medium as an instrument of empathy, an instrument to instill compassion to the powerless and voiceless. Makapagpalaganap ng malasakit, maging mikropono ng mga di naririnig, maging sandata ng mga walang kapangyarihan. I-Witness has not only opened the eyes of many viewers to the realities of life, ginising din nito iyung malasakit na matagal nang nahihimlay sa kanilang puso. Naging tulay ang I-Witness ng mga taong gustong tumulong at mga taong dapat tulungan." Ngayong Nobyembre, ipagdiriwang ng I-Witness ang ika-10 taong anibersaryo nito sa pamamagitan ng pagpapalabas ng apat na espesyal na dokumentaryong tiyak na magdadala ng pagbabago sa industriya ng broadcast TV ng bansa. Sinaliksik at binuo ang apat na dokumentaryo sa mas mahabang panahon, isang bagay na hindi pa nagagawa ng kahit anong programa sa telebisyon sa Pilipinas. “As early as April of this year, nagshu-shoot na kami ng mga anniversary episodes namin. Kasi ‘di ba, the more time you spend in producing your story, the closer you get to the truth. Sa pamamagitan ng mga dokumentaryong ito, gusto naming maipakita ang katotohanan sa mga napili naming istorya," kuwento ni Jay Taruc, na siyang magsisimula ng anniversary month ngayong Lunes, Nobyembre 9. Ang kanyang dokumentaryo, tututok sa buhay ng mga “Kristo" sa Cutud, San Fernando sa Pampanga. Madidiskubre ni Jay na may namumuong kontrobersiya sa taunang pagdiriwang ng Senakulo sa Cutud. Titigil na sa kanyang panata si Ruben Inaje Jr., na sumikat dahil sa kanyang taunang pagpapapako sa krus. Hindi pabor ang mga residente at opisyal ng senakulo sa taong papalit sa kanya dahil aminado itong isa siyang sugarol at lasenggero. Susunod na ipalalabas sa Nobyembre 16 ang dokumentaryo ni Sandra Aguinaldo na “Bigatin," na tatalakay sa lumalaking problema ng obesity sa Pilipinas. Sinundan ni Sandra ang buhay at pakikipaglaban ng dalawang babaeng obese sa pagpapayat at ipapakita kung paano nila sinusubukang bawasan ang kanilang mga timbang gamit ang iba’t ibang paraan ng weight reduction. Sasali rin si Sandra sa pagpapayat sa pamamagitan ng istriktong dieting at matinding ehersisyo bilang paghahanda sa kanyang pagbubuntis. Sa Nobyembre 23 naman, ipapakita naman ni Kara David ang lumalalang problema ng Pilipinas ukol sa pediatric tuberculosis. Babalikan ni Kara ang mga nakapanayam niyang mga bata sa kanyang dokumentaryong “Hingalo ng Bunso" na ipinalabas sa I-Witness ilang buwan lang ang nakalipas. Ipapakita ni Kara kung may pagbabago bang naganap sa kalusugan ng mga batang ito matapos nilang ipalabas ang kanilang dokumentaryo. Ang huling pang-anibersaryong handog ng I-Witness sa Nobyembre 30, ihahatid ni Howie Severino, at magpapalabas sa buhay na pinagdaraanan ng isang transsexual makamit lang ang pinakamimithi nitong pangarap - ang maging isang babae. Ilalahad ni Howie ang buhay ni Vincent Christar Ibardolaza o Plates, at ang kuwento nito kung paano niya binabago ang kanyang katawan para maging isang ganap na “Trans-pinay." Pero may isang malaking hadlang sa kanyang pangarap. Kailangang maipasa ni Plates ang napakaraming psychological at psychiatric exams na siyang magsasabi kung handa na ba siya na sumailalim sa isang sex reassignment operasyon. Samahan sila Sandra, Kara, Jay at Howie na ipagdiwang ang sampung taon ng mga makabuluhang dokumentaryo sa I-Witness, ipalalabas sa apat na Lunes ng Nobyembre sa GMA, pagkatapos ng Saksi.
