Sinong nanonood?
Subscribers can now enjoy Netflix shows like 'The Watcher' and 'Stranger Things' in Filipino
It's Friday night, you're working from home, and you just clocked out. You ordered dinner on your go-to food delivery service app. You searched and browsed on Netflix while waiting on the couch.
"Sinong nanonood?" the display read. You selected the rightmost profile. "Ilagay mo ang PIN mo para ma-access ang profile na ito."
You're working like a dog and wasn't able to catch up with the viral shows your colleagues mentioned in passing recently. "Trending Ngayon, The Watcher."
Alright, you said. The poster seemed ominous: The silhouette of a man standing in front of a brightly lit house, as if he were watching it. (Hence The Watcher, duh.)
It piqued your interest. You read the synopsis. "Pagkalipat ng pamilyang Brannock sa dream home nila, nakatanggap sila ng nagbabantang sulat mula sa isang misteryosong sender—at dumanas sila ng di-inaasahang kawalan."
You started watching the pilot episode, titled "Welcome, mga Kaibigan." Quite a funny title, you thought, since it doesn't seemingly match the show's description: "Ang palabas na ito ay: Nagbabanta, Kahindik-hindik." But you proceeded anyway, hoping that it will shatter your expectations.
You reached the scene that encapsulates the synopsis. A character narrates the contents of the mysterious letter. "Alam mo ba ang kasaysayan ng bahay? Alam mo ba kung ano ang nasa pagitan ng dingding ng 657 Boulevard?"
And then your phone vibrated. "dto n po aq sa lbas." You rushed outside, but nobody was there. You looked around. Nil.
You checked your phone again. Your order is still in the kitchen. Weird. There must be some bug in the app, you thought. Maybe the rider was having difficulties finding your address.
Then there's a call from an unknown number. "Hello, sir. Andito na po ang order niyo kanina pa. Kayo ba iyang naka-white?"
"Ako nga." But you're so sure that you're alone in the neighborhood. "Pero wala namang ibang tao dito, e."
"Tao?" the caller said. "Ah, nakita ko na po kayo, sir. Papunta na ako diyan."
***
Starting on Oct. 21, streaming giant Netflix's user interface will be available in Filipino.
The new feature allows subscribers to navigate the UI, read titles and synopses, plus watch shows and movies with Filipino subtitles and in Filipino dubbing.
Titles that have Filipino dubs and subtitles include DAHMER - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, The Watcher, Stranger Things, Emily in Paris, You, and The Queen's Gambit.
“At Netflix, we believe our members should be able to choose their viewing experience, whether it be the genre, format, or language of the content," said Malobika Banerji, Netflix Content Director for Southeast Asia. "We are very happy that our Filipino members will now have the option to enjoy their favorite Netflix content from all over the world with Filipino subtitles and dubbing, should they prefer to watch as such."
To use the Filipino UI, go to the "Manage Profiles" section, click "Language" and choose Filipino.
Netflix subscribers can set up to five profiles in each account, with each profile having the option to choose its own language setting. Watching Netflix in another country or region? The Filipino UI feature is also available to Netflix subscribers outside of the Philippines.
