In what could indicate a significant opportunity for the savvy marketing executive, a recent study found that the average Filipino household in the United States is well-educated and affluent, and 60 percent of these households have children under 18 years living at home.

"There is no longer an absence of credible research data on the Filipino community," said Rafael Lopez, vice president and managing director of ABS-CBN International, North America, broadcasters of The Filipino Channel (TFC), which commissioned the study. "The vast majority of our subscribers speak Tagalog at home and prefer that advertising directed to them to be in Tagalog rather than English."

With an average age of 44 years, an average household income of $59,000, and an average household size of four, Filipinos represent a market that may prove to be difficult for corporations to overlook.

The data on brand usage and preference were consistent with the usage and preference findings of the company's earlier research on the general U. S. Filipino market. That research reflected Filipino buying habits within industries such as clothing, snacks, insurance, and retail stores.

Both sets of findings are the result of research conducted for ABS-CBN International by Interviewing Service of America (ISA), Inc.

In addition, similarities between the TFC subscribers and the general Filipino market included the most preferred car make, the ownership of cell phones, the number of international calls made per month, the use of the Internet, top beverage preference, and the percentage visiting a fast food restaurant within the past 30 days. Finally, the data showed that TFC subscribers watch an average of 28-29 hours of Filipino programming weekly.

The objectives of this research were to determine the demographic profile of the TFC subscriber base, the buying patterns among TFC subscribers for selected consumer goods and services and to determine language and media habits. A total of 1,003 telephone interviews were completed among TFC subscribers, both inside and outside California. Respondents were interviewed in the language of their choice, either Tagalog or English.

Distributed via cable or direct-to-home satellite, The Filipino Channel is the only Tagalog-language, 24-hour premium programming service in North America. ABS-CBNI, North America, has been sending its programming signal from Manila to the U.S. since 1994. Daily newscasts anchor the 24-hour program schedule, which includes movies, dramas, public affairs, comedies, sports, educational, and talk shows.

There are currently almost 100,000 Filipino households that subscribe to The Filipino Channel.

ABS-CBN, North America, a subsidiary of ABS-CBN Broadcasting (the largest media company in the Philippines and one of the largest in Asia), is headquartered in Van Nuys, California,. ISA is a market research data collection, data processing, and multicultural information service with regional offices in New York, Washington, DC, and Chicago.