By Manila Standard Business
August 1, 2026
Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. president and CEO Ben Tulfo
Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. president and chief executive Bienvenido “Ben” Tulfo identifies himself more as an advocate rather than a journalist, describing his role as acting on injustice rather than only reporting it.
Tulfo said a journalist is a truth-seeker and truth-teller, but described himself instead as someone who investigates, evaluates, monitors and examines the functions of both the legislative and executive branches of government, leaving the journalist role to his son Carl.
“I identify instead as an advocate — someone who sees something wrong and acts to change it, rather than only reporting it,” he said.
That philosophy led him to establish a national grievance desk under his television program Bitag, where ordinary citizens can bring complaints against public officials who have not acted on their concerns. Ben, one of 10 siblings of the well-known Tulfo family, said the desk was created because there was a need for it, noting that many complainants have already gone through proper government channels without results.
“Normally, people would have already gone through the proper channels – they’ve already tried – but nothing happens. Whatever they’re complaining about, no one acts on it. The grievance desk isn’t something we set up on our own initiative. We put it up because there was a need for it. Who else can server as a grievance desk that uses all media platforms, so people can see that something is actually being done”? said Tulfo.
“We’re like the court of last resort. When all else fails, when nobody listens and nobody cares because you’re a nobody, and the odds are stacked against you – who do you turn to?” he said.
He said the grievance desk exists to level the playing field for citizens the system has failed to serve.
Company structure
Tulfo runs Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. and Divergent Concept Marketing Inc. and serves as an advocate for the non-government organization ipaBITAGmo Inc. Together, the three organizations employ close to 100 people, including journalists, camera operators, multimedia artists, production staff and volunteers.
Bitag Media Unlimited’s core business is television production, Tulfo said, with staff spanning multimedia, editorial, digital, IT, administration, production management and research. He said running the company requires attention to four core functions — marketing, finance, operations and research and development — supported by legal and corporate advisory services.
The company operates its own studio and broadcast facility, produces original content and acquires primetime programming blocks. Its flagship program, Grievance Desk, receives thousands of complaints from farmers, fishers, drivers, laborers and urban poor families who say they have been unable to get answers from government agencies. The organization distributes its content across TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and its own app and website aside from mainstream media.
NGO advocacy
Tulfo is also a volunteer and advocate for ipaBITAGmo Inc., a nongovernment organization whose stated mission centers on compassion, empowerment and action. Bitag Media Unlimited serves as ipaBITAGmo’s media partner.
IpaBITAGmo was established to combat abuses in both government and private institutions, according to the organization, and provides assistance to victims of social, political and economic injustice. Through its action center, the group seeks immediate solutions to cases of exploitation, deceit, neglect or denial of victims’ rights, and can initiate action involving all affected parties to press for transparency, accountability and culpability.
Tulfo describes public officials as “public servants” rather than “leaders,” explaining that officials should serve the public rather than the reverse. He said the organization examines systemic problems, provides oversight and investigation and pursues solutions either through proposal for legislation or, where warranted, referral for administrative or legal action.
He said the group intends to continue focusing on the urban poor and working- and lower-middle-class Filipinos as an underserved segment.
Career background
Tulfo holds a journalism degree. From the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, he worked in the United States in the healthcare industry, specializing in quality facility management and revenue management, before pursuing further executive education.
He returned to the Philippines in 1996 and became an executive at Innovated Technologies Unlimited, where he served as the company’s exclusive marketing executive for extrusion technology in the Philippine market.
Program history
The flagship public service program “Bitag” was created in 2002 and launched on ABC Channel 5, gaining prominence for its coverage of scams, corruption and other public issues. It secured a primetime slot on IBC-13 in 2004 and later aired on UNTV, ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel and TV5.
In 2014, the program moved to PTV 4 and was rebranded Bitag: The New Generation, shifting focus toward issues affecting millennials. It now airs daily on IBC TV13 under the #ipaBITAGmo campaign. It is now the oldest running public service program in the country.