A year of laughter and fun

There is no other program in the history of Philippine TV that can measure up to the record of GMA 7’s Eat, Bulaga!, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Throughout its continuous 29 years of airing, Eat, Bulaga! has outdone its own record year after year, bringing more laughter to and changing the lives of Filipinos.

The year 2008 was a fruitful year not only for the program and its hosts. Eat, Bulaga! also reached more Pinoys abroad.

That year, Eat, Bulaga! gave away more than P75-M in prizes among studio contestants and text partners in the Taktak Mo or Tatakbo. There were 12 winners of P1-M, the biggest of whom were Jay-R Rendiza of Los Baños, Laguna and Ma. Virginia Bacoma of Tondo, Manila who both won P1,055,000 each. Twenty-two winners brought home P500,000 while others won cash prizes ranging from P20,000 to P100,000.

Eat, Bulaga! also saw the birth of Kontrapelo: Sa Pula, Sa Puti, a game portion that pits two groups against each other and involves the participation of the people in the audience. The studio audience tries its best to distract the team playing in the jackpot round because each member gets a share of the pot money if the team fails to give the correct answer. Kontrapelo: Sa Pula, Sa Puti has become the liveliest daily segment of the show.

The noontime program also staged out-of-studio shows in 2008 nationwide and abroad. Special overseas episodes were done at the Dubai Tennis Stadium in May and at Los Angeles Sports Arena in July. Eat, Bulaga! received a recognition from the California State Senate during the program’s successful L.A. show. The California State Senate commended Eat, Bulaga! for its “dedication to the entertainment and enjoyment of all its fans” and for its “exemplary service to (the) community.”

For its provincial tour, the show held its Christmas party episodes in Dagupan, Davao, Cebu and Alabang in November and December. The Christmas parties gave Eat, Bulaga! the opportunity to meet and greet their Dabarkads.

“It has been a very rewarding and productive year for Eat, Bulaga! and we are thankful for the blessings, including the bond and friendships that have been formed in the show, that we continue to receive,” said Malou Choa-Fagar, SVP of T.A.P.E., Inc.