The Three Musketeers of Philippine TV: Juan For All, All For Juan. Tsup, tsup!

Mula Aparri hanggang Jolo

Saan ka man ay halina kayo

Isang libo’t isang tuwa

Buong bansa…Eat, Bulaga!

Sina Tito, Vic at Joey

Barkada’y dumarami

Silang lahat ay nagbibigay

Ligaya sa ating buhay

Buong bansa ay nagkakaisa

Sa tuwa’t-saya na aming dala

Isang libo’t-isang tuwa

...and then

Buong bansa…Eat, Bulaga!

Let’s play a little Pinoy Henyo game. Our henyo word is “Eat, Bulaga!”

Reminder: Clue-giver may answer only with “Oo,” “Hindi” or “Puwede.” Otherwise, contestants will be slapped with a minus-3-seconds violation. Okay, contestants have two minutes to make hula. Go!

Contestant No. 1 (guesser): Local ba ito o foreign, longest-running variety show?

Contestant No. 2 (clue-giver): Oo!

Contestant No. 1: Ito ba’y pinapanood hindi lang sa Pilipinas kundi sa buong mundo?

Contestant No. 2: Oo!

Contestant No. 1: Ito ba ay ginagaya ng ibang shows pero hindi magaya-gaya?

Contestant No. 2: Puede!

Contestant No. 1: Ito ba’y Kapuso?

Contestant No. 1: Dito ba sa show na’to na-discover sina Jericho Rosales (Mr. Pogi search); Precious Lara Quigaman (TeeVee Babe search); at Aiza Seguerra, Rachelle Ann Go at Gladys Reyes (Little Miss Philippines), at marami pang ibang sikat ng artista ngayon?

With (from left) Malou Choa-Fagar (senior vice president and COO), Tony Tuviera (of TAPE, Inc., producer) and Bert de Leon (director)

Contestant No. 2: Oo!

Contestant No. 1: Tumagal na ba ang show na’to ng 32 years at isang dosenang katapat na show na ang pinataob?

Contestant No. 2: Oo!

Contestant No. 1: Ang host ba nito ay sina Tito, Vic at Joey?

Contestant No. 2: Tumpak, wala nang iba! (minus three seconds).

Contestant No. 1: Eat, Bulaga!

That portion of Eat, Bulaga! is a stroke of henyo (genius), now being also played during parties. Even Pres. Noynoy Aquino played it during a Christmas party with the press. Yes, he was able to guess the henyo word — Shalani Soledad (his “ex”).

The show’s opening song (quoted above), co-written by Sotto brothers Tito and Vic and Joey de Leon, arranged by Homer Flores, has become so familiar that every household in the Philippines (and, I’m sure, in Filipino communities abroad covered by Pinoy TV, GMA 7’s international network) can sing it by heart, from the heart.

Among the show’s other popular portions (also imitated by writers of other shows who have run dry of ideas, imitation after all is the highest form of flattery) is Juan For All, All For Juan (Bayanihan of d’ Pipol ) which showers blessings over a lucky viewer picked from hundreds of entries and personally visited at home by the Sugod-Bahay gang composed of Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola and Paolo Ballesteros.

A book titled Eat, Bulaga, Ang Unang Tatlong Dekada, written by STAR columnist and Startalk co-host Butch Francisco (with Joey de Leon’s son Jako in-charge of the Design Concept), was launched Thursday night at a Kapuso-filled affair at Whitespace in Makati City. Conversations sat with the so-called Zany Trio for a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane.

Did you ever think that the show would last this long?

Tito: During our first year we didn’t really imagine that it would last as long as it did. We never thought it would. Inisip lang namin siguro one year, two years. Sige subukan natin. ‘Yon lang originally.

Hail, hail, the Dabarkads are all accounted for at the launching of the Eat, Bulaga! book Thursday night (from left): Pauleen Luna, Allan K, Ruby Rodriguez, TVJ, Tony, Anjo Yllana, Jimmy Santos and Richie D’Horsie. Partly hidden at back row are Ces Quesada, Toni Rose Gayda, Ryan Agoncillo, Aiza Seguerra, Julia Clarete, Chiqui Hollman, Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola.

Vic: We started out parang wala, sige let’s have fun. Eh, magbabarkada na kaming tatlo talaga. We were trying to come up with something new, something alternative, at wala kaming plinano na…uy, 10 years tayo ha; uy 20 years tayo ha. Basta, things just happened, tumagal nang tumagal ‘yung show. Now, I feel like we are starting all over again. (It was Vic who popularized the greeting “Tsup, tsup!” among the show’s followers. — RFL)

Joey: Ang katapat namin noon Student Canteen and we were just having fun, parang naglalaro lang kami. Our only dream then was to save enough money to buy a second-hand car, ay okey na. Vic was able to buy a car, kulay dilaw.

Vic: Actually, brand-new.

Joey: We started on Channel (RPN) 9, then we moved to Channel (IBC) 13, to Channel (ABS-CBN) 2 and finally to Channel (GMA) 7.

Ilang shows na ba ang nakatapat n’yo (and most of them you have beaten)?

Joey: Mga more or less 25 shows.

You are always way ahead of the competition. How do you do it?

Joey: Eh, siguro nagmamadali kami lagi. May lakad, eh.

Tito: Maraming factors, eh. One of them ay ’yung chemistry not only among us three but also including our producer (Tony Tuviera of TAPE, Inc.) and our co-hosts. Maganda at matibay ang samahan namin. But the most important thing is our dedication to the show. Alam mo bang kami lang ang television show na ganito katagal na walang kontrata? After the first year wala kaming kontrata. Talagang tama ‘yung sabi ni Tony — pakikipagkaibigan lang, pagmamahalan, dedication; ‘yon lang talaga, eh. Alam mo ang Eat, Bulaga!, it’s actually a public-service show masquerading as a variety show. (Obviously referring to the show’s “donate plastic bottles” campaign, with the bottles made into chairs that are donated to schools; and the Juan For All, All For Juan portion which benefits especially those in depressed areas. — RFL)

From left: Chiqui Hollman, Toni Rose Gayda, Lougee and Pia Guanio

Vic: Another factor is loyalty.

Joey: And also, we laugh at our own jokes and we support each other. We support Tito in his election campaigns. Tapos, ang Eat, Bulaga! ay extension ng mga bedroom, living room at kitchen namin araw-araw.

A, pati bedroom?

Joey: Pati bedroom kasi natutulog kami together, eh. Hehehehe!

Parang naglalaro lang kayo?

Joey: Oo. Dumaan din kami sa trabaho siya pero hindi siya trabaho.

During those 32 years, what were your trying times?

Vic: None. It’s all fun for us; puro kasiyahan lang ‘to. In good times and in bad times, we always maintain the fun. There were sad times, like when Rio (Diaz) and Kiko (Francis Magalona) died. Well, it’s part of growing up. Up to now, we’re still growing up.

Joey: You mentioned “competition” earlier. You know, when you have lasted this long, I don’t want to call them competition, mga ano na lang…neighbors. Hindi na kami nai-intriga na ano, eh. I think it’s because our fans have gotten married and have children, at nagka-apo na sila, but they are still there. Hindi ka nila basta iiwanan. Tapos nagkaroon pa ng remote control lahat kayo puwedeng panoorin. Babalik-balik. ‘Yung neighbor mo maganda, tapos balik ka na sa bahay mo. ‘Yung dating bahay na ‘yon ay Eat, Bulaga! we would like to believe.

You are like brothers.

Joey: As Tito said, oftentimes he looks at Vic as a friend and he looks at me as a brother.

In your earlier years, I understand that you would spend more time in the Sotto home than in your own home.

Joey: Oo. They would let me sleep in their house pero hindi nila ako pinapakain.

Vic: Hahahahaha!

Oh, you mean you would bring your own baon?

Vic: No, we would eat out.

Joey: Pinapatulog nila ako d’un sa may mumo na kwarto. (Vic laughs again and Tito breaks into a smile)

Vic and Tito: Hindi niya alam may multo d’un, eh.

You started out as friends. How and when did your professional team-up begin?

Vic: Ewan ko. (Looking at Tito and Joey) Professional ba tayo?

Joey: We started in the show Okey Lang, kasama ang APO (Jim Paredes, Danny Javier and Buboy Garovillo) at kung sinu-sino. And then came Discorama, Iskul-Bukol and finally Eat, Bulaga!

Who came up with the name Eat, Bulaga!?

Joey: Hmmmm…it was me. Actually, we had a contest who could give a title. I thought of Eat, Bulaga! in the kitchen of Tito’s house. When I thought of it, I was with somebody whose name was Jess Espiritu. Alam mo, nakakakilabot ang pangalan niya — pinagsamang Jesus and Holy Spirit.

Vic (Addressing Joey): I think you were guided by the spirit.

Joey: Oo, guided ako. Kasi…(Looking at Tito) bowler ‘yan, eh, kaya guided talaga.

Vic: Tito has already branched out to politics but his home base remains TVJ. Hindi mawawala ang TVJ. Tito became a senator and even if he becomes vice president or president, nandoon pa rin ang TVJ. Babalik at babalikan niya ang TVJ.

(To Vic) Do you have plans of going into politics? You could be a sure winner.

Vic: No plans. Wala. Si Tito as public servant, taga-gawa ng batas; kami ni Joey, taga-amyenda ng batas. Kami ‘yung labag sa batas. The truth is we have our own way of doing public service, lalo na sa mga dabarkads.

Joey: Entertaining people and giving fun is a public service in itself.

How do you react to other copycat shows such as…never mind?

Tito: We are not irritated, we are elated. There should be healthy competition. The market is so big that you shouldn’t mind competition. Kung may ibang taong makakapag-entertain d’un sa mga hindi nanonood ng Eat, Bulaga?, di okey lang. Mabuti ‘yon, di masama ‘yon.

Vic: Nasabi na ni Tito ang gusto kong sabihin.

What won’t we find in the Eat, Bulaga! book?

Vic: I don’t know. I haven’t read the whole book yet.

Tito: ‘Yung menu ng kinakain namin pag tanghali wala d’un sa book.

Joey: When we were starting in Channel 9, the food wasn’t free so each of us would spend our own money to buy food.

Vic: Mami siopao.

Joey: Mami siopao sa Channel 9? (Addressing Vic) Kelan ba tayo nalibre ng pagkain?

Vic: When we moved to Channel 2. May pakain na.

Joey: Tito, Vic and I have a secret. Alam mo ba na from Day 1 ng Eat, Bulaga! hindi kami nagpapa-makeup? Nagtatanggal lang kami ng langis sa mukha. Kaya wala kaming ka-plastic-plastic when we face the public. What they see is what they get.

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