Pepito Manaloto takes a break after 11 years on air

After an 11-year run on GMA Network, the family sitcom Pepito Manaloto: Kuwento, Kuwento is airing its “season finale” today. Contrary to earlier rumors, it’s not saying farewell for good but taking a much-needed break as the show addresses production concerns and challenges amid the still ongoing pandemic.

Pepito Manaloto is the brainchild of concept creator, creative director and lead actor?Michael V. or more popularly known as Bitoy. The sitcom follows the rags-to-riches journey of Pepito (Michael V.) after winning the lottery. Together with his wife Elsa (Manilyn Reynes) and their children Clarissa (Angel Satsumi) and Chito (Jake Vargas), Pepito navigates the ins and outs of his family’s new life as multi-millionaires while being documented by a camera crew for a TV show.?

Directed by Bert de Leon, Pepito Manaloto has been considered a staple source of wholesome entertainment and comic relief for Filipino households since 2010. The show earned merit from various award-winning bodies in its over 10 years of airing.

But by Bitoy’s admission during a recent virtual interview, some good things have to end, albeit temporarily, as he opened up about the decision to go on a “season break” because of the pandemic.

The Kapuso star recalled that when the pandemic started, the production worked hard to cope. “We had to find ways to keep up with the times, at the same time to give quality entertainment to the audience.”

However, it came to a point when the situation was no longer conducive to the show’s original design. Bitoy said, “Because everytime ako nasa taping ng show, the warmth, the camaraderie, yung pakikisalamuha mo sa mga tao, hindi lang sa cast, but pati sa staff, yun ang nawala eh.

“And hindi talaga ganun yung design nung show. We really need to step back for a bit to reassess the situation, and makahanap ng tamang diskarte to come up with something similar to the original design.”

Bitoy further explained that one of the biggest reasons behind the break is their fear that Pepito Manaloto would suffer from audience fatigue.

“We really don’t want to disappoint the audience. We don’t want audience fatigue to happen, uunahan na namin siya. We won’t allow the audience to get tired of us because the show is always relevant and has very relatable characters. So, as much as we want to reflect what’s happening in the society, there are things that you really can’t control, and the pandemic is one of them. This is the reason why we’re doing a slight step back, to prepare for the next big thing,” the veteran comedian said.

In the season ender tonight at 6:15, Elsa is the featured baker at the Central Luzon Food Trade Expo in Pampanga, while Pepito has been invited by the Philippine Embassy in Korea to speak at a business conference.

The TV crew, who has been following them around, is now causing some problems. After years of sharing their lives with the public, this time with the pandemic, it feels like their world has become more crowded. And when the producer of their reality show talks about plans for a new season, Pepito must decide whether to move forward or move on.

“The core really of Pepito Manaloto is ‘yung personality niya at ng pamilya niya, hindi nagbago. Kumbaga pusong mahirap pa rin sila. Marunong silang mag-value ng mga tao at bagay and at the same time, the real meaning of the word family,” Bitoy said of the finale’s takeaway message.

Meanwhile, Bitoy looked back on what he considered as the show’s highlights through the years. “The first episode because it wasn’t pilot na pilot eh. Normally, when a show shoots a pilot, gagawin niya isang episode lang. But we shot the pilot like a movie. It was a two-hour pilot and divided into four episodes but one complete story, the prologue of what happened to Pepito Manaloto, so that in itself is a feat. Mahirap gawin yun that time because of the time and budget constraints, but we pushed through and managed to pull it off.”

Another favorite memory of Bitoy was when they filmed in the US. “Naku! We went through a lot. The cast had to learn to be the crew and the staff, in a faraway place, far from home.”

Lastly, he said, it was shooting the weekend series amid the pandemic. “We didn’t think we had it in us to pull something off like this. That despite the pandemic, you’d still come up with something quality pa rin. I guess, like what they all say, all good things must come to an end — at one point — so we have to give it a rest and reassess.”

What’s next for Pepito Manaloto? Bitoy hinted at a transitional season — a prequel — with both him and Manilyn still playing important roles.

Asked if he’s more pressured than before to make people laugh during this time, he said, “Not necessarily… Again, entertainment is the main reason why we’re here, and we will never stop entertaining the audience. We will find ways to make you happy.”

Nevertheless, in all his years as a sought-after comedian, it was during the pandemic that Bitoy felt fatigue for the first time. Aside from the work challenges, he went through personal difficulties, such as contracting COVID-19 last year.

The whole experience made him realize a lot of things.

Bitoy, who is currently living in a condo with his family while their house is under construction, said, “There’s been a lot of realizations, personally and as a family, parang nakita namin yung totoong needs ng mga tao, ng bawat pamilya dito sa bansa natin.

“It’s a huge revelation that ito ang lang ang kailangan mo, itong space lang ang kailangan mo, itong time lang na ito ang kailangan mo. And aside from realizing that’s just what you need, you get to be creative with other things. So, I became active on YouTube at saka kung ano-ano yung ginagawa ko sa social media. And it’s all an experiment, it’s all parang mga trials and errors na eventually magli-lead into something really good, the new season of Pepito Manaloto included.

“I’m glad that it happened. Even though I was a bit struck by sadness, I’ve learned something and that’s what’s really important.

“It’s true, yung silver lining na tinatawag. ‘Wag ka mawalan ng pag-asa, lahat ng bagay, may reason. Hanapin mo lang kung ano ang reason na yun.”