Dahil kay Francis, rating ng EB naging history

It was Eat Bulaga, home to Francis Magalona for a decade, which announced the Master Rapper’s death last Saturday, March 6. Ayon na rin mismo sa mga hosts nito, pan­samantalang itinigil ang Sa Pula, Sa Puti seg­ment ng araw na ’yon halfway through to give way to the tearful advisory.

Paspasan daw ang ginawang anunsyo ng head writer ng EB, na hindi malaman kung paanong isu­sulat ’yon: Shaken, shocked and shrieking.

Irrelevant man ang pinag-aawayang ratings among shows during such times, nakatala ang EB ng 35.3% na kung hindi ako nagkakamali was the noontime program’s all-time high in recent history.

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March 9, Monday was supposedly Eat Bulaga’s typical day, pero inialay pa rin nito ang show in memory of Kiko.

Isa ako sa limang naglaro Sa Pula, Sa Puti segment along with the writers from Startalk and Showbiz Central pitted five tabloid writers, yet the color of mourning (black) stood in the way. Pinagbalik-tanaw kasi sa amin ang mga anecdotes na may kaugnayan kay Francis, panalo para sa akin ang ibinahagi ng kasamang Rey Pumaloy who was among the 10 reporters slapped with libel charges by a show producer in defense of Kiko many years ago.

Although suppressed, halatang sa kabila ng idinudulot na saya ng EB sa kanilang mga manonood ay ramdam ang kanilang collective grief. Nagsilbing talent portion ng kaibigang Allan Diones ang pagkanta ng The Warrior is a Child, nasa likod kami ni Julia Clarete who turned to us with tears welling in her eyes.

Expectedly, alay pa rin kay Kiko ang sumunod na araw, Martes, Eat Bulaga’s last live episode bago kahapon, kung saan ihahatid na sa kanyang huling hantungan ang Master Rapper.

Opo, hindi sila live kahapon, isasantabi muna nito just for one day ang mga kuwelang segment nito as its hosts, all of them, pay their last respects to Kiko.

All throughout, nagsilbing tribute ng EB ang mga past episodes nito nung aktibo pang host doon si Francis that segued to the interment scheduled at 11 a.m. at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City.

As the nation bids goodbye to Francis M., sinasalu­bong naman ng bayan ang mas ibayong nasyo­nalismong pinairal nito sa pamamagitan ng kanyang musika.

On a spiritual note, kahanga-hanga ang panatag na disposisyon ng byuda ni Kiko, si Pia Arroyo, who does not see black in mourning but rather vibrant colors just like in a kaleidoscope.