THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
Daily noontime shows are as Filipino as adobo and sinigang.
At least that is what our elders in Rizal province say. They point out that the public’s emotional involvement in the controversy that is now hounding the country’s longest-running daily noontime show is expected. After all, we have an attachment not just to that particular variety program but to the various forms of entertainment and entertainers who present themselves and perform before us during that time slot.
It is believed that our countrymen’s fascination with daily noontime shows may have begun in the early 1960s. The show was on the radio which was the popular entertainment medium of that time. Our elders recall that the title of the show was “Talents Unlimited” and was hosted by the late media man Ben Aniceto. Our elders relate that the highlight of the show was a contest where participants guessed the answer after asking 10 questions which started with “Is it an animal, or is it a mineral or is it a vegetable.” The amount of the cash prize decreased as the contestants needed to ask more questions before guessing the correct answer.
Our elders say the contest “Pinoy Henyo” somewhat reminded them of the Talents Unlimited game.
Our fascination with daily noontime shows grew as they moved to television.
“Student Canteen” was supposedly the pioneer in this entertainment genre. It was hosted by Eddie Ilarde who later became a senator of the Republic, veteran host and singer Pepe Pimentel, Bobby Ledesma, and the glamorous Leila Benitez. The daily noontime show’s best come-on were its guests (which included the then-young Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5) as well as its amateur singing contest which opened the door for many of our popular recording artists of the past.
If our elders’ recollection is correct, “Student Canteen” was just a one-hour show which took the 12 noon to one o’clock p.m. slot. It was followed by “Darigold Jamboree,” which was a half-hour show which also featured an amateur singing contest.
“Student Canteen’s” firm hold on the number one spot in the daily noontime show category came to a halt when Eddie Ilarde decided to run for a seat in the Philippine senate in 1965 (which he won, thanks to the popularity of the show, our elders opine).
It was quickly followed by another popular daily noontime show, “Magandang Tanghali,” which features the late matinee idol Pancho Magalona, father of the late rap artist Francis Magalona. He was joined by the unforgettable comic trio of Cachupoy (whose hairstyle is still known today by his showbiz moniker), Babalu, and Teroy de Guzman.
Its daily noontime slot was followed by another short variety show titled “Everyday Holiday” which featured the future queen of radio and television – the late Sylvia La Torre – and her comic genius of a partner, Doro delos Ojos.
There was also the short-lived “Stop, Look, Listen” hosted by Eddie Mesa, dubbed the “Elvis Presley” of the Philippines; and “Twelve O’clock High” which featured the witty Ariel Ureta and the beautiful Tina Revilla of the famous Revilla sisters of the 1970s. Ureta’s show closed down during the advent of Martial Law during which he quipped the famous line, “Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, bisikleta ang kailangan,” a funny take on the then-regime’s tagline, “Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, disiplina ang kailangan.”
Our elders passed on the gossip to us that Ariel Ureta ended up cycling several rounds around a military camp as punishment for “disrespecting” the martial law slogan.
“Student Canteen” was later revived in the late 1970s. Then, “Eat Bulaga” was born and gave it a run, eventually capturing the number one spot in the daily noontime show genre and keeping that sport for more than four decades. There were occasional “threats” to its hold on that top spot, but they were short-lived.
Today, the daily noontime shows appear to be one of the few remaining items on traditional television that still garner decent ratings. It looks like social media has captured most of the mass audiences. However, we cannot deny that when the genre reigned supreme, the programs under this category gave our countrymen what they were looking for – entertainment that would take them out of the difficult realities of everyday life, even for just an hour or two.
They were also top revenue earners. At one point, the longest-running daily noontime show was said to have commanded such a steep price for its primetime commercial spots – so expensive but effective that a single advertising placement there could up the sales of a product or increase the public’s awareness of a political candidate.
We heard public relations and advertising executives in the past say that if their clients had limited budgets, they would recommend that they spend it all on buying one of two advertising spots in the highest rating daily noontime show.
That advertising spending technique shows how wide the reach and the patronage of these shows are. That also attests to the belief by advertisers that these shows cater to the most important decision-makers in the household: The stay-at-home moms. They are the ones who have the time to watch these shows while preparing the noontime meal. They are also the ones who decide which soap, toothpaste, or milk to buy. They also influence how their spouses and children will vote.
Will our countrymen’s fascination with daily noontime shows remain the same?
How the drama involving the longest-running daily noontime show would unfold will have a lot of say on this.
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