It was quite an emotional day for the Eat Bulaga dabarkads during their media day as they move to TV5. Tears fell, there were definitely laughs but what made the event special is how these people displayed their love not just as co-workers but as a family.
Watch the full live below:
Right before the media day, MediaQuest and TVJ Productions signed an agreement under which it will acquire 51% equity of TVJ Productions, Inc., the media production company set up by the iconic entertainment trio of Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon.
This agreement solidifies the partnership between Mediaquest and Tito, Vic, and Joey to produce media content for the various distribution channels and platforms of Mediaquest.
TVJ Productions’ initial project is the new noontime show of TVJ which is set to air its pilot episode on July 1.
“Welcome home, TVJ.”, said MQuest Ventures President and CEO, Jane Basas.
“Our new show with TVJ and Dabarkads is only the beginning. We plan to make TV series, live shows, and movies at TVJ Productions. This will surely delight Pinoys here at home and overseas.”, she added.
“This is it. It’s good to be home.”, said former Senator Tito Sotto, Chairman of TVJ Productions. “We appreciate the warm welcome from our Mediaquest family. Now it’s time to get to work.”
Loyalty and family
Some of the dabarkads were asked why did they stay loyal and moved with TVJ. Here are their answers:
Allan K: Siyempre, nakakatuwa na pinaglaban kami ng TVJ. Nakaka-proud na maging miyembro ng pamilya nila at masayang masaya kami na nandito kami ngayon.
Jose Manalo: Nung bago pa lang kami, ang TVJ hindi man nila sinasabi directly ‘yung suporta nila o pagmamahal nila pero napapakita nila, napaparamdam nila kahit hindi sila magsalita. Kaya nung pagdating po nung nangyari, alam namin na hindi kami mawawalan ng hanapbuhay dahil ang TVJ hindi kami pababayaan. Mahirap magutom. Tatay, kuya, kapatid, ‘yun ang turin namin sa kanila.
Wally Bayola: Hindi po mapapantayan ng kahit ano ang loyalty namin sa TVJ. Hindi naman tayo mayaman pero basta ako susundin ko ang nasa puso ko, basta ako susundin ko ang TVJ.
Paolo Ballesteros: Kasi ako, pikit-mata nila akong tinanggap sa Eat Bulaga. Hindi naman nila ako kilala, hindi nila alam kung anong kaya kong gawin. Ngayon, almost 22 years na ako sa Eat Bulaga, so walang question question yun. ‘Yung ginawa namin is basic human instinct. Kung saan ang TVJ, doon kami.
Ryan Agoncillo shared how he started on Eat Bulaga from just guesting and then Malou Choa-Fagar called and asked him to be a regular host on the noontime show and how it felt being backed up by TVJ, “right at the time that I got married. It was part of the plan. When tita Malou asked me on a Friday night, ‘Ryan, would you like to be part of Eat Bulaga?’ Walang isip isip, I reported the next day. Parang nasabi ko lang ata sa asawa ko, ‘sweetheart, papasok ako sa Eat Bulaga.’ Saka niya lang nalaman na regular host ako nung nakita niya sa portion na regular na. It was part of the family, kasi it would afford me the time to spend my then starting family. And it has been fourteen years since and nasa Eat Bulaga pa din ako. Nung sinabi na (Ryan makes an axed gesture) tagpas kami lahat, ang sabi ko lang sa asawa ko pag-uwi ko, ‘I think I just got fired.’ And then, from ten twenty eight, wala kayong narinig. Kasi that’s the style of Eat Bulaga. We deal with our own problems quietly just like how a very good family does. And then, galing akong bakasyon, tumawag ‘yung EP namin, ‘kuya Ry, papasok po ba kayo bukas?’ Of course, anong oras? Normal day, by the time I got to work, actually gulat kami. Usually, naga-almusal kami ni Allan K. Hindi na kami nakakain, kasi pagdating ko nung programa, I didn’t know kasi galing kaming bakasyon and it took me five minutes to figure it out. And when we went on air, a few moments later, nagtinginan kami, ‘eto na ‘to. Eto na ‘yung pinaghahandaan natin ng mga ilang buwan. Si Maine pa ata katabi ko nun. Phones are ringing, nandun kami sa kwarto. Tawanan, iyakan, all the emotions you could imagine. Hindi ko madampot ‘yung phone ko. Hanggang pag-uwi, nagkakagulo na online. We didn’t even know if we aired or where we aired, but we aired definitely in Maine’s Facebook page. And then, ‘yun na ‘yon. Basically, hindi ko ma-describe sa inyo how it feels nang hindi ako umiiyak, what it means to be backed up by TVJ but I tell you what, my wife didn’t ask. My parents didn’t ask. When I made the decision, ang luwag eh. Tama. And they didn’t ask kasi tama. Back up-an ka ng TVJ, dalhin mo sa bangko ‘yan, you’ll be okay. And that was what I felt. We didn’t know gaano kalayo paningin namin but as long as yung katabi ko ay ang TVJ at ang dabarkads, you knew it was the right move.”
Watch our coverage of the Media Day with Legit Dabarkads below: