Name one ‘Bubble Gang’ sketch that made you die laughing

The original cast of “Bubble Gang” back in 1995. From left to right: (upper) Ogie Alcasid, Michael V. (lower) Sunshine Cruz, Eric Fructuoso and Aiko Melendez.

The beginning

I just turned 10 years-old when “Bubble Gang” first aired on television in the October of 1995. Back then, “Tropang Trumpo,” a defunct gag show from ABC5, was the “thing.” My brother and I, together with our cousins, would dance to their “Caronia Chicken” moves. I remember that every kid in my neighborhood knew the steps too.

When news broke out that Ogie Alcasid and Michael V., who used to be part of the lead cast of “Tropang Trumpo,” were to star in a new gag show for GMA Network, everyone was on the lookout for what they can offer.

Twenty years later, “Bubble Gang” is now the longest-running sketch comedy program on Philippine television. In an interview, Michael V., who we fondly know as “Bitoy” and also the show’s creative director, shares how their success is a mix of both luck and intuition.

“Makinig ka lang sa audience mo. Pinakain mo sa mga tao tapos sinabing hindi masarap luto mo, tapos hindi mo sila pinakinggan? Eventually maba-brand ka as cook o chef na hindi marunong magluto. Kapag nasarapan sila, ibigay mo. Ulit-ulitin mo, gumawa ka ng recipe based sa nagustuhan nila. Kapag hindi naman nila nagustuhan, ibahin mo at maghanap ka ng magugustuhan nila.“

Director Uro dela Cruz, the show’s director for 20 years, says that even if the show is all about making people tear up laughing, they treat comedy as a serious acting material.

“Personally, ang approach ko rito sa ay serious. Kung kailangang umarte, umarte. Never kong nakita sa ‘Bubble Gang’ na nagkengkoy-kengkoy ang mga artista.”

The first decade

The show shot up to popularity for their parodies of television commercials, politicians, and current events.

“Ang unang batch ng ‘Bubble Gang’ kung maaalala ko: ako, si Ogie, Aiko Melendez, Sunshine Cruz , Eric Fructuoso, Antonio Aquitania, Wendell Ramos, Assunta De Rossi, Susan Lozada, Maricar de Mesa and Jackie de Guzman,” recalls Bitoy.

Muchas Grasas is a political satire that depicted the gap between society’s rich and poor.

On their first ten years, segments like “Muchas Grasas” (a skit about a family of greasy paupers who act like elite socialites), “Remember Wen,” (a spoof of a famous drama anthology series) and “Miyusik Tagalog Bersiyon & Miyusik English Versiyon” where Bitoy translates songs to Tagalog or English, literally, were some of the classic hits that made "Bubble Gang" a delight to chew on for both its baby boomer and millennial audiences.

Ang Dating Doon stars: (from left to right) Cesar Cosme, Isko Salvador and Chito Francisco.

“Ang Dating Doon,” a spoof of a religious program, was born in 1998 and became one of the most popular "Bubble Gang" creations. It starred the show’s own production staff, Isko Salvador (former head writer) as “Brod Pete,” Cesar Cosme (creative director) as “Brother Willy,” and Chito Francisco (senior writer) as “Brother Jocel.” The spoof segment started and ended with the “Voltes V” theme.

Terms like “raise the roof” and “alien” became famous. Anthropologist Dr. Nestor Castro from University of the Philippines-Diliman, himself a "Bubble Gang" fan, recalls, “Naka-identify ako sa ‘Ang Dating Doon’ kasi paborito ko ang ‘Voltes V.’ Kabisadong-kabisado ko ‘yung kanta sa wikang Hapon. So kaya ko siyang sabayan. Merong mga parte ng programa na makaaantig sa iba’t ibang henerasyon.”

How sketches were born

Senior writer Francisco shares how they conceptualize sketches and spoofs.

“Actually ‘yung meeting namin, batuhan lang ng kalokohan. ‘Ako meron akong ganitong experience kanina. Nakipag-away ako sa kalye. Tapos ‘yung isa naman, ‘yung kasambahay namin, ganito ang ginawa.’ Nagsisimula kami na relax lang ang lahat, parang magkakabarkada na nagbabatuhan ng mga kalokohan. From there, iisip na kami ng mga segments na puwedeng gawin, medyo magiging intense na ‘yung meeting, kasama ‘yun sa creative process, ‘yung batuhan.”

Creative director Cosme adds, “Nung nagsimula ‘yung ‘Bubble Gang’ wala pang social media so nagre-rely lang kami sa balita kung ano ba ang uso. Kapag nagkukuwentuhan kami, diverse ‘yung grupo. Merong sobrang hirap, meron namang mayaman, kaya kahit papaano alam naming ito ‘yung uso sa mayaman, at ito naman yung maa-appreciate ng nagtitinda ng mani sa Pasay.”

The second decade

Through the years, "Bubble Gang" recruited new casts and managed to stay relevant in the age of social media.

The “Boy Pick-up” sketch eventually became a movie.

Some of the notable segments in their second decade were “Ako at ang Ina,” starring Bitoy as “Ina Moran” and Sef Cadayona as “Selphie,” where a mother frankly rebukes her daughter’s inappropriate posts on social media, and “Antonietta,” a sketch that reprimands the recurring cliché in drama soaps through a villain-protagonist of the same name played by Betong Sumaya.

Aside from hitting the big screen, the characters of Yaya and Angelina also hosted the defunct GMA game show “Hole in the Wall.”

But in the last decade, segments “Boy Pick-up” (a rap battle skit, lead by Ogie Alcasid) and “Yaya and Angelina” (played by Bitoy and Ogie, a sketch where a maid repeatedly gets bullied by an evil kid) reigned supreme and were even made into movies.

"Bubble Gang" as pop culture

Anthropologist Castro explains that after twenty years on television, it cannot be denied that "Bubble Gang" has become so deeply ingrained in the Filipino culture.

“Identified ang pop culture sa henerasyon ng mga kabataan. Ang 'Bubble Gang' ay maituturing na parte na rin ng pop culture kasi meron silang significant following at saka may mga taong patuloy na sumusubaybay dito. At meron itong naiimbento na mga katatawanan na ginagaya ng mga ordinaryong tao. Sa katunayan hindi natin alam kung sino ang gumagaya sa kanino. Ang 'Bubble Gang' ba ang gumagaya sa realidad o ang realidad na ba ang gumagaya sa 'Bubble Gang?'

Bubble Gang's past and present cast were interviewed by GMA News pillars Mike Enriquez and Jessica Soho for “I Am Bubble Gang: The Bubble Gang 20th Anniversary Commemorative Comedy Chronicles,” which aired November 27.

The secret ingredient of "Bubble Gang"

Perhaps most of us can recall one or more "Bubble Gang" sketch that made us die laughing. Program Manager Bang Arespacochaga shares the secret behind the show’s great success.

“Actually Sunday pa lang magkakasama na sila. Nagba-basketball sila or they go to one house ng kung kanino man, maglalaro sila. Meron na silang personal relationship. Ang samahan nila ay napakaganda. They help each other. Hindi sila yung nag-iinggitan kung sino ang mas maraming sketch or participation sa isang gag. They help each other, nag-aalalayan sila. Kung meron mang bago, tinutulungan sila ng mga seniors kagaya nina Bitoy, Tonio and Rufa Mae, binibigyan sila ng mga tips.”

For Arespacochaga,  the program wouldn’t last twenty years if not for the team’s genuine rapport, both on and off the camera. ---Annalyn Ardona/BMS, GMA Public Affairs