Remembering 10 wholesome TV shows

In my Thursday column, I pointed out how most parents have conveniently turned the TV set into a babysitter for their kids. Unfortunately, this is a reality we have to accept because in most homes today, both parents have to work for the family upkeep. Most kids are thus allowed to stay glued before the TV set to keep them entertained, so that the parents can work in the office. The sad thing is that I can’t think of that many shows on TV today that impart moral values to our young viewers. In fairness to local television, however, there were programs in the past that really tried to teach the viewers – whether young or old – the proper values in life. I’m running below a list of 10 now-defunct shows that taught values to TV audiences so that today’s television producers may learn from these old programs.

Sta. Zita and Mary Rose – A light drama about a group of maids (among them, Zeneida Amador), this Sunday evening program that went on the air in the mid-’60s, taught Christian values to its regular viewers. It stressed that housemaids are also human beings and should be treated well by their employers. (Sta. Zita is supposed to be the patron saint of maids – although I have yet to find a record verifying this.)

Hosted by Mary Rose Jacinto, who appeared at the show’s opening and at the end, this program was revived by ABS-CBN in the late ’80s, but sadly didn’t last long on the air.

Si Tatang Kasi – Mang Nano (Pugo) – often assisted by son Bentot – would try to hoodwink any unsuspecting victim in every episode, but would always get his comeuppance in the end. Positive traits were always seen in the characters of Mang Nano’s daughter, Marita Zobel, and next-door neighbor, Aling Rosa (Aguirre).

Ay, Mali – An ABS-CBN sitcom that aired every Saturday night in 1972, it showed the battle between the angels and the devils – with the people on earth as their pawns. In one episode, Chichay refused to hear Mass because she didn’t have a set of new clothes (this was the time before most of us went to church in shorts). It was Maritess Revilla who opened Chichay’s eyes to the fact that God doesn’t care if we didn’t have new clothes to wear to church – as long as we are there on the day of worship.

My Family Three – Starring Tina Revilla, Frankie Navaja Jr., Jingle and Ramon Zamora (later replaced by Pugo), this light comedy/drama showed how an eldest sister would go to great lengths for the sake of her younger siblings.

‘Yan ang Misis Ko – A family drama on Channel 13 about the Ramirez family. Husband Ronald Remy, wife Rosa Rosal and their kids: Cristina Reyes, Connie Angeles and Jingle. (When it later moved to BBC-2, Kathy Sytangco and Toni Rose Gayda took over the roles of Cristina and Connie, respectively.) ‘Yan ang Misis Ko was all about family life and how each member of the family should respect one another – including the housemaid (Nena Perez Rubio). But there was one aspect in the show that bothered some housewives who regularly followed the show. In the program, it was the husband, Ronald Remy, who controlled the household budget, instead of the wife, Rosa Rosal. This definitely wasn’t in keeping with the usual setup in the typical Filipino home wherein the wife (even if she doesn’t work) always acts as the treasurer.

John En Marsha – A sitcom that really promoted Pinoy values and traits. The character of John Purontong (Dolphy) surely had its flaws: He didn’t have a steady job and relied mostly on his buy-and-sell business. But he had his pride. Even if he wasn’t able to provide well for his family, he never asked for support from his mother-in-law (Dely Atay-atayan), who was supposedly richer than Aristotle Onassis.

John may also have been constantly bickering with his mother-in-law, but that didn’t necessarily mean he loved her any less. Even Doña Delilah loved her son-in-law dearly despite their frequent verbal skirmishes.

Marsha (Nida Blanca) was also the ideal wife and mother. She was very loyal to John and stuck to him through thick and thin despite their financial woes.

Gulong ng Palad – Despite the mushiness of some of its dramatic scenes, this once very popular soap opera (which had its beginnings on radio) never failed to promote family values as depicted by Aling Idad (Caridad Sanchez) and her kids Luisa (Marianne de la Riva) and Peping (Romnick Sarmenta).

Hapi-House – Directed by Bert de Leon and with script by Bibeth Orteza, this post-EDSA I light comedy/drama starring Tito Sotto (as Hapi), Sandy Andolong (later replaced by Helen Gamboa), Isabel Granada and Chuckie Dreyfuss espoused nothing but honest-to-goodness values during its relatively short stint (only a couple of years) on Channel 13.

Family 3 + 1 – Starring Helen Vela (who also served as producer), Princess Punzalan, Ryan Eigenmann and Caridad Sanchez, this erstwhile Channel 7 program showed how family members should rally behind each other in good times and in bad.

Okay Ka, Fairy Ko – Another Bert de Leon-Bibeth Orteza collaboration, this Vic Sotto fantasy sitcom that lasted about a decade is proof that a show can sell positive values on television and still win in the ratings game.