Bulilit kids grow wings and fly

We never realized how difficult it has been to produce and direct a children’s show, much less keep it on top for many years. It requires patience, love for children, and most of all, skill and professionalism. ABS-CBN’s Goin’ Bulilit, a children’s comedy show aired Sundays will be celebrating its seventh anniversary on Feb. 19 and The Philippine STAR was invited to an exclusive coverage of its anniversary taping last weekend.

We expected to see Bobot Mortiz who had once admitted to us that Goin’ Bulilit, a tribute to the Goin’ Bananas gag show, was his most fulfilling television concept which has maintained its leadership in children’s shows as far as ratings is concerned. To this day, the quality of the show has not dropped even as the compulsory graduation at age 12 meant a new batch would once again be trained and molded into professional actors. Apparently, direk Bobot had already been slowly letting go of the show to take on newer ventures, leaving the responsibility to his sons who had spent years in school and watching their dad direct as their OJT.

Of Bobot’s four children, three have gone into production, the eldest Frasco now the main director of Goin’ Bulilit, and younger Badjie the second unit director. Two years ago, Frasco was the second unit director to his dad until one day Bobot told him to take over as he was deemed prepared for the job. As of this writing, Frasco is also getting ready to direct his first full length movie for Star Cinema with the working title of The Reunion of former high school classmates.

Frasco is intuitive and astute, as he shared the many observations of his 10 years in television. During his first job in PR, Frasco had the opportunity to study trends and movements in the networks. “There was a time when I saw the shifting in audience preference from ABS to GMA. The forte of GMA was fantasies, action, clearly male oriented. ABS had teleseryes, more addressed to women,” he said. Still, the dramas were cheaper to produce, which could have been the reason they chose to stick to the genre. 

In the field of comedy, ABS had many more comedy shows in the past with the Dolphy series, Nida Blanca, Maricel Soriano and later That’s my Doc, M3, George and Cecil, unlike today with only Banana Split, Toda Max and Goin’ Bulilit. “Comedy is more expensive, shown only once a week. In 2000, ABS comedy leads were Aga, Edu, Robin, big names and expensive budget-wise. Feeling ko, kaya tumagal ang Bulilit because bata, hindi ganun ka sikat, with a cheaper budget,” continued Frasco.

We think, however, that the main contribution of Bulilit to the industry is its having honed responsible, and disciplined actors whom they allow to sprout wings and fly. With a cast from ages three to 12, taping can only be on weekends from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. or non-schooldays. Summer vacation with out-of-town and out-of-the country tapings is anxiously awaited by the kids when Bulilit accompanied by a parent, Bobot, Frasco and executive producer Nomie Meraña take the opportunity to bond with the kids, and tell them stories of what happens to those who become mayabang and develop an attitude that can make or break them.

We jam with three of the stand-outs among the graduates during the reunion taping — Nash Aguas, Miles Ocampo, and Igi Boy Flores.

Nash is easily the most versatile of the lot. Winner of the first Star Circle Kid Quest as Grand Kid Questor, he went on to win Best Child Performer in 2006 and 2007 Metro Manila Film Festival. Every show wants Nash since he can do action, drama, even horror. Asked what he learned from Bulilit, Nash quickly pointed out, “Kung pa’no po ‘yung pagbitaw ng mga lines, ‘yung basic acting, dun namin natutunan sa Goin’ Bulilit.” Miles will never ever forget her first acting role as a boy in the movie Mangarap Ka with Piolo Pascual and Angelica Panganiban. When she auditioned, her hair was up to her waist and director Cathy Garcia-Molina asked her if she would cut it like a boy and she agreed. That’s how much she wanted to be an actress. After this came Goin’ Bulilit, then Mga Anghel na Walang Langit.

Igi Boy is the natural comedian who started as a dancer, then found himself comfortable doing comedy. He has done drama in several episodes of MMK, but Igi Boy told us people who watch him doing a crying scene still find it funny. He looks forward to the new show Luv U where his role has been tailor made for him. Akong ako, he says. Bobot tells us Luv U (meaning University) of Bulilit graduates has been prepared to replace Growing Up with Miles, Kiray, Igi Boy CJ Nabato in the cast and introducing a new talent Marko Gumabao (son the actor Dennis Roldan, now a pastor).

Bobot’s directorial career actually began in ABC-5’s Tropang Trumpo where June Rufino recommended him as director. The show became a hit. He uses his experiences of the past in his current assignments. The germ for Anghel na Walang Langit came about when a group of poor children were featured in Wowowee. Banana Split was originally conceptualized by Direk Bobot as the female version of the ’80s comedy hit Goin’ Bananas which topbilled the Bad Bananas of Christopher de Leon, Jay Ilagan, Johnny Delgado and Bobot.

Direk Bobot clearly missed his long association with the Bad Bananas barkada, even now that only Boyet de Leon and he are left to carry on. Perhaps, it was timely that Cathy offered him a role in the comedy film Unofficially Yours with John Lloyd Cruz and Angel Locsin and he accepted.

At the moment, Bobot is still busy at the helm of Banana Split and Happy Yipee, Yehey! which he confirmed would be replaced by Showtime. So what would be aired on the vacated timeslot, we asked him, and would he be involved? “Malamang,” he answered, and for the moment that is enough to placate everyone. 

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