The secret to betting on your babies

Hosting a reality show involving kids is not an entirely new task for Judy Ann Santos, who previously did Junior MasterChef Pinoy Edition, where she guided the kiddie chefs and judged their culinary creations.

“I know how to deal with two-year-olds and I know how to play and talk to them because I am also a mother. It’s an eternal role,” she said.

Bet on Your Baby, which originated from the US, has three sets of parents and their children aged two to three years old going through two rounds of games that will make them bond and predict how their children will execute the given tasks. Only one family will advance to the jackpot round and play for P1M. 

Judy Ann said those who want to join the game show should “just enjoy” and not be pressured into making the right bet or feel bad if they do not make it to the jackpot round.

“It’s all about the kid. It’s not about the parents,” said Judy Ann. “What’s important is that your baby enjoyed playing the game with you.”

She added that when babies enter the ages between two to three, it is the most interesting stage as they begin to utter funny words, pull surprises and unexpected acts, and absorb almost everything they see and hear around them.

“You just wait and wonder what your child can do today. I feel good whenever I look back and recall those years and remember the words that my children said. They were so innocent,” she said.

Judy Ann said she was initially hesitant to accept the project until it was fully presented to her — the concept, the feel of the show and even the technical aspects.

“I think I made the right decision doing this show because it removes my stress and I am always in the company of happy babies. People do not only get entertained watching the show, but they also get helpful tips and inspiration on how to discipline their kids,” she said.

The Philippines is the third country in the world to localize the US game show produced by Electus. Like other franchised game shows, ABS-CBN introduced elements to give the program a distinct local flavor.

Business unit head Raymund Dizon recalled accompanying Electus’ consultant to the studio of It’s Showtime so he could experience the high energy and audience engagement that ABS-CBN’s noontime show gives to its viewers.

In the end, Raymund said they were able to convince Electus to allow them to develop a lively theme song with matching choreography that the audience and viewers can sing and dance along to, as well as original challenges developed for Filipinos that would involve the family playing together.

“We have made it more relatable and festive. Every Filipino family will be able to relate to it. They would say, ‘Ah ganyan ang anak ko o kapatid ko,’” he said.

Aside from high viewership, Raymund shared that the localization of the game show has not gone unnoticed by Electus, which has asked them to share their original challenges with one of its franchisees.

In 2013, Bet on Your Baby was among the Top 15 most watched shows nationwide with an average TV rating of 25.3 percent, based on Kantar Media data. To date, the show has produced four millionaire families.

Is there a strategy to betting on their babies to win?

“There’s really no secret. It’s just a matter of spending time with them and at the same time, knowing what they want, when they want to do certain things, and why they don’t want to do it. More importantly, you have to be by their side when they are happy or sad,” Judy Ann said.

Ultimately, she said it is the connection between parents and their children that will help them play the game. “It is important to know your baby,” she said.

(Bet on Your Baby airs every Saturday after TV Patrol Weekend.)