NEWS5 launches #NaisKo B.A.Y.A.W. for President

MANILA, Philippines - As the playing field shapes up for the 2016 presidential election with the proclamation of a few front liners for the country’s top post, NEWS5 recently launched its unique B.A.Y.A.W. for President election advocacy campaign.

A series of vignettes in which fictional events are presented to create a parody of the Philippines’ current political landscape, B.A.Y.A.W. for President is presented with the look and feel of a TV documentary, but with the irreverent humor and slapstick of a popular comedian, designed to mock the subject it features.

With this innovative and trailblazing approach, NEWS5 hopes that the advocacy campaign will help the electorate decide which presidential aspirant is most qualified to lead the country for the next six years. Hence, the tag line, “Ano ang nais mo?”

In each vignette, NEWS5’s Jun Sabayton plays a nuisance candidate running under B.A.Y.A.W. or the Bagong Alyansang Ayaw sa Walang Hiya platform. Sabayton is quick to denounce his rivals as corrupt and incompetent. The truth is, he himself is involved in corrupt practices.

As Lourd de Veyra puts it, Sabayton is a “walang hiyang ayaw sa kapwa walang hiya.”

The acronym B.A.Y.A.W. also serves as the anchor for its platform.

B stands for “Bahay ni B.A.Y.A.W. para sa mga magnanakaw sa gobyerno.” All corrupt government officials will be placed in house arrest under his administration.

A stands for “Alisin ang baha.” As flood has remained a problem unsolved by previous administrations, B.A.Y.A.W.’s solution is simply to outlaw it for good. “Kung ginagawa ng DPWH ang kanilang trabaho, hindi dapat bumabaha,” he argues.

Y is for “Yariin ang mga palpak na nagpapatakbo ng MRT.” As the country’s top railway transportation is a problem on its own, B.A.Y.A.W. is seeking the death penalty for the MRT operators as they are “killing” hordes of commuters on a daily basis.

A is “Ayaw sa mahirap.” In his desire to provide for a better life for his fellow Filipinos, B.A.Y.A.W. says, “Gusto ko hindi ka lang happy, wealthy pa!”

W stands for “Walang dagdag umento pero may dagdag na linggo part 2.” His solution for wage and salary increase concerns: “Alisin ang Lunes sa kalendaryo para sa dagdag pahinga.”

As the campaign is slowly and ultimately reveals B.A.Y.A.W. as a candidate not worth voting for, viewers will see him and the party he represents as the classic trapo — the perpetrator of patronage politics. In the same vein, they will also wisely compare the B.A.Y.A.W.-like candidate/s to presidential hopefuls who have something better to offer.”

A popular fixture on NEWS5 and Digital’s online-only shows like Tanods and Kontrabando, Sabayton is a social satirist who is also an accomplished film and video director, photographer and production designer.

B.A.Y.A.W. will soon reveal his running mate as his campaign shifts into full gear. As audiences catch on, B.A.Y.A.W. for President campaign materials like posters, T-shirts and stickers will also be distributed. Since its launch, the campaign has produced its own Bayawmetrics, visited several barangays and has even graced the halftime of a PBA basketball game.

B.A.Y.A.W. is definitely all over the place. People will see more of him in the days to come. To log in your support, visit http://bayaw.ph.