To be sure, the immediate thing that strikes the minds of most people is that Filipinos are irrepressible when it comes to showbiz. The instant reaction is that the crush of humanity was there for the anticipated appearances of a wide variety of stars.
But stars have not become the only come-on for these widely popular television shows. A greater part of the drawing power can be attributed to the fantastic prizes, including huge cash amounts, that are being dangled by these shows.
Not only are the prizes attracting hordes of contestants, but the mere fact that such huge prizes are at stake inspires great interest in the Filipino audience, whether there live in the television studios or at home watching tv.
Had the demographic composition of the Philippines been one of relative affluence, we doubt very much if a large segment of the population would be interested in either joining or watching a show that dangles, say, a million pesos.
In countries where the standards of living are so high it is not impossible that personal bank accounts of citizens may contain millions in their respective currencies, shows that give away money as prizes are not likely to spark wide interest.
Western television shows that do give away money in prizes are attractive not because of the prizes per se but because of the contest formats through which they are won. Such contests, like Jeopardy, are interesting mainly because they are informative.
Indeed, most of these popular television shows that give away attractive prizes are usually of the quiz format. It is the challenge that confronts the contestant or viewer that packs in audiences and viewers.
The Philippine television shows that similarly offer huge prizes are not essentially different in format in that some form of a quiz is still involved. But that is as far as any similarities may go.
Judging by the answers given by contestants, it is very clear they know almost absolutely nothing about the questions. They are in it for the money, as are most contestants everywhere. But they are not there to win money by challenging their wits. They rely solely on luck.
And that is precisely why these shows draw such huge crowds. Because there is a growing mass of people out there whose other avenues for opportunity have effectively been shut they have no other options to explore except to try their hand at luck.
To those who have not seen television footages of the kind of crowds that wait outside the gates of television studio compounds in the hope of getting in, the sight is plainly amazing. For the life of you, you could never imagine there were that many people willing to try luck.
The willingness to try luck has many faces, if only one cared to take a long hard look, it could be seen in many demeanors. Indeed, the ongoing mass migration of Filipino professionals, mostly nurses and teachers, to foreign lands is a manifestation of this willingness.
A few weeks ago, when the cash prize for the 6/49 draw of the Philippine Lotto breached the P150 million mark, the lines that formed at ticket outlets simply became amazingly long. Even people you do not normally associate with betting turned up. Luck beckons in difficult times.
The stampede that killed more than 60 would-be contestants and spectators on Saturday, February 4, was actually a tragedy waiting to happen. Not that safety measures were probably inadequate, but it was clear the organizers were unprepared for the scope of mass desperation.