From Kuya Bodjie to Lolo Basyong!

For Kean’s 1^st Musical Happening @ his new school The Learning Tree, he played middle-sized Gruff in the Billy Goats Gruff Story.

But actually, the highlight of the day was the appearance of KUYA BODJIE from Batibot! It was just so funny because it seemed the parents were more excited about him. Malay ba ng mga bata kung sino siya… hehe. Man he looked old! He’s not Kuya Bodjie anymore… more like LOLO BODJIE! or LOLO BASYONG because he's still deemed as the Master Storyteller!

Sayang wala si Pong Pagong at si Kiko Matsing. I had to explain to Kean who he was and what he did. I told him Batibot was a show like Sesame Street. He was still kinda confused after that ‘cos the Sesame Street characters he knows now are mostly Elmo and Cookie Monster. So to make things more clear I told him he’s like Johnny in “Johnny and the Sprites”, one of his favorite shows on Playhouse Disney. Sigh… talk about Generation Gap.

Anyway, speaking of Batibot, who grew up watching it? Itaas ang inyong mga kamay! Who was your favorite character? Mine would have to be Manang Bola… “Perlas na Bilog huwag patulog-tulog sabihin sa akin ang sagot. Bah Beh Bih Boh Boooh” It still cracks me up ‘til now. And I can’t resist reciting it every time I hold anything round.

Of course who can forget the sisters Ning-Ning and Ging-Ging, the superhero Kapitan Basa, the aliens Sitsiritsit and Alibangbang, and Ate Sienna! (Did Ate Sienna and Kuya Bodjie ever date? Hahaha)

There were other muppets in the show but these were by the far the more popular ones next to Pong Pagong and Kiko Matsing. Batibot was more known to be as a spin-off of Sesame Street but I don’t know if you’re aware of this, Batibot was actually an original production of Children’s Television Workshop. So it was a real franchise and not just a copycat. CTW broke this relation with the local production PCTW (Phil Children’s Television Workshop) in 1989.

In 1994, while the show was airing on GMA after being tossed around the networks, RPN, PTV and ABS-CBN, the main muppets Pong Pagong and Kiko Matsing were pulled out due to licensing issues. That explains why it’s so hard for us to see them these days even for just cameo roles on wherever. CTW owns them. So what we know as the icons of Pinoy Pre-School Education are actually American properties. So isn’t that ironic? Another one of our Pinoy Paradoxes! Go figure! =p

Anyway, seeing Kuya Bodjie brought back a lot of kiddie memories. Oh the ‘80s…

I’m sure by now this song is humming in your head…

Pagmulat ng mata
Langit nakatawa
Sa Batibot
Sa Batibot

Tayo nang magpunta
Tuklasin sa Batibot
Ang tuwa, ang saya

Doon sa Batibot
Tayo na, tayo na
Mga bata sa Batibot
Maliksi, Masigla (2x)

Dali, sundan natin
Ang ngiti ng araw
Doon sa Batibot (2x)

Tayo nang magpunta
Tuklasin sa Batibot
Ang tuwa, ang saya

Doon sa Batibot
Tayo na, tayo na
Mga bata sa Batibot
Maliksi, Masigla (2x)

Hahaha! You still memorize it, I bet! How about this one?

Alin? Alin?
Alin ang naiba?
Isipin kung alin ang naiba?
Isiping mabuti
Isipin kung alin
Isipin kung alin ang naiba?

I don’t think there’s any other Filipino TV program for kids that could level up to Batibot’s credibility. I don’t know if were we just easier to please back then, while the kids today are more sophisticated. Well things may have been more simple back then but I would not trade climbing on a tree and playing in the rain to having the latest PSP.