A potential upheaval of the Philippines’ longest-running noontime variety show, ‘Eat Bulaga’ has been averted due to a recent agreement between the show’s stakeholders.
The Babbler reports that the famous hosts of the show, Tito, Vic & Joey (TVJ), and the children of ex-congressman Romy Jalosjos, who took over the management of the show’s producer, TAPE, in early 2023, have decided to maintain the current state of affairs.
The Jalosjos siblings agreed to TVJ’s terms, allowing the existing production staff to stay, with a few program changes.
TVJ and their core team will have the final say on the show, which has aired since July 1979. This agreement prevents a significant shift in the critical lunchtime TV slot. It maintains the country’s largest broadcast station, GMA Network.
The conflict began when the Jalosjos siblings removed TAPE’s co-founder and CEO Antonio Tuviera, a long-time ally of TVJ, and threatened to “rebrand” the show without them.
However, TVJ claimed ownership of the “Eat Bulaga” brand and contemplated moving the show to other networks. Due to this recent resolution, fans can now look forward to more of their beloved noontime show.
Earlier in March, the show faced rumors of internal disputes involving Tuviera’s alleged removal. This caused concern among TVJ, as reported by columnist Cristy Fermin.
It was rumored that Jalosjos intended to oust Tuviera from the company and seize control of the noontime show. Despite these rumors, Sotto confirmed in a March 12 episode of “Korina Interviews” with broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez that the show is “here to stay.”
“Oh, we’re there. ‘Eat Bulaga’ is there. Tito, Vic, and Joey, siguro ‘yung mga lumalabas na kwento at kung ano-ano, hindi ko na lang ia-address kasi ano-ano na ‘yung lumabas eh. Perhaps, the important thing to say is that Eat Bulaga is here to stay,” he said.
In the interview, Sotto was questioned about the enduring popularity of the “Tito, Vic, and Joey” trio in “Eat Bulaga” and the reasons behind their widespread success among the Filipino people.
“Siguro sa ‘Eat Bulaga,’ ang pulso namin kung ano ‘yung kagat sa tao, gusto nila, wala kaming portion na hindi gusto ng tao. Kapag may portion kami na gusto, hindi namin ipipilit kung mahina ang response. We try to feel the pulse of the people,” he said.
It seems that Sotto addressed the rumored rebranding of the noontime show on Instagram on March 3. He posted a picture of himself alongside Tuviera.
