FOR nearly four decades and for many Filipinos here and overseas, Eat, Bulaga has been part of their daily viewing habits.
For them, it just doesn’t allow them to experience the fun but also gives them entertainment. More importantly, the noontime show has stayed true to its commitment of changing and inspiring lives.
One of the people the show has touched over the years is 21-year-old Melvin Dugan. The second of three siblings of an impoverished family from Taguig City, his parents used to own a small dress shop that eventually closed down when he was still in elementary school.
With no source of income while the bills were piling up, his education was compromised.
“Bata pa lang ramdam ko na yung kahirapan kasi wala kaming bahay,” he recalled. “Nangungupahan lang kami. Hindi din sapat yung kinikita ng magulang ko. Akala ko hindi na ako makakapag-aral noon.”
Then, Eat, Bulaga came into the picture.
Dugan, a consistent honor student, was chosen as one of the recipients of the show’s scholarship program “Eat, Bulaga! Excellent Student Awards” or EBest.
The television show gave him a four-year high school and four-year college scholarship grant, a monthly allowance, and annual cash assistance for his other educational needs.
“Masaya ako kasi nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataon na matapaos ng pag-aaral. Kung wala yung Eat Bulaga, mahihirapan kaming maka-survive at makatapos ako ng kolehiyo. Very thankful ako sa tulong nila,” he said.
On March 31, Dugan graduated cum laude at Jose Rizal University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration major in Accounting. He said he is one step closer to reaching his dream of providing a better life for his family.
“Nakakatuwa na may isang programa sa telebisyon na binibigyan ng pagkakataon ang kabataan na makapagtapos, na matulungan ang kanilang pamilya at umahon sa hirap ng buhay,” he said.
Down south, Hanelyn Mae Milca had gone through a tough childhood as well.
Born to a poor family in Davao, she initially thought she will not be able to attend high school much more pursue a career in teaching. It was her sixth grade adviser from Tugbok Central Elementary School who nominated her for the scholarship as she’s one of the top students of her batch.
“Ilang taon din ako na nag-aral na walang kuryente. May mga days na kailangan talagang lumiban sa klase kasi walang pera para sa pamasahe,” she said. “Hindi sinabi agad sa akin ng teacher ko. Sabi lang niya pupuntahanan ako ng staff ng Eat, Bulaga! Nagtaka ako kung ano yun. Nung panahon na yun wala kaming ilaw. Hirap talaga ang buhay.”
After finishing high school, she took up education at the University of Mindanao and graduated on April 25.
Milca stressed the importance of education especially to someone who doesn’t have the means to support his or her own studies.
“Edukasyon ang tanging hindi maaagaw ng kahit na sino man sa isang tao. Iyun lang din ang tanging maipamamana sa akin ng aking mga magulang. It’s a privileged and a blessing na naging part ako ng EBest program dahil kakaunting tao lang ang nabibigyan ng ganitong oportunidad na makapagtapos ng pag-aaral,” she said.
Angel Bert Baguhin from Cagayan de Oro was also in the same boat. His father who used to sell empanada and lumpia for a living could not finance his education.
When the staff of Eat, Bulaga came to his elementary school some eight years ago, he made the most of the opportunity and was eventually chosen as one of the EBest scholars.
“Malaking tulong yung scholarship kasi hindi na iisipin ng mga magulang ko yung bayarin sa eskwela. Kung wala ang Eat, Bulaga! wala yung tulong nila, hindi ako makakapagtapos ng pag-aaral. Wala akong diploma ngayon,” he said.
Baguhin now holds a degree in Chemistry from Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan. He dedicated his diploma to his late father who passed away in November 2015.
As a way of paying forward, he also plans to grant a young student the same opportunity afforded to him by the noontime variety program.
“Alam ko ang pakiramdam ng hindi makapag-aral dahil kapos sa pera. Napakaganda ng ganitong programa na maraming tao ang natutulungan,” he said. “Pag pinalad ako na magkatrabaho at makaluwag-luwag sa buhay, plano ko na mag sponsor din ng isang estudyante na kapos ngunit nagnanais na makatapos ng pag-aaral at umahon sa hirap. Gusto ko ibahagi yung blessing at tiwala na binigay ng programa sa tulad ko.”
Baguhin, Milca and Dugan are three of the six Eat Bulaga scholars that graduated from March to May this year. Joining the EBest graduates list are Cebu native Almira Bless Amorado, Ma. Myka Barbilla from Bacolod and Yllor Sedol of Quezon City.
Amorado and Barbilla are both graduates (magna cum laude) with a degree in Management Accounting and Medical Technology at Cebu Institute of Technology-University and Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod, respectively.
Sedol finished Bachelor of Science in Physics at Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
Apart from the six new graduates, eight more are marching in June and July this year.
Launched in 2009 in celebration of the show’s 30th year anniversary, EBest Awards was established to provide scholarships to outstanding elementary school students all over the country who does not have the means to continue their education.
Eat Bulaga still has 35 college scholars from Sulu, Batanes, Davao, Cebu, Iloilo, Pangasinan, Bacolod, Benguet, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, Bulacan, Manila, Mandaluyong, Batangas, and other remote parts of the country.
Aside from EBest Awards, the longest running noontime variety show also launched campaigns such as EB Classroom Project, EB Heroes, Isang Lapis Isang Papel Project and the construction of 10 AlDub public libraries nationwide.