Some Filipinos got nostalgic after a video of two Filipino singers performing the theme song of “Sineskwela” made rounds on Twitter.
The video was first uploaded by Elaine Duran, champion of Tawag ng Tanghalan in 2019, who sang in duet with Brenan Espartinez, who played “Agatom” in the popular children’s show.
Espartinez, who was a finalist of TNT’s celebrity edition in the same year, initiated the “duet” challenge titled “Sineskwela Theme Duet!” on his TikTok account.
“Alright, mga batang 90’s,” he said as an introduction to his video uploaded December 19.
@brenanespartinezMga Batang90s! Sineskwela Theme Duet! G! #batang90s #sineskwela #fyp #agatom #duet♬ original sound – brenanespartinez
Espartinez also labeled the subtitles or captions with colors—the blue color for his part, the green for his co-duet’s part and green for the part they’ll sing together.
It has since earned over 283,000 views on the video-sharing platform.
His duet challenge, on the other hand, was used in 570 video clips.
Duran was among the TikTok creators who took up this mini-trend and shared her impressive take of it last week.
“Science lab feels,” she said in the caption of her video.
@elaineduranrealScience lab feels 😂♬ original sound – Elaine Duran
It has since gained over 420,000 views on the platform.
Duran’s version of the duet eventually reached local Twitterverse.
Some users commended the 23-year-old’s part in the cover.
“Huminga lang si Elaine Duran. Effortless,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Ok but the way Elaine ate from just the first line. This cover invented Sineskwela,” another Twitter user said.
Others expressed how much they missed the show.
“Kakamiss Sineskwela,” one Twitter user said.
“My childhood (pleading emoji),” another online user tweeted.
Some online users also shared how inspirational “Sineskwela” was to them back then.
“The show that opened my eyes to science, and the rest is history,” a Twitter user said.
“The way this show inspired a generation of underpaid STEM workers in the Philippines,” another Twitter user added.
There were also those who hoped for more educational programs for children like this in the future.
“The Sineskwela theme song is a Ryan Cayabyab composition! When ABS-CBN resumes its broadcast, it should definitely double down on educational children’s programming,” one Twitter user said.
Another user @scorsaguin quipped that the song was called “The Scientist”, one of the hit songs of British rock band, Coldplay.
“Thank you Coldplay for giving us an iconic song, The Scientist,” the user said in jest.
“Sineskwela” is a children’s television program of ABS-CBN that aired from 1994 to 2004.
The program aims to teach elementary students on science and technology.
The show was among the broadcast firm’s slate of educational programs in the late 90’s. Others include “Hiraya Manawari” and “Wansapanataym.”
Last May, a viral rendition of “Hiraya Manawari’s” theme song caught the attention of Sheena Ramos, who played Palikpik in “Sineskwela.”
READ: ‘Good times’: Former child actress commends viral rendition of ‘Hiraya Manawari’ theme song
