Some Filipinos had a dose of nostalgia online as they reminisced about iconic television shows of late ’90s to early 2000s.
From the game show “Kapamilya Deal or No Deal” to the late-night newscast “Bandila”, one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote a thread on remarkable theme songs and opening billboards that used to score a whole generation’s childhood.
some of iconic philippine tv show/radio theme songs – a thread
1. kapamilya deal or no deal opening + 26k case ladies (2014), hosted by kris aquino
©️mabuen noche at yt pic.twitter.com/5tVLcSTe5X
— anya 🍉 (@Bb_menita03) March 30, 2024
One Filipino recalled how it signaled his bedtime whenever “Bandila’s” theme song played when he was a child.
this scared me as a kid like yung alam mo na dapat natutulog kana pero gising na gising kapa 😭 https://t.co/r966CK31FA
— shaun ^_−☆ (@adobomochi) April 2, 2024
However, some are missing the old shows for their educational impact, saying it would be a good idea to bring back informative shows to help create an informed audience not just among children but for all.
“I really hope for ‘Sine’skwela’, ‘Math-Tinik’, ‘Art Angel’, ‘Batibot’, and any educationally entertaining local programs that are child-friendly, to take up space again,” one Pinoy tweeted.
“This won’t completely solve the educational crisis in the PH, but it’s worth something!!”, they added.
“Sine’skwela”, alternatively known as “School on Air”, ran for a decade from 1994 to 2004. It aired on Knowledge Channel and was produced by ABS-CBN Foundation, Science Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, and the Department of Education, Culture and Sports.
READ: ‘Sineskwela’ theme song cover of Elaine Duran, Brenan Espartinez brims with nostalgia
“Shows like this were instrumental in sparking my interest in the sciences which eventually led me to take the career path that I’ve taken in my adulthood. Also why I want to minor in scientific communication – I want to bring shows like this back someday,” shared one X user.
ABS-CBN, ahead of its network shutdown, replayed “Sine’skwela” on free TV during lockdown, along with their other Educational Television (ETV) shows “Bayani” and “Hiraya Manawari”.
READ: ‘Good times’: Former child actress commends viral rendition of ‘Hiraya Manawari’ theme song
Meanwhile, “MATH-Tinik” was also produced under a private-public partnership to help the young ones learn mathematics visually from 1997 to 2004.
GMA’s “Art Angel” filled kids’ Saturday mornings with arts and crafts from 2004 to 2011. It remains to be the most successful children TV art show in the country.
It was also briefly replayed for kids during quarantine in 2020.
On the other hand, “Batibot,” one of the most fondly remembered Filipino informative children’s shows, was produced by non-profit organization Philippine Children’s Television Foundation and aired on multiple free TV channels from 1985 to 2003.
Aside from these, game shows that test general knowledge also appeared in the topic.
in the topic of educationally entertaining local programs, philippine tv should also bring back Pilipinas Game KNB! https://t.co/bPU6ht6O5q pic.twitter.com/wuBlQKAjiD
— manic pixie dani girl (@denielemein) March 31, 2024
“Pilipinas Game Ka Na Ba” is a trivia game that first aired in 2001, hosted by Kris Aquino until she was replaced by Edu Manzano in 2007 to 2009.
It was also briefly revived on Jeepney TV hosted by Robi Domingo in 2020 to 2022.
While the idea of producing new educational shows for TV is good for the public, others suggested that it may not be as simple, as broadcast TV declines in young viewership in competition with TikTok and YouTube.
One social media user argued that “AHA” and “i-Bilib” are still on air but to not much success, at least not like they used to.
“The problem with this is no production company is willing to fund children’s programs 😢 The sad reality is kids’ shows aren’t ‘profitable’ enough for production companies,” said another Filipino.
“The government should be the forefront on saving this lost art,” he added.