Birthdays are always a special event. It’s always best celebrated with your friends and family. In the Sunday afternoon gag show “Banana Split,” they definitely take it to the next level by surprising the birthday celebrants with pranks and greetings from the people very dear to them. Before the year officially comes to an end, as part of Paandar 2017, let’s look back at the funniest and most unforgettable birthday pranks and celebrations.
Pooh
What started out as a skit for Pooh turned into a hilarious prank that’s sure to be remembered for ages. It began with Pooh posing as “Master Rible,” a magician and escape artist eager to teach others how to escape from a particularly difficult situation.
After wearing a straitjacket and being cuffed to the chair, Pooh was ready to finish the skit when the other members of the cast turned the table by placing a toy snake inside the box from which he was supposed to escape from. Pooh was terrified of the snake that suddenly popped out of nowhere but it was all in good fun as he eventually joined his castmates in laughing at the prank.
After having a good laugh, it was time to pull out the birthday cake that they had prepared to celebrate his birthday. He also received greetings from his friends in the industry like Karla Estrada, Maja Salvador, Bea Alonzo, and Piolo Pascual. The comedian was full of gratitude and joy, thanking everyone who planned and celebrated his birthday with him.
Jobert Austria
While they were on a resort, they started Kuya Jobert’s birthday celebration by having the rest of the cast recall his unforgettable experiences and journey on the show. Through the ups and downs of his career, the cast shared that they are incredibly proud and happy with what Jobert has achieved. The message was enough to make him cry his heart out, realizing how far he has gone with the show.
When they mentioned that his loved one failed to call and greet him on his birthday, it hit a sore spot. He shared his pain at how she forgot to call and greet him on his special day. It was at this moment that Angelica finally handed him her phone with his girlfriend already on the line. This prompted another round of crying from Jobert as he finally got the chance to talk to his loved one.
After sharing a very heartfelt conversation, the comedian offered his thanks the cast and crew of “Banana Sundae” for their help and company with his life and career.
Angelica Panganiban
Angelica started her birthday celebration with a spoken word performance. In her performance, she recalled her younger years. From entering the life of showbiz at a very young age until she grew older, maturing as an actress while honing her craft. She also recalled how she moved from making people cry to making people laugh and finding a family in “Banana Split.” Her career spans three decades where she’s laughed, cried, made mistakes, and learned how to stand back up to her feet. She tearfully recited her memories and how they have shaped her to be the person she is now.
Not letting the show end in tears, her male cast mates suddenly showed up to spoof her most memorable and iconic roles like Madam Claudia from “Pangako Sa ‘Yo,” Rubi from “Rubi,” and Becky from “Sarah... Ang Munting Prinsesa.” The cast also gave their birthday wishes to Angelica, ending with John who said that he wishes that she’d finally find someone who would love and take care of her. Angelica immediately replied that she’s already quite content and happy because after all the heartaches that she has experienced, she has learned to finally love herself.
Direk Bobet Vidanes
Nowadays, Direk Bobet can mostly be found behind the cameras. However, on his birthday, the Bananakada flipped the switch and gave thanks to the one and only father of the show, the reason why the “Banana Sundae” cast is happy together. With a surprise special number from John, Jobert, Jason and his son Badji, all dressed to the nines, they sang and danced a song as a tribute to their beloved director.
Ryan Bang
Ryan’s birthday started with a sketch comedy taken quite literally. JC posed while Jason, John, and Jobert sketched and drew him. While Ryan thought the skit was over and done with, the Bananakada pulled a fast one on him and decided to show him pictures of what he thought he looked like.
After a round of laughs, the other cast members jumped out to greet him a happy birthday along with some messages from his loved ones. It was a very tearful moment for Ryan as his mom and dad greeted him all the way from South Korea. Both his parents shared that they were incredibly proud of what he has accomplished in his life and they hope that he’s happy with what he’s doing. Ryan was very thankful to his family and friends for organizing his birthday and said that the show felt more like a family than a job. He ended his message by saying that he’s overjoyed that he became part of such a tightly-knit group.
Jason Gainza
Jason started his celebration with a performance. John then shared that before choosing to make people laugh on a weekly basis, Jason also wished to be a dancer, and he finally got to fulfill this wish on his birthday with a dance number with a very special guest.
What he didn’t know was that the special guest was more than he wished for, in terms of weight. It was all in good fun as he finished his routine and shared how incredibly nervous he was at lifting his partner during the dance. His fellow castmates and the staff all greeted him a happy birthday, and he warmly thanked them after.
Badji Mortiz
The Bananakada surely didn’t forget to greet one of their beloved cast members on his birthday. The entire cast and crew started by singing a happy birthday to Badji as they gave him cakes to blow on his special day. There were also greetings from his loved ones, all wishing him happiness and thanking him for being a part of his life. On his birthday, he only wished that the show will have more years to come and will continue to have higher ratings.
JC de Vera
JC started his birthday celebration with the regular skit of “Banana Sundae” he was part of entitled Baby Love. It had everyone rolling with laughter.
To his surprise, the skit went on to show birthday greetings from his loved ones. JC was very thankful to the Bananakada for getting together everyone important in his life and for helping him achieve his dreams.
John Prats
John Prats was supposed to act in a skit called “Boyfriend for Hire.” What he didn’t expect was for his close friend, Sam Milby, and his wife, Isabel Oli, with their daughter to show up midway. It was a huge surprise for John who kept asking them why they were there the whole time. He was then greeted a happy birthday by his castmates and his family.
Witness more birthday pranks and celebrations in “Banana Sundae,” Sundays after “ASAP” only on ABS-CBN Yes Weekend!