Magandang Buhay ends the month of May with a bang as it celebrates its 7th anniversary. Throughout the years, the morning program has been a source of inspiration and laughter, as well as meaningful lessons about love, family, and all things relatable to every ‘momshie, popshie, and anakshie.’
One celebrity who’s been part of the MB journey is Vice Ganda. The Unkabogable Star was among the guest artists to grace the show’s pilot week in 2016. This, if anything, is a sign of solid team spirit among Kapamilyas, as Vice mentioned that he supports MB since he’s friends with the hosts and it’s mounted by the same people who produced Gandang Gabi Vice.
Thus, Magandang Buhay invited him to mark this special milestone in a two-part anniversary episode. In Part 1, he looked back on his memorable moments on the show, which includes getting interviewed with his friends.
“Masaya kasi ako na nakikilala ng mga tao ‘yung mga kaibigan ko, ‘yung kasama ko sila kung saan ako nakaupo. Ini-interview din sila habang ini-interview ako, hindi ‘yung laging sideline, background. ‘Yung nashe-share ko ‘yung moment sa matatalik kong kaibigan, na ngayon, may mga sarili na silang ganap… sa social media, mga digital creators na sila. Na-happy ako do’n,” expressed Vice, or Meme to his friends, family, and supporters. The episode featuring his family was one for the books, too.
Magandang Buhay hosts Regine Velasquez, Jolina Magdangal, and Melai Cantiveros have formed a mutual admiration club with Vice, thus, in turn, they congratulated him for the success of It’s Showtime, prompting him to express excitement about what the future holds. It’s Showtime, now back to its 12-noon timeslot, is just entering a bigger era. And Vice can’t help but muse on their roller-coaster-like journey.
“We’ve been through hell and back. Lahat ng ganap nangyari – pinakamataas, pinakamababa, pinakamasaya, pinakamalungkot, pinaka-safe, pinaka nakakaba. Lahat inikot natin tapos patuloy pa rin tayong ikot nang ikot kaya sobra lang siyang nakaka-excite,” he said, grateful that God still lets them win despite circumstances.
And just like Vice manifested, It’s Showtime is currently in a triumphant season, with the launch of its beloved new segments including “Isip Bata,” which is considered Vice’s “baby.” He thought that viewers miss seeing cute little kids on TV. So, as part of the creative team, he explored the idea of discovering new kiddie talents that the ‘madlang people’ will love. They conducted auditions, which he monitored in secret so as not to pre-empt the kids’ reaction once they meet during the segment’s premiere.
In this episode, “Isip Bata” kids Argus, Kulot, Jaze, and Imogen joined Vice and shared how kind and loving he is to them. In turn, Vice credited the children for giving ‘madlang people’ loads of cuteness and refreshing kind of happy vibes.
The kids then played “This or That,” wherein they’d choose which of the two given items suits their beloved ‘Meme.’ For instance, between short and long hair, they said Vice looks better with short hair.
Between sleep and food, they think he needs food more when tired from work. Imogen and Jaze reminded him to take vegetables. Though he’s ‘maganda’ as much as he’s ‘mabait,’ they opted for the latter in describing him, with Kulot telling him, “Thank you, Meme Vice, sa pag-aalaga at pagmamahal n’yo po sa amin.”
They had opposing opinions on whether he has more money or friends. Jaze implied that Vice has more friends because he’s loved by many. Meanwhile, Argus concluded that Vice has more money since he is rich.
The future is bright for these talented youngsters. With Vice supporting and guiding them, more doors are sure bound to open for them. Hint: he wishes to cast them in his upcoming movies.
To close the segment, Rey and Kaye Cantong – Imogen’s parents, Six Part Invention frontliners and Vice’s good friends – delivered their message for him. Kaye thanked him for trusting them as a couple and their band in the past 13 years, “Syempre, mahirap po magtiwala, ‘di ba? Pero ang Ate, 13 years na niya kaming pinagkakatiwalaan.” Rey added that Vice is a blessing to many. In turn, he commended the couple for their excellent work as the resident band of It’s Showtime and Everybody Sing!
Rey and Kaye noted that Vice is most likely to be a gentle parent someday, prompting him to reveal that he and Ion Perez are planning to have a baby. However, he must take time off his busy schedule.
In the final gap, Vice was joined by his family – Rosario, his mother; Marivic, his sister; and Camille, his niece. Moments like these are guaranteed tear-jerkers, especially since Nanay Rosario doesn’t shy away from opening up about her wish to spend more time with her beloved ‘Tutoy’.
Nanay Rosario feels like the time she spends with Vice is short. Nevertheless, she understands that her son has too much on his plate and she appreciates that he never forgets to call and visit when he has time to spare. Sometimes they drop by each other’s home. And there’s a reason why Vice has been jetting off a lot with his family lately – so they can make time together.
Beyond the fame of the phenomenal star, Nanay Rosario’s unfiltered smile will always remain his most priceless possession. He calls her up every night just to see that smile. It’s what keeps his soul happy.
He may be busy but he always thinks about his mother, and he appreciates even her ‘pagtatampo’ about their lack of quality time together. It makes him realize his value as a person. “Sa gulo ng mga nangyayari sa paligid, meron at merong isang tao, ikaw pa rin ang gusto niyang makita at saka makasama… Gusto niya akong makasama, ang sarap-sarap no’n,” he said.