Direk Bobot rolls with the punches

He may have started as a teen loveteam idol when shrieking fans wrecked cars and climbed trees for just a glimpse of their favorite screen celebrity, but Edgar “Bobot” Mortiz has proven through the years that he is more than just fodder for adulation. As performer (actor and comedian) and director, he has enough accomplishments tucked under his belt, with more still to come.

Bobot is creative director of ABS-CBN’s Wowowee and line producer-director of Goin’ Bulilit. Wowowee is a Monday through Saturday lunchtime variety show with Willie Revillame as host, perhaps the station’s most popular show here and abroad; and Goin’ Bulilit is the most successful children’s comedy on TV, leading Sunday primetime viewing with weekly rating not lower than 30 percent according to AC Nielsen.

It is inevitable though that when one speaks of Edgar Mortiz, there will be a flashback to the years of the Vi and Bot versus Guy and Pip rivalry.

Philippine movies will never be complete without its loveteams which started from the days of Carmen Rosales and Rogelio de la Rosa, to Gloria Romero and Luis Gonzalez, Amalia Fuentes and Bobby Vasquez, Susan Roces and Fernando Poe Jr. to the ‘60s unmatched tandems of Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III and Vilma Santos and Edgar Mortiz. Guy and Pip starred in the box-office monster hit The Musical Teenage Idol in 1969 soon to be rivaled by that of Vi and Bot which started on a TV show D’ Sensations.

Of those days Bobot recalls, “I met Guy during the Tawag ng Tanghalan competition kung saan nanalo si Guy. I was convinced not to pursue the singing and joined Oras ng Ligaya with Guy, then with Pip under Tony Santos Sr. at ABS. Then, there was D’ Sensations hosted by Ike Lozada that was very popular. Then Atty. Esperidion Laxa of Tagalog Ilang-Ilang offered to make us a loveteam na itatapat sa Guy and Pip. This was from 1969 to 1972. Wala kaming ibang ginawa those years kasi malakas ang loveteam. Apart from the movies there were personal appearances and shows.“

Assessing those years, Bobot continues, “During the ‘70s, mas marami ang advantages of having a loveteam kasi, that time, ang trend, loveteams. Saka ang mga fans, talagang grabe ang suporta nila sa loveteam na paborito nila. Ang disadvantage naman, ang gusto ng fans kayo na talaga ang magkatuluyan in real life, kaya pag nag-break ang loveteam, namimili sila ng susuportahan nila, and ang lamang dun, yung babae ang kinakampihan nila.”

This was very true in the case of Bobot and Pip who had difficulty establishing a solo career soon enough. However, despite Bobot’s evaluations, some fans generated by these two pairings remain loyal to their idols. We chanced upon blogs reacting to Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP) survey which placed Guy and Pip at No. 1 and Vi and Bot at No. 5. Enraged, today’s fans wrote: “Vilma and Edgar only in #5? Can’t believe it — without them there would be no Guy & Pip! In the same way that without Vilma, there will be no Nora.”

“I agree, kung wala ang Vi and Bot wala ang Guy and Pip. At least humahataw pa rin si Vilma hanggang ngayon, even si Bobot.“

 “Mali ka. It’s the other way around... it should be without Guy and Pip, there will no Vi and Bot.”

“Aah basta hindi pwede yung No. 5 lang sina Vi and Bot. Dapat kapareha sila ng billing ni Guy and Pip!!!!!”

Anyone who has ever been part of a loveteam will admit that it is very difficult to have an afterlife, that it takes tremendous confidence in one’s own abilities to weather the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” to start anew on a solo career. It is to the credit of these most popular loveteams of the past that they have managed to carve out their own careers and still be in show business.

It is doubly difficult for someone like Edgar who has to contend with speculations that it is not talent but his affinity to the ABS bosses (his wife Millet is the sister of current ABS president Charo Santos-Concio) that has fueled his continuous good fortune in the station. His track record, however, speaks for itself at ABS and all other networks he has worked with. It seems that Bobot has mastered the art of rolling with the punches so to speak.

We ask him what he feels is missing now in his life, what plans he has for the future, and if he would venture into directing an indie film?

“Sa ngayon, kuntento na ako dahil kahit sa munting paraan, siguro naman eh may na-contribute na ako dito sa industriya natin. Ibibigay ko na lang sa mga anak ko na gustong sumunod sa yapak ko bilang director ang iba pang hindi ko na magagawa.” He also reveals that although he is interested in directing a film, at the moment he has no concept yet for it being concentrated on TV projects.

Going back to our original trend of thought, Bot continues reminiscing, “After the love team, it was Martial Law at walang TV. Then Channel 13 got me for a solo show, and in the ’80s we formed The Bad Bananas.”

The Bad Bananas was a comedy group with Christopher de Leon, Johnny Delgado and Bobot with the late Jay Ilagan and later Al Tantay. They had a show Goin’ Bananas on IBC-13 from 1986 to 1988 and moved it to ABS-CBN from 1988 to 1990. Then Jay was killed in an accident in 1992.

In 2000, ABS-CBN’s Star Drama Theater featured a reunion episode for the Bad Bananas Boyet, Johnny, Bobot with Amy Austria proxying for Jay. In a review Nestor Torre states, “The musical number brought back warm memories of the Bananas’ halcyon years, and they looked like they were having the time of their lives singing together again after more than a decade. For his part, Edgar was effective in his funny-sarcastic sort of way, but his excessive girth weighed him down and slowed down the tempo of his performance. They’re doing well in their individual capacities (Christopher and Johnny as actors; Edgar as TV director) but, when they perform together, the antic chemistry’s still there, and their individual talents fuse in an amalgam of wit and warmth that we don’t get to see much of on the small or big screens today.”

The group reappeared on GMA 7 on a show in late 2003 All Together Now. Bobot was happy to be reunited with friends and director Al Quinn. Initial feedback from the Internet was promising. “I enjoyed watching it, they stuck to the script, which is funny. I think that’s the commitment they made to the station — to have a real honest-to-goodness sitcom which we all have been waiting for. It’s nice that the Bad Bananas are bringing it back again. They’ve set a trend before they can do it again.” However, the show didn’t last very long unfortunately.

Bobot says his big break in directing was actually in 1994 to 1995 when June Rufino gave him a gag show with Al on ABC 5. June remembers this very clearly. “I first met Edgar Mortiz when he and Jay Ilagan met with Mother Lily at Regal to discuss ideas for movies. I was so impressed with their creative minds. But soon after, Jay died and all plans were aborted.

“When I became Vice President at ABC 5 in the early ‘90s, my boss Edward Tan and VP for sales Chito Arceo asked me for just one show that would rate. I did not know how to fight ABS and GMA and decided to produce alternative shows — go counterflow. We launched Tropang Trumpo which unfortunately did not rate. That’s when I remembered Edgar Mortiz and thought that with his background with Goin’ Bananas he just might be a good director. I was putting my neck on the line putting a first-time director to salvage a weak show.

“When Edgar started directing Tropang Trumpo, the show got better and better in terms of production and ratings, until it became a big hit. Finally, with Tropang Trumpo, ABC 5 got noticed.”

Bobot’s directorial ability naturally didn’t go unnoticed by the other networks, Bobot remembers that the germ for Anghel na Walang Langit which started him in directing for ABS came about when a group of poor children were featured on Wowowee. Touched by the episode, he mentioned to a supervisor it would make a good show. He was asked to submit a concept that was approved and aired for 11 months.

The afternoon tearjerker must have stirred a nerve in the viewers hearts and its ratings started rising. So much so that it was getting comments on the Net such as “Ti-next daw ni Lipa Mayor Vilma Santos si direk Edgar ‘Bobot’ Mortiz, hindi para mag-reminisce ng kanilang puppy love (hehehe!) kundi para sabihing, ‘Bot, gusto ko ang show n’yong Mga Anghel na Walang Langit. Pinapanood ko at magaling, mahusay!”

Clearly, Edgar the director was well on his way to fame and recognition. No way would it measure up to the riotous and chaotic fame of his Vi and Bot days, but certainly it would be one that was more stable, had more longevity.

Bobot was director of the ABS daily lunchtime live variety show Magandang Tanghali Bayan (MTB) and its title changed from 2002 to 2004. It was replaced by Wowowee and Bobot became its creative director. He likes the idea behind creative directorship since what he does is come up with a concept, sit down with the director and writer assigned to do the job. He does not have to spend long hours or keep time.

Bot also came up the original concept of Aalog-alog about two neighbors Pokwang and Keanna Reeves who once both worked in Japan. Pokwang married a rich Japanese and has a nice house and Keanna lives in a poor house. Bobot recommended Randy Santiago as director.

He also did Let’s Go and Eva Fonda for Christine Reyes, and is now developing a sitcom for Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo. He has completed the pilot of Banana Split, a female take-off from Goin’ Bananas, where he is both creative manager and director. One thing he doesn’t like working on is a soap. “Nakapako ka sa time frame. At nakakapagod,” he says which is echoed by almost everyone who works on a soap.

He enjoys Wowowee which is his banner show. He checks on the show daily and goes with the group on its out-of-the-country shows. They have been almost everywhere in the US, twice to Las Vegas and Guam. “At Vegas, we filled up the Thomas & Mack Arena of 18,000 capacity. This is where the Pacquiao fights were held,” he shares. “The shows abroad are not part of Wowowee. They are Willie’s personal contracts although he uses many of people from the TV show. Siguro we will limit our shows abroad because it is difficult to be out from a daily show. However, we plan to go to Europe next year.”

Linggit Tan, head of ABS-CBN’s Production Development and Control, who has seen Bobot’s growth as an artist and director has nothing but praises for him. Obviously, the field of comedy is his expertise, she says. “Perhaps it is his experience with direk Tony Santos Sr., his years with the Bad Bananas, but his understanding of the genre is malawak at malalim. His knowledge of timing is impeccable, and he can spot who would make a good comedian from among the kids under him on Goin’ Bulilit.”

He tags Goin’ Bulilit as his most fulfilling TV concept. “Kasi mga bata yung artista namin, walang big stars yung show. Pero dahil maganda at gusto nila, sinuportahan nila, mag-fo-four years na kami, at sikat na ang mga bata namin.” He pauses for a while, then continues, “At siguro yung Pera O Bayong? na segment ng dating MTB (Magandang Tanghali Bayan) na ginagamit pa rin ngayon sa Wowowee.”

Linggit adds that Bobot has done everything from tearjerker and comedy to musical variety and drama with equal ease and expertise.

Bobot doesn’t say it outright but it is obvious that he misses the good old days. “We had no managers. Tsambahan lang kung baga. These were the times when one was either on TV or in the movies but not in both. The entertainment industry was very healthy. Today wala ng division. It is actually what killed the movies. You could see movie stars for free on TV.

“Ngayon, stars don’t last that long. Masuerte lang kami who were already in TV in the past. Those who come out of reality shows today, akala nila sikat na sila. Then after a few months wala na sila. I admit that it’s hard to get an assignment nowadays. Kahit saan, if you don’t have a sponsor, if you are not pushed by someone, you don’t get hired. Kawawa mga talents.”

Perhaps today’s talents should learn a few lessons from the likes of Edgar. That it takes more than a beautiful face, an overnight success from a competition. It takes passion, discipline and dedication, and dealing with failure, and bad times, and the ability to rise above them. And yes, learning to roll with the punches.

(E-mail me at [email protected].)