Bugoy, Clarence & Izzy having fun as Bulilits

MANILA, Philippines - What do Bugoy Cariño, Izzy Canillo and Clarence Delgado have in common? Aside from being products of the ABS-CBN talent search Star Circle Quest Kids, the three are among the 20 cast members of Goin’ Bulilit who seemingly have found a common ground where they can enjoy and at the same time, fulfill their passion for comedy acting.

This year, Bugoy will be marking his fifth year with Goin’ Bulilit now into its 10th “laugh-out-loud” year on the air. The show is presenting its month-long anniversary special that started last night with Documentary Special, Anniversary Narrative Episode (Feb. 8), Reunion Episode (Feb. 15) and Anniversary Concert (Feb. 22).

“Sobrang saya ko po dito kasi sa dinami-dami ng batang gustong makapasok sa Goin’ Bulilit, isa po ako sa pinalad tapos umabot pa po ako sa pang 10 years (ng show),” says Bugoy who is one of today’s most promising child actors. Only 12 years old, Bugoy excels in drama, comedy and dancing.

Equally delighted is Izzy who seems to never run out of superlatives for directors Bobot and Frasco Mortiz. “Direk Frasco often plays with us and he always makes it a point to check on us in our dressing room to see if everybody is doing fine before our taping. Si direk Bobot naman po nag-sasabi ng tips at kung may naiisip s’yang nakakatawa ‘yun po ang gagawin namin.”

He, too, has nothing but praises for the production team that has been so used to dealing with the kids’ “crazy yet funny” antics.

In fact, Bugoy doesn’t feel like working at all every time he’s on the set with other Bulilit kids. Izzy adds they find time to play by converting the set of the Sunday kiddie gag show into one big playground. Some tinker with their iPads and cell phones while waiting for direk Frasco’s signal to be on-cam.

All the boys, according to Bugoy, are his close friends but he denies acting like a toughie in the group. “Di po ako siga. Si Carl (Camo) po ‘yun (laughs with Izzy) kasi s’ya ‘yung pinakamalaki.”

“Friends po kaming lahat, walang away,” adds Clarence who joined the show in 2011. He has his own segment called How? How? I Know How With Islaw. He also plays Mona, one of the three gay characters in the segment Sinetch Itey. Bugoy and Izzy complete the gay trio as Jenny and Rica, respectively.

Bugoy, Izzy and Clarence wear heavy make-up, colorful wigs and eye-candy outfits while they play gay TV hosts who deliver side-splitting blind items on political and showbiz personalities for televiewers to take a wild guess in the said portion.

“It’s fine with me to portray a gay character because I know it is only acting,” says Clarence.

For Izzy, playing Rica is not as easy as impersonating Jopet Sison in the show’s Ipaglaban Mwah segment or Kim Atienza in Matanglawlawin. That’s why, he spends some of his free time watching local and foreign actors in gay characters on YouTube “so that I can learn how to play my role effectively. Ginagaya ko po yung kilos nila at pagsasalita.”

Turning 11 on March 3, Izzy knows that he cannot stay in Goin’ Bulilit forever. Except for Dagul, who is the only indispensable member of the cast, every Bulilit star who reaches the age of 13 has to “graduate.” According to direk Bobot, Goin’ Bulilit is a gag show featuring children in various comedic situations. More often than not, the show requires the kiddie stars to act like grown-ups or mature individuals. Certainly, it is no longer fitting for a kid to be called a bulilit when he becomes a teener.

But Izzy expresses his desire to stay long in showbiz. He knows acting requires him to be on his toes all the time. That’s why he never fails to practice his role at home. He idolizes Coco Martin whom he portrayed as the young version in Juan dela Cruz. “Ang galing po kasi ni Kuya Coco sa drama.” Among the female stars, Izzy looks forward to working with Maja Salvador “because she is beautiful and also good in drama.”

Just the thought of exiting from the show next year makes Bugoy real sad “because Goin’ Bulilit is like a family to me so when I graduate, it feels like moving away from my family. Sigurado po maiiyak ako pag nag-graduate ako kasi mami-miss ko silang lahat.”

If things go as planned, Bugoy will take a break from showbiz after Goin’ Bulilit. His parents want him to finish his secondary schooling before returning to the limelight. He is now in Grade 6 at Shekinah Learning School.

Same with Clarence who plans to concentrate on his studies when he graduates from the show two years from now. “Minsan po kasi natataranta po ako pag pinagsabay ko po yung school at pag-aartista.”

Clarence shares his parents teach him to decide for himself and he thinks it is best to finish school before going full time in acting.

“Happy naman po ako sa Goin’ Bulilit kasi parang magkakapatid lang po kami dito,” says Clarence on being part of the show. “Pangarap ko din po kasi dito makasali.” Still, the 10-year-old is determined to make school his priority and wishes to enroll at the Philippine Science High School.

But since all three are not yet about to “graduate,” expect them to deliver more rib-tickling performances every Sunday after TV Patrol Weekend.