Social Media and ‘Ikaw at ang Ina’

In a world where social media is becoming a force in the history of technology, television programs tried to take advantage of this new medium. ‘Bubble Gang”s ‘Ikaw at ang Ina’ is no exception.

During each sketch, the titular character Donya Ina (Michael V) questions her children’s use of social media with the phrase ‘paki-explain’, only to finish with an exclamatory ‘labyu’ with a confused reaction from her children. The sketch immediately proved popular from the first skit, due to Donya Ina’s amusing and timely delivery of jokes. And even when ‘Bubble Gang’ was off the air, Donya Ina continued to deliver the jokes through her Facebook fanpage.

In the previous week’s episode of ‘Bubble Gang’, Donya Ina criticized her daughter (Sef Cadayona) for using Facebook and Instagram for her personal enjoyment. In case you missed this joke, watch the video below.

Throughout its 18-year history, ‘Bubble Gang’ has found new ways to adapt to changes in culture and society, taking advantage of recent trends and styles. With the use of social media, it is no wonder why the writers decided to use it as a skit for ‘Ikaw at ang Ina’. And in keeping with the times, ‘Bubble Gang’ has been able to maintain its status as the top gag show in the country today.

More Napoles News and Jokes

The week in news is all about the Pork Barrel, and its whistleblower Janet Napoles. Monday witnessed the Million People March at the Quirino Grandstand, then Wednesday night saw the voluntary surrender of Napoles at Malacanang. The narrative did not end there, however.

On Friday night the court finally approved the transfer of Janet Napoles from the Makati City Jail to the Fort Sto. Domingo facility in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. It was the same complex that housed former president and Manila mayor Joseph Estrada during his plunder case a decade ago. The court approved the move citing security concerns within the Makati City Jail.

Throughout the week all major television networks extensively the issue of Pork Barrel and the surrender of Janet Napoles. Some segments took exception to the issue by presenting it in a light-hearted manner. On the TV5 program T3: Reload, the Tulfo brothers Ben, Erwin and Raffy decided to make fun of the issue with the use of social media, presenting memes and pick-up lines relating to Janet Napoles and the Pork Barrel scam. Then on the ‘Word of the Lourd’ segment by Lourd de Veyra, he presented a photo of Napoles and asked several people to identify the subject, with one mistakenly identifying the subject as the Korean rapper Psy.

Despite the serious nature of the issue, people still found a way to lighten up the mood of the nation by presenting them in a humorous manner. That ability to construct humor amidst the negativity of the situation enabled the Philippines to rank among the top 10 in the happiest countries poll last year. And that humor overcomes all the poverty and hardship that the country experiences these days.

Meanwhile, more news about Janet Napoles’s transfer will be reported over the next few days, so stay tuned.