Our Not So Good Experience in Wowowee

For those who does not know what Wowowee is, it is a program hosted by Mr Willie Revillame inside the ABS-CBN compound in Mother Ignacio St., Quezon City, Philippines.

This program is a game show intended to 'help' our poor countrymen by giving out cash, vehicles, and other goodies as prizes through their numerous games. The funds that constitute the prizes in turn comes from advertisements made inside the game show as well as contributions or donations from our more privileged countrymen especially OFWs and subscribers of TFC(The Filipino Channel).

Helping other people in need is a really good way that you care for them. But I'm not sure if this thinking is what motivates Mr. Revillame into doing this, because the other reason would be his daily salary of at least 500k PHP. Now, who would think twice of hosting Wowowee? Whatever the case, I do not fully agree with the way they help people. They give people fish, not teaching them how to fish. On a more elaborate discussion regarding the way they help people, visit this page by fir3st0rm.

About the main topic here today, it is about our experience when we last went to Wowowee last April as part of our educational tour 2009 as incoming graduates of Computer Engineering of University of San Carlos. Of course, when we went there, we are accompanied by a tour guide of ABS CBN, because each of us "paid".

First Issue

The first disturbing thing now is this, they did not let us all inside Wowowee. They limit us to 80 persons, when we are about 85 all in all. It would not hurt for them to include the other 5 in, but they did not, even though they also paid. The entrance fee to Wowowee is free for those who wait in line. Those who wants sure seats will pay, but as already said, 5 of us were not let in.

Second Issue

Many of their staffs have bad attitude towards us. What you see on live TV is not what it seems. Off cam, they are different. They treat every visitor as if the visitor is stupid enough. The marshall for instance, the female guard who is assigned in the back portion of the upper stage where we are seated, she keeps on scolding us as if we are little kids. She is hostile towards visitors, why is she still there?

Third Issue

As I've said, what you see on live TV is different off cam. When the camera is not on the roll, they, most of the staffs, and "almost" all of the actors and actresses are cold. My classmate who is a contestant had a chance to get near Willie in the backstage during a commercial break. He described Mr Revillame as an arrogant person who dictates like he is commanding slaves. I don't know if that was true, but it's what he said.

Fourth Issue

They are fond of humiliating a person on camera and off camera. I do not know if it's for entertainment purposes or whatever, they just do. Do not say I did not warn you.


And now, the timer counts down, we prepare ourselves to clap, as the camera rolled, the lights turned on again, then a "FAKED" 'lively', 'enjoyable' and 'sincere' is once again restored for all the world to see. Try for yourself, watch Wowowee in person! It's a good experience anyway.