"Bulawan" is the Holy Monday episode of the 2019 edition of the annual drama anthology Eat Bulaga's Lenten Special. It aired on 15 April 2019 with a total runtime of 93 minutes.
Each year, the anthology replaces the noontime show's regular programming in observance of the solemnity of Holy Week. Standalone episodes of short dramas are shown from Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday, with each episode having different characters, story, and director. A total of three Lenten episodes were produced and released for the 2019 edition.[1]
The 2019 production coincided with the 40th anniversary celebration of the noontime show. Hence, the three offerings were shot in three culturally distinct locations to make the stories more memorable and more exciting. "Bulawan" was entirely shot in the country's "Tuna Capital" of General Santos City.[2]
Directed by Real Florido, "Bulawan" is a story about three fishermen whose friendship is tested by greed, betrayal, and jealousy. In the end, they learn an important lesson that all that glitters is not gold.[3]
The episode is top-billed by Ryan Agoncillo, Wally Bayola, and Alden Richards. Supporting cast includes Baste Granfon, Pia Guanio, Kenneth Medrano, Joey de Leon, Tenten Mendoza, Pear Angeli Louise Temporal, and Brent Gabriel Piedad.
Plot
Makoy carries a big fish to the port.
Makoy (Alden Richards) is part of a commercial fishing crew who is becoming worried about the decreasing amount of fish in the sea. With him in the fishing crew are Orly (Wally Bayola) and Erwin (Ryan Agoncillo). All three of them have personal financial problems that have been affected by the decline of fish stocks.
Orly and Erwin hear a radio report about a lost gold somewhere in the ocean. Sir Oscar (Joey de Leon) expresses that treasures should remain in the ocean because people who discover them always reveal their greedy nature. Real treasure is something that a person should work hard for.
One night, Makoy, Orly, and Erwin stumble upon a bag of gold coins trapped in their fishing net. Makoy suggests that they return the treasure to its true owner, but the other two argue that the gold is the answer to all their financial problems. Makoy reluctantly agrees and gets assigned to hide the gold for safekeeping.
Sir Oscar hires an expert to authenticate the gold coins.
Eventually, the three friends begin the conversation of how to split the money. Erwin demands that he should get a higher percentage because he worked hard to find a buyer for the gold. Orly and Makoy protest that the split remain equal between them. In the middle of the night, an unknown individual steals the gold coins from Makoy's hiding place. The three start accusing each other as the thief who took the gold, resulting in a physical fight.
Erwin packs his backpack as he plans to return to his family back in Cebu. Makoy and Orly become suspicious of his sudden decision to leave and forcibly inspect his unusually heavy backpack. They discover the bag of gold coins inside it, revealing that Erwin is the thief. Makoy threatens to throw the treasure back into the ocean because it has destroyed their friendship.
With the help of Sir Oscar, they consult an expert to authenticate the gold coins. After a thorough examination, the expert reveals that the coins are actually made of brass, making them worthless. Regretting their greedy actions, they try to rekindle their broken friendship.
Cast
Main cast
- Alden Richards as Makoy
- Wally Bayola as Orly
- Ryan Agoncillo as Erwin
Supporting cast
- Joey de Leon as Sir Oscar
- Kenneth Medrano as Harold Sevilla
- Baste Granfon as Kyle
- Pia Guanio as Joyce
Also starring
- Tenten Mendoza as Kenny
- Pear Angeli Louise Temporal as Bunny
- Brent Gabriel Piedad as Buboy
- Sheila Arumpac as Ms. Che
- Bordi Bungcayo as Rey
- Tata Echavez as Benjie
- Alquin Arbasto as buyer
- Sol Arumpac as fisherman
- Renato Caminero as fisherman
- Adonis Gonzales as fisherman
Accolades
PMPC Star Awards for Television
| Year | Category | Nominated Artist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Best Single Performance by an Actor | Alden Richards | Nominated |
| Wally Bayola | Nominated |
GEMS Hiyas ng Sining Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated Artist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Best Actor in a Single Performance | Alden Richards | Nominated |
Trivia
- The title of the episode means "gold" in both Hiligaynon and Cebuano, the two major languages spoken in General Santos City.
- Some locations featured in the episode are the General Santos Fish Port Complex, CLG Compound prawn farm, and the Watergran Beach Resort.
- Both of Baste Granfon's non-celebrity parents, Sol and Sheila Arumpac, made cameo appearances in the episode. Their family originated from General Santos City.
- "Bulawan" was re-aired on Holy Monday, 6 April 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in Eat Bulaga! being unable to produce new content for the 2020 Holy Week, the three episodes of the 2019 edition were replayed instead.[4]
Full episode
References
- ↑ WATCH: 'Eat Bulaga' Lenten Special 2019 teaser, 13 April 2019, GMA News.
- ↑ WATCH: Joey De Leon at Ryan Agoncillo, namangha sa ganda ng GenSan, 13 April 2019, GMA News.
- ↑ Episode nina Alden, Ryan at Wally unang mapapanood sa Lenten special ng EB, 15 April 2019, Pang-Masa.
- ↑ GMA suspends production of entertainment shows; to air ‘pre-taped’ episodes, 14 March 2020, Philippine Daily Inquirer.