WowoWillie: A Success Story…

“Sa Luzon, Sa Visayas, At Sa Mindanao…” So goes Wowowee’s opening song. Back in 2004, the ABS-CBN network was testing the waters for another noontime show—concocting one formula after another several times prior. Finally, Philippine TV saw its first noontime variety and game show with a one-man host (at least for quite a while) in the person of the powerhouse yet charismatic Willie Revillame. As a fulfillment of the following lines of the song: “Saan mang sulok ng mundo na may Pilipino,” the show became the network’s window to the world. And Papi (as Willie is now endearingly called by fans of all ages), became an ambassador of entertainment and charity.

One wonders how someone like Willie could stir such a rave among his loyal followers. After all, he does not any way possess the attractive physical features of a matinee idol; his speech would oftentimes come into a slur; and his songs are not really musical master pieces. Even the show itself had been flooded with controversies many times over. And yet, there is no denying that Wowowee is a powerhouse show, and Papi, the heart and soul of Wowowee.

The show reigns supreme in the ratings charts nationwide and is being aired over TFC three times in a day. What could explain the show’s power to attract its audience? Perhaps it is Willie’s openness to address poverty. Learning the ropes from the school of hard knocks himself, Willie admits of his lovelorn childhood being caught in the middle of parental and financial issues. Hopping from one school to another meant doing odd jobs, from jeepney maintenance boy to a barker—all before he even reached college. In his early years in the university, Willie discovered his love for music (particularly for the percussions) A struggling drummer during those years, his life as a musician was peppered with disappointments. But Willie had no time for regret. As those in the ‘corporate world’ would say it, Willie moved up the ranks slowly but surely. He became a sidekick to some of the biggest names in television and movies back in the 90s. Willie started with his minor hosting stints, as well as making hits out of novelty songs. Before the millennium, Willie shared the spotlight alongside two other comedian-hosts: Randy Santiago and John Estrada. But after several censorship battles, Willie was asked to take on a hike for a while. In between this gap in his hosting career, he took on a public-service program ‘Willingly Yours’ where he won an award besting veteran public affairs hosts. Then came 2004 and as they say, the rest is history.

Willie Revillame became Wowowee and vice versa. From the number of beats in a jingle to the over-all look and feel of the show, it is ALL-WILLIE. It is a show made for him, conceptualized by him. Even ABS-CBN bigwigs President Charo Santos-Concio, Business Unit Head Edgar “Bobot” Mortiz and Director Johnny “Mr. M” Manahan couldn’t hide their admiration of Willie’s passion and contribution to the show’s success. As for Willie, he attributes his craving for precision and perfection in every show to his extreme enthusiasm in entertaining his audience. He once longed to become a world-renowned drummer, playing for the likes of Michael Jackson. He wanted it so bad that he even went to Las Vegas at one point to pursue an international music career. But somehow Willie found himself entertaining the world in a different light. Now, he brings joy to his fans including those who, like him, tried their luck abroad. It has been widely observed that a vast majority of Willie’s fans are kids and the elderly. It was with this consideration that the concept of bringing Wowowee abroad was conceptualized, giving life to Wowowee’s vision of bringing ‘THE experience’ to those who could not fly back home—the elderly, physically challenged and the children.

Indeed, Papi Willie and the show that turned him into a household name have so much in common. Just as the show’s songs and games evolved through the years; just as it became a hit in Luzon , Visayas and Mindanao and the rest of the world, Willie had been in the state of ‘purification’ almost all his life to become the enigmatic presence that he is today. More than its life-altering prizes, Wowowee appeals to the masses because of its natural, down-to-earth charm. It also helps that the fans identify themselves with the show’s Man—imperfect, once impoverished but is now much admired and well loved. A man who has had his ups and downs, his highs and lows, who was more than once “knocked down” by trials but has bounced back with a vengeance. And much as Wowowee changed and inspired many of its audiences’ lives, it has, undoubtedly, changed and inspired Mr. Willie Revillame, THE MAN, our Papi…

Reactions: