Wowowee spoof highlights start of Villar-Legarda campaign

A spoof of the popular noontime show Wowowee – complete with a song-and-dance number and a contest – highlighted the start of the campaign of presidential bet Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. and his running mate Loren Legarda on Tuesday. The rally opened with an upbeat version of Kung Tayo'y Matanda Na, which was sung by a stand-up comedian named Eric, who played the role of Wowowee host Willie Revillame in the spoof. The host then called on eight contestants – or bigatins – for a contest called "Hep Hep Hooray," a popular segment in Wowowee of ABS-CBN Network. An old woman wearing an orange hat made of cartolina with Villar’s name on it won the contest. Hundreds of people, most of them wearing orange, the Nacionalista Party’s official campaign color, came to see the event, which was held at the Banga town plaza in Calamba town. Paper fans bearing the face of Villar were distributed to help spectators deal with the afternoon heat. NP senatorial bets Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, Gilbert Remulla, Ramon Mitra III, Ilocos Norte Rep Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo were in attendance. Also present were Villar's daughter Camille, and television host Raymond Gutierrez. Villar and Legarda decided to start their campaign in Calamba because they said it is the “birthplace of heroism." Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal was born here. The Nacionalista Party calls its campaign the “90-day journey to a better Philippines". Before the kickoff rally, the senatorial candidates held a motorcade on several parts of Laguna, rounding Biñan, Balibago, Sta.Rosa Public Market, Cabuyao and then Calamba. At around 12:30 in the afternoon, the senatorial candidates had a High Noon Mass at St. John the Baptist Church where they were joined by Villar and Legarda. The NP then had a lunch with Calamba Mayor Joaquin Chipeco and Laguna Rep. Timmy Chipeco. - Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMANews.TV