Saturday, April 25, 2009

Let’s Vault In! ( My Eat Bulaga Experience) - 16th Story for the Inspirational Book

By: ROY DELA CRUZ

(This story was written in January 2007, a year after the event happened. And it took a barber to remind me about it, which made me write my story… and so it goes…)

It was over a year, January of 2006 actually, I have almost forgotten, until somebody reminded me about it.

Last week while I was having my haircut, the barber who hardly knew me asked, “Sir, di po ba kayo yung nanalo sa Eat Bulaga dati?” (Sir, weren’t you the one who won in Eat Bulaga?) I was surprised because, more than a year has passed. It was then that it occurred to me that I haven’t written about it yet.

Yes, I won in an Eat Bulaga contest, a popular noontime show here in the Philippines. And I was on television last year. There are lots of stories – before, during and after I claimed the price. Now before you think otherwise, I didn’t dance in Eat Bulaga nor did I join the Mr. Pogi contest.

I won in the home partner portion for their game Laban or Bawi, which was the Let’s Vault In. I have been joining the contest since it started. Because I was jobless I was able to watch almost all shows on TV then - Eat Bulaga included. But after some months of texting, I quit joining thinking that there was no way I could win there.

But on that fateful day of January, I was again in front of the TV watching Laban o Bawi on Eat Bulaga. While watching, I noticed my cell phone lying in front of me. I picked it up and started composing the format for the text contest – the numbers of the first and last contestants who answered the questions correctly.

I already have the first number typed in, the contest was still in progress. Until finally, only two contestants were left. I just typed in the number of one of them and sent the text to the required number. I just sent two text entries.

After that, I went out of the house hoping that I could find some opportunities elsewhere. I left my cell phone at home then.

I came home at around 7 PM, listless and indifferent, when my wife met me and she seemed to be very excited.

She gushed breathless, “Sumali ka ba sa Eat Bulaga?” (Did you join in Eat Bulaga?) I didn’t tell her about the text I had sent because I actually have forgotten about it and I never really expected anything from it.
So I said yes and asked her why.

She recounted excitedly what happened in my absence, “Tumawag ang Eat Bulaga sa cell mo, tinatanong kung sino yung nagtext at kung ano yung combination. Sabi ko, baka husband ko kasi siya yung sumasali. Tinanong sa akin kung alam ko yung combination sabi ko hindi. Tatawag daw ulit sila. Kaso tumawag na ulit sila wala ka pa rin! Bat kasi di mo sinasabi sa akin e?!”

(They called up your cell phone asking who joined the contest and they would like to know about the number combination you texted them. I said you were out, and I didn’t know the combination. They informed me they will call up again and they did, but you were still not here. Why didn’t you tell me?!)

I was dumbfounded! I didn’t know what to say!

An opportunity passed me by and I just let it slipped away!

For the rest of the night, I was quiet; constantly looking at my cell phone every now and then…. waiting… hopefully….

Then at around 9:30 PM, my cell rang, I hurriedly picked it up.

My hands were shaking uncontrollably: “Hello, si Mr. Arnaldo dela Cruz po ba ito?”, “Oo, ito nga. Sino po sila?”, “Sa Eat Bulaga po ito, sumali po ba kayo sa Let’s Vault In?”,”Yes mam! sumali po ako”,”Ano po yung combination na pinadala ninyo?”

(”Hello, is this Arnaldo dela Cruz”, “Yes, who’s this?”, ”We’re from Eat Bulaga, did you join the contest?”, ”Yes mam! I did!””What were the combinations you sent?”)

I told her the combination. “Okay, for verification, ano po yung complete address nila?”
(Okay, for verification, what is your complete address?) And my heart was hammering in my chest, as I blurted out our address.
“Mr. dela Cruz, sa ngayon po hindi pa po kayo sure na nanalo. Makakapunta po ba kayo bukas sa Broadway Centrum?”,”Yes mam! Pwede po akong pumunta”, “O sige po, be here po before 9:30 AM, magdala po kayo ng valid ID na may address po na binigay ninyo. Bukas pa lang po natin mako-confirm yung panalo ninyo a. Basta be here early po. Wag po kayo magtsi-tsinelas kasi po may posibility po na lumabas kayo sa TV. Sige po sir, bye.”

(”Mr. dela Cruz, as of this moment you are not yet a guaranteed winner. Can you be here tomorrow at Broadway Centrum?”, ”Yes mam! I can go there”,”Okay then, be here before 9:30 AM and bring a valid ID with the address you texted us. Then we can confirm if you really won. Just be here early and please don’t wear slippers, you might appear on TV. Okay sir, bye.”)

I was speechless after that, I was looking at my family and I wasn’t saying a word.

They were asking me if it were Eat Bulaga who called. When I was finally able to say ‘Yes’, they all shouted with glee!

I was very thankful because after two calls, they still called me back. They didn’t give the P25,000 to other contestants who also sent text entries… my chance was not forfeited.

I felt tears trying to escape my eyes, as I was silently praying and thanking God. I was jobless then, and I remember telling myself “P25,000, that’s a good 7 to 8 dialysis sessions for my wife.”
It was then that my tears finally managed to escape….

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Roy dela Cruz is a truly amazing and dedicated blogger.

Presently, he has 13 blogs, and these blogs belong to different interesting categories.

He has an inspirational blog, a Kapampangan blog written in the vernacular, a business blog, a blog solely for his departed spouse, a random thoughts blog and the recently added short stories blog.

He doesn't fail to surprise me with the amount of passion he has for blogging.

His 13 blogs are the following:

Be Inspired Now!
Etsetera! Etsetera!
Kapampangan Blog
Letters To Mama
Money OnLine
more than just copy-paste
REFLECTIONS
Roysville dot Com
Short Stories Blog
Subukan Taya Ing Kapampangan!
Sugar Coated World
The House Of Puroy
http://thestrugglingblogger.168center.com/

Do visit them and learn from his various informative posts.

To know more about Roy, click HERE. Thanks Roy for submitting another heartwarming story.

Image of Eat Bulaga from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eat_Bulaga


27 comments:

  1. Thanks for the follow. I am really enjoying your blog. I did notice you have an entrecard and I have seen you before, but I haven't been using entrecard since I felt it was more important to start reading others blogs instead of dropping and running.

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  2. I thought this was just going to be a fun story of how he won the contest. The last few lines were a shock to me. First of all, I didn't know about Roy's departed wife. Secondly, I know how difficult it would have been to battle kidney failure.

    This was a very moving post Roy, I enjoyed reading it.

    Jena, he has 13 blogs? I thought there were more than 10 but 13! Lucky number, I guess. hehehe.

    Z

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  3. Hi Dr. Lauren,

    Thanks for the visit. Yes, it is more important to read than just drop and run, so I try my best to read posts which I find interesting.

    Cheers and all the best.

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  4. Hi Z,

    Being a doctor, I know you would be acutely aware of the tribulations a patient with a kidney disease has to go through.

    I would say Roy deserves admiration for the way he has handled and battled against all odds of being father and mother to his children.

    Kudos to you Roy; and doc, cheers and have a happy weekend.

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  5. Should I say "HE HAD HANDLED AND IS STILL HANDLING....

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  6. @ Z

    13 declared blogs. there are others I don't promote, and I can't promote ;)

    yes, it was a difficult time, but my wife's condition taught us a lot.

    @ Jena

    Thanks for including my story. You're doing a great deal with this.

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  7. sorry Jena, that should read "you're doing ME a great deal with this"

    sorry for the typo

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  8. Hi Roy,

    You mean you still have other "secret" blogs? lol? for adults only ba?...he he he...just kidding.

    You're among friends... no worries.

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  9. Jena,

    Roy is "the struggling blogger" I'm sure he'll be able to keep up with the demands of the family life and the blogosphere. hehehe. Will know more when I meet him personally.

    Roy,

    Are you using a pseudonym other than houseofpuroy? hehehe. Share your other sites with me. You might need my expertise. LOL

    Z

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  10. Hi Z,

    Yes, you could contribute to his blogs too. We could help one another.
    Best regards.

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  11. Wow! That was an awesome story. I like hearing winners who really need to win. In Roy's case, it was needed for his wife's dialysis.

    Tasha

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  12. Hi Tasha,

    You're right, it was Divine Providence that he won.

    Cheers and happy blog hopping.

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  13. @ Jena,

    an adult blog? to be honest, the thought entered my mind, and I sort of 'bordered' on that subject. the entrepreneur in me says 'there's a market there'

    but there's a part of me which have this lousy principle... "I can't preach what I can't practice" lol


    @ Z

    nope, didn't use any pseudonym. don't want to add another code remember. I'm already at 'that age' where you are told "bawal ang beans... bawal ang pork..."

    I just can't tell the blogs now.

    @ Tasha

    Thanks! I'm glad you like the story.

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  14. Hmmm.. Is this the same Roy in the WOOF?

    Im sorry to hear about his wife. Roy, you read this and am glad you found the way to forget at times. I know how therapeutic blogging is but I also know, when you are alone in the night, it's so difficult.

    i was also expecting to see his image in the Eat Bulaga link... I was watching ABS CBN when I was in Pinas though...

    BTW, puro Filipinos ba kinakausap ko dito?

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  15. Hello Webbielady,

    Congrats for winning too at WOOF. The answer to your questions is yes, except for Dr. Lauren. Thanks and happy blog hopping.

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  16. sorry for the typo, that should be"...to your QUESTION IS...."..lol...the keypads you know...

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  17. I thought this was about winning TV game shows but I more delighted to know it's the love and hope.
    I asked Roy how could he manage 13 blogs and I have a hard time managing 2 blogs...hahaha.

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  18. @ Webbielady

    Hi! Yup! the same Roy in WOOF :)

    thanks for reading!

    @ Bingkee

    Thanks! I'm glad you liked my story

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  19. Hi Roy,

    Thanks for interacting with your readers. All the best.

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  20. Like Z I thought it was about the fun you had with that noontime show. In a way, it was.

    But so much more was simmering underneath the surface. And we only get a whiff of it at the concluding lines of the story.

    We've talked about your wife and her ailment in some of our emails. I should have been warned. But in this story I did not not pick any signals you'd be making a hard left turn.

    The concluding lines almost unhinge my know-it-all attitude.

    You're a terrific writer, Roy. I wish that misguided commenter in one of your blogs is here to read this.

    But then again, perhaps this is asking too much of a troll. ",)

    Superb. Well done. Gosh, my British accent is showing! lol

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  21. Hi Jan,

    Roy is indeed, full of surprises. Thanks and best regards.

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  22. I thought I already replied to Jan last night... maybe I didn't get the word verification... lol

    anyway, thanks for all those kinds words Jan.


    @ Jena,

    modesty aside, I also surprise myself at times lol

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  23. I noticed that when man is in need there is something to come without any sign. It is really surprising when it came.

    Well i also win something very worth for me. My dream for 10 years did not materialize since i got low paying job, yet it came as a gift.

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  24. I was also falling in the same pit expecting that the story would be about the show itself only to realize that it's about another thing: human struggle.... We always appreciate stuff like these especially if written so cleverly that makes a mark in our emotions.

    Thanks for answering my question, Jena and Roy, you two are great writers.

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  25. Hi Webbie Lady,

    Thanks , you too, Cheers.

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  26. This is so touching. I am almost teary eyed. I feel for Roy, he's a dear friend.

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  27. Is that you Aileen?

    I'm glad to see you here. Thanks for reading my story.

    Now, I can find your new blog. Looking forward to see your posts Aileen.

    I know you have lots of inspiring stories and poems to tell.

    Thanks again!

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