On โItโs Showtimeโ last April 27, Vice Ganda and Anne Curtis briefly stepped out of comedy mode and into something more real: the daily struggle of moving around in the Philippines. It started as a light question about what theyโd do with a โฑ150,000 jackpot from the showโs segment, but it quickly turned into a very Filipino momentโbecause even celebrities canโt ignore how brutal fuel prices and commuting have gotten.
When Anne answered sheโd use the money for her daughter Dahliaโs needs, she threw the question back to Vice. His reply was blunt: โPambili ng gasolina.โ The room didnโt even fight itโVhong Navarro and Jhong Hilario reportedly nodded along, and Vice added that some of his vehicles are barely being used now because he doesnโt want to keep paying for gas. That detail matters: when people who can drive comfortably start thinking twice, you know the squeeze is hitting everyone.
But Anne pushed the bigger point: the real tragedy is that Filipinos would take public transportโif it actually worked the way it should. She said sheโs waiting for the day commuting here feels enjoyable the way it does abroad, where public transit can be efficient enough that people donโt dread it. Vice didnโt sugarcoat the current reality either, saying the situation in the LRT and MRT is so packed it feels like an โapocalypseโโa dramatic word, but one commuters instantly understand.
They ended on the part that stuck: โKawawa ang mga taoโฆ kawawa tayong lahat.โ Not a skit, not a memeโjust a straight admission that the quality of life drops when transport is broken and fuel keeps climbing. In a country where commuting eats your time, energy, and money, this wasnโt celebrity complaining. It was celebrity echoing what millions have been saying for yearsโonly louder, on national TV.
Image from Itโs Showtime FB