13.7.12

Dolphy, Philippines’ King of Comedy


The Dolphy news has not yet brought to pass. As much as his films and proofs of kindness are lauded, he’s likely to be remembered in the next years or more. Today July 13, President Aquino declared National Day of Remembrance for the comedy king.

Dolphy (Rodolfo Vera Quizon, Sr. July 25, 1928- July 10, 2012)
The story of his passing is starting to set foot in me by osmosis. It was at first a far-fetched fact to consider before the news about his health moving stealthily down came time and again. I was young and 2 when his last longest-running sitcom, Home Along Da Riles started airing. I have honestly become a regular Thursday night sofa spud since after realizing the show was a good thing to watch for family values and wisdom when I was 5.

The show was indeed a worthy play of every average Filipino family’s daily encounters. Dolphy (Rodolfo Vera Quizon, Sr.), sometimes more known as John Puruntung and Kevin Cosme shared so much laughter in the Philippine television. He was, and he is continuously favored by most Filipinos because of his rather preference to portray as seemingly hard-lucked-but-positively-funny everyman. His roles almost always mirrored every Filipinos hankering for life and finding a little humor in it despite the daily misfortune. I am an almost savvy to his clever lines and actions.

“Sumasaya ang family pagtulung-tulong all the way. Problema ay may remedy at pati may konting komedy.” goes the first few lines of his Home Along Da Riles show theme song.

Dolphy's second longest running sitcom (Situational Comedy 1992-2003)
The man with a pot belly yawning, having his early morning coffee, and the usual lashing of a rolled newspaper on the heads of the “sunog baga” (the facetious drunkards in the running gag, Home Along Da Riles) and all his other film sidekicks are few of the Dolphy scenes I truly miss. All that I can really do now is to put into words all the beautiful memories his craft as comedian has left in me.  

Home Along Da Riles cast

Apart from his comicality, the stories of most ordinary people whose lives were touched by the comedy king moved me to believing that there is a genuinely good person behind those characters portrayed in more than 200 films.

John & Marsha movie sequels, Facifica Falayfay, Markova: Comfort Gay, Da Best in Da West, Tataynik, Hahabul-habol are some, to name a few of his movies that I love.

Dolphy was not at all perfect. But he lived a great life in the way he treated people especially the lowliest ones, in the way he honed his being an actor/comedian, and in the way he loved his family.

Before, I used to dream of big things. Now I only dream of having my children grow as good people.” puts an actual grown and insightful man, Dolphy.



I only felt this to be told, I cried when I reached home and watched about his death. Call me emotional. Was I affected? It maybe isn’t about being a pansy or being an overly-sensitive-21-year-older. It’s more about having Dolphy as one big part of my childhood and every other ordinary Filipino’s lives that’s taken away. 

Recall back Home Along Da Riles intro. I am hoping for a re-run. 







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