TV Review: Pepito Manaloto on Being Eco-Friendly

Pepito Manaloto (lead role played by Michael V.) has never yet failed to amuse me on weekends. I do not religiously watch it, but every time I get to catch its airtime, I find its episodes light and funny, but informative.  

In its recent episode, Pepito Manaloto started to employ eco-friendly practices in his house and his office regardless of its cost as long as he was able to help preserve the environment. He changed his car to a hybrid model, a combination of electric and gasoline engine; instructed his household and company to reduce, reuse and recycle; pledged to only consume organic produce; changed his appliances to energy-saving ones; and avoided many things that he deemed was destroying the ozone layer. If I were a multi-millionaire like his character, I would probably do the same.




Pepito even organized a fun run for the environment. But during the said run, he learned that his assistant Tommy bought plastic cups to be used in the water station, so he threw the plastic cups. Because it was too late to buy paper cups, the runners weren't able to drink and complained about the inefficiency of the organizers and Pepito’s exaggerated preference for eco-friendly materials. The funny line there was (yes, it was a comedy show) when Pepito asked the runners not to walk out because it was supposed to be a fun run :-)

You can be eco-friendly on your own little ways but you don’t need to sacrifice convenience and your personality in doing so. What???

Despite the fun run being a failure, it taught Pepito his lesson – that is not to be over acting on his preference for eco-friendly things. But the show failed to clarify some thoughts it raised. While it started with positive remarks on starting with oneself to care for the environment and radiating the same concern to every human being, it ended with a confusing statement. The lady guest said something like you can be eco-friendly on your own little ways but you don’t need to sacrifice convenience and your personality in doing so. What???

I believe a genuine concern for the environment is not a sacrifice, but a commitment to give up or unlearn such conveniences that harm the environment.

I found the show disappointing because of its ending that contradicted its earlier message of the need to care for the environment.  If a lot more people would be OA in their decision to actively participate in preserving the environment, then we could probably experience directly the results of such changes. Well, probably that was just me and my not-so-grand thoughts.