MANILA, Philippines—When people join game and quiz shows on TV, they want to make as much money as possible in the shortest time, and in the easiest way. Well, that just about sums up what “Power of 10” on GMA 7 (Saturdays after “Kap’s Amazing Videos”) has to offer: Maximum winnings of P10 million in just five “easy” steps!
To win, the contestant has to second-guess the results of surveys of what the public at large feels and thinks about a wide range of topics and issues. As the contestant answers the series of queries on a percentage basis, the margin of error sequentially shrinks, from an initial 40 percent, to 30, down the line. Correspondingly, the prize money increases exponentially from P1,000 to P10,000, P100,000, P1 million — up to the mind-blowing P10 million top plum!
The night we caught the show hosted by Janno Gibbs, the first pair of contestants were BB Gandanghari and John Lapus. Dolled up in all their cross-dressing glory, they answered some preliminary questions, BB moved into the competition proper, and started answering the “real” questions in eager anticipation of romping off with all those millions.
Alas, it didn’t happen. All BB got for his/her pains was P1,000. So, doing well on “Power of 10” is by no means as easy as it looks!
Still, the show offers “collateral” benefits, like viewers learning about what Filipinos generally feel and think about different topics. After a while, however, we sometimes wonder if the people polled by the show are truly representative of the general population. For example, there was a surprisingly low percentage point for a query on Filipinas who shaved their armpits.
Another problem is the relative irrelevance of some of the questions, like the one polling the percentage of Filipinos who felt that ambulances could get into accidents. It would be better if the show’s questions reflected viewers’ more significant interests and concerns.
All told, however, the show remains viewable, and we trust that most of its contestants do better than BB and go home with much more than P1,000 for their efforts.
A final note: Janno Gibbs does better as host of “Power of 10” than on his other show, “Kakasa Ka Ba sa Grade Five?” Why so? It looks like he’s more comfortable interacting with his more “educational” other program. Could Janno feel intimidated by ETV? Teacher, teach thyself.
Sony Musikaraband
Last summer, top bands from Sony Music conquered Luzon malls with Musikaraband, where they rocked the house. As classes open, the country’s most popular bands like Pupil, Callalily and Itchyworms will continue to make waves as they tour the malls.
Discover Sony’s latest discoveries Letter Day Story, Roots of Nature and Duster as they face off with established bands. Musikaraband is presented by Sony Music and PLDT MyDSL in cooperation with Myx, FG Revolution Denim and Magic 89.9.
