MANILA, Philippines?Comedian Oscar Obligacion, whose antics as a bumbling Japanese soldier made generations of Filipinos laugh in a career that spanned stage, radio, television and film, died Friday after a lingering kidney ailment. He was 86.

Obligacion started his career onstage at the Manila Opera House and Clover Theater, according to his widow and former LVN Pictures actress Myrna Quizon-Obligacion.

With singer Sylvia La Torre, he hosted popular TV programs like Channel 11?s ?The Big Show? and ABS-CBN?s ?Oras ng Ligaya? in the 1960s.

?His specialty was playing a comical Japanese soldier,? Myrna recalled. ?He hosted a radio show called ?Buy and Sell,? too.?

He also acted in 150 movies. ?His biggest were ?Tacio? with Perla Bautista and ?Dolfinger Meets Pantarorong? with Dolphy,? said Myrna, his wife of 56 years. ?Pantororong was his famous character on ?Oras.??

?We met at LVN where we did movies like ?Luha at Musika,? ?Tumbalik na Daigdig? and ?Itinakwil,?? she said.

Obligacion parlayed his show biz fame into a successful business venture, Philippine Seating, which supplied theater seats to movie houses like SM Cinemas.

?He was generous and loving. He was hardworking, a great provider,? Myrna said.

Bautista recalled that ?Oscar was funny and easy to work with.?

?During a party last year, he surprised people because he arrived in a wheelchair but when the music played, he stood up and danced,? she recalled.

Along with his wife, Obligacion is survived by four children, 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Obligacion had quadruple heart bypass surgery over a decade ago. In November, his health took a turn for the worse. He was confined in a hospital for two months before the family decided to take him home.

He had been undergoing dialysis three times a week, until he succumbed to renal failure and pneumonia.

Cremation was set yesterday. A private viewing will be held from March 5 to 7 at Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig.