The legendary troika of Tito, Vic and JoeySTM: Do you think being an Eat Bulaga host helps you in your job as a senator?Sotto: Oh yes, I think being a host of Eat Bulaga is an advantage for me because my personal encounter with everyday folk in the audience help me zero in on the real needs of the Filipino people. Most of our audiences in Eat Bulaga are marginalized Filipinos.And besides, the therapeutic factor and the income I get from the show is lot more lucrative than my pay as senator. (Laughs). Because of the length of time that Eat Bulaga has been on air, 37 years to be exact, my salary from this show is a big factor and serves as my insulation from graft and corruption.STM: What is the secret of your strong friendship with Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon who make up “Tito, Vic and Joey”?Sotto: Our friendship is very special. We have long decided to be one for all, all for one.Yes, we are the original “Juan For All, All for Juan” [a segment in the Eat Bulaga] especially in decision-making when it comes to our endeavors as a group. When someone doesn’t agree with something, we don’t do it. That, I think, is our secret in staying together and going strong.STM: What can you say about the AlDub phenomenon?Sotto: It was an unexpected blessing for Eat Bulaga and we believe that it became a phenomenon because AlDub transformed the show into becoming a vehicle for popularizing good Filipino family values. We owe it to our Dabarkads for making AlDub what it is today.We never planned it to be this way but everything fell into place, and we are very grateful for that. At first we had Lola Nidora (Wally Bayola) who gives health tips and medicines to different barangays, and then we thought of adding Yaya Dub (Maine Mendoza) as Lola Nidora’s assistant. It turned out she was a dubsmash phenomenon on YouTube, so as everyone knows, she wasn’t meant to talk or smile but she saw Alden Richards who also hosts the show, we noticed her face light up and just as quickly, she became self-conscious. The rest is history.At our core, I do believe Eat Bulaga is now a public affairs program masquerading as an entertainment show. The heart of the program is in public service, which is why the show goes out to barangays to help as many Filipinos as we can. After 37 years, it’s all about giving back time now for Eat Bulaga, be it through giving people happiness, “kilig” like AlDub, or helping them better their lives.STM: What many Filipinos, especially the young ones do not know, is that you are also a multi-awarded sportsman. Can you tell The Sunday Times more about this facet of your life.Sotto: As I said before, I always give my best in everything that I do. I took up bowling and won gold in several international bowling competitions as part of the Philippine Bowling Team. [In 1978, Sotto represented the Philippines at the AMF Bowling World Cup in Bogota, Colombia, and again in1984, in Sydney, Australia].There’s also one thing that I discovered lately in my career as an athlete. I was the first athlete who won three perfect games in bowling and three perfect hole in one in golf tournaments.If I can still dream about being a sportsman, I would very much like to be the first national senior champion in golf.STM: Do you have idols and mentors?Sotto: I have many idols and mentors especially in my political career, and they are also the very same ones who tormented me during debates in the Senate. They were the ones who taught me and guided me to to be a better public servant and senator.STM: After revealing your secret in friendship, what has kept your marriage and family life successful as well?Sotto: I’ve been married for 46 years now and I give credit to Helen for keeping our family close and happy. I also look up to my parents Marcelino Ojeda Sotto and Dr. Herminia Castelo Sotto who taught me and my siblings, Vic, Val and Maru the value of family. And by the way, my mother was the first medical commissioner of the Workmen’s Compensation Commission.Regularly, the whole family still gets together so that our children and grandchildren are close to each other—a typical Filipino trait we witnessed and experienced from our parents.I have four children Romina, Diorella, Gian and Ciara, and seven grandsons and one granddaughter. Another one is coming and we’re praying we’ll be blessed with another girl in the family.
