Batibot

{{Infobox television

| image = Batibot title card.jpg

| alt = The show title is displayed on the center of the image.

| caption = Title card

| creator = {{Plainlist|

Feny Bautista
Rene Villanueva}}

| director = Kokoy Jimenez{{cite web|url=http://www.interaksyon.com/entertainment/friends-colleagues-pay-tribute-to-batibot-director-kokoy-jimenez/ |title=Friends, colleagues pay tribute to Batibot director Kokoy Jimenez |website=Interaksyon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821065716/http://www.interaksyon.com/entertainment/friends-colleagues-pay-tribute-to-batibot-director-kokoy-jimenez/ |archive-date=August 21, 2016 |url-status=dead}}

| open_theme = Batibot theme song

| country = Philippines

| language = Tagalog

| num_seasons = 4

| camera = Multiple-camera setup

| company = Philippine Children's Television Foundation{{cite web|author=JTVKatigbak |title=Batibot directors speak on educational TV production |url=http://www.devcom.edu.ph/site/batibot-directors-speak-on-educational-tv-production.html |access-date=February 4, 2016 |website=The College of Development Communication - University of the Philippines Los Baños |date=April 20, 2012}}

| network = {{Plainlist|

Radio Philippines Network (1985–91, 1994–95)
ABS-CBN (1991–94)
People's Television Network (1984–91)
GMA Network (1995–2003)
TV5 (2010–13)}}

| first_aired = {{Start date|1985}}

| last_aired = {{End date|2003}}

| first_aired2 = {{Start date|2010|11|27}}

| last_aired2 = {{End date|2013}}

| related = Sesame! (1983–84)

}}

Batibot is a Philippine television educational show produced by the Philippine Children's Television Foundation (PCTF). It debuted in 1984, a co-production of PCTV and the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) from 1983 to 1984.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/batibot-pong-pagong-kiko-matsing-a00289-20200907-lfrm |title=How Batibot{{'}}s Pong Pagong and Kiko Matsing Became Part of Talks on U.S. Military Bases in the Philippines |magazine=Esquire Philippines |date=September 7, 2020 |access-date=June 12, 2021}}

History

=''Sesame!'' (1983–1984)=

The precursor of Batibot was Sesame!, a Filipino version of the American children's show, Sesame Street.{{cite news|author=Salazar, Marlet |title=Batibot reincarnates as mobile app |url=http://technology.inquirer.net/44034/batibot-reincarnates-as-mobile-app |access-date=February 4, 2016 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=August 27, 2015}} Sesame! was a co-production of the Philippine Children's Television Foundation (PCTF) and the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) with support from the Philippine government. It aired in 1983 as a bilingual (Filipino and English) program.{{cite news|author=Carballo, Bibsy M. |title=Batibot coming back with a bang |url=https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2010/04/19/567548/batibot-coming-back-bang |access-date=September 15, 2020 |newspaper=The Philippine Star |date=April 19, 2010}}{{cite news|title=Smart launches Batibot app, the first learning app |url=http://www.mb.com.ph/smart-launches-batibot-app-the-first-learning-app-in-filipino/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150822191348/http://www.mb.com.ph/smart-launches-batibot-app-the-first-learning-app-in-filipino/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 22, 2015 |access-date=February 4, 2016 |newspaper=Manila Bulletin |date=August 14, 2015}} The series featured two Muppet-style characters Pong Pagong and Kiko Matsing. Both characters were inspired from a Filipino fable, "The Monkey and the Turtle", which was annotated to English by José Rizal in 1889.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/the-monkey-and-the-turtle-jose-rizal-a00293-20200721-lfrm |title=The history of Jose Rizal's "The Monkey and the Turtle" |author=Alvaro Limos, Mario |magazine=Esquire Philippines |date=July 21, 2020 |access-date=June 12, 2021}}

Government support ended in 1984 and the co-production arrangement with CTW was cancelled.{{cite web|author=Abbugao, Martin |title=Filipino Sesame Street facing tough times |url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/02/12/Filipino-Sesame-Street-facing-tough-times/1495603262800/ |access-date=February 4, 2016 |website=United Press International |date=February 12, 1989}}

=''Batibot'' (1985–2003)=

PCTF decided to produce its own show titled Batibot and debuted in February 1985.{{cite news|author=Lohr, Steve |title=Home Grown Values Replace Kermit in Filipino Version of Sesame Street |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/24/arts/home-grown-values-replace-kermit-in-filipino-version-of-sesame-street.html |access-date=February 4, 2016 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 24, 1985}}

Batibot was conceptualized and produced by Feny Delos Angeles-Bautista, a teacher from the Community of Learners Foundation and writer Rene Villanueva. Unlike the bilingual (Filipino and English) Sesame!, Batibot was done entirely in Filipino and featured stories in a Philippine context. An arrangement with CTW was made in order for the characters Pong Pagong and Kiko Matsing to continue their appearance including one human character Kuya Mario.

Airing on weekdays with a time slot of 10:30 AM,{{cite news|title=TV Guide |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8cBNEdFwSQkC&dat=19870315&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=July 28, 2019 |newspaper=Manila Standard |date=March 16, 1987|page=14}}{{cite news|title=TV Guide |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8cBNEdFwSQkC&dat=19870320&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=July 28, 2019 |newspaper=Manila Standard |publisher=Standard Publications, Inc. |date=March 20, 1987 |page=14}} the series consistently ranked in 1985 among the top 10 daytime shows in the Philippines, outdoing the ratings of Sesame! and Sesame Street, which first aired in the country in 1970.

By February 1989, the producers were experiencing financial constraints which placed uncertainty regarding the future airing of the show. PCTF were in negotiations for an Indonesian version of Batibot; coincidentally, CTW were also in negotiations for an Indonesian version of Sesame Street. Shortly thereafter, CTW informed PCTF of their decision to repossess the characters Pong Pagong and Kiko Matsing. PCTF negotiated with CTW for the continued use of the characters for four more years under a license arrangement. Despite, the extension to use the characters, PCTF decided to phase out their appearances because of the costs. By 1994, the two characters were returned to CTW and were never used again.

In 1999, Batibot was relaunched as Batang Batibot airing on a Saturday morning timeslot.{{cite magazine|author=Caña, Paul John |title=How Batibot{{'}}s Pong Pagong and Kiko Matsing Became Part of Talks on U.S. Military Bases in the Philippines |url=https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/batibot-pong-pagong-kiko-matsing-a00289-20200907-lfrm |access-date=October 7, 2020 |magazine=Esquire |date=September 7, 2020}}

Batibot ended its run in 2003.{{cite news|author=Carballo, Bibsy |title=Batibot & little kids in need of a boost |url=http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/784238/batibot-little-kids-need-boost |access-date=February 4, 2016 |newspaper=The Philippine Star |date=March 7, 2012}}[Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxDhvAlnkHU] on Batibot by Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, 2007

=TV5's ''Batibot'' (2010–2013)=

TV5 announced in 2010 that it would revive Batibot. It premiered on November 27, 2010.{{cite web|author=Godinez, Bong |title=Batibot will return to Philippine television starting November 27 |url=https://www.pep.ph/guide/tv/7230/batibot-will-return-to-philippine-television-starting-november-27 |access-date=September 19, 2020 |website=PEP |date=November 22, 2010}} TV5's version of Batibot featured a different set of human characters, Ate Maya and Kuya Fidel. Instead of a Monday–Friday broadcast format, the new series was aired on Saturday at 8:30 a.m.{{cite news|author=Carballo, Bibsy |title=Batibot{{'}}s problems on a Saturday morning |url=http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2012-07-04/824237/batibots-problems-saturday-morning |access-date=February 4, 2016 |newspaper=The Philippine Star |date=July 4, 2012}} The airing of the series lasted until 2013.

Cast and characters

Batibot featured characters portrayed by puppets as well as human characters. Most of the puppets used for the show were locally made. Kiko Matsing and Pong Pagong who were among the main characters of the original Batibot were owned and crafted by CTW.

=''Sesame''=

;Human characters

Kuya Mario portrayed by Junix Inocian{{cite web|url=http://www.interaksyon.com/entertainment/actor-junix-inocian-dies-in-the-uk-at-64/ |title=Actor Junix Inocian dies in the UK at 64 |website=Interaksyon |access-date=February 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160214230723/http://www.interaksyon.com/entertainment/actor-junix-inocian-dies-in-the-uk-at-64/ |archive-date=February 14, 2016 |url-status=dead}}
Ate Sylvia portrayed by Susan Africa
Luz portrayed by Dessa Quesada
Aling Nena portrayed by Angie Ferro
Mang Lino portrayed by Joe Gruta
Ben portrayed by Tito Quesada

;Puppets

Kiko Matsing performed by Sammy Badon and assisted by Toots Javellana
Pong Pagong performed by Deo Noveno

=''Batibot''=

;Human characters

Kuya Mario portrayed by Junix Inocian
Kuya Bodjie portrayed by Bodjie Pascua{{cite web|url=http://8list.ph/watn-batibot-cast/ |title=Where Are They Now: The Cast of Batibot |date=January 23, 2014 |website=8 List}}
Ate Sienna portrayed by Sienna Olaso
Kuya Ching portrayed by Ching Arellano
Kuya Dwight portrayed by Dwight Gaston
Ate Isay portrayed by Isay Alvarez-Seña
Mang Mokyo portrayed by Soliman Cruz
Popoy portrayed by Alvin Froy Alemania
Ate Jojie portrayed by Adriana Agcaoili
Rap Rap portrayed by Rafael Mallanes
Ate Celia portrayed by Sheila Gamo
Kuya Mola portrayed by Gerry Sanga

;Puppets

Kiko Matsing performed by Sammy Badon and assisted by Toots Javellana
Pong Pagong performed by Deo Noveno
Filimon - a duck with telescope
Irma Daldal - very talkative TV field reporter
Direk - loud-mouth director from segment of "Sa Likod Ng Tabing".
Koko Kwik-Kwak – a bird character inspired from the Philippine Eagle, based from Big Bird of Sesame Street
Manang Bola – a forgetful fortuneteller
Kapitan Basa – a character who has a magic book which he uses to answer questions from children
Sitsiritsit and AlibangBang – a curious duo of space aliens
Ningning and Gingging– characters based from Ernie and Bert of Sesame Street
Kuya Derms (inspired by German Moreno aka "Kuya Germs") - a TV-host for Negoshowbiz (parody of NegoSiyete GMA-7)
Noli de Casio (inspired by Noli de Castro) - a News anchor for Magandang Araw Bayan (parody of Magandang Gabi, Bayan ABS-CBN 2)
Angelique Baso (inspired by Angelique Lazo) - a TV-host for Balitang Bituin (parody of "Star News" segment of TV Patrol ABS-CBN 2)
The Byaps-Byaps

=''Batibot'' (2010)=

;Human characters

Kuya Fidel portrayed by Abner Delina
Ate Maya portrayed by Kakki Teodoro

;Puppets

Irma Daldal*
Koko Kwik-Kwak*
Manang Bola*
Kapitan Basa*
Sitsiritsit* and AlibangBang*
Ningning* and Gingging*
Tarsi - a tarsier

* – from the original Batibot

Spin-offs

Batibot has its own spin-off program Koko Kwik Kwak (named after a bird character), which also aired on GMA Network from 1999 to 2002 every weekday mornings.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Mobile app

{{Infobox video game

| title = Batibot Games

| image = Batibot Games logo.png

| caption = Batibot Games icon

| developer = OrangeFix

| publisher =

| released = Android
{{Video game release|WW|{{Start date|2015|8|14}}}} iOS
{{Video game release|WW|{{Start date|2017|7|5}}}}

| platforms = {{Plainlist|

Android
iOS}}

| genre = Educational

}}

On August 14, 2015, Smart Communications launched a mobile app for Android devices based on the show. Smart together with the Community of Learners Foundation commissioned OrangeFix to develop the app. The development of the app content costed around {{Philippine peso|1 million}}.

The Batibot app is specifically targeted to children from kindergarten to Grade 3. It is aligned with the Department of Education's kindergarten curriculum and is in Filipino. An iOS version of the app was released on July 5, 2017.