A moment of confusion on a noontime game show has touched off a wider conversation about the state of Philippine education, after a contestant on It’s Showtime failed to identify a photograph of Malacañang Palace during the “Laro Laro Pick” elimination segment last Thursday, March 12.
The player, identified as Rein, visibly struggled when the iconic presidential residence appeared on screen. When host Vice Ganda asked where the Philippine President lives and holds official functions, Rein offered “Munisipyo” as a guess — drawing laughter from the studio audience and a telling expression from the host.
Vice Ganda, appearing momentarily taken aback, responded by reminding the contestant of the site’s place in Philippine history. “Noong Martial Law, noong EDSA People Power nilusob ‘yan ng mga Pilipino,” the host said calmly before offering another prompt. Co-host Jhong Hilario assisted with a partial cue — “Mala… Mala…” — to which the contestant initially answered “Malabon” before finally arriving at the correct answer.
Vice Ganda closed the exchange with a pointed remark: “Huwag puro blush on saka highlighter sa TikTok ha?”
The clip circulated quickly after Vice Ganda posted it to his verified Facebook account with the caption: “Malacañan po yes oki? oki.” Social media personality Macoy Dubs weighed in as well, noting in a post that the palace was built in 1750 and serves as the official residence of the President. “Education crisis malaley,” he added.
Online reactions ranged from bemused to sharply critical. Several netizens directed their frustration at the Department of Education, calling for stronger emphasis on Araling Panlipunan and related subjects. One commenter, identifying as a former DepEd teacher, cited repeated curriculum changes as a contributing factor: “Laging dagdag bawas yun teaching hours sa mga subject ng AP, minsan gusto pa ihalo sa MAPEH.”
Others pointed to the disappearance of educational television programming — citing shows like Matanglawin and Sineskwela — as part of a broader erosion of civic awareness among young Filipinos.
