The ALDUB Birthday Plan episode opens with Donya Tidora reviewing her checklist with YayaDUB. From the arrangements to the catering. Even to the games and the tarp to be used. For a party where Donya Tidora planned a happy event for Lola Nidora, she’s quite particular about the tarps. YayaDUB designed some drafts for Donya Tidora to choose. Donya Tidora didn’t want her sister to look too nice. “Wag yan. Mukha siyang mabait dyan.” (Not that one. She looked tame there.) The KalyeSerye commentators were impressed with YayaDUB’s layout skills.
Donya Tidora included a game called “pabitin” in the party itinerary. It consisted of candies and toys hanging from a thin wooden frame designed for hanging the bags of goodies. It reminded Donya Tidora of her childhood games with Lola Nidora. “Nung kasing mga bata kami, madugas yan. HIndi na tumatalon. Nagaabang na lang ng babagsak.” (When we were young, she’s cleverly greedy. She doesn’t leap. She would just wait for the candies to fall off.) It wasn’t mentioned in the ALDUB Birthday Plan whether they would hang the “pabitin” (loose translation: hanging goodies) from the ceiling. Or one of the taller Rogelios would just hold it from above.
Donya Tidora commissioned one of the Rogelios to keep watch at the ALDUB Birthday Plan episode. Lola Nidora shouldn’t learn of the ALDUB Birthday Plan. Alden showed up on the other monitor as Donya Tidora and YayaDUB continued with polishing their party plan. It resulted in a series of DUBsmashed tracks and mind puzzles between Alden and YayaDUB. YayaDUB enjoyed the mind games with Alden. She outwitted him several times before.
YayaDUB made Alden read several words on her clipboard. All of them end with the suffix “-ble”. So once Alden got to the part that says “perdible”. He read it as /per-di-bl/. YayaDUB corrected her by saying /per-dib-le/. Alden found his error funny. He then retaliated with a pick up line. “Barya ka ba?” (Are you loose change?) YayaDUB asked why. “Bakit?” (Why?) Alden repllied. “Kasi umaga pa lang kailangan na kita eh.” (Because I need you in the morning.)
Alden dished out another pick up line for YayaDUB. “National anthem ka ba?” (Are you the national anthem?) YayaDUB asked why. Alden replied. “Kasi kapag naririnig kita, napapahawak ako agad sa puso ko.” (Because every time I hear you, I immediately hold on to my heart.) It turns out that Alden has learned mind games too. He asked YayaDUB to say “Richards” 10 times. After YayaDUB did, he asked her to say “Richards” 5 times. After she did, he asked her to say “Richards” 3 times. After conditioning her mind, he asked. “Anong apelido mo?” (What’s your last name?) YayaDUB replied. “Faulkerson.” She was obviously caught off guard at the ALDUB Birthday Plan episode.
KalyeSerye commentators Allan K and Boss Joey de Leon were amused with the impending last name change. Allan K thought of it as a good thing with the Metro Manila Film Festival coming in December 2016. He suggested giving the acronym MMFF a new meaning. Maine Mendoza Faulkerson. YayaDUB [or Maine] then added “Forever”. MMFF has become Maine Mendoza Faulkerson Forever.
With YayaDUB in a good mood at the ALDUB Birthday Plan episode. Alden mentioned that Lola Babah. “Pinapakamusta ka ni Lola Babah.” (Granny Babah sends her regards.) YayaDUB’s insecurities came out. But she sounded more like a girl without self-esteem and less like a girl irritated. “Di ba hindi niya ako gusto? Hindi ako model. Naglalakad lang ako sa daan. Eh kasi mas bagay naman kayo ng model na yun eh. Kalimutan mo na ko, Alden.” (She doesn’t like me, right? I’m not a model. I just walk the streets. You’d look better with that model. Forget me, Alden.)
Alden reasoned that YayaDUB is his only one. “Wala sa kin ang model na yun kasi para sa akin ikaw ang pinakamagandang model.” (That model is insignificant to me because for me you are the most beautiful model.) It sounded good enough for YayaDUB to strut her stuff. Donya Tidora was so happy to see YayaDUB showing what she learned from her at the ALDUB Birthday Plan episode. She’s not a model. But she knew how to project with a broom stick.
YayaDUB then nipped the topic in the bud and asked Alden for help. “I need your help. Puedeng igawa mo kami ng pabitin? Saka yung letters na ginupit gupit?” (Can you make a ‘pabitin’ set for us? And the letter cutouts?) Alden then asked if they had to be similar to the letter cutouts at the ALDUB 17th Weeksary episode. “Parang ito? Maliit na bagay.” (Like this? A small favor.) He went backstage at the props’ silo to get some tools. The sticks he assembled for the “pabitin” frame weren’t bamboo sticks. But it’s okay. As Alden tried to hammer the wood. He accidentally hammered his finger at the ALDUB Birthday Plan episode. He asked YayaDUB to kiss it. Just when she’s about to kiss his hurt finger. He moved to kiss her.
Later the car horn honked off. The one Rogelio with Donya Tidora tried to look if it’s Lola Nidora. Only for a matron in thick white mink coat to tap him from behind. It was Lola Nidora. Even the underexposed Rogelios are not that efficient either. Did Donya Tidora get rid of her Bernardo Bernardo Bernardo? Or she kept them in her private harem? Either way, Lola Nidora has arrived inthe ALDUB Birthday Plan episode.
The ALDUB Birthday Plan episode was the second straight day that Lola Nidora dressed to the nines. Her head dress still included feathers. But it’s thin enough to be comfortable for Lola Nidora to wear. She didn’t hide her reason for the extravagant outfit. “Siempre nagre-ready ako dun sa Lola ni Alden. Mahirap na. Nandiyan ba ang lola mo, Alden?” (Of course, I’m getting ready for Alden’s granny. You never know. Is your granny there, Alden?) Alden replied. “Tulog po.” (She’s asleep.)
Lola Nidora may have found a convenient excuse to dress up in the ALDUB Birthday Plan episode. But she would still prefer Donya Tidora and YayaDUB waiting on her. “Bakit nyo nga pala ako iniwan?” (Why did you leave me at home?) YayaDUB answered in behalf of Donya Tidora. “May inayos pa po kami dito sa brgy.” (We just arranged some things here in the barangay.) Lola Nidora found it odd. “Kelan ka pa naging brgy captain?” (Since when did you become the barangay captain?) Lola Nidora addressed Donya Tidora directly in front of YayaDUB. “Baka may sindikato kayo ni Yaya ha?” (You and YayaDUB might be in some syndicate.) Donya Tidora almost rolled her eyes.
Lola Nidora removed her mink coat. “May sasabihin dapat ako. Nakalimutan ko lang.” (I was supposed to say something. I just forgot.) The KalyeSerye commentators pressed for more info. “Hindi, may ipagtatapat ka dapat kahapon eh.” (No. You were supposed to admit something yesterday.) Lola Nidora got teary-eyed once she remembered. The ALDUB Birthday Plan episode was the 5th straight day that Donya Tinidora had been missing in action. Lola Nidora addressed it directly. “Nagusap kami ni Tinidora. Okay naman daw siya.” (I have talked to Tinidora. She said that she’s okay.)
It wasn’t clear why Donya Tinidora had been away for far too long. Lola Nidora didn’t mention it either. But she relayed what Donya Tinidora asked her to tell Donya Tidora and YayaDUB at the ALDUB Birthday Plan episode. “Babalik din daw siya agad. Sinabi niya sa akin na sabihin sa inyo.” (She said that she’d be back immediately. She told me to relay it to you.) She was so distraught. She ended up asking some tissue from Alden instead of from YayaDUB.
Lola Nidora claimed that she has finally decoded the badly-written letter. She received it at the ALDUB Missing Ring episode. She whispered its contents to Donya Tidora and YayaDUB. Donya Tidora is not good at keeping her voice down at the ALDUB Birthday Plan episode. “Yung mga alahas nakasangla?” (The jewels are pawned.) Lola Nidora was seething in anger. “Sinisikreto ko nga. Sinigaw mo pa?” (I’m trying to keep it a secret. You yelled it out?) Donya Tidora rephrased what she heard. “Yung mga alahas, mareremata?” (The jewels are to be sequestered?)
Turns out that Donya Tidora downplayed Lola Nidora’s financial predicament at the ALDUB Birthday Plan episode. “Ate, maliit na bagay. Magkano ba yan?” (Elder sister, it’s a small favor. How much was the debt?) Lola Nidora said that it’s Php200,00.00. She mentioned where did the borrowed money go. “Naipit kasi pension ko tapos ang farm natin sa Zambales, binagyo.” (My pension got suspended and our farm in Zambales got ravaged by the typhoon.) Lola Nidora’s family business turned out to be in agriculture as opposed to Lola Babah’s jewelry empire.
YayaDUB contributed her savings, Php2,000.00, as a start. Alden contributed P5,000.00 of his savings to Lola Nidora too. Donya Tidora has enough money to complete the needed Php200,000.00 needed to repossess the jewelry. Lola Nidora was touched with their gestures. “Salamat sa inyo. Tunay nga sa ating pamilya na walang iwanan.” (Thanks to you. Truly in our family no one gets left behind.) Seems like Donya Tidora is moneyed enough to set aside some cash for her sister. She funded the ALDUB Birthday Plan anyway. She sent YayaDUB to the bank to encash her cheque. Lola Nidora told some of the Rogelio to guard YayaDUB on her way to the bank. The sisters then went to their Sugod-Bahay errand.
After the Sugod-Bahay errand. Alden and YayaDUB had another DUBsmash exchange. She gave Alden another mind game. She told him to say “mother” 10 times. Then she told him to say “mother” 5 times. Then she told him to say “mother” 3 times. She then asked what is “pari” in English. Alden replied. “Priest!” Alden’s presence of mind quickly improved in the ALDUB Birthday Plan episode. They got into a DUBsmash exchange while waiting for Lola Nidora to gather her thoughts.
Lola Nidora then told Alden and YayaDUB to stop once she remembered. Boss Joey de Leon then told Lola Nidora. “Di na aabutan ng busina yan ha?” (The truck horn won’t stop you anymore right?) Lola Nidora had difficulty divulging the bigger problem at the ALDUB Birthday Plan episode. “Ang mansion, nakasangla pala. At ngayong November 15 ito babawiin.” (The mansion is mortgaged. And it will be sequestered by November 15.)
Lola Nidora did not mention the amount owed. But that was the property that they might not repossess. “Hindi tayo makakabayad. Kay Mama pa yun.” (We can’t pay. Mama owned that house.) It was implied that it was a debt dating back to their late mother. Donya Tidora now felt concerned. “Pano yan, ate?” (What now, elder sister?) The party may be on November 14. But the thought of losing the mansion the day after the ALDUB Birthday Plan materializes is enough to get her worried.
Because Lola Nidora took forever to divulge the mortgagor’s name. Donya Tidora snapped and almost wrung her sister’s neck. It pushed her to divulge the name of the next potential owner. “Nakasangla ito sa pamilya ni Donya Barbara.” (It was mortgaged to the family of Donya Barbara Latisha Rockefeller viuda de Faulkerson.) It was implied that their mother had used the mansion as collateral to a loan from Donya Babah’s family. That makes Donya Babah the new executor of the transaction. What now happens to the ALDUB Birthday Plan?
Donya Babah’s jetlag must have been so bad. She could afford to miss 2 episodes to rest until she feels like showing up again. So that was what she meant when she said that she’s not yet done with Lola Nidora. Visiting Alden may be her top reason for the sudden homecoming. But apparently, she’s in town to collect a family debt. How can this affect Alden and YayaDUB as a couple? Tune in to Eat Bulaga. Monday to Saturday at noontime. Like Eat Bulaga’s official Facebook page to catch the ALDUB Birthday Plan episode replay.
KalyeSerye’s tradition of parodying primetime soap operas continues. Donya Babah’s arrival served as an effective tool to get that point across. How colorful (pun intended) can this hit segment go with a new character not dependent on another alter ego? More episode recaps underway. Just follow us on Twitter @pinasamazing. And like our official Facebook page, The Philippines Web.
