Vice Ganda has long been known as the Unkabogable Star, a symbol of laughter, resilience, and flamboyant fun. But behind the joy onscreen and punchlines, a deeper, more reflective side of Vice has quietly taken shape, one that doesn’t just aim to entertain, but to enlighten.
This side came to light recently when Vice spoke quite emotionally on It’s Showtime about helping rebuild a public school in Sorsogon. What began as a spontaneous recollection during a segment quickly turned into a moment of social reflection.
“May pinuntahan akong lugar doon sa probinsiya nina Heart Evangelista, na isang paaralan na walang reading materials. Pinagawa ko ’yong eskwelahan,” Vice shared. “I cried so much when I saw that school.”
Vice’s statement was a human response to inequality, to seeing firsthand how children struggle to learn in deteriorating conditions. Vice’s mention of Heart’s province was context. It was a way to juxtapose the realities that coexist in the same country. A reminder of the vast divide between comfort and deprivation. It was an uncomfortable truth.
Recently, Heart herself has shown sensitivity toward these same issues. When flood control projects in the Philippines drew criticism and sparked public debate, she reportedly stepped back from attending Fashion Week abroad. That was a quiet act of awareness amid privilege. In that light, Vice’s message and Heart’s actions are not opposing forces, but parallel awakenings. They are two public figures, each using personal platforms in different ways to respond to the same moral challenge.
“Ayusin natin ’yung mga paaralan. Tulungan natin ’yung mga magulang na mapag-aral ang mga anak nila,” Vice urged, appealing to both the government and the public to prioritize education.
This seems to be the new face of Vice Ganda — still comedic, still larger-than-life, but now unfiltered in calling out systemic issues. His voice is not just for the studio audience but for the greater public good. His commentary on education, infrastructure, and inequality resonates because it comes from lived empathy from someone who has seen poverty, fought for success, and now uses his platform to spark awareness.
Even his recent admission that It’s Showtime’s annual “Magpasikat” segment had to be canceled due to financial constraints reflects this newfound realism.
“Every year, kapag ‘Magpasikat,’ we spend a minimum of six million per production number. Pero ngayon, realistically, we can’t afford that anymore,” Vice revealed.
It’s a statement not of defeat, but of grounded awareness, a willingness to confront limitations while continuing to serve the audience with honesty and creativity. He reassured the viewers that more people will be happy with what they have in store for everyone.
Vice’s openness about both personal generosity and professional pragmatism signals a voice in the entertainment industry, one that acknowledges that showbiz and society are not separate worlds. The artist’s duty doesn’t end at laughter but extends to awakening empathy and reflection in others.
So when Vice Ganda speaks of rebuilding schools or halting expensive productions, he’s participating in a national conversation, one that challenges complacency, reminds us of accountability, and inspires compassion.
And if his way of calling out reality feels uncomfortable, perhaps that’s the point. Because social change often begins with discomfort — the kind that makes us look beyond the glitter and ask ourselves what we’ve done to make things better.
In truth, Vice Ganda’s magnifying the issues for us to see and be reminded matters.
And that, perhaps, is his most unkabogable act yet.
