Ramon Bautista's Tales from the Friend Zone: Insightful Relationship Advice Video Series from Ramon Bautista

I stumbled over Tales from the Friend Zone a few days ago, and was in for a treat when I started watching the Tales from the Friend Zone video series in RARivera's Youtube Video Channel. Tales from the Friend Zone is hosted by Ramon Bautista where he answer questions sent via Ramon Bautista's Formspring by everyday Filipinos trapped in the friend zone. The usually 5 - 7 minute long episode begins with the disclaimer "Ang susunod na programa ay hango sa tunay na buhay" ("the following program is based on true events") which later transitions to the show's title screen with the background OPM "Kaibigan lang Pala".

About Ramon Bautista's Tales from the Friend Zone

Love advise Internet show for people trapped in the Friend Zone. Made in the Philippines by Ramon Bautista and RA Rivera.

Source: Ramon Bautista's Tales from the Friend Zone Official FB Page

So why does Tales from the Friend Zone works (Each video currently has more than 100,000 pageviews and counting)? The video series slash love advice show is spoken in Filipino, so every Filipinos will feel right. Not to mention that almost everyone has (is, had) or knows someone who fell in love with someone but eventually got friend zoned putting them in crisis or utmost pain. Ramon Bautista's Tales from the Friend Zone (TFTFZ) is just like any of the currently airing love advice radio shows here in the Philippines. Ramon Bautista's TFTFZ features one chosen letter which will be read by Ramon with a funny re-enactment showcasing their interpretation of the letter sender's crisis. The re-enactment ends as soon as Ramon finish reading the letter where he later gives his insightful advice like a "pro" hahaha. In the end, the chosen letter sender will received a baby-tee, which Ramon says that should be given to their potential future partner with various prints related with being friend-zoned. He ends it with "Na-Friend Zone ka nga, may t-shirt ka naman" ("You might got friend-zoned, but you got a free t-shirt"). Besides the re-enactment, the episode is funny because we can all somehow relate and although it seems pretty simple to our perspective, the conflict is very much real in the eyes of those who got friendzoned. Well, honestly I am watching and learning from this video series, since I think I've experienced one myself. This will arm me from being friendzoned, hahaha. Well. I'll leave you with the first three episodes from Ramon Bautista's Tales from the Friend Zone. You can hit both the Subscribe button to get regular video updates from Ramon Bautista or Like their FB Page.

TALES FROM THE FRIEND ZONE episode 01
A story of deceit, passion, and murder


TALES FROM THE FRIEND ZONE episode 02
Mahal kita, kaso finriend zone mo ako


TALES FROM THE FRIEND ZONE episode 03
Do not strike when the iron is not yet hot


So how did you find the first three episodes of Ramon Bautista's Tales from the Friend Zone? Share your thoughts and opinion in the comments section below:

Looking for Tagalog Love Quotes? Metro Manila Barkada Got You Covered!

Love can bring out the "cheesiness" in most people when in love. Filipinos in particular can be very romantic towards their special someone. Whether they are on the courting stage or already in a relationship, there will always come a time when love birds need to go on separate ways. So the question is what is left for them to express their love towards each other? The answer is by a healthy exchange of sometimes silly but always romantic Tagalog love quotes.

Some good Tagalog Quotes that is bursting with cheesy but romantic goodness.

"Nagseselos ako sa mga taong nagiging malapit sayo. Lalo na at wala ako. Hindi naman sa selfish ako o possessive. Takot lang akong maging masaya ka sa iba at makalimutan mo kung paano kita napasaya."

"If you feel so sad, lean on my shoulder. If you want to cry, eto panyo. Pero pag di mo na kaya, yakap na lang kita. Para feel mo, hindi ka nag-iisa. Nandito lang me lagi just 4u!"

"Kahit ilang beses pa akong masaktan dahil sayo, di kita iiwan, di ako susuko. Dahil kung may 100 dahilan para iwan ka, hahanap pa rin ako ng isang dahilan para ipaglaban ka."

You wouldn't believe the volume of romantic and love quotations available for one to use. One can send them to people on a regular basis, but if you want your recipient to drown with your uncanny silliness and love towards them, try creating your own love quotes. As much as possible avoid sending old and re-used love quotes to your special someone. Try spinning an old one and give it with your own twist, your unique take. You can get various inspiration from various tagalog quotes online. Depending on your partner's tolerance or your guts, you can either be too cheesy or just be the dashing romantic type. Everything depends on the execution. Although sending them love quotes and keeping a steady communication amidst the distance matters, what a couple should always keep in mind, is to keep the love alive. Nurture it and let it take its natural course. Be loyal and accept each other no matter what. For mere words are nothing without action and true love.

Remembering the MetroPop 2000 Entry "Imbisibol" Performed by Michael V.

Besides the "Millennium Bug", 2000 was also the year of the Metro Manila Popular Music Festival or simply MetroPop 2000 where Michael V. performed "Imbisibol". Right off the bat I would like to apologize if I fail to recognize who is the creative genius behind the song "Imbisibol". I hope somebody would enlighten me with the composer's name later. I am a big fan of Filipino comic genius Micheal V. so even if I am not into music and the MetroPop songwriting and later star search competitions, I was eventually attracted to went seeing it back in 2000.



I was but a fledgling back then, and Michael V together with Janno Gibbs, Ogie Alcasid, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon were the few local artists where I got my inspiration from when it come to humor. Micahel V (from the defunked ABC 5's Tropang Trumpo) was already in Bubble Gang back then, and was notorious (popular) on spoofing various local and international songs with his MTB (Musik Tagalog Bersyon) and MEV (Music English Version), so when Micahel V was announced to sing and perform one of the entries from the Metro Manila Popular Music Festival 2000, I was generally ecstatic to see how will GMA's comedic genius do. So did he delivered? The answer is a resounding yes. Too bad that there wasn't a single Youtube clipwhere Michael V performed "Imbisibol" on stage, nor any pictures taken from the competition. But luckily there is still a recording uploaded on Youtube of "Imbisibol"...



Check Out the MetroPop 2000 entry "Imbisibol" by Michael V.



"Imbisibol" is a song tells about a one way love or a crush where the man singing the song is completely invisible (thus "Imbisibol") to the eyes of the one he loves. Although he is not the kind of man that every girl would fall in love with, he is the type that can offer true love to a lucky woman who would only return and notice his love. Eventually there is no resolution in this song for the singer. "Imbisibol" is a song for those people who have crushes or secretly loves someone but ails to make that someone notice them... a song for the hopeless romantic.

Imbisibol borrows some popular tunes or themes from pop culture icons like the Batman and 90's X-Men the animated series which probably made me all geeky on this music performance. Imbisibol didn't make it to the top 3.

The top three winners for MetroPop 2000 were:

Forever And A Day, composer: Angelo Villegas, interpreter: Rachel Alejandro (Grand Winner)
Paano Na?, composer: Arnold Reyes, interpreter: Bituin Escalante (Second Prize)
Ganyan Ako, composer: Vehnee Saturno, interpreter: Jeremiah (Third Prize)

But even so, Imbisibol up to this day is one of the better songs that Michael V has performed. Even the hunt for it in various karaoke/videoke machines proves to be pretty challenging. I hope MetroPop can once again see the light of day to discover new artists and recognize brilliant composers.

I am You're Family Guy... Closer Than Before

I just would like to archive this feeling of extreme bliss with my family today. It is not anything special but rather just your average life of a working class family. I just feel so blessed that I am living the life together with my family. I can associate the blessing i have right now with my home-bound writing work which I owe a lot to my good friend Alvin and our boss Glenn.

I have been in a couple of misunderstandings this past few months and it is all hanks to my immaturity and genuinely stubbornness. This made me rethink my priorities and re-anlayze where I drew my inspiration and happiness. That it shouldn't depend on others but within myself. That before friends, there is first my family. Now more than ever, I feel much more closer to my family. I have seen a couple of tragedies recently, heartaches and got involved in a recent accident which could very well ended my life. I think this all constituted to the slow growth within me. I am not that black sheep kind of a son, and have always been closed to my family, but I just noticed and am happy that I am more closer to them than ever.

It is sometimes to be in my mind sometimes at it is generally dubious, assuming, messy, smart (yeas, i am that stubborn to admit I am smart), eccentric (in my own way), imaginative, and just crazy. I have think of thins that one can only have in his nightmares which i did and it also scared me. The fact that everything will eventually come to an end, gives chills down my spine. Now I really know what it is when people say that you should appreciate and show love to your family while they are still there, or while you are still there. I almost met my demise on a traffic accident, grieve in the death of our loving aunt, and have heard and seen various people tales of tragedy. I don't have anyone special to cherish right now, nor do I have a child to dedicated my whole life's work to. But for now, I will be as loving of a son as one could ever get. Your close to perfection family guy.