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Kakasa Ka Ba sa Grade 5?
Host Janno Gibbs and the classmates with the show's logo
Format	Game show
Created by	Mark Burnett
Directed by	Uro Q. dela Cruz
Starring	Janno Gibbs Mo Twister (March 21 & 28, 2009)
Opening theme	"Kakasa Ka Ba Sa Grade 5?" by Sugarpop
Country of origin	Philippines
Original language(s)	Filipino, Tagalog, English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	47 (as of May 9, 2009)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Wilma Galvante
Running time	1 hour
Broadcast
Original channel	GMA Network
Picture format	480i SDTV
Original run	October 27, 2007 – May 9, 2009

Kakasa Ka Ba Sa Grade 5? (lit. Are You Tough Enough for Grade 5?) is the Philippine version of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? It started airing the show on October 27, 2007 on GMA Network. It is hosted by singer, actor, and comedian Janno Gibbs, who is known in the show as the "Chairman of the Blackboard."

The show is announced under the proposed title Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?: Pinoy Edition as early as August after the network acquired the format from Mark Burnett International. This acquisition came as sister network Q started airing the original US version. The present title of the Philippine version came later. Both this show and the original version are airing concurrently; the original on Thursdays and this Filipino version on Saturdays.

The theme song used in the show is a Filipino version of the original 5th Grader theme, sung by Sugarpop, a kiddie group composed of finalists from the program Popstar Kids.

The show's first season had its last episode on March 29, 2008 with Michael V. as its last contestant and the classmates' "graduation." Pinoy Idol, scheduled to air a week after, took over its time slot.

The show returned on November 15, 2008 replacing the second season of Celebrity Duets on its time slot. The show ended its run on May 9, 2009 to give way to Are You The Next Big Star?

The second season features a new batch of classmates. For two episodes in March 2009, controversial TV host Mo Twister temporarily took over the hosting plum for the show after Gibbs called in sick, making him unable to attend the tapings.^[1]

Rules and general themes [edit]

Rules are roughly the same as the original US version, down the composition of the classroom (although comparatively smaller) and the theme song. The Philippine version also has the same three "cheats" to help the contestant. There are noted differences however.

The ten questions in each game are categorized into several general subjects based on Philippine primary school curriculum which is also approved by the Department of Education (which also checks the questions for the show).

The subjects for the 1st season are:

• English
• Science
• Mathematics
• Filipino
• Sibika at Kultura (Civics and Culture) for Grades 1 to 3 and HEKASI or Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika (Geography, History, and Civics) for Grades 4 and 5
• Edukasyong Pangtahanan (Home Economics)
• M.A.P.E. (Music, Arts and Physical Education)

The subjects for the 2nd season are:

• English
• Science
• Mathematics
• Filipino
• Sibika at Kultura (Civics and Culture) for Grades 1 to 3 and HEKASI or Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika (Geography, History, and Civics) for Grades 4 and 5
• Edukasyong Pangtahanan (Home Economics)
• Musika, Sining at Edukasyong Pangkatawan (Music, Arts and P.E.)
• Spelling

Generally, each category is written as "Grade number and subject". Though the show itself is mostly in Filipino, questions are generally in English, except Filipino, Civics, and Home Economics questions which are in Filipino, as these three subjects are all taught in Filipino in most schools in the Philippines. (See Education in the Philippines for further information.)

The Philippine version also uses a slightly similar money board (see table below) to the one used in the US version, except there is no ₱2,000 level, but instead a ₱75,000.

Another notable difference is when the answer to a question is about to be revealed, Janno does not say this orally to the contestant as his American counterpart Jeff Foxworthy does. Instead, the answer is shown on the "blackboard" facing the contestant and the current classmate. In case the contestant chooses to copy the classmate's response, the answer is revealed first before the classmate's response is shown.

Early teasers for the show present ten classmates, all Grade 5 students. They are "Chey," "Jun," "Shari," "Nikki," "Joshua," "Marianne," "AJ," "Elise," "Kim," and "Camille," with their real names shown in the credits. It can be presumed that half of them appear in one episode at a time, since there are only five desks in the classroom. This first batch has "graduated" and the a new batch has been introduced for the second season. They are "David", "Cyb", "Matt", "Bea", "Kaye", "Pauline", "Louis", "Ram", "Brian" and "Kassel".^[2]

Furthermore, when the contestant decides to "drop out" (stop and take the money) or "flunks out" (answers incorrectly), the contestant must profess to the camera, "Hindi ako kakasa sa Grade 5." ("I am not tough enough for Grade 5.") The contestant is then given a trophy shaped like a squash, as if the "kalabasa award," a figurative prize of shame, is literally bestowed upon the contestant as consolation ("kalabasa" is a Filipino term for squash which is also used as a slang for those who are "stupid.")

References [edit]

See also [edit]

• Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
• GMA Network
• List of programs broadcast by GMA Network