SpongeBob SquarePants (Filipino series)

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SpongeBob SquarePants is the Filipino (Tagalog) dubbed version of SpongeBob SquarePants. It is part of International SpongeBob SquarePants.

History

SpongeBob SquarePants first aired in English on Nickelodeon Southeast Asia (before the Philippine feed separated in 2011) on April 7, 2001, and later on the Radio Philippines Network (RPN 9) from 2002 to 2004, and Studio 23 from October 5, 2003 to 2004. SpongeBob SquarePants has been currently in English dub on the Philippine feed of Nickelodeon. After RPN lost its rights of airing Nickelodeon shows, ABC 5 (now known as TV5) launched Nick on ABC/TV5 in 2006, in a block called Nick sa TV5 (English: Nick on TV5). SpongeBob SquarePants episodes were later dubbed for the first time into Filipino/Tagalog on August 11, 2008, three days after ABC 5 was relaunched into TV5, making them the first Nick broadcaster on Philippine free TV to do so. Schedules from 2007 mention SpongeBob already airing on the channel, but it is unknown if these episodes were dubbed or not. The show aired every 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM. The network ended its contract with Nickelodeon on June 30, 2010.

SpongeBob SquarePants was also aired on Q Channel 11 (now known as GTV) as a part of "QTV Super Bulilit" Block weekday mornings 8:00am, On February 18, 2011, SpongeBob SquarePants was stopped airing on Q before was rebranded into GMA News TV. ABS-CBN launched Nick Time (later Nickelodeon on ABS-CBN) on July 26, 2010 at 8:30 AM under their Team Animazing time block. SpongeBob SquarePants was among others shown during Nick Time, thus continuing the Filipino dub that was started by TV5.

File:Kapamilya Weekday Cartoons.jpeg

SpongeBob SquarePants on ABS-CBN's Umaganda block, as a part of Kapamilya Weekday Cartoons plug.

However, ABS-CBN's airing of SpongeBob SquarePants was criticized for having a majority of episodes edited and cut short due to lack of airtime, due to the amount of commercials, and time constraints. SpongeBob SquarePants ended on October 8, 2011 and replaced by Go, Diego, Go!, The Penguins of Madagascar, and El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera on October 15, 2011.

After a week, SpongeBob SquarePants went back to air. Studio 23 (now known as ABS-CBN S+A), ABS-CBN's UHF affiliate, launched Nickelodeon on Studio 23 on October 4, 2010. Like its mother station ABS-CBN, programs are dubbed in Filipino. The Nickelodeon on Studio 23 block temporarily ended in October 2011 and returned in January 2012. After 4 years, Nickelodeon on Studio 23 ended airing its block on January 16, 2014 to pave way for the airing of ABS-CBN Sports and Action. ABS-CBN Sports and Action's kids block "Action Kids" was launched on January 20, 2014 and all of new shows like Bubble Guppies and Team Umizoomi are original English language rather than Filipino-dubbed, Go, Diego Go!, Dora the Explorer and Hitman Reborn are still Filipino dubbed.

The Filipino dub aired again on ABS-CBN during Saturdays at 9:15 am, but was changed to 9:00 am on March 29, 2014.

File:SpongeBob Team Animazing Swipe.jpeg

SpongeBob on Team Animazing block airing at 9AM.

The dub also aired on Weekdays at 9:00am under the Team Animazing block from July 9, 2014 to April 13, 2015, replacing Mr. Bean and was replaced by the seventh season of Naruto Shippuden. The Saturday timeslot was changed again from 9 to 8:30 am on October 10, 2015, and aired until November 14, 2015.

File:Team Animazing Branding 11-17-14 to 4-13-15.jpeg

SpongeBob on ABS-CBN's Team Nick block airing on 9AM.

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SpongeBob on ABS-CBN's Saturday morning timeslot.

Around its final years on television, the dub broadcasted every Sunday morning at 8:30am, airing one episode in syndication starting December 20, 2015.

Since the launch of ABS-CBN's new soft-run channels, the show also aired on its new kids' channel, Yey! with the Filipino dub, airing in order (by season), thus replacing the now defunct airing on ABS-CBN S+A.

File:ABSCBNSignoff2020.png

The sign off message broadcast by ABS-CBN, before stopping all broadcasts at 7:52PM (PST).

However, in May 5, 2020, the National Telecommunications Commission has issued a cease-and-desist order (CDO) on ABS-CBN's broadcast operations. In June 30, 2020, the Yey! channel has ceased to air due to the imposed alias cease-and-desist order (ACDO). This leaves the local Nickelodeon channel becoming the only broadcaster of the show since 2020.

On September 30, 2024, TV5 began re-airing the first three seasons of SpongeBob SquarePants on the network's TV5 Kids block, the show was aired every Monday-Friday at 7:30AM, but it was changed to 8:45AM to give way the timeslot of Cocomelon and PJ Masks. The last episode of Season 3, "The Sponge Who Could Fly" aired on November 25, 2024. TV5 reverted to the first episodes of Season 1 the following day.

On April 19, 2025, after the episode Party Pooper Pants, the show has ended on the network's TV5 Kids line-up with no plans for a new rerun on another channel and the show was replaced by The Adventures of Puss in Boots.

SpongeBob SquarePants on Netflix Philippines

Selected seasons of the series are streaming online on Netflix Philippines in the original English audio. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, and Plankton: The Movie were also released there and has been translated into Filipino.

Cast

It is currently unknown who voiced the characters in the GMA dub of the first two films.

TV5, ABS-CBN, Yey!, and Plankton: The Movie

• Rudolf Baldonado - SpongeBob SquarePants, Dirty Bubble, Bubble Buddy, Harold SquarePants
• Jojo Galvez - Patrick Star, Sheldon J. Plankton, Mermaid Man, King Neptune, King Jellyfish, Smitty Werbenjägermanjensen, Tattletale Strangler
• Marvil Ramirez - Squidward Tentacles, Larry the Lobster, Squilliam Fancyson
• Jefferson Utanes - Eugene H. Krabs, Patchy the Pirate, Flying Dutchman, Man Ray, Perch Perkins, Fred, Bubble Bass, David Hasselhoff (TV5 dub), Dennis (TV5 dub), Flats the Flounder, Kevin C. Cucumber, Old Man Jenkins, Narrator (Krusty Krab Training Video)
• Nica Rojo - Sandy Cheeks, Mrs. Puff, Pearl Krabs, Karen Plankton, Margaret SquarePants, Grandma SquarePants, Princess Mindy (TV5 dub), Hoopla
• Mitchiko Tiongson - Mrs. Puff (Plankton: The Movie)
• Elle Genovata - Pearl Krabs (Plankton: The Movie)
• Bernie Malejana - Barnacle Boy
• Archie de Leon - Jack Kahuna Laguna, Olaf
• Anthony Malejana - Additional voices

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run and Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie

• Ryan Bondoc - SpongeBob SquarePants
• Pipoh Villavicencio - Patrick Star (Sponge on the Run)
• Neil Caronan - Patrick Star (Saving Bikini Bottom)
• Jimmy Manato - Squidward Tentacles
• Mark Brecio - Eugene H. Krabs
• Dave Hosillos - Sheldon J. Plankton
• Cindy May Bacena - Sandy Cheeks
• Jing Lanzona - Mrs. Puff
• Don Capucion - King Poseidon
• Zie Vargas - Additional voices

Name changes/translations

The English names are used for most of the characters, places, and objects in this dub. However, here are a few exceptions:

Characters

• King Neptune → Haring Neptune (King Neptune)
• Princess Mindy → Prinsesa Mindy (Princess Mindy)
• No Name/Friend → Walang Pangalan/Kaibigan (No Name/Friend)
• Twelvy → Dosena (short for Sandosena (Dozen))

Objects

• Krabby Patty secret formula → Sikretong Sangkap (Secret Ingredient)
  • Lihim na Formula (Secret Formula)^{(in "Krusty Krab Training Video")}
• Exploding Chewing Gum → Sumasabog na Chewing Gum (Exploding Chewing Gum)

Miscellaneous

• Secret Royal Order of the Good Neighbor Lodge → Sikretong Kapisanan ng Hari ng mga Mabubuting Kapitbahay (Secret Society of the King of Good Neighbors)

Episodes

All of the original English episodes have been aired on Nickelodeon Philippines. The Filipino dub of Season 1 to 3 have been aired on TV5, ABS-CBN, and Yey! Seasons 4-12 were aired on ABS-CBN and Yey!, All seasons were aired on Nickelodeon. The first two movies were aired on GMA Network, although the first movie was previously aired on TV5.

Movies

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, and Plankton: The Movie are known to have been dubbed in Filipino. The first and the second were aired on GMA Network. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie aired on TV5 on May 24, 2010 and was re-aired on October 22, 2022, and in an unknown date in GMA in 2016, and later on April 22, 2020.

GMA re-aired The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie on November 24, 2024 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the film's release on November 19, 2004.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water aired on GMA in 2020. The GMA dubs of the movies featured different voice actors from ABS-CBN. GMA also re-aired the movie on August 28, 2024 to mark the comeback of the series on Philippine TV, before TV5 re-aired the first three seasons of the series.

Sponge on the Run was released on Netflix Philippines on May 21, 2022. It is unusual among past SpongeBob dubs, as every song is translated to Filipino.

Censorship

• Many instances of the words "moron," "idiot, "stupid," and "dumb" are mostly translated as either "walang kwenta" (useless) or "pangit" (ugly), because the local equivalent of these words would be considered as strong language in children's television in the Philippines.
• "Help Wanted", "Reef Blower" and "Tea at the Treedome"- In its second re-airing on TV5's HD feed on November 26, 2024, the episode was accidentally given an SPG (Strong Parental Guidance) rating.
• "Ripped Pants" - The episode was replaced by "Plankton!" the September 30 and November 27 re-airings on TV5's regular feed. However the episode aired on November 27, 2024. Instead being replaced by "Plankton!" The episode aired on TV5 HD.
• "Pizza Delivery" - Squidward's line "Oh, my aching tentacles!" at the end of the episode is cut.
• "Something Smells/Bossy Boots" and "SpongeBob Meets the Strangler/Pranks a Lot" - the episodes was weren't reaired in 2024.
• "Procrastination" - The scene in where SpongeBob looks out the window, all his friends are there, and Patrick rubbing Sandy with sunscreen then says, "Come on, SpongeBob!" and SpongeBob doing calisthenics were cut from the ABS-CBN airing and Yey! 2015 airings (that Yey! rerun airing onwards was left uncut until 2020). However, the original TV5 airing is left uncut, as of October 25, 2024, the scene was cut on the rerun airing of TV5.
• "The Great Snail Race" and "Mid-Life Crustacean" - Much like most international versions of SpongeBob SquarePants as of 2018, the episodes weren't reaired in 2024.
• "Pranks a Lot" - The ending featuring SpongeBob and Patrick naked at the Krusty Krab has been cut in the ABS-CBN airings and Yey! 2015 airings (that Yey! rerun airing onwards was left uncut until 2020). However, the original TV5 airing is left uncut.
• "Salsa Imbecilicus" - The scene where Patrick's tongue licks Plankton's butt is cut in the ABS-CBN and Yey! airings.
• The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie - Some scenes such as Patrick parachuting naked, most of the scenes in Goofy Goober's Ice Cream Party Boat, and the Thug Tug scene were completely removed on earlier airings of the film on GMA Network. However, the rerun on November 24, 2024 airing on GMA was uncut.

Events

Numerous SpongeBob-themed/sponsored events have been held in the Philippines.

• A SpongeBob Christmas at Robinsons (2012)
• SpongeBob Summer at SM North EDSA (2013)
• Robinsons Movieworld: Meet and Greet SpongeBob (2015)
• The SpongeBob BFF – Best Friends Festival! (2015)
• Bikini Bottom Buddy Roundup (2015)

Television events

• RetroBob SquarePants (2015, Nickelodeon)
• Bagong Labas, BagongBob! (2015, Yey!)
• Siyam SpongeBob Saturdays (2015, ABS-CBN)
• Tambay with SpongeBob (2018, Nickelodeon)

Trivia

• None of the episodes' titles nor the characters' names are translated, with a few exceptions.
• Unlike most other SpongeBob SquarePants international dubs, this version retains the original English title.
  • The same can be applied to the Dutch, European Portuguese, Indonesian, Irish, Malay, and Urdu dubs.
• The theme song is retained in English.
• In some episodes, Gary's meowing is muted.
• The episode "Skill Crane" is 6 minutes shorter on ABS-CBN due to time constraints.
• Most of the female characters were dubbed by one person, Nica Rojo.
• Older episodes of the dub replaces English songs with the Filipino voice actors redubbing the songs in English. For example, in the Filipino version of "The Very First Christmas", the characters sing in English with a Filipino accent.
  • Newer episodes keep the original English audio of songs, except for spoken lyrics.
    • Strangely, however, the song "Dear Friend" is fully translated into Filipino instead of just being sung in a Filipino accent.
• The show is rated PG by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (also known as the MTRCB) due to having only three television ratings. (General Audiences and Strong Parental Guidance).
• On February 4, 2021, the entire cast (except Archie de Leon and Nica Rojo) conducted a live meeting on the Filipino app Kumu, reciting quotes from "Patrick-Man!" and answering questions from fans.
• There exists a "Filipino-dubbed" trailer for The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie online. Many have mistaken it to be the theatrical release trailer of the movie in the Philippines, but it was actually done by another Filipino voice artist, Pocholo Gonzales, who was never involved in any of the Filipino dubs of SpongeBob SquarePants.
• On ABS-CBN, the dub was not aired on March 15, 2020, due to the live declaration of the Enhanced Community Quarantine on that day. Fortunately, the dub returned to air on March 22, 2020 until its final episode on May 3.
• In the Netflix dub of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, Squidward speaks with a lisp.
• In the TV5 airing of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, after SpongeBob jumps into the air and Ocean Man begins playing, the Paramount logo plays alongside the song, and due to time constraints is shortened.
• The show's 2024-2025 airings on TV5 are incomplete, with "Something Smells", "Bossy Boots", "Christmas Who?" (regular airings only; the episode only aired during the Christmas holidays), "The Great Snail Race", "Mid-Life Crustacean", "SpongeBob Meets the Strangler" and "Pranks a Lot" being left unaired in the 2024-2025 run.

Videos

Teasers

• TV5: "Wishing You Well" (Note: the original English version of "Down the Well" is used)
  TV5: "Wishing You Well" (Note: the original English version of "Down the Well" is used)
• Yey! (the series in general)
  Yey! (the series in general)
• TV5 (2024 rerun)
  TV5 (2024 rerun)
• ABS-CBN: "Help Wanted" (2014 rerun)
  ABS-CBN: "Help Wanted" (2014 rerun)
• ABS-CBN: "Pizza Delivery" and "Home Sweet Pineapple" (2014 rerun)
  ABS-CBN: "Pizza Delivery" and "Home Sweet Pineapple" (2014 rerun)
• ABS-CBN: "The Abrasive Side"
  ABS-CBN: "The Abrasive Side"
• Yey: "SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout"
  Yey: "SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout"

See also

• The Filipino wiki

External links

• SpongeBob SquarePants (Filipino) on The Dubbing Database
• Footage of Squilliam's voice in the Filipino dub, from "Squilliam Returns"