The Wall Philippines

***The Wall Philippines*** is a Philippine game show based on the original American format of *The Wall*. The main goal of the game is to bank as much money as possible by correctly answering 13 multiple choice questions and landing the balls on high-value bins. If an incorrect answer is given, the amount landed on is deducted from the total. The players take home whatever is left on the bank. However, the players may opt to take the guaranteed amount based on the first round and the number of correct answers in the succeeding rounds.

The show aired on TV5 from March 13 to September 11, 2021. It is produced by Viva Television and is hosted by Billy Crawford. Viva purchased the format in November 2018 and was originally supposed to premiere in March 2019.

A second season was announced during the final episode of the first season. It will premiere on GMA Network as Crawford signed a contract with GMA. Its new season was premiered on August 28, 2022.

## Gameplay

The Wall is a four-storey high (37 ft) pegboard, similar to a pachinko game or bean machine. The bottom of the board is divided into 15 bins marked with various Philippine peso amounts; eight of these range from ₱1 to ₱100 and remain constant throughout the game, while the others have higher values and increase from round to round. Balls can be put into play from seven numbered "drop zones" on the top edge of the board, directly above the seven centermost money slots.

A team of two contestants plays each game, attempting to bank as much money as possible by correctly answering multiple choice questions and landing balls in high-value slots. Balls turn green for correct answers and red for incorrect answers. Green balls dropped on the board will add to the team's bank, while red balls dropped on the board will subtract from it. Throughout the game, the bank has a floor of ₱0. The game has a potential top prize of ₱17,374,994.

### Round 1: Free Fall

In Free Fall, the team is asked a series of five questions, each with two answer choices. After each question is asked, three balls are simultaneously released from drop zones 1, 4, and 7. The team must select one answer and lock it in before the first ball crosses the white line just above the bins. If the team's answer is correct, the balls turn green and their values are added to the team's bank. If the team answers incorrectly or fails to lock in an answer, the balls turn red and their values are subtracted from the team's bank.

If the team's bank balance is zero at the end of this round, the game ends immediately and they leave without any winnings. Otherwise, their earnings become part of a guaranteed payout to be offered to them at the end of the game.

The highest amount that a team can bank in this round is ₱375,000.

The values on the board range from ₱1 to ₱25,000, and are arranged as follows:

### Round 2

At the start of the second round, the contestants are separated from each other for the rest of the game. One enters an isolation chamber behind The Wall, while the other remains onstage. Two green balls are played simultaneously, dropped from the two zones chosen by the onstage player. Four multiple choice questions are then played, each with three answer choices. The onstage player is shown only the answers to each question and must decide which zone to use, based on how confident he/she is that the isolated player can answer correctly. The question and answers are then presented to the isolated player. After he/she responds, the video feed is cut off, the correct answer is revealed, and the balls change their color correspondingly. A correct answer turns the balls green, while an incorrect answer turns the balls red. The balls are dropped from the chosen zone. A green ball adds the value of the bin it lands on to the team's bank, while a red ball deducts it. The isolated player is not told which of his/her answers are correct or given any information on the team's bank.

The onstage player is offered an opportunity to "Double Up" on the second question, "Triple Up" on the third question and "Quadruple Up" on the fourth. These options allow the onstage player to play two or three balls from the selected drop zone instead of one, respectively. After the third question, if the banked total is at least ₱1 more than the number of green balls played at the start of the round, an equal number of red balls are played simultaneously from the same zones.

After the third question, if the banked total is at least ₱3 (as the least that could be lost from two red balls is ₱2), two red balls are dropped simultaneously from the same zones that were chosen for the initial two green balls. The maximum amount that a team can bank in this round is ₱2,999,998.

The values on the board range from ₱1 to ₱250,000, and are arranged as follows:

### Round 3: Million Round

The gameplay proceeds as in Round 2, but each of the four questions now has four answer choices. In addition, four green and four red balls are played at the start and end of the round respectively, and are dropped one at a time, rather than simultaneously. The "Double Up, "Triple Up" and "Quadruple Up" options are available as before. The maximum amount that a team can bank in this round is ₱13,999,996.

The values on the board range from ₱1 to ₱1,000,000, and are arranged as follows:

### Final Decision

After the third question in Round 3, the host sends the isolated player a contract, and he/she must sign it or tear it up. Signing the contract gives up the team's bank in favor of a guaranteed payout, equal to the Free Fall winnings plus an additional ₱20,000 for every question answered correctly in Rounds 2 and 3. If the isolated player tears up the contract, the team receives whatever is left on their bank instead. After the four red balls have dropped in Round 3 and the final bank is calculated (or after the last question if there is less than ₱5 banked), the isolated player returns to the stage to reveal his/her decision. Only at this point does he/she learn the number of correct answers given, the payout total, and the team's final bank.

The maximum possible guaranteed payout is ₱535,000, obtained by scoring ₱375,000 in Free Fall and answering all questions correctly in Rounds 2 and 3. The maximum possible bank total is ₱17,374,994, obtained by answering every question correctly, using every Double Up, Triple Up, and Quadruple Up option, having every green ball drop into the highest-valued slot, and having the six mandatory red balls each drop into a ₱1 slot.

## Episodes

**Color key**

     The contestants won at least ₱1,000,000.
     The contestants left with the larger possible amount.
     The contestants left with the smaller possible amount.
     The contestants left with nothing at all.
### Season 1

1. ↑ This episode aired as a celebrity charity special. Loyzaga played for Ang Bahay Parola, while Reyes played for the medical expenses of Frankie Rivera III, the father of her friend.
2. ↑ This episode aired as a celebrity charity special. The pair played for the Philippine Foundation for Breast Care, Inc. (Kasuso Foundation).
3. ↑ This episode aired as a celebrity charity special. The pair played for Save the Children Philippines.
4. ↑ This episode aired as a celebrity charity special. The pair played for Make-A-Wish Foundation Philippines.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.gmanetwork.com/entertainment/showbiznews/news/90638/the-wall-philippines-mapapanood-na-sa-gma-network/story
2. ↑ Gabinete, Jojo (2021-04-11). Diego Loyzaga at Cristine Reyes, nanalo ng P2.6M sa The Wall Philippines (tl). *PEP.ph*.