We are living in a world of advanced technology and social media – bringing into existence the influencers and artistas. These individuals have made it into the spotlight with the talent and other unique characteristics that they possess, making them household names in the Gen Z era.
It is undeniable that the influence these people have on society is far beyond extraordinary. With all the current social issues going around, several public figures have already taken their stand by sharing their thoughts and criticisms on the current political climate on social media.
Despite their lavish lifestyles, no one would expect celebrities to break out of their bubbles and amplify the voices of the oppressed.
Well, we have been proven wrong.
Angel Locsin: The real-life Darna
Angel Locsin, who played Darna in the 2005 GMA teleserye of the same name, proved to everyone that she served her namesake for her acts of kindness and her philanthropy work.
Locsin was proactive in supporting emergency response in times of crisis; from aiding refugees who took shelter from the Battle of Marawi in 2017, to raising funds and providing isolation and sanitation tents to hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. She even landed in Forbes Asia’s list of top philanthropists for her efforts.
Locsin also took the opportunity to address the red-tagging made against her, motivating everyone to #SayYestoRedLipstick and denounce red-tagging.
Honestly, Angel Locsin just ended red-tagging with a simple selfie on Instagram!
Frankie “Kakie” Pangilinan: More than just the politician’s daughter
As the daughter of Mega Star Sharon Cuneta and Senator Francis Pangilinan, Frankie Pangilinan, or well-known by her other nickname “Kakie” by fans and close friends, is not afraid to amplify her voice by speaking about contemporary issues.
She is recognized for her tweets that address current socio-political issues. At 19 years old, she became the embodiment of what it means to be woke and has become an inspiration to the youth.
For a brief period of time, she was light-heartedly dubbed the “Mockingjay” of the Philippines, a title that Pangilinan refuses to adopt. She said that she is simply “stand[ing] up for what’s right, which should be the norm for everyone, and there are plenty of people who’ve done the same much longer.” And she's totally right.
She once said in an interview with Inquirer.net, “We shouldn’t allow condemnation, but we should foster mutual growth. Everybody makes mistakes, but the youth in this digital age has gained unparalleled access to information. There can no longer be excuses for being unaware or misinformed.” Pangilinan added that the Gen Z era is “equipped with social platforms and a sort of technological savvy that previous generations don’t have. It makes our world a little smaller and a lot more knowledgeable. We’re catalysts of essential change.”
Wow. Her mind. We stan an intellectual kween!
Macoy Dubs: Not your typical influencer
Known as “Macoy Dubs”, Mark Averilla garnered his fame by spilling the tea in his short satirical skits that he posts on TikTok and Twitter. His most popular character is Aunt Julie, who proved to be a breath of fresh air as the progressive Podeva tita that we all wish to have.
Unfortunately, Averilla placed the character on a semi-hiatus due to threats from homophobic trolls.
Despite this, Averilla continued to speak out and even became involved in current issues. He is part of the social media stars -- collectively known as “Concerned Online Citizens” -- who filed a petition to the Supreme Court against the controversial Anti-Terror Law in late July.
In this house, we only stan influencers who use their platforms for good!
Chai Fonacier: The outspoken Cebuana artist
Cebuana singer, actress, writer, songwriter Chai Fonacier is well-known to be vocal on present issues that affect the country as well as her hometown of Cebu.
She defended celebrities who were being bashed on social media for criticizing government policies, saying artists are also entitled to freedom of speech. Fonacier urged other celebrities to speak up and avoid fear in order to defend their freedom hard-earned by the country's revolutionary heroes and martyrs.
"I think artists have to speak up because we have the right to do so. Hindi kami dekorasyon lang (We are not just decorations). We are citizens. We are not commodities," the actress said in an online Independence Day protest where she pushed for freedom of speech, among other issues.
"Hindi kami mga palamuti sa mga sala ninyo na maaari ninyong sabihan kung ano ang pwede naming maging saloobin, anong hindi pwede sabihin... All our voices matter in this issue. Buhay natin ang nakataya and we should have a say in this (We are not just decorations in your living room that you can freely manipulate as to what we are supposed to feel, what we are supposed to say… All our voices matter in this issue. Our lives are at stake and we should have a say in this)," she said.
Fonacier also called for the release of friend and fellow Cebuana artist Bambi Beltran after she was wrongfully arrested for a post that satirizes Sitio Zapatera in Cebu City as the “[COVID-19] epicenter of the universe”.
Kining mga Cebuana pirmeng naa para sa usa'g usa!
Clare Inso: The Cebuana influencer that we really need
Clare Inso is one of the most well-known influencers in Cebu, but it wasn’t just her beauty that made her a recognized name within the VisMin youth. Inso used her platform as an influencer to promote her advocacies, including women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights, and she happens to be a scoliosis warrior.
At the height of the dispatch about women being kidnapped in the streets and reportedly going missing, Inso went to Twitter to promote an initiative by The Women’s Resource Center of the Visayas; they handed out pepper spray so that women could defend themselves. Inso said that the manufacturer “takes a proactive approach [in combating] gender-based violence, enhancing the safety & mobility of women around the world”. Inso also said that for every purchase of the pepper spray a donation of the spray is given to “at-risk populations of women”.
Inso is also an LGBTQ+ activist as she herself identifies as a non-binary feminine female. In an inspiring blog post about her coming out story, she said that “Oftentimes I'm this girl subtly trying to rub in on some people of the older generation this unconventional identity, in hopes that having brought that up would start a conversation where I could measure their openness & acceptance”.
Inso also openly documented her experience as a scoliosis warrior, which encouraged her fellow scoliosis warriors to share their own stories.
Using what she learned as a sociology student, Inso also wrote a blog post where she debunked the misconception of people from the lower class as “lazy”, emphasizing that “poverty is a systemic problem, not an individual one”.
The fact that she used her platform for so many causes makes her a Cebuana kween!
Socially-aware artistas and influencers: Why they matter
The Filipino youth need to help each other and have a collective voice of reason during these trying times. These public figures use the power that they hold by influencing their audience to become more socially aware of issues happening in our country. It takes guts to voice out one’s opinions on controversial topics especially when red-tagging has become prevalent these days.
Despite these risks in their professional careers, these artistas and influencers are just a few of many public figures who broke out from their bubble of privilege and became our allies of this socially-aware generation.
I was looking for an article with my name online and stumbled into this. Thank you, Kate, for writing this! 🤍
Another amazing article!