#ToksForYou: Here are six Filipino TikTok stars to follow for that much-needed laugh
TikTok, especially in the time of the pandemic, has become a conduit that brings people together through music, dance challenges, lip-sync videos, and comedy skits that send sunshine to battle the cloudy gloom and doom.
This behemoth app that can catapult anyone to stardom can also bring joy with just one-minute clips by the geniuses behind these feel-good videos—so addicting you couldn't help but just scroll away.
Let social media stars Sassa Gurl, Dora Dorado, AC Soriano, Philip Hernandez, Hershey Neri and Esnyr Ranollo heal the maladies of your soul with their spot-on timing and clever lines, and creativity and humor laced with passion to champion their advocacies through their massive platforms.
Sassa Gurl (@itssassagurl)
It’s easy to spot Felix Petate a.k.a. Sassa Gurl from the rest of today’s social media stars, not just because of his signature hard-to-miss cheek tint but also his unapologetic comedy and social commentary.
The “Mima ng Bayan” has been around social media for quite sometime now, and you may (or may not) have seen a few of his oft-viral videos that are relatable and always a hit to the masses.
It can get quite addicting while scrolling through his videos on TikTok—from skits about rowdy online gamers in a computer shop, neighborhood chismosas and war freak “Jejemons,” to skits that take a swipe at personalities including politicians.
Through his millions of fans and content views across social media platforms, Sassa is able to amplify his voice and spread the message about the LGBTQ+ community, politics, and his other advocacies.
Esnyr Ranollo (@esnyrrr)
Do you miss being in high school? The field trips, school fair, section wars, your high school barkada and the teachers and principal that are staples in your high school life are all perfectly captured in Esnyr Ranollo’s TikTok videos.
In his addicting skits, Esnyr accurately portrays several characters in the high school classroom—the heartthrob, class officers, terror teachers, crush ng bayan, and more. This, coupled with a neat script encapsulates what it is like being in the classroom in less than a minute.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, students deal with online classes, only seeing their classmates virtually in small boxes. Ranollo, through his skits, bring us the nostalgia of going to school pre-pandemic—without social distancing or face masks and face shields.
Dora Dorado (@doracrybaby)
Dora Dorado is an award-winning hip-hop dancer, Radio DJ and social media star known for being vocal about socio-political issues.
Just like most people who join social media platforms like TikTok, Dora started out doing videos for fun like participating in those dance challenges. But as time passed, Dora was able to use his platform to inform and shed a light to pressing issues that the country is facing today—from politics, LGBTQ+ community, to the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
His videos combine humor and dance with social commentary that could spark discussion about certain issues that need to be addressed.
Dora attracts bashers from time to time but he almost always successfully claps back through his videos that are not just meant to burn trolls but also to inform and educate.
Hershey Neri (@heyhersheyy)
Hershey Neri describes herself as a “wannabe comedian” but she has proven in her TikTok videos that she can generate laughs. She is also a writer, content creator and an actress.
You’ll come across various content on her TikTok feed like lip-sync videos, duets, challenges and food that are injected with her funny antics and feel-good vibe.
Hershey also dabbles in social commentary and discussions on her advocacies including body positivity, intersectional feminism and mental health.
AC Soriano (@itsaclifemasikip)
AC Soriano first became well known on YouTube for his travel vlogs, with many viewers drawn to his trips in South Korea.
He brought his refreshing humor over to TikTok and blessed us with his duets with other content creators, acting challenges and rendition of theme songs from popular TV shows like ABS-CBN’s Rated K and GMA-7’s Maynila.
During the pandemic, AC used his social media platforms to help people in need. With the donation drive he set up on Twitter in 2020, he was able to raise P400,000 for the frontliners through the Office of the Vice President, Sitio San Roque, and five other beneficiaries.
Philip Hernandez (@davaoconyo)
Philip Hernandez rose to fame with his video clips of “Davao conyo”-dubbed movies and TV shows that went viral on social media. From there, his content turned to skits that are witty and effortlessly funny.
If you miss his dubbed movies clips, Hernandez still has them on his TikTok page together with his newer skits about Filipino pop culture, family, friends, and videos that reflect current events and issues.
A quick scroll through his page will lead you to more gems, just be careful you might get caught in the rabbit hole with his addicting content.
Want to discover more TikTok stars that deserve a follow? For that and other l!fe advice, tune in to our #ToksForYou series and follow us on the app at @philstarlife.
Banner and thumbnail photos from @itssassagurl, @doracrybaby, @esnyrr, @heyhershey, @itsacslife and @davaoconyo on Instagram