Rico Yan is trending and here’s why

Rico Yan may have died twenty-two years ago, but he will always remain in the hearts of his Filipino fans.

Recently, the late actor has been making waves online after clips from his popular films in the ‘90s have resurfaced on social media platforms, especially on TikTok.

His boy-next-door looks have brought total nostalgia to the ‘90s kids, charming a new generation of fans. 

As he trends online, so has visiting his Parañaque grave. On social media, videos and photos of people visiting the late actor's resting place at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City have gone viral.

One viral video on TikTok for instance showed a user hanging around Rico’s tomb, touching the nameplate and even hugging it at one point. The original video that garnered a lot of traction on the platform has been deleted since then. However, other users reposted it on the platform.

A Facebook meme page has also shared a compilation of photos of people frequenting Rico’s tomb, even calling his resting place a “tourist destination.”

Actress Jessy Mendiola took to Instagram Stories on Tuesday to condemn the act, calling out social media users to respect the departed.

She reposted an article about Rico's grave being the latest TikTok trend, and wrote, “Wala na ba magawang matino ang mga social media addicts? Konting respeto naman sa namayapa na at pati na rin sa pamilya ng yumaong. Susme. Lahat nal ang ba para sa likes, followers and views? Nakalimutan na yata ng mga tao ang salitang ‘respeto.’ Wala nang decency.”

Other netizens have also condemned the trend, asking people to let the actor “rest in peace.”

“Rico Yan is such a moment but he deserves better. Let him rest in peace na,” a X user said.

“Why are the Rico Yan fans so weird and creepy lol let him rest in peace already,” another X user said.

Rico died of cardiac arrest due to acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis on March 29, 2002. He was 27 years old.

He has starred in various top films, including "Got 2 Believe" and "Flames: The Movie" with fomer girlfriend Claudine Barretto. The love team also appeared in the series "Mula sa Puso."

— Jade Veronique Yap/CDC, GMA Integrated News