Sparkle GMA Artist Center, the leading talent management agency in the Philippines, is opening its doors and welcoming content creators to its family with the launch of Status by Sparkle.
Status by Sparkle is the artist center’s official digital arm that manages a diverse and competitive pool of content creators with eclectic niches and curated online brand status.
Under the leadership of Sparkle’s First Vice President Ms. Joy Marcelo and the guidance of GMA Network’s Senior Vice President Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, Status is set to become the management of choice not only of content creators but of brands and other organizations.
As Sparkle goes by the times and acknowledges the power these online content creators hold, the talent management agency fully embraces their impact on the world. As a veteran in the industry, Sparkle will mold them just as how they did with their brightest stars and make strides to unlock opportunities for these content creators’ voices to be further heard, giving them safer spaces to be their creative selves.
Status’ creative content creators cover all the bases, from beauty and men’s grooming to food, relationships, and health. At the core, they have unique, authentic voices with well-earned spots in the digital space. Their never-ending dedication to the craft is incomparable. But along with passion comes their genuine affection and love for the art of content creation.
Mix all of these with Sparkle’s ideals and goals, Status is en route to becoming a well-known digital management team successful in the art of managing influencers and content creators.
This October 10, 2024, Sparkle finally unveils the first set of content creators to be managed under Status. This includes the Blackman family comprising Jeraldine, Joshua, Nimo, and Jette; Chef Ylyt; Chikana; Bont Bryan; MJ Encabo; Cheovy Walter; Emman Atienza; Alethea Ambrosio; Sandy Riccio; Aira Lopez; Maika Kemmochi; Sofia Valdes; Javi Valdes; Brandon Espiritu; and Doc Yappy!
Meet the faces of Status.
The Blackmans
Let’s start the list with the bubbly and cutesy Blackman family! The Blackmans, comprising mom Jeraldine, dad Joshua, son Nimo, and daughter Jette, are TikTok sensations who rose to fame for their fun and heartwarming videos. Currently, they have 3.1 million followers and 135 million likes on TikTok, 3 million followers on Instagram, 3.7 million followers on Facebook, and half a million subscribers on YouTube!
The Blackmans are a multicultural family with the kids being half Filipino and half Australian. Given this, their videos reach the FilAus communities. Most of their content revolves around the reality and pureness of having a diverse family. Some videos feature Nimo and Jette’s reaction to being in the Philippines, Jette using the iconic Filipino slang, Nimo’s real-life experiences as a 6-year-old, and the married couple’s relationship with each other and their kids.
The Blackman family admits, “The reason our content is so relatable is ‘cause it’s based on things that actually happen in our married life and it’s just general things everyone has to go through if they get married and have kids.”
“Our fans appreciated it and enjoyed our content so much that we just enjoy making more content for them. We’re very grateful to all our fans and subscribers,” they further shared.
Chef Ylyt
Next up on our list is sexy foodie Chef Ylyt Manaig a.k.a. Chef Ylyt. She’s a private chef, food content creator/vlogger, and a top TikTok Filipino educator who has amassed 376k followers and 2.5 million likes on TikTok, 246k followers on Instagram, and 506k followers on Facebook.
Chef Ylyt believes that anyone can cook, as does Chef Gusteau from the iconic animated film Ratatouille. Therefore, her content consists of easy-to-follow and affordable recipes and food and beverage recommendations that address concerns such as clear skin, hyperacidity, cortisol, and the like.
Chef Ylyt was also recognized as one of the top Filipino education creators who made TikTok a safe place for information sharing. She opens friendly discussions on food and health without ever being too intimidating and overwhelming.
Chef Ylyt reveals, “Yung content ko kasi is more on recipes and lahat ‘yun easy to follow in the sense na madali s’yang sundan ng mga tao. For example, stay at home moms and mga young adults na gusto magluto.”
“The best part of being a food content creator/vlogger is discovering kasi every day we discover a lot of recipes, a lot of different tastes, and a lot of different cultures. It’s how we connect with people through our food,” she ends.
Pau Palaez a.k.a. Chikana
Coming up next is a quirky makeup guru who is changing the makeup game through her content. Meet Pau Palaez a.k.a. Chikana, a beauty content creator crafting the wildest makeup looks. Don’t forget to bless! In a nutshell, Chikana has 8.2 million followers and 219.9 million likes on TikTok, 355k followers on Instagram, 969k followers on Facebook, and 185k subscribers on YouTube.
Chikana rose to fame on TikTok because of her stunning makeup transformations. She educates her followers on how to do simple and full-glam looks through her unconventional methods. Using gay lingo and trendy Gen Z slang, she easily reels in anyone who comes across her content.
Chikana admits, “Sa tingin ko kaya ako gusto ng mga tao kasi madaldal ako. Kasi siguro nakaka-relate sila sakin sa pagiging madaldal ko and ma-kuwento ko. Pag nanunuod sila feeling nila ka-video call ko lang sila which is ‘yun ‘yung purpose ko.”
But more than being able to tap and talk to the masses, Chikana’s use of makeup also subtly shifts her viewers' perception of beauty products. She fully embraces what makeup can do for people and how it makes one feel and look good at the same time. This then creates a safe environment for everyone to wear beauty products without the fear of judgment.
Bont Bryan
Joining Status’ roster of content creators is an all-rounder lifestyle vlogger dubbed Master Hokage. Meet Bont Bryan, a cute Chinito who has the looks and a sense of humor to keep you hooked on his content. Currently, he has 500k followers and 8 million likes on TikTok, 356k followers on Instagram, 183k followers on Facebook, and 1.8 million subscribers on YouTube.
Bont is a master of all trades having produced a wide variety of content online. He vlogs his travels, shows off his inner prankster, and is an avid fan of hugot vlogs. Some of his videos feature his experiences abroad, him giving flowers to random strangers, the lore between him and YouTuber Baninay, and the like.
Bont is unafraid to be vulnerable online and this trait of his is what inspires his followers online. He reveals, “The best part of being a content creator is nalalabas ko ‘yung totoong ako. Napapakita ko sa mga viewers ko kung sino ba talaga ako as a makulit na tao and syempre as a mapagmahal. Napapakita ko ‘yung iba’t ibang side ko.”
“I’m also really happy kasi marami rin ako napapasaya and na-iinspire na tao,” he ends.
MJ Encabo
Status also welcomes content creator and TikToker MJ Encabo a.k.a. Miss Rizz. If we’re talking about charisma and beauty, MJ has got it all. She’s got a whopping 11.4 million followers and 305.8 million likes on TikTok, 754k followers on Instagram, and 731k followers on Facebook.
MJ is famous online for her takes on TikTok dance trends and challenges which she either does alone or with her IRL boyfriend Cheovy Walter. With her face card and beautiful physique, it’s no wonder she’s also a model and beauty pageant queen. If she’s not dancing to a viral beat or hopping on a famous trend, MJ’s showing off her modeling skills and fun adventures.
Although she thrives on her solo content, MJ can’t deny that her chemistry and #relationshipgoals videos with Cheovy are also fan favorites. She admits, “Siguro po nagustuhan din nila ‘yung content namin na couple outfits and couple dances on TikTok kasi nagtre-trending din po sila sa Facebook. ‘Yun po talaga ‘yung minahal ng audience namin especially mga Gen Z ngayon.”
Cheovy Walter
Coming in hot and fresh is another content creator who’s serving #fitspiration and #relationshipgoals online. Meet Cheovy Walter a.k.a. Prince Charming and the embodiment of the ideal guy. Currently, he has 233.3k followers and 8.6 million likes on TikTok, 125k followers on Instagram, and 124k followers on Facebook.
Cheovy is famous online for confidently flaunting his physique through his workout videos, feisty model photos, and knockout beauty pageant entries. But more than that, he’s also the ideal guy and the so-called “standard” with him constantly flexing his girlfriend, MJ Encabo, in his videos.
Cheovy is unshy to admit that he’s a big fan of his girlfriend, he even posted a video of him revealing that he’s obsessed with watching her get ready, unlike other dudes who get impatient when their partner takes too long with putting on makeup. If Cheovy’s not dancing with MJ, he’s either sharing their lovely travels or showing off how much of a simp he is for his girlfriend.
He humbly admits, “Siguro po some people nai-inspire sa mga contents namin individually and together and ‘yung ibang people naman po just want to show support.”
Emman Atienza
Status proves to advocate for diversity as it includes everyone’s favorite nepo baby in its roster. Coming from the Atienza clan, meet Emman Atienza, the articulate yapper who is unafraid to divulge her controversial thoughts online. She currently has 286.7k followers and 14.2 million likes on TikTok, and 64.1k followers on Instagram.
Emman is famous for being the daughter of TV personality kuya Kim Atienza and entrepreneur Felicia Hung-Atienza and for being a loud and proud nepo baby. She isn’t one to shy away from the privilege that she has but she is also her own person, different from her parents.
Emman’s content online ranges from her yapping about the most random stuff to her showing her most fashionable outfits. One minute she’s impressing her audience with how articulate she is, teaching you how to make organic smoke come from your mouth, and another wearing the clothing pieces she got from her mom.
Apart from that though, Emman has an undeniable love for the arts. She likes dressing up and styling her outfits, enjoys painting, and is a lowkey fan of modeling. She’s also a mental health advocate who strives to inspire others and build a community where it’s safe to talk about the topic.
Emman admits, “It’s hard to find online someone who is so unapologetically themselves and is so outspoken. And I guess it’s because for the longest time, I felt like I could do the exact opposite. From high school, I was always trying to pretend to be someone I’m not, trying to put up this front, trying to put up this persona or fallacy of who I wanted to be.”
“Now that I feel so free from that barrier, I feel so free from that cage that I put myself in, I am the exact opposite. I say, out there I’m quite quirky, goofy, radical. I guess that stands out to some people and that resonates with people too,” she further explains.
Alethea Ambrosio
Status also introduces Alethea Ambrosio a.k.a. Miss Supranational Asia and Oceania 2024. Alethea is a beauty pageant queen and budding influencer and content creator who has 110k followers on Instagram.
Alethea rose to fame for her iconic Q&A answer at the Miss Philippines 2023 competition. She was the one and only contestant who spoke her answer in pure Filipino language and this made her stand above the rest.
Alethea has a genuine love for the Filipino language and culture. This continues to be her longstanding advocacy as a pageant queen. May she be competing in the Philippines or abroad, Alethea’s always championing being a Filipina.
At pageants, Alethea not only flaunted the lovely Filipino language but also showed off our culture by wearing outfits that paid homage to the Philippines. She wore Sampaguita and Kalachuchi-inspired gowns.
Alethea’s love for the Philippines serves as an inspiration for many Filipinos and creates a domino effect within the community that could lead to the betterment of our country.
Alethea shared, “I thought to myself after winning the Miss Supranational Asia and Oceania crown, why not transition to being a content creator where I can make content about my pageant journey, what are my struggles? Maybe I can help the aspirants, those who want to be a beauty queen someday, and also share my learnings on how to overcome those struggles in my life.”
Sandy Riccio
Status also welcomes a fab and cool momma to its roster. Meet Sandy Riccio, a content creator, an advocate of positivity, a mom of one, and a city gurlie with an island heart. Currently, Sandy has 5,791 followers and 47.6k likes on TikTok, and 90.9k followers on Instagram.
Sandy is famous for being a creative content creator by heart and a very positive one at best. Most of her content online shows the beauty of her life which includes her at the beach, at the tennis court, at a haute couture event, and/or with her three-year-old son.
Sandy’s content has somewhat of a heart and soul to it mostly because she personally films, directs, and shoots them. She is a talented photographer who effortlessly captures life at its best.
In an interview with her, she admitted, “I feel like people watch my reels and my videos because the world is a very sad place most days and I really try to give a beautiful spirit in the cameras.”
In a way, Sandy’s content also comes off as inspirational, especially to mothers. She’s redefining what motherhood means in this era by being vulnerable and authentic in her videos.
“I have a three-year-old son and I just love taking photos of him and I use it as a bank. When we both get older, we get to look back at all these amazing experiences that I brought to him and he brought to me so I love that,” she shares.
Aira Lopez
Up next is a sporty flight attendant who has a passion for cycling. Introducing Aira Lopez, a competitive cyclist and your favorite PAL on air. Currently, Aira has 374.4k followers and 4.6 million likes on TikTok, 213k followers on Instagram, 189k followers on Facebook, and 613k subscribers on YouTube.
Aira is best known online for her vlogs on cycling, running, and everything else that involves fitness. Some of her videos comprise her talking about her bike collection, showing off her solo and group cycling adventures with her sisters, and tips and tricks to becoming a cyclist.
Aira’s friendly, inviting, and relatable content makes it easier for her audience to stick with her. Her tips are mostly targeted to beginners making them feel more comfortable about running, cycling, sports, and exercising in general.
Apart from that, Aira’s vlogs are also family-oriented in the sense that she always includes and highlights them in her content. Her audience not only looks forward to watching her but her family as well and is inspired by the values that they all have.
“I think people like my content because no script, ako lang ‘to. I love sports, I also include my family who are also very active on social and in sports. And my vlogs are all about family, lifestyle, and sports and hindi lang ako ‘yung pinapanuod nila pati family ko. So, ayun very authentic lang,” she admits.
Maika Kemmochi
Status also introduces Kikay Gamer Maika Kemmochi. From her moniker itself, she’s an angel-faced gamer who also has a penchant for beauty and everything kikay. Maika currently has 256.8k followers and 1.1 million likes on TikTok, 30k followers on Instagram, and 923k followers on Facebook.
Maika is famous for her online streams playing various video games such as Call of Duty: Warzone and Valorant and is a girl paving the way in the gaming community. If she’s not showing off her plays, she’s sharing her essential gaming equipment with her followers.
Maika revealed that her friends were the ones who encouraged her to start streaming, she shared, “People advised me na “Huy, you should stream people would like your content kasi you’re funny and you’re really good at it. Hindi lang puro mukha at ganda kasi you can really be a pro player na dun sa game.””
“My viewers they like how I talk to them. It’s so normal and casual talaga na we feel like we are friends though it’s online and I don’t know them personally,” she further admits.
Apart from gaming, Maika’s also posting very cutesy and very demure TikTok dance trends that are more on the underrated side. And because her face card never declines, they effortlessly become a hit.
Sofia Valdes
Moving on to another content creator under Status, the so-called Doc Pretty, Sofia Valdes! Every medicine student or practitioner needs a study buddy and that’s Sofia's online persona for you. Currently, she has 492.3k followers and 5.5 million likes on TikTok, and 39.2k followers on Instagram.
Sofia is that one med student classmate of yours who has everything: the looks, the friendly personality, and the brain. Her videos online rely heavily on her chosen career, she’s either studying or spreading words of encouragement and positivity online.
Sofia shared, “During the pandemic, I was a second-year medical student and it was hard to be alone, struggling by myself and with my batchmates as well, especially in medical school. So, as an outlet, I started posting TikToks, especially related to being a student in the pandemic. I think that’s where it started, connecting with other students who are struggling as well.”
“I was leaning my content towards motivation because nakaka-unmotivate kasi mag study alone during the pandemic,” she further explains.
Javi Valdes
Joining Status is another talented professional gamer and streamer who has the looks and the humor to stay entertaining during his streams. Meet Xavier Valdes a.k.a. Big Poppa Javi. He’s currently building his online media presence and has 28k followers on Facebook and 383 followers on TikTok.
Javi is well-known in the gaming community not only in the Philippines but in Asia as well given that he’s lauded as the number one Call of Duty: Warzone competitive player in the continent. His dedication and passion for the game has led him to be titled as such.
Most of his content is of him teaching his followers some tips and hacks on how to navigate around the gameplay of Call of Duty: Warzone. But only real ones know that at that second-hour mark of his stream, he’s also lowkey doing mukbangs.
“In my streams, after the 2-hour mark usually nag mu-mukbang din ako eh. So ‘yung mga cravings nila sa gabi na hindi nila makain ako na, I’ll take one for the team. My content is light and easy for them to watch. They could feel the intensity of the game and, at the same time, they’re just laying down, watching, and having a good time,” he reveals.
At the core, Javi loves making people feel happy and relaxed and that’s why he does his streams. He shared, “Grabe pala kahit anong oras na may mga tao pala talaga na manunuod. Parang nagu-unwind daw sila. Doon ako natutuwa rin na pag sinasabi nila na “Oh, I just got home after a long day sa work tapos nandito ako nanunuod sa’yo bro. 2 hours na ‘kong nanunuod ‘tas tawa lang ako ng tawa,” ‘yung ganung vibe. So, that got me hooked into it.”
“Knowing that I could make someone’s day na better. If they’re already having like a rough day or a tiring day. If I know that I’m gonna make them smile or laugh for a second then that’s good for me,” he further says.
Brandon Espiritu
Another pageant title holder is joining Status’ roster and that is no other than Brandon Espiritu. Brandon is Mister Supranational 2024. He currently has 74.6k followers and 799.5k likes on TikTok, 192k followers on Instagram, and 3.27k subscribers on YouTube.
Brandon is known for being a creative director, content creator, and beauty pageant king. His content online is a mix of him working out, exercising, giving tips on how to improve one’s sleep, and men’s grooming.
Brandon has got that Patrick Bateman vainness from the film “American Psycho” and his pushing for conversations around men’s grooming to be normalized. He believes men need to take care of themselves not just through exercising and proper diet but also by implementing proper hygiene.
At the same time, Brandon has that creative flair to turn his content into something aspirational without it being too much for anybody. He shared, “I think people like the aspirational factor of my videos, they see me and my lifestyle and it’s real, it’s genuine. And I think people really see that work ethic and where it’s rooted from because I didn’t grow up with a lot of money so I work really really hard and I think that shines through my content.”
Doc Yappy
Last but not least is an iconic plastic surgeon and beauty doctor Dr. Eric Yapjuangco a.k.a. Doc Yappy. He currently has a whopping number of 2 million followers and 31.9 million likes on TikTok, 362k followers on Instagram, and 8.96k subscribers on YouTube.
Doc Yappy is famous for being a celebrity favorite plastic surgeon. On his social media accounts, he shares the before and after results of his surgeries and the different types of treatments and services he offers.
Doc Yappy advocates for body positivity. He believes that plastic surgery isn’t solely about improving aspects of your physical appearance; it is also a life-changing experience. He shares, “My content is very positive, and people are really into transformations.”
