YouTube comedy sensation Mikey Bustos grew up in Canada wanting to be a veterinarian. Then after success on Canadian Idol, he decided to become a singer. But he soon discovered what entertained his audiences the most were his funny videos about the Filipino culture of his immigrant parents, such as his viral musical parody about the common, indispensable tabo.
Howie Severino talks to Mikey about his childhood in Canada as often the only Filipino kid in class, resettling in the Philippines, and coming out with his partner RJ, with whom he shares a new, art-filled home.
Mikey never forgot his childhood love for animals and retained his obsession with ants. He even recently made news as the discoverer of an ant species in his yard that was not known to exist in the Philippines. He tells Howie how his passion for ants became a business with international operations.
With millions of followers on multiple platforms, Mikey shares tips on how to earn from creating online content. But it all starts with developing your talent and being ready for that “curveball from the universe.”
Howie Severino talks to Mikey about his childhood in Canada as often the only Filipino kid in class, resettling in the Philippines, and coming out with his partner RJ, with whom he shares a new, art-filled home.
Mikey never forgot his childhood love for animals and retained his obsession with ants. He even recently made news as the discoverer of an ant species in his yard that was not known to exist in the Philippines. He tells Howie how his passion for ants became a business with international operations.
With millions of followers on multiple platforms, Mikey shares tips on how to earn from creating online content. But it all starts with developing your talent and being ready for that “curveball from the universe.”
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Magandang araw, podmates! We have a special treat for you today.
00:04 Not just one of the most entertaining media personalities of the last decade,
00:08 but an entertainer who has a scientific side.
00:11 He is also a leading authority on ants.
00:16 Yes, langgam! Magandang araw at hello, Mikey Bustos!
00:21 Magandang araw, Howie! How are you?
00:23 Thank you for joining us.
00:25 I know you're in your beautiful new home in Cavite.
00:27 I'll be asking you about that.
00:28 But, you know, I know that that's just the tail end of this remarkable journey you've had.
00:34 You've been an inspiration to many, including my son.
00:37 He started watching you when he was a little boy.
00:39 And you've had a unique journey.
00:42 Just want to mention that when we were reading up on you,
00:46 we noted that it's a milestone year for you, Mikey.
00:50 You've been in showbiz 20 years.
00:53 You began your showbiz career on Canadian Idol.
00:57 Of course, everyone knows about American Idol here in the Philippines,
00:59 but there's a Canadian Idol in the same way that there's a Philippine Idol.
01:03 And probably many other countries have a similar show.
01:06 But you were a finalist in 2003.
01:08 Tell us how you got started on Canadian Idol.
01:14 Yes.
01:15 So around high school, I really wanted to enter the music business.
01:22 I learned that I really loved to sing.
01:26 I personally wanted to be like NSYNC and Backstreet Boys.
01:29 They were my inspiration in high school.
01:31 I just wanted to be like them.
01:33 So, yeah, I formed a singing group in high school and I was really into it.
01:40 And then going into college, I was studying biology
01:43 and I needed money because I was living on campus.
01:47 So I joined a singing competition and I came first in my university.
01:51 Then I went on to compete against other universities and came first in that.
01:56 And then I realized, you know what?
01:58 I don't want to study to become a veterinarian because that's what I was pursuing.
02:02 So I dropped out of school.
02:04 I said, "Mommy, I want to be a singer."
02:06 Oh, my gosh.
02:07 She was so angry.
02:08 You know, Filipino parents, right?
02:11 Like from animal doctor to like struggling singer.
02:16 So I did.
02:17 And then two or three years later, I tried out for Canadian Idol.
02:22 And that was what started everything.
02:25 I placed eighth in the competition.
02:28 And it was really an amazing experience and a life-saving experience, too.
02:33 It was redemption because then my family was like, "Okay, you're good enough."
02:38 All right.
02:38 So your family migrated to Canada and you were born in Canada.
02:43 Yes, I was born and raised in Toronto.
02:47 My parents met in Canada and got married there.
02:50 But yeah, they migrated from Philippines in the 70s.
02:55 I want to ask you, were you always interested in your Filipino identity?
02:59 Yeah.
02:59 So I'm part of a first gen, like a big group of Filipino Canadians,
03:06 and I would say North American Filipinos who have migrant parents.
03:12 And so our exposure to our own roots is through our parents.
03:19 So the food that we ate was Filipino food.
03:24 What they would tell us about stories about the Philippines,
03:27 that's all we knew about our culture.
03:29 And anytime we went to a Filipino festival,
03:32 because in Canada, Filipinos get together for Philippine Independence Day at huge picnics,
03:37 and we would watch cultural dances.
03:39 And that is really our only exposure to our culture.
03:43 And for me in particular, and I know a lot of first generation Filipinos were like me,
03:50 we want to learn about our culture because we grew up around,
03:54 well, Canadians, like white people, some black people, but we grew up different.
03:59 Ahawi, I was the only Filipino in my class for many years,
04:04 and one of three Filipinos in my entire school.
04:07 So of course, I grew up feeling different.
04:11 And I felt at home every time I was at a family party
04:15 or around Filipinos at these festivals, you know.
04:18 So I think because of that environment,
04:22 I already was in sort of like a need to learn about my identity.
04:27 And this is why Filipino Canadians are very,
04:30 like first generation Filipinos or even second generation Filipinos.
04:33 We're proud to be Pinoy because that's like, it makes us unique.
04:38 And so I believe that is why I've gone on this quest to, you know,
04:47 search about what it means to be Filipino,
04:50 which ultimately led me to do the YouTube content.
04:54 Well, that's great.
04:55 And also we've all benefited from that search of your identity.
05:00 But I want to ask you, you know,
05:03 Filipinos in general are more familiar with the American experience, right?
05:08 But you had a Canadian experience.
05:10 I know many Filipinos have migrated to Canada, but it's a different country.
05:16 You mentioned that you were one of only three Filipinos in your class or your school.
05:20 And were there a lot of people of color or was it mostly white?
05:26 My school, it was mainly Europeans.
05:28 So a lot of Italians, like I had to take Italian class in school.
05:33 A lot of Italians, a lot of Canadians, some black, some Middle Eastern, a big mix,
05:42 but mostly Caucasians, like visible Caucasians in my time.
05:47 Now it's more diverse.
05:48 I think you've mentioned in the past, in a past interview,
05:51 that you never encountered racism in Canada.
05:56 I'm sure it's far from a perfect society, but it's interesting that you would say,
06:01 you know, being like the only Filipino in so many situations
06:04 that you've never encountered racism.
06:06 So is that correct?
06:07 Yeah.
06:08 Strangely, I didn't.
06:10 Uh, I think it's also because I was born there and I assimilated quickly.
06:16 Perhaps people who migrate to Canada and are still very obviously migrants,
06:23 maybe their experience might be different.
06:26 But living in Canada, I did not experience racism at all.
06:29 I don't feel like my visible Filipinoness kept me from,
06:36 you know, climbing the corporate ladder or being promoted at work or being hired.
06:40 I never felt being Filipino was a crutch in Canada.
06:45 Yes.
06:46 And obviously you project a certain pride, as you mentioned,
06:51 first gen or second gen kids overseas,
06:54 sometimes they hide their identity or they try to blend in.
06:58 So you've gone on this quest to explore your identity.
07:04 And it's, you know, it led you to set up this YouTube presence,
07:09 which has been very successful.
07:10 Uh, I guess you're one of the earlier YouTube influencers.
07:16 Now there are millions of people doing what you've been trying to do.
07:19 But when you started, 2009, right?
07:23 2009, yeah.
07:25 Back then, YouTube wasn't such a big thing yet, right?
07:30 I mean, take us back to that time.
07:32 Since now everybody knows YouTube, but in 2009,
07:35 did you know that it was going to be big?
07:38 And, uh, why did you, why did you decide to set up a YouTube channel?
07:44 I know not just for, not just for your song and dance about being Filipino,
07:49 but also for your, for your aunt, uh, passion.
07:51 Okay. So actually my very first YouTube video was 2006.
07:59 Back then, YouTube was just a place to upload videos that I could share,
08:02 like my performances, like concerts that I performed at,
08:07 and just have a link to share to people.
08:09 It wasn't really like a channel back then for me.
08:12 And then, um, it started to become a thing when at the rise of creators like Nigahiga,
08:19 right?
08:20 Happy Slip.
08:22 There were some really iconic YouTubers and people were starting to get discovered on YouTube.
08:27 Like, um, Charisse Pempenco, Arnel Pineda.
08:31 It was around that time.
08:33 And I thought I was late.
08:34 So I instantly hopped on the YouTube train and I started a channel.
08:40 I decided to upload one video every day.
08:43 And the main purpose was to promote my singing, my, my music.
08:48 Uh, because I want it to be like Justin Bieber.
08:51 He was also discovered on YouTube.
08:52 So it was that time.
08:54 And yeah, one day I decided, you know what?
08:56 I don't have a song to sing.
08:58 I'll just upload a Filipino comedy skit.
09:00 And that is what went viral.
09:02 And then as soon as I got the audience, I'm like, okay, guys, so I sing, let me upload,
09:07 um, you know, covers and stuff.
09:09 But people would want and request more Filipino comedy.
09:13 So then I started to realize that, you know, the channel actually has a purpose.
09:18 People are resonating with the Filipino content.
09:21 And I kept going with it.
09:22 And it turns out I started to go viral as a comedian.
09:26 And I enjoyed that.
09:27 That was just, um, an interesting curve ball from the universe.
09:31 So did you have to develop that talent?
09:35 I mean, was there like a light bulb that kind of lit and told you, you know, I want, I want
09:41 to be funny now.
09:42 Or was this, was this something that was, you know, within you early on?
09:46 Correct.
09:47 You know, living, I mean, being a comedian was not in my, on my bingo card at all.
09:53 Like I'm not the one at the party to make people laugh.
09:56 I'm the one laughing at my cousins who are natural comedians.
10:00 And, um, yeah, it was just a skill that I kind of developed on the fly.
10:05 I suppose, like the, the thought of doing standup comedy freaks me out, but YouTube
10:11 comedy and editing and all of that, that came sort of like as a learning curve for me that
10:18 I ended up doing well.
10:19 And I suppose.
10:20 So you, you haven't done standup comedy?
10:23 No, I do it in my shows now, but my main background is for entertainment is just is
10:31 singing.
10:31 Um, but I've discovered that people find me funny too.
10:35 So it works.
10:36 All of your comedy about being Filipino, of course, it came from your direct experience.
10:42 This is not something that you had to research.
10:44 Yeah.
10:45 I mean, it's all based on real life experience, um, with my family and my parents as my main
10:51 inspiration.
10:52 And I think being growing up Canadian and Filipino allowed me to see the differences.
10:59 So I already could see what was good and funny material.
11:02 Um, just by looking at my parents and being like, that's different the way we use a fork
11:07 and spoon.
11:08 And when I go to my neighbor's place, they only use a fork, like things like that.
11:13 Yeah.
11:13 Well, you know, the, all of these, all of these things, what makes it interesting, I
11:16 guess, is for a lot of Filipinos watching you, we don't even think about these things
11:20 as being unique.
11:21 I mean, it's just a normal part of life, but then because you grew up in a different society
11:25 and culture, you know, that it's different.
11:28 And so you kind of highlight these things, uh, and then make Filipinos think about their
11:32 own uniqueness in this multicultural world.
11:36 I think what resonated with Filipinos everywhere was that we all have this common thread in
11:45 so many different ways of life, you know, just no matter where in the world we're from,
11:51 you know, we might be very different in a lot of ways come from very different countries,
11:56 but there's some Filipino-ness that kind of like, we all relate to it.
12:01 We find funny because it's true.
12:03 You know, it's that kind of humor of like, oh, that's so true.
12:06 But, you know, a lot of people didn't know that you have this other side, no?
12:10 So, uh, so, uh, uh, accompanying your passion for singing and your talent for singing, you've
12:17 always had this interest in animals and in ants in particular, as you mentioned earlier,
12:22 you dropped out of, you dropped out of vet school.
12:25 So growing up, my, thank God, my parents were very supportive of my love for animals.
12:32 Um, they let me keep all kinds of pets from, um, you know, rabbits, dogs, we've had lizards.
12:41 Oh, my mom and dad let me keep all kinds of weird, creepy crawlies, tarantulas.
12:46 And, um, I was the kid who would go out into the yard and turn over stones and bring back
12:52 like little insects and jars.
12:55 And I'd set them all up in my parents' basement and invite all the neighborhood kids to our
13:00 place and I would give them a guided tour of all the creatures I had caught.
13:04 Like, so I really loved nature and wildlife and animals.
13:09 They really fascinated me as a kid.
13:11 I loved watching nature shows.
13:13 I was always at the library pulling out animal books.
13:17 And, um, I particularly loved insects and, um, you know, entomology really fascinated
13:26 me as a kid.
13:27 In grade five, I already had memorized all the taxonomical orders of insects.
13:31 Like it was that hardcore.
13:33 Um, and I think as an adult, I had seen a YouTube video of an ant colony and it brought
13:41 back my joy for insects and ants.
13:44 Um, you know, I used to keep ant colonies in jars as kids, um, as a kid, but yeah, after
13:50 watching that YouTube video somewhere around 2009, I got so deep into ants.
13:56 Somehow, how I was watching this ant video and I realized, oh, I want to do this.
14:02 Like it was such a deep need.
14:04 So I got into ant keeping and, um, I opened a YouTube channel, um, and filmed all my ant
14:11 colonies.
14:12 And then I would make ant farms for my ant colonies and people would message, Hey, can
14:18 where, how can I make this?
14:19 Can you make this for me?
14:21 And they would pay me to make ant farms.
14:23 And then I opened an ant store and it just snowballed into this whole ant industry.
14:29 What's interesting is this, you said that you started this ant YouTube channel in 2009.
14:34 That's around the same time you were kind of becoming a singing sensation on YouTube
14:40 as well.
14:40 It must've been a challenge in terms of time management.
14:43 Yeah, it really was.
14:45 It was such a double trajectory of like life direction that I kept running with.
14:51 And then for a while, the Filipino comedy stuff kind of took precedence over the ant
14:56 stuff when I moved here.
14:57 Right.
14:58 I couldn't continue really.
15:00 I had to figure out how to continue the ant store because I would make the ant farms myself
15:04 and sell them online.
15:05 Well, I couldn't do that working with GMA and living here in the Philippines.
15:10 I couldn't get the same materials.
15:12 So it was really hard having to look for manufacturers to help me.
15:17 And it was really like its own journey of growing pains, setting up the ant company
15:22 and also filming ant videos.
15:24 But it was a blessing in disguise because moving to the Philippines, there are more
15:28 ants here.
15:29 Biodiversity is greater.
15:31 So there's more content to film.
15:33 And then also it's a tropical country.
15:35 So the ants don't go into hibernation.
15:38 And I could film year round, whereas in Canada, I could only film when it wasn't winter.
15:43 So the whole Filipino journey and the ant journey really helped each other out, I suppose.
15:51 You're kind of having a moment right now.
15:54 You built this house.
15:57 You have a successful entertainment career.
16:01 And then your ant career, if you call it that, has entered a new stage because
16:11 you've recently discovered and you've made the news because of this, a new ant species.
16:18 It's not a new ant species.
16:20 Clarify this for us.
16:24 But you discovered that an ant species that was only known in other parts of the world
16:30 was actually found also in the Philippines.
16:32 Right?
16:33 That's it.
16:34 Yeah.
16:34 So it's a geographic discovery.
16:37 So we knew they existed in other parts of Southeast Asia, but it was the first record
16:45 of it in the Philippines.
16:46 I have since made three of such geographic documentations.
16:53 And Maranaplus bicolor was the first.
16:57 And one of the three, Howie, could possibly be a new species.
17:00 We're just waiting.
17:02 I'm waiting for Doc General, who's a very well-known Filipino myrmecologist,
17:08 scientist that studies ants, to determine whether this third species of ant is actually
17:15 a new species.
17:17 And he says it doesn't look like anything he's ever seen in the country.
17:21 And he checked other surrounding countries, can't find anything that matches that either.
17:26 So crossing fingers, might have discovered a new ant species.
17:31 It's amazing.
17:32 OK, wow.
17:32 Congratulations.
17:34 Of course, the first thing that comes to my mind is, is it going to be named after you?
17:38 I haven't asked yet.
17:41 I'm afraid.
17:41 Gustosay?
17:42 Yeah, yeah, exactly.
17:44 I haven't asked Doc General what the rules are.
17:47 That would be cool if I get to name it.
17:51 I don't know.
17:51 We'll see when it happens, I guess.
17:55 Wow.
17:58 So what's the timetable for this?
18:01 When will this be?
18:02 How long does this process take before it's verified that this is a new species?
18:07 Well, it could be a pretty lengthy process.
18:09 Also, Doc General is quite busy with his other projects.
18:13 Every time I bug him about, but no pun intended, every time I bug him about ant-related stuff,
18:21 he does work just volunteer-wise and when he's free.
18:25 So it really depends on his schedule.
18:28 But we're hoping soon, hopefully within the next few months, we'll be able to tell.
18:32 OK, well, I guess for for a ant enthusiast like yourself, I mean, the Philippines must be like
18:41 heaven, right?
18:42 I know that we have, as you mentioned, we have a lot of biodiversity and insect diversity.
18:49 And Justin, you discovered this ant living on your property.
18:57 Just right there.
18:58 You didn't even have to do like an expedition or anything.
19:01 You didn't have to climb a mountain to see.
19:03 I mean, that's how in other words, that's how easy it could be, right?
19:06 Exactly.
19:07 To make a discovery in the Philippines.
19:10 There isn't enough people looking.
19:11 And it's kind of a calling to go into the world of entomology as a career and devote your life
19:21 to studying insects, because maybe it might not be the most, what's the word, profitable job,
19:32 lucrative work, but it's important work.
19:35 I mean, the biodiversity here in the Philippines is amazing, not just for ants, for all kinds of
19:41 fauna.
19:41 We're a biodiversity hub for a species.
19:46 But like you said, the fact that we just found, we made three scientific discoveries just by
19:51 like wandering in our yard here.
19:53 Imagine all over the Philippines, especially those places with untouched habitat.
20:00 Like one time I was in Mount Banahaw.
20:04 Do you know where that is?
20:05 It's Laguna and Quezon.
20:08 Yeah.
20:08 Yes.
20:09 Was staying there for two or three days and I had captured all kinds of insects and I
20:15 sent them to my friends and they're like, we've never seen this before.
20:19 These could be new species.
20:21 And I just feel like there aren't enough people out there looking and documenting new species
20:28 here in the Philippines.
20:29 There are a lot.
20:30 I noticed that when Karen Davila interviewed you, went to your house and showed your house,
20:38 you know, and it's quite an impressive property.
20:41 It's quite large, you know, and you have a lot of nice artwork and it's extraordinary
20:48 in a number of ways.
20:50 But she titled her video, if you noticed, I'm sure you remember, "Mikey Bustos, Yumaman
20:56 sa Langgam."
20:57 I don't know if she was being tongue in cheek, but I kind of, that got me thinking because,
21:04 you know, people know of you as a successful entertainer and that's how you usually, you
21:10 know, that's how someone could earn while maintaining these kinds of passions.
21:15 But I need to ask you, did you really get rich from your house?
21:19 I mean, was that a source of wealth?
21:23 You got so successful that you could earn enough from this passion to build a house
21:29 like that?
21:29 Yeah, well, I saw that title too and my heart jumped into my throat when I saw that.
21:38 I guess her and her team felt like that was the most clickbait title and it seemed to
21:42 work.
21:43 It got over a million views, that video.
21:44 Yeah, and I recall it.
21:47 But actually, people have asked me, like, where do you earn most of your income?
21:52 And to be honest, Howie, first of all, I don't like talking about money.
21:56 But second of all, I don't actually know.
21:59 I'm not sure which was more profitable.
22:02 I still don't.
22:04 I kind of don't keep track.
22:05 But yeah, AntsCanada definitely helped one because it's got a two part business, the
22:12 YouTube side, which is you earn from views.
22:16 Right.
22:16 And most of the audience on the AntsCanada channel are from countries with high CPM,
22:23 like mostly Americans and Europe and Australia, Canada.
22:28 Those are like the highest paying countries for viewership.
22:30 So that really helped.
22:32 So that's really a mainstream YouTube channel, but also the store, like setting up an e-commerce
22:39 site.
22:39 We manufacture.
22:41 We now have grown to an international level where we manufacture in Asia.
22:46 We have a warehouse, our own warehouse in Utah, and we ship our products all over the
22:52 world to ant keepers around the world.
22:55 We've really started an industry.
22:57 So I feel very lucky with the success.
23:01 So I didn't know that the ant business was on that level already.
23:05 You've got overseas warehouses.
23:09 So this is not some adult kid with like an ant terrarium at home.
23:20 It's like a plane with bugs.
23:21 But yeah.
23:22 Yeah.
23:22 But you are earning from it.
23:24 OK.
23:24 Well, good for you.
23:28 I'm sure that's inspiring a lot of kids to think, hey, I'm also interested in insects
23:35 scientifically, but I can also make a living from it.
23:38 Absolutely.
23:39 Yes.
23:39 You're not necessarily wealthy, but you can actually make a living.
23:44 Well, that's great.
23:44 Congratulations.
23:45 So, you know, one of the guides of Karen was your partner, RJ.
23:53 And you share that house with him and you credit him with much of the styling and the
24:01 taste.
24:01 I guess both of you share this interest in Filipino art and furnishings, or is that mostly
24:09 him?
24:09 No, we both do.
24:11 RJ.
24:14 So for those of you who don't know, for those who are watching your podcast, RJ took on
24:20 the role as my manager.
24:22 And I mean, we were dating immediately, so it just really worked out.
24:27 We were always together.
24:28 We always work together.
24:30 He handled most of the administrative stuff and me more of the creative stuff.
24:34 And then, you know, we came out in 2019.
24:37 We bought this place.
24:39 And as soon as we got our place and we're building our house, we started to research
24:43 interior design and also befriended a lot of people who were into art.
24:48 So we realized, you know, the Philippines is home to an incredible wealth of Filipino
24:54 artists, furniture artists, some of the best in the world.
24:59 You know, Ito Kish, Kenneth Cobonpue, you know, Vito Selma.
25:04 We immediately gravitated towards the artists of the Philippines.
25:09 So we got a lot of art and it inspired a lot of our designs.
25:14 We got a lot of Filipino furniture.
25:16 We make a lot of amazing furniture here.
25:18 So it was just fun to research and dive into that whole world.
25:22 And I'm happy we did because it just makes our place very Filipino.
25:27 And when I have friends and family visiting from abroad, they also feel like they're in
25:31 Asia.
25:32 Like, you know, it feels like Asia.
25:34 I didn't want it to feel like so much like another country.
25:37 So it helped to have Filipino art around.
25:41 Yeah.
25:41 Yeah.
25:42 Well, and you chose the piece as well.
25:45 I mean, they're very intriguing, no?
25:46 Thank you.
25:47 But yeah, but I want to rewind a little bit to that personal story.
25:50 So just to clarify, RJ became your manager before you started dating?
25:56 No, at the same time.
25:57 It's so strange how it happened.
26:01 So we had dinner together and like the next day we were already like together and inseparable.
26:10 And then he knew I had to film a parody, my very first parody.
26:15 And he has an Apple Drive project.
26:18 It's a charitable project.
26:20 And so he is so good at scheduling events.
26:23 So I'm like, RJ, can you help me with this shoot?
26:25 It's my first outdoor shoot.
26:27 I want to film at, you know, in an outdoor park.
26:30 Let's get some extras.
26:31 And he arranged everything.
26:32 And that video, Opopinoy style, that it was like a parody of Gangnam style, that went
26:38 viral.
26:38 So I'm like, RJ, let's keep doing this.
26:40 And that's how it happened.
26:42 So that partnership continued.
26:45 Seems like you perfectly complement each other in that way, right?
26:49 So you can concentrate on just developing content and he can manage that whole process.
26:55 Yeah, he seems very good at it.
26:58 So you, both of you came out as a couple in 2019.
27:03 Is that what you meant?
27:04 Or did you come out?
27:06 We came out as a couple in 2019 and came out.
27:09 So both of us, we both took that leap of faith.
27:14 But we felt it was time and we were ready.
27:17 But you're, both of you are already quite mature as adults, right?
27:22 So it took a while or you had to figure things out first?
27:27 I think because I'm Canadian, I was ready a lot earlier.
27:32 In fact, when I had moved to the Philippines in 2011, 2012, I was already half out to a
27:40 lot of my friends in Canada, not to my family, but to a lot of my friends and to my brother
27:45 even.
27:45 It was harder and more challenging for RJ because he comes from a super provincial family.
27:51 And, you know, they're very traditional, very conservative.
27:55 So I think it was harder for him.
27:58 And I'm really proud that he did.
28:00 Well, congrats.
28:02 Yeah.
28:02 So that's another inspiring story about you.
28:06 You know, I want to ask you about this fellow Canadian, Kulas.
28:11 I think you've met, you have a video together.
28:15 Yeah, finally, I was able to meet him in Boracay earlier this year.
28:19 That's right.
28:19 After, you know, he's kind of had a, but kind of a parallel YouTube career.
28:26 That's right.
28:26 He's one of the OGs.
28:28 Yeah.
28:28 But of course, you were ahead of him in terms of being Canadian and being in the Philippines,
28:34 doing YouTube videos.
28:35 But what do you think of him?
28:38 I mean, he has his own unique persona and online presence.
28:42 Yeah, I think what Kulas does is incredible.
28:46 It's amazing.
28:47 It's very inspiring too.
28:49 And, you know, Filipinos need an outsider to show them, you know, they need to visually
28:58 see, I think, someone who's not Filipino, the beauty of being Filipino.
29:03 That has its place in YouTube clearly.
29:07 And you can see, like, Kulas has been so successful.
29:11 And I love Kulas because, you know, there's no pretension.
29:15 It's clear what his intention is, which is to show the beautiful side of the Philippines.
29:22 All the amazing things about, you know, not just Manila, but out there where he lives
29:28 in the South.
29:30 And it's really inspiring to see him grow on social media.
29:36 Well, I'm trying to put myself in the shoes and mind of a lot of Filipinos who might be
29:43 thinking, is he crazy?
29:46 He's already in Canada.
29:47 You know, Filipinos want to move to Canada.
29:50 Try to walk us through his mind a little bit.
29:53 What would attract a Canadian to come to the Philippines where, you know, the Canadian
30:00 embassy occasionally issues travel advisories to Canadian citizens not to go around, etc.
30:07 And he's white, you know, not like you can pretend to be born and raised here, but he's
30:12 white and but he seems so comfortable.
30:16 But why would someone even I can imagine visiting but living here, buying property, becoming
30:22 a citizen, promoting, championing Filipino culture while so much of the news is negative
30:30 about the Philippines?
30:31 So so try to make us understand him.
30:33 Well, yeah, I think me too, like growing up as a as a Filipino Canadian, I had a lot of
30:40 white friends and my Canadian white friends.
30:45 One of them said something to me that I never realized.
30:49 Like he said, you know, there are all these cultures that go home, they eat food from
30:55 their country and, you know, they have all these traditions.
30:58 Some of them practice various religions.
31:00 And he said he was envious of the cultural kids and of like first envious of me being
31:07 Filipino, Filipino food, having Filipino parents that speak Tagalog.
31:10 And that's when it kicked in.
31:13 I feel like maybe a lot of white people long for culture or they just really resonate with
31:23 culture.
31:24 And again, you know, happiness is it's relative.
31:28 What makes one person happy might be completely different from what makes another person happy.
31:34 So, you know, seeing Kulas go to the Philippines and want to stay and integrate into the country,
31:40 that's his happiness.
31:42 And I think that's great.
31:43 What white Canadians also have their culture, right?
31:47 I mean, you mentioned that there are a lot of Italians.
31:50 Italians are also very proud of their culture.
31:53 Yeah, yeah.
31:53 But that's Italian culture.
31:54 There's I mean, the friend I was talking about is maybe fourth generation Canadian.
32:00 OK, so like, you know, they have roots in Scotland and England and Ireland, but he just
32:06 felt like he was devoid of the culture.
32:09 Yeah.
32:10 OK, another similarity between the two of you, because Kulas told me his main livelihood
32:14 now is from YouTube.
32:16 You know, he learns from it, but he didn't start out thinking that way.
32:20 You know, he just wanted to share.
32:21 But now it's monetized.
32:24 And as you mentioned, you know, it's possible to earn from that, especially if your audience
32:29 is in North America.
32:30 So what can you advise?
32:34 How easy or difficult is it to earn from YouTube?
32:38 There's a new generation now that has gotten used to doing everything online, including,
32:44 you know, work and probably dreaming of just being like a digital nomad and being on the
32:49 beach and earning well, you know, in between.
32:52 A lot of people are doing that.
32:53 Yeah, yeah, exactly.
32:54 They're doing that now.
32:55 But how sustainable is that?
32:56 How feasible is that from where you are?
32:58 Is that something that you would encourage?
33:01 What are your thoughts about that for today's generation?
33:03 Obviously, I would recommend being a creator.
33:07 It's really worked in my case.
33:09 I don't know how tough it is nowadays, but I mean, back in my day, it was also still
33:17 tough.
33:17 Like when I first started, they didn't allow us to monetize every video.
33:21 You only could monetize on videos that were performing well.
33:25 Things have changed so much.
33:27 It's so easy.
33:28 It's easier now to earn, I think, through YouTube views.
33:34 Yeah, I totally recommend going into it.
33:38 I think like any business, you really need to constantly be researching, seeing what
33:44 works, testing.
33:46 You need to look at analytics and understand your numbers.
33:50 My tip for anyone trying to get into social media is geography is one of the most underrated
34:00 analytics that most creators don't really think about.
34:04 So what I mean by that is CPM.
34:08 So CPM is the amount that you get paid that advertiser that YouTube pays you per view.
34:13 Now, the CPM isn't equal in all countries.
34:18 One time I did the math and CPM in the Philippines was not even in the top 50 countries.
34:25 It was it's it's quite low.
34:28 So if you're aiming for a Filipino audience, you need to work.
34:32 I did the math one time, 22 times harder, meaning a one million viewed video, say, of
34:41 one million viewers from US is equivalent to 22 million Filipino viewers and not necessarily
34:49 rate, not necessarily race.
34:50 It's just it could be a white person watching from the Philippines or a Filipino person
34:55 watching from US.
34:56 It's not racist like that.
34:58 It's more of where the view is coming from that matters.
35:02 So for Filipino creators, I highly recommend adding English subtitles at the bottom.
35:08 So at least you attract some viewers from abroad to resonate with to understand your
35:17 material if you're speaking only in Tagalog.
35:19 And it's funny, I've met a lot of creators from around Asia and they're like, oh, you
35:25 guys are so lucky you speak English.
35:27 You know, like some of these creators from Asia are trying to get these prime markets
35:32 for geography, but they just don't speak English.
35:35 And that's what it makes it hard.
35:36 And they're like, Filipinos are so lucky they actually can speak English.
35:40 So just just to refresh for those who aren't too familiar with these terms, CPM stands
35:47 for what?
35:48 What does it actually mean?
35:49 Yeah, it's the amount that YouTube pays you per 1000 views.
35:57 So it can range.
35:59 That varies according to country.
36:00 Yeah, according to country, because it depends on the the advertisers pumping money into
36:07 ads on YouTube in that country.
36:09 Because people in Canada and the US would have more purchasing power.
36:13 Therefore, videos are more advertisers are pumping money into YouTube in the US and Australia
36:20 and Canada and Europe.
36:22 Europe has some really high CPMs, like as high as $20 sometimes.
36:27 And it also depends on the time of the year.
36:29 Advertisers will pump more money towards like Christmas time, like now.
36:34 So it's usually when YouTube creators will see their paychecks rise.
36:39 So it's really you really need to study these things if you want to seriously be a YouTuber,
36:44 in my opinion.
36:45 Well, so someone like like Kolas who appeals to Filipinos in the Philippines, because we
36:51 can also understand him and the way he speaks, has a has a sizable enough audience in Canada
36:58 as well.
36:58 Everywhere, actually, like anyone, anyone with W's who who long for the beauty of the
37:04 Philippines and seeing what's up with their home country.
37:07 He's got that market as well.
37:09 He's got markets of non Filipinos who are just curious about the Philippines.
37:14 Right.
37:15 There's that.
37:16 And, you know, world travelers that he really has a very good audience, in my opinion, for
37:23 earning.
37:24 Yeah, yeah, exactly.
37:25 Well, lucky him and and and lucky you, too.
37:28 Thank you so much for sharing your time and passions and congratulations on the new house
37:34 and the new life in the province.
37:36 Thank you.
37:38 You've been quite an inspiration.
37:40 So keep educating, entertaining and inspiring us to be proud to be Pinoy.
37:47 Mikey Bustos, entertainer and expert and enthusiast.
37:51 Thank you, Mabuhay.
37:54 Thank you, Howie.
37:55 Hi, I'm Howie Severino.
37:58 Check out the Howie Severino podcast.
38:00 New episodes will stream every Thursday.
38:02 Listen for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and other platforms.
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