STEFFI JARDIN
HER SOCIAL media followers were rooting for her comeback. But Steffi Jardin took her sweet time. After months of absence, will it be worth the wait?
With their natural antics on social media, the Butuan-based vlogger and her erstwhile partner, “Mon-Mon” Cullantes—the duo behind the sensational Facebook page— caught the attention of netizens when they released their video titled “How to be a fashion blogger.” If you haven’t heard of “Mayman kha dhai” or #MMKD, you must be living under a rock.
Theirs was supposed to be a story, perfect for “Saturday Night Live.” Think top notch comedians Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. Steffi and Mon-Mon, however, are pursuing solo endeavors now.
And 21-year-old Steffi’s story continues. Now she is setting to her own punchline. “Okey ra sa akoa because as with life okey ra nako nga naa ko sa taas, okay ra sab nako nga naa ko sa ubos. Laban lang gud. Aw, unsa ba,” she says.
She is all about good intentions and she means well. And now that she’s taking on a different path, she is out to prove that turning another chapter in life will all be worth it.
You just graduated. How was student life?
Yes, I graduated in March. Relaxed ra man ko as a student. Laban lang gyud ko adto and like most students kusog sab ko mo-cramming.
What happened? There was a clamor because you were no longer appearing in those funny videos.
It’s been almost a year and yes we had a misunderstanding with Mon-Mon like wala na mi’y kitaay. Wala na mi’y communication pero if ever we bump into each other siguro magka friends man gyud mi balik. We have been friends since we were in Grade 1. Sabay mi og school ana niya then high school hangtod college. And this is the first time nga nagbuwag gyud mi this long. Mao na siya.
Let’s take a step back. How did your vlogging start? So, naa ra mi adto sa barbecuehan and it was Mon-Monin her usual expression nga, “Ngano man ka day uy?” So, sa sige niya og gamit ana natakdan sab mi. From there I decided that we should come up with a Facebook page with our usual gara-gara. I created the page myself and I remember that time the page didn’t have no profile picture as well as primary info. So, mao to we did our first video. It was a tip and advice video for our incoming freshmen intended for the acquaintance party. The video that sort of like gained the public attention was our satire on bloggers.
Photo by Gerard Pareja
Did you expect that you would get such attention?
Wala mi nag-expect adto because we made the video January and I remember I came here to Cebu for the
Sinulog and everybody was calling me: ”Hoy, blogger!” Ahak ani uy so mao na diay to.
Do you miss her?
Yes, makamingaw siya with all her kabuang. Sa una si Mon-Mon gyud to ang mag edit because wala baya ko’y hanaw ana and I remember amoang gamit sa una kay Windows Moviemaker ra and initially dili baya gyud siya sayon. So nagpatudlo ko ni Meunnie because there was a time nga gikapoyan siya so ako napud nipuli. Making video blogs is not easy because like in a 10-minute video skit kay dugay gyud sa editon.
Mon-Mon seems to be doing well here in Cebu. Will you be following the same path as her?
Ambot lang. Siguro mag-work sa ko sa akoang review because I have to pursue Medicine. I do admit nga dili kaayo ko ingon ana ka active sa social media but for now what’s important to me is I will be based here in Cebu as well as I will be studying here in Cebu.
Do you see yourself pursuing blogging in the future?
Dili nako ma-imagine if ever moabot sa point nga let’s say mo graduate na ko and I will still be doing comedic videos. I mean that will be too awkward. Dili nako respetoon sa akoang mga pasyente ana if ever (laughter).
So, as of the present what do you want to achieve?
Sa karon gusto sa gyud ko maplastar here in Cebu. Nga naa sa ko’y stable nga work at the same time I would do well with my studies.
How about video blogging?
Ang vlogging siguro mao na siya sa pinaka-least sa akoang priority. Or I don’t know, siguro if I’ll have time because for now everything is kind of hectic.
How does it feel that for a time you were sharing the spotlight with Mon-Mon and just like that, you’re gone? Did this affect you?
Okey ra sa akoa because as with life okey ra nako nga naa ko sa taas, okey ra sab nako nga naa ko sa ubos. Laban lang gud. Aw, unsa ba.
What lesson did the entire experience give you?
Siguro it has to be all about patience. Nga dapat you have to be nice to everybody because identified baya kaayo ka and what’s more is that magnified baya kaayo ka sa mga tawo and little things can be open to interpretations. Particular gyud ka sa tanan lihok nimo. Also it taught me to always be prompt. I respect other people’s time and dili ko ganahan nga nay maghulat nako so usually ako gyud na ang maghuwat ang naanad lang man ko. Okey lang nako basta dili ako ang huwaton.
Were you ever bashed online?
Wala pa gyud and that’s a good thing. There may be little comments here and there pero not that damaging sa akoa. There will always be people who’d want to say things for the heck of it pero when you look closely in their social media profiles it’s just a dummy account so wala ra na sa akoa.
How’s it that when you two were no longer doing videos you never issued any statement like most social media personalities would do?
Dili na ko gusto nga naay outside opinion mo get in the way with our issue. The issue was between the two of us and besides I wouldn’t know if ma-okey ba mi. Everything is still foggy to me even until now.
Who do you think has the most right to the page?
Kami gyung duha. Ako’y naghimo sa page ug kaming duha nag make sa videos. So kami gyung duha and there’s no way nga naay usa nga molamang.
What do you miss most about the entire experience?
Ang sige og travel because bibo man gud. The most memorable of our travels was when we went to Davao because we didn’t expect the turnout of people coming to see us. For people to go out of their way to see you means a lot. And initially I was like, ulaw ani uy kay basin wala’y moadto kay gamay ra baya ang area and the chairs kay maihap ra gyud, it was just an abrupt mall show. And then it turns out when we went to the stage daghan gyud kaayong tawo. I was like, seryoso ni sila?
What do you really want in life?
To be honest no, question mark pa gyud kay there’s also this apprehension on what I should pursue. I am still figuring things out. Me taking
up Medicine has always been my parents dream and coming from a family of doctors kung dili ka mosunod sa ilaha mura og it’s me breaking their hearts. My parents’ only wish is for me to finish Medicine and from there I can go ahead and do whatever it is I that want.
Are you choosy with friends?
Dili man ko mamili og friends though ang friends nga pirmi nako kuyogon kay kana gyung mga kasaligan nako. Kanang dili balimbing ba because dili man ko ingon ana. You have to choose which side you are on and most especially that friend should be funny, nindot gyud nang lingaw kaayo imong mga kauban.
What’s your parent’s take on vlogging?
I don’t share much to my parents about my vlogging and they don’t spend that much time on social media. Basta ang importante lang gyud sa ilaha is I will finish Medicine.
What advice would you want to kids aspiring to be social media personalities?
Daghan kaayo na sila ron and I say it’s not easy. My say is never stop making those videos because it’s not right there and then nga mosikat ka. Labi na karon nga daghan na kaayong video bloggers and you have to be original and creative with your content because the audience would know. The audience nowadays are so smart that they can identify if nangopya ra ba ka og style so it’s all about the content.
What’s your take on paid content?
We did that before and it’s important that you have to know and believe in the product. Like I said your audience would know of your purpose making the content so importante that your delivery or style of the content should not be in-your-face ra kaayo nga endorsing the product. Then again it’s a hit or miss. Every minute a new content comes up and lisod sabton ang taste sa audience.
What do you expect from Cebu now that you’re here?
Bibo man gyud ang Cebu. Being a girl from Butuan nga probinsiyana kaayo, pag-abot nako diri na shock ko gamay kay ang traffic. Wala gyud na sa amoa didto sa Butuan ug ang pinakadugayna gyud siguro ngadto nga traffic kay 15 minutes kung naa ka sa siyudad. Diria grabe wala ko nag-expect gyud. Grabe diri ang traffic nakalitan gyud ko.
Who are the people that you look up to?
I love Selena Gomez I don’t know why. Ganahan kaayo ko ana niya and daghan kaayo siya og causes. She’s also very down to earth. Also my Mom because she raised us nine kids—separated man siya with my dad. While nag study siya, she even studied here in Cebu before, she never failed to make us kids her top priority.
What are you like as a daughter?
I am the eldest so grabe gyud ang pressure sa akoa. Back at home I wasn’t spared, I also had curfew and panagsa ra gyud ko makalaag and I do understand my mommy because of what she went through. She had us when she was young.
Are you a strict ate?
Dili man kaayo ko ingon ana ka strict sa akoang mga manghud as long as mosulti lang gyud sila sa akoa if naa sila’y mga problema. Because the same way I’d also like it man gud nga I can be open to them. I don’t want nga mahadlok na sila moduol most especially that the boys outnumber the girls. Importante sa akoa ang open communication.
If you had your way, who would you want to collaborate with?
Alex Gonzaga because natural kaayo iyang pagka-funny. Siya gyud ang gina-follow nako sa YouTube. I don’t normally wait for new uploads except for her. She is such a natural.
So, it seems for the moment your followers will have to wait for your next video blog?
Sa karon gyud dili naman ko committed nga mobalik making videos because gihuna-huna man gyud nako kung unsa akoang kind of branding. Because let’s face it, identified naman gyud ko with her. I want it to be me for the time being. Kaila man gyud ko ana niya and I am happy that recently she posted a picture of the two of us together because sa akoa gyud na siya mo-confide. I don’t know why she posted it. And so I also posted a pic of us together just to send out a message that I am always here and that everything will be all right.
Motuo ko nga magka-okey mi in time. I am the kind of friend who’ll say things to you upfront. I am that way because kinamaguwangan baya ko. Dili ko ganahan nga she would hear things from other people. Laban lang gud.
