“Ang naging struggle ko noon is nahirapan akong tanggapin sa sarili ko na valid ang work ko,” says Yani Villarosa, known to others by her handle Yanihatesu, as she looks back on eight years of creating content on social media. Villarosa joins comedian and Dogshow Divas co-host Baus Rufo, actress and content creator Sassa Gurl, and food content creator Icoy Rapadas in the latest episode of Rolling Stone Philippines Roundtable, which dives into the world of content creation in the Philippines.
Consumer intelligence platform Meltwater reported that as of October 2025, an estimated $125 million, or over P7.6 billion, was spent annually on influencer advertising in the Philippines. The industry is fast-growing, and Rufo notes that the landscape is now both manageable and competitive.
“Competitive because mas maraming competition and mas fragmented, all the different kinds of tiers and sections, or the type of influencing one actually does,” he says. “But it can also be more manageable dahil nga mas maraming knowledge on best practices, who to talk to, who to avoid, even.”
But content creators still struggle to prove their work as labor. “When you think about it, ‘yung ginagawa mo, trabaho ‘yan ng isang buong ahensya,” says Rapadas, who had also worked in advertising before pursuing content creation full-time, like Rufo. “From interpreting the brief, to creating your script, to making your outline, to even doing the reports after, that’s something that I don’t think people see.”
Unsurprisingly, another challenge that comes with the job is public scrutiny. Sassa Gurl notes that creators like her and Mimiyuuuh, who have earned a living and more from their work, often get criticized for lifestyle changes. “Isyu talaga ‘pag nakitang nag-iba lifestyle mo, nag-iba ‘yung eksena mo, talagang i-co-call out ka nila,” she says. “We’re here to inspire everyone, especially our audience. Hindi namin kayo iniiwan.”
The creators also discuss where content creation is at now and how it’s changed, the pressures of their work and how they deal with it, and where they see the industry of content creation is headed. The latest episode of the Rolling Stone Philippines Roundtable is now available to watch on our YouTube channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
The episode features Sassa Gurl, Baus Rufo (co-host of Dogshow Divas), food content creator Icoy Rapadas, and Yani Villarosa.
According to consumer intelligence platform Meltwater, as of October 2025, an estimated $125 million — or over P7.6 billion — is spent annually on influencer advertising in the Philippines, making it one of the fastest-growing creative industries in the country.
Creators on Rolling Stone Philippines Roundtable cite three main struggles: having their work recognized as legitimate labor, dealing with the increasingly competitive and fragmented landscape, and facing public scrutiny.
Food content creator Icoy Rapadas, who previously worked in advertising, points out that a single creator typically handles tasks that would normally require an entire ad agency, from interpreting briefs and writing scripts to producing content and filing post-campaign reports, work that often goes unrecognized by the public.
The Rolling Stone Philippines Roundtable is a video series where figures, experts, or thought leaders gather to discuss the challenges, past, present, and future of any industry. The episodes, which are available to watch on Rolling Stone Philippines’ YouTube channel, have delved into Philippine indie cinema, travel, the creative industry, the culinary scene, and content creation, among others.
