Original interview by KUANtie Melai
Interview highlights by mocha cake
Original interview upload: February 11, 2025
Hear FELIP’s Story, Unfiltered in Bisaya
On February 11, 2025, KUAN ON ONE Season 2 featured the inspiring Bisaya rock star FELIP. Streaming on both YouTube and iWantTFC, the inspiring, often chaotic, yet undeniably fun show hosted by actress, comedian, and TV host Melai features fellow Bisaya personalities who have found success in their respective fields.
Here are some of the things we learned about FELIP through the interview.
His modest upbringing, surrounded by music, prepared him for greatness.
FELIP grew up in the mountainous area of Bagong Kahayag in Lakewood Zamboanga del Sur, helped care for animals on their family farm and played sepak takraw as a high school varsity athlete. Raised mainly by his grandparents while his parents worked in Malaysia, he comes from a family of pastors and musicians and grew up immersed in gospel music. He learned to play various instruments in church.
He risked everything to chase his dreams.
Despite the uncertainty, he took a leap of faith by auditioning for SBT and dropping out of college to pursue his dream in Manila, initially telling only his grandparents. He was in the 3rd semester of his 3rd year in Architecture when this sudden opportunity came his way. Although his parents were upset at first, they eventually accepted his decision and prayed for the group’s success.
Through all the years of hard work, he learned how important patience is as an artist.
Working with a lot of people in the industry and maintaining a good relationship with the fans made him realize that he has to be more open minded and understanding of the differences between himself and the people around him. Thinking about all of the support he receives makes him appreciate the loyal fans even more.
As a soloist, FELIP found the freedom to express his artistry with no boundaries.
He personally conceptualizes his music videos and creates songs inspired by real emotions and experiences. While he intentionally aims for an international sound to reach a global audience, he also plans to release more Bisaya songs to showcase the beauty of the language on an international stage.
He learned that staying true to himself is at the core of his passion as an artist.
Some people may mistake his mannerisms on camera as arrogance or being snobbish, when he is simply being himself. Although he is aware of this misconception, he realized that he’s simply unable to sacrifice his authenticity just to gain more praise. Knowing that there are people who appreciate him for who he is, is enough. He also shared how self-respect taught him to set boundaries with those who don’t offer the same level of respect. This helped him connect more deeply with people who share similar struggles.
With a taste of success, he learned to value the little things in life more.
He said that it’s a good reminder of where he came from, and keeps him patient in aiming for bigger things in the future. Appreciating small wins keeps him grounded.
FELIP speaking entirely in Bisaya made the interview truly special. The one-hour segment flew by, showing just how engaging and fun the conversation was for both FELIP and the host, Melai. The full interview includes English captions, so viewers can better understand and personally connect with FELIP’s insights and stories shared on the show.