Kristel Fulgar’s wide local and foreign audience is enough proof that she’s one of the most beloved vloggers today. But all these, she said, just came like magic. Watch this episode of Kapamilya Chat as the Goin’ Bulilit alum shares how she started vlogging.

If you're an avid follower, you’ll notice that Kristel has been more consistent with her uploads lately. It’s because she’s in South Korea to study – and that, of course, deserves to be documented.

“Since nandito ako sa Korea, parang bawat araw ko dito, bawat nangyayari sa buhay ko parang memorable at gusto kong i-treasure, gusto kong i-document. ‘Yung pagba-vlog ang way para ma-keep ko ‘yung mga memories na ‘yun,” she said.

Kristel finds it fulfilling to inspire and entertain fellow Hallyu fans through her content, “Siguro marami na rin gustong magpunta dito sa Korea at ma-experience ‘yung mga na-experience ko. And through my vlogs, parang feeling nila na-experience na rin nila ‘yung mga bagay na ‘yun.”

Kristel thinks, and we can all agree, that her videos are loved for their spontaneity. Unlike other vloggers that hire a production team, Kristel prefers to deliver a one-woman show. She plans, directs, and edits her vlogs.

“Sa content creating, parang hindi ko masabing content creator ako ‘pag hindi ako mismo ‘yung nag-create from scratch,” she added that vlogging is a different world than acting in the sense that most her vlogs are unscripted. She prefers to be hands-on in every episode even if the editing takes days to finish, “Marami pa akong gustong gawin dito sa Korea na hindi ko magawa kasi napupunta sa vlogs ‘yung time ko… Pero part naman ‘yun ng journey ko.”

“Ayaw kong maging artista lang sa vlog ko. Kahit sabihin natin na male-lessen ‘yung trabaho ko, hindi na kasi genuine ‘yung ganu’n. Maiiba ‘yung timpla kung paano ako minahal ng audience ko. ‘Pag nangyari ‘yun, hindi ko na alam ‘yung magiging itsura o pagtanggap nila,” she said.

Building a career in the digital sphere was unintentional, though. She started with song covers, which is still a different territory than vlogging. Kristel needed a lot of convincing from Yeng Constantino before she decided to try editing. She made a video material chronicling an event just for keepsake and uploaded it in a separate YouTube channel to somewhat differentiate Kristel the singer and Kristel the vlogger. The video trended, growing her subscribers from zero to hundreds in no time.

“Sumugal ako sa pag-post ng vlog ko sa zero subscribers talaga,” mused Kristel, whose favorite thing to vlog about are her travels. Not only does it satisfy her wanderlust, it also allows her to motivate her viewers, and best of all, earn money for her needs and next adventures.

Apart from her travels, her vlogs showing her endearing friendship with Yohan Kim aka Big Boss are well-loved by her followers. Yohan Kim is the CEO of a skincare brand that Kristel endorses. Netizens think Kristel and Big Boss will make a good pair. But when asked about their real score, she just laughed it off. “One hundred,” she quipped, adding that they didn’t expect fans to be this supportive of their friendship.

Since Big Boss is a private person, Kristel makes sure he’s comfortable showing up in her videos. And the way she sees it, Big Boss enjoys his appearances. “Dahil sa vlogs ko, ang dami niyang mga first time na nagagawa… ‘Yung pag-guest niya sa vlogs ko, parang siguro nagiging stress-reliever niya minsan. Nalalabas siya sa business world. Parang bumabalik siya sa kabataan niya,” shared Kristel, who described Big Boss as hard working, responsible, supportive, and a man of integrity.

The multi-talented star recently signed with an entertainment company in South Korea, allowing her to get a work Visa there. She is open to the possibility of joining the Korean entertainment industry, although she feels she still needs to practice her Korean better, which is why she’s currently enrolled in a short course on Korean language in Hongdae, Seoul.

“Alam ko hindi pa ako ganu’n ka-confident makipagsabayan like ‘yung sa Korean language. Gusto ko ma-improve muna tapos kung maramdaman ko kung kailan ako ready, doon ako sasabak,” she admitted.

That’s how she felt after her first television guest appearance in South Korea. It was definitely one for the books but she knows she still has to practice more, “Nag-enjoy ako pero sobra din ‘yung pressure na naramdaman ko kasi talagang professional na siya. Hindi na siya vlogs na pwede kong i-edit o ma-control. Tapos ‘yung mga hosts, hindi sila masyadong marunong mag-English kaya ako ‘yung mas kailangan mag-adjust.” Although she was allowed to speak in English, Kristel thought the viewers would appreciate it more if she converses in Korean.

After she finishes her course in February, Kristel will fly back to the Philippines to take a break and spend time with her family because she missed them during the holidays. Also, projects and engagements are waiting for her in the country. And if her schedule allows, she plans to travel to other destinations for a change, specifically the locations of hit K-Drama “Crash Landing On you.”