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#BawalLumabas: Kim Chiu follows letter sender's suggestion; collaborates with DJ Squammy

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Miguel Dumaual, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/entertainment/05/18/kimteam.jpg"/><figcaption>Kim Chiu meets Adrian Crisanto and DJ Squammy through a video call. Crisanto&#x27;s open letter to Chiu about turning a meme ridiculing her into something positive went viral last week. DJ Squammy is the man behind a &#x27;remix&#x27; of Chiu&#x27;s #LabanKapamilya statement that spawned a TikTok dance challenge. <em>YouTube: Kim Chiu PH</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Kim Chiu is moving on, in style, from what she described as one of the lowest points in her life, with the release of a song with the precise words that made her the target of ridicule on social media.</p><p>&quot;I was really down for the past few days... But of course pag may problema, siyempre hindi mo dapat tinatambayan. Doon tayo sa option na move forward,&quot; Chiu said in her YouTube vlog on Monday, referring to the incessant mudslinging following her participation in the #LabanKapamilya campaign.</p><p>In the online protest against the government shutdown of ABS-CBN, Chiu likened the situation of her home network to students complying with classroom rules.</p><p>The analogy, by Chiu&#x27;s own admission, was not well formed. Laughing, she agreed that it made little sense when she reviewed her own statement.</p><p>The hurtful words she received, however, became so unbearable for Chiu, that she had to shut herself from social media for several days.</p><p>&quot;Kontrolado mo ang emosyon mo, kontrolado mo kung ano ang papapasukin mong emosyon, at kung ano ang hindi mo papapasukin,&quot; she said.</p><p>She even had her phone kept from her, &quot;just to keep my sanity,&quot; Chiu recalled.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/entertainment/05/18/kimcrying.jpg"/><figcaption>Kim Chiu turns emotional during the recording of &#x27;Bawal Lumabas.&#x27; <em>YouTube: Kim Chiu PH</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>&quot;Isa ito sa mga lowest [point in my life]. Tao lang naman din ako na nasasaktan din, lalo na fragile ang emotions natin kasi na sa bahay tayo nang ilang days,&quot; she said, referring to the coronavirus lockdown.</p><p>While friends checked up on Chiu at the height of the meme&#x27;s spread, it was one stranger&#x27;s open letter on Facebook that made a mark on the actress.</p><p>Chiu received messages from her ABS-CBN bosses linking to the viral letter from one Adrian Crisanto, a marketing professional. In his post addressed to Chiu, Crisanto wrote detailed suggestions as to how she can turn the meme into something positive.</p><p>&quot;Nilatagan niya ako!&quot; Chiu said. &quot;Binuhat niya ako, at nilagay niya ako sa kabilang side. &#x27;Huwag ka mag-self-pity, huwag mo i-doubt ang sarili mo. Punta ka dito sa kabila, tingnan mo, maraming gold dito.&#x27;&quot;</p><p>At that point in Chiu&#x27;s vlog, Crisanto joined via video call.</p><p>Turning emotional, Chiu explained that she sought Crisanto to personally thank him &quot;for picking me up at my lowest.&quot;</p><p>&quot;You&#x27;re such an angel!&quot; she told Crisanto.</p><div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/adriancrisanto/posts/10217212494088763" data-width="auto">In his letter, Crisanto mentioned that he is not necessarily a fan of Chiu — a fact he now apologized for, in jest, as he came face to face with the actress.</div><p>Nonetheless, he said, &quot;You don&#x27;t have to be a fan of someone to respect that person.&quot;</p><p>&quot;It was my intention to encourage you. I wanted you to know na kahit hindi tayo magkakilala in person, I respect you for who you are,&quot; Crisanto told Chiu, who appeared to be holding tears.</p><p>&quot;Do not be discouraged because there are people who look beyond the mistakes and can really find something beautiful,&quot; he said.</p><p>In Crisanto&#x27;s room, as seen in the video call, was a piece of decor with the text, &quot;Hoy, be kind&quot; — apt words, given Chiu&#x27;s brush with bashing.</p><p>&quot;We have to decide to be kind,&quot; Crisanto said. &quot;&#x27;Yung oras na gugugulin mo sa pag-post ng masasamang words, take it as a time to step back and isipin mo, &#x27;Tama ba &#x27;tong gagawin ko? Makakasakit ba &#x27;to sa isang tao?&#x27; Pass. Huwag mo nang gawin. Just be kind.&quot;</p><p>Chiu credited Crisanto&#x27;s kindness, despite him being a stranger, for helping her recover from the dark episode.</p><p>&quot;Pinagdasal ko sa Panginoon. Paano ako tatayo? Natumba ka na, tinapak-tapakan ka na... Dahil doon, nabuhayan talaga ako ng loob,&quot; she said, referring to Crisanto&#x27;s letter.</p><p>Among Crisanto&#x27;s suggestions to Chiu was to record the &quot;remix&quot; of her video statement that had gone viral, spawning its own classical and rock covers, as well as a TikTok dance challenge.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RVGQNX7vhNg?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>The song, which autotunes Chiu&#x27;s words and with its own original beat, was produced by DJ Squammy.</p><p>DJ Squammy, joining the video call with Chiu and Crisanto, explained that he is a music producer by profession, with his own recording studio.</p><p>When asked by an amused Chiu what &quot;inspired&quot; him to come up with the parody track, DJ Squammy went technical.</p><p>&quot;Narinig ko &#x27;yung pagkakabigkas mo,&quot; he told Chiu. &quot;May tinatawag kaming prosody, &#x27;yung tono ng salita. &#x27;Di ba sabi mo, &#x27;Sa classroom may batas&#x27;? Maganda &#x27;yung ganoon mo, eh. May alliteration, rhyming, lahat present. Pag ito, nilatagan ko ng solid na beat, kakabit &#x27;to.&quot;</p><p>DJ Squammy said he understood why Chiu struggled to finish her sentences then.</p><p>&quot;Kung tutuusin, gets ko naman, eh. Nag-stutter ka lang doon sa words na kukunin, kasi emotional ka noon. Naintindihan naman natin &#x27;yun,&quot; he said.</p><p>Chiu admitted that initially, she was saddened when she came across DJ Squammy&#x27;s remix. Seeing that it entertained people, especially amid the pandemic, however, soon changed her mind.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J_PTwk783Dw?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>&quot;Bakit pinaglaruan &#x27;yung sinabi ko?&quot; she thought at the time. &quot;Tapos noong nakita ko na &#x27;yung video sa TikTok, na pati &#x27;yung mga pamangkin ko sumasayaw na doon sa beat na ginawa mo, sabi ko, &#x27;Shocks, at least sumaya pala &#x27;yung mga tao sa ginawa mo sa sinabi ko.&#x27;&quot;</p><p>&quot;Kahit malungkot &#x27;yung paligid, malungkot &#x27;yung mga nangyayari sa bansa natin, at least nagawa mo &#x27;yung part mo na mag-entertain ng tao. I think we did a good job!&quot; she said, prompting a high five with DJ Squammy.</p><p>The music producer said he had been receiving messages, among them from fans of Chiu, thanking him for turning a video weaponized against the actress into a source of entertainment.</p><p>DJ Squammy did not expect his remix would go viral, to the point of virtually meeting Chiu, as he made it admittedly out of boredom after a two-month lull of having no clients.</p><p>&quot;Ako ang iyong first client after two months!&quot; Chiu said, laughing, as she invited both DJ Squammy and Crisanto, who also happens to be a songwriter, to collaborate on a full version of the track.</p><p>&quot;Sa pagkikita nating into, we turn the tables para sa atin, para sa entertainment ng lahat,&quot; she said.</p><p>Concluding the vlog was the result of that collaboration — a music video of a song now titled &quot;Bawal Lumabas (The Classroom Song).&quot;</p><p>While it retained the original viral lyrics, the song now spoke in clearer terms — about the &quot;law&quot; of loving your neighbor as yourself, and overcoming a dark chapter with newfound courage to face the world again.</p><p>&quot;Ay, puwede na pala ikaw lumabas,&quot; goes its final line.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BeWyaW8W8Cs?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

#BawalLumabas: Kim Chiu follows letter sender's suggestion; collaborates with DJ Squammy

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#BawalLumabas: Kim Chiu follows letter sender's suggestion; collaborates with DJ Squammy

Miguel Dumaual,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 19, 2020 02:45 AM PHT

|

Updated May 19, 2020 11:14 AM PHT

Read More:

Kim Chiu

Bawal Lumabas

Adrian Crisanto

DJ Squammy

Laban Kapamilya

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