Content creator and ‘Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition’ 3rd Big Placer Esnyr Ranollo is proudly looking back on his high school days, where he openly admitted to trying to keep up with his well-off classmates — even calling himself a “social climber.”
“Masaya ako na naging ‘social climber’ ako dahil ‘yon ang nagturo sa akin na hindi sumuko. To strive more, to dream big,” Esnyr said in an interview, reflecting on his time studying in a private school for senior high after coming from a public school background from Grade 7 to Grade 10.
In order to blend in with the so-called “rich kids,” Esnyr shared that he took on side hustles to earn extra money. He edited video projects for his classmates, charging ₱800 per edit. “May mga pagkakataon pa raw na nagka-cutting class siya para lang matapos ang mga ine-edit niyang video para makaabot sa deadline.”
He also recalled selling graham balls to elementary students just so he could join his classmates for milk tea after class.
It was during this time that Esnyr began producing humorous content inspired by school life, which would later become his trademark on TikTok and other platforms. He said it all started with a trending dance challenge video he did with his barkada, which unexpectedly went viral.
“Simula noon, araw-araw gumawa na ako ng school content hanggang sa nag-elevate na. Nasanay na ako na two weeks straight kapag gumigising ako sa umaga ay may 1 million ‘likes’ na ang post ko. Kaya sabi ko, ‘Ah, okay. Baka ito talaga ang para sa akin,’” he shared.
Esnyr revealed that his skits were rooted in actual conversations and personal experiences. One early hit came from a class group chat where his friends reminisced about petty fights with other sections — an idea that became a successful skit despite lacking props.
A proud Bisaya, Esnyr hails from Digos City, the same hometown as Asia’s Soul Supreme KZ Tandingan. Inspired by how his city supported KZ after her win on ‘X Factor Philippines’ in 2012, Esnyr used her journey as motivation to pursue his own dreams in entertainment.
Though he originally aspired to become an anesthesiologist, financial constraints led him to follow his father’s dream of becoming a petroleum engineer. He passed the entrance exam at Palawan State University but ended up taking online classes due to the pandemic.
Still, those humble beginnings continue to fuel his creativity and authenticity.
