Actors Elijah Canlas and Ralph De Leon proved they could do more than just act after their heated yet insightful exchange on YSpeak 2.0 became a trending topic online.
The debate happened during the pilot episode of the youth-oriented discussion program that aired on May 9, where the two Kapamilya stars served as team captains in the ‘Y or Y Not’ segment.
The episode tackled the timely issue of whether social media influencers should be held to the same standards and accountability as journalists.
Each actor led a team composed of students from Lyceum of the Philippines University, where the episode was filmed.
Elijah represented the affirmative side or “Y” team, while Ralph led the opposing “Y Not” side.
During the moderated open forum, Elijah argued that influencers should be held accountable because of the massive influence they have over the public, especially among younger audiences who now consume information mainly through social media.
“Maraming naaabuso ang influence na meron sila. They’re spreading misinformation, fake news, and even revising history. Ang primary source ng karamihan ng tao ngayon ay ang mga social media influencers,” Elijah pointed out.
He also emphasized that it would be unfair for journalists, who undergo years of formal training and ethical practice, if influencers were allowed to spread misinformation without consequences.
Meanwhile, Ralph stressed that journalists and influencers should not be treated under the same standards because journalism follows a stricter code of ethics and professional responsibility.
“Kung kukuha ka ng impormasyon sa ibang tao, dapat sa news, dapat sa journalists, dapat sa taong nag-aral niyan,” Ralph argued.
In his closing statement, Ralph also questioned Elijah’s use of a young child as an example in the discussion, saying minors should either have limited social media access or proper adult guidance when consuming online content.
The exchange quickly generated discussions online, with many netizens praising both actors for presenting intelligent and relevant arguments.
“Ganyan dapat ang mga artista at influencer, may utak!” one netizen commented.
Another viewer wrote, “Ang galing ng argument nung team ni Elijah pero kudos kay Ralph, napakagandang wrap up! Good job! Nakakatalino, nakakapagbigay-way ng involvement and awareness.”
Many viewers also commended the show itself for creating a platform that encourages meaningful conversations among the youth about current social issues.
Aside from Elijah and Ralph, future episodes of ‘YSpeak 2.0’ will also feature Kapamilya personalities including KD Estrada, River Joseph, Aya Fernandez, and Robbie Jaworski. ‘YSpeak 2.0’ airs every Saturday at 10:45 PM on ABS-CBN platforms including ALLTV2, Kapamilya Channel, and Kapamilya Online Live.
