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Harlene Budol, widely known as Hipon Girl from Wowowin, revealed how she realized that a showbiz career might not be a long-term solution for some people.
Despite her popularity due to her regular gig in the variety show, she got emotional. She admitted that she has a hard time as the pandemic hit her hard as she already spent her earnings to provide for her family’s daily needs.
“Siyempre buong angkan ko sa akin [nakasalalay]. Lahat nawala..,” she said during an interview with Toni Gonzaga.
“Dumating ako sa puntong parang ayoko na. Ayoko nang magpakita sa pamilya ko. [Kasi] nahihiya ako.”
She then shared that she has a hard time finding any source of income as her responsibilities grew bigger.
“Back to zero kami. Walang wala na talaga. Kahit ngayon wala na talaga akong pinagkukunan ng pera talaga. Kasi sakin na lahat umaasa pamilya ko, dati pagkain lang ngayon pati kuryente sakin na.”
Her grandparents also need medicines and vitamins, but she can’t afford them as it’s expensive. She started vlogging, but she still hasn’t earned any money from her YouTube ventures.
“Yung mga gamot nila… Wala ngang vitamins ngayon yung lola at lolo ko eh. Ang mahal kasi. Nagvlo-vlog ako, di pa naman ako sumasahod hanggang ngayon. Di ko alam pano ako sasahod.”
Even if she wanted to help people messaging her, asking for her help, she can’t give anything to them as she’s having a hard time providing for her family.
“Kasi wala pong nakakaalam. Akala po nila masayahin lang ako, pero hindi po. Hindi ako masayahin talaga. Lagi po ako umiiyak pag kinakapos talaga kami. Wala na po ako pinagkukunan.”
This was when Harlene admitted that she then realized that a career in showbiz is not going to last a lifetime.
“Totoo nga yung sinasabi [nila]. Hindi habang buhay nasa TV ka. Dalawang taon palang ako, wala na agad. Ang hirap. Ang hirap dun umasa. Naging kampante rin kasi ako [na baka] sa susunod may kumuha pa saking iba pag tinanggal ako [sa Wowowin].”
The host started her career when she became a contestant in Wowowin’s Willie of Fortune. While she didn’t manage to win the segment, her video went viral online. It leads to her regularization in the said show as a co-host of Willie Revillame.
She also appeared in Magpakailanman in November 2019 and played the role of an OFW. The episode trended and gained high ratings, beating its counterpart in a rival network.
Harlene’s interview with Toni Gonzaga now has more than 3.5 million views and is trending #1 on YouTube as of writing.
All proceeds of the interview will be donated to Harlene.
