Vloggers who threw shade at Anne Curtis for her Siquijor content face backlash
Anne Curtis (right), and content creators Habibi, Shaun Pelayo. Images from Facebook, Instagram
Content creators Shaun Pelayo and Crissa Liaging (also known as Habibi) are facing backlash after appearing to throw shade at actress-host Anne Curtis who recently went to Siquijor to promote its tourist destinations.
Pelayo and Liaging appeared to be miffed during a Tiktok livestream on Saturday, April 18, saying their efforts to promote the province were not recognized by the provincial government.
This came after Curtis made the rounds of social media when she shared glimpses of her island getaway in March, apparently as part of a project she would be starring in.
In one of her viral Instagram videos, the “It’s Showtime” host, in a two-piece bikini, could be seen fashionably hanging from a long nylon cord as she walked circles over the Siquijor lake, her feet barely touching the surface of the water.
“Huwag muna tayo umuwi,” she captioned her post with a fairy emoji. “Hello, Siquijor.”
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In another IG post, Curtis showed her backside to the camera with the Siquijor falls as backdrop. “Magical,” she said.
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She made yet another post this time posing with giant molave trees at the Isla del Fuego.
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Curtis’ Instagram posts garnered close to two million reacts, collectively, on the platform, not counting those on TikTok and reshares from other social media.
Her Siquijor getaway preceded a TikTok video uploaded by Pelayo and Liaging, who said that his efforts to promote Siquijor didn’t seem to gain traction, as they zeroed in on the local government for failing to acknowledge or express gratitude to them.
“Ako, promoting the island again pero walay acknowledgement (We’ve been promoting the island again but we have no acknowledgement),” Pelayo said in Bisaya in a video, which has since been taken down from their platforms, but was reuploaded by netizens.
Liaging said in response, “If I will be the ano [local government], I will say thank you for always promoting Siquijor.”
@positivethoughts386 Shaun on promoting Siquijor : “Walay acknowledgement” #habibi #crissa #shaun #fyp #siquijor ♬ original sound – Seven
Several netizens then called out the content creators for their statement, as many perceived this as an alluding to Curtis’ own Siquijor content. One of those who reacted was former Commission on Elections commissioner and PWD party-list nominee Rowena Guanzon, who said she has no idea who these vloggers were.
“Sino ka teh? Nakakalokah mga tao ngayon! Mas pasalamatan ko pa manananggal dahil dun ako na-curious para bumisita sa Siquijor nung bata-bata ang lola niyo, ganda ng mga view,” she wrote on Facebook.
(Who are you? I can’t believe the nerve of some people these days. I would rather thank the manananggal because it is what piqued my interest to visit Siquijor when I was young, as well as its beautiful views.)
Guanzon further posted a screenshot of a Facebook post, which read: “Influencers Habibi and Shaun Pelayo are facing backlash from the people of Siquijor for Shaun’s statement: ‘Ako promoting the island again pero
walang acknowledgement,’ to which Habibi agreed. People are calling them entitled, arguing that it is not only their efforts that have made Siquijor popular. In fact, Anne Curtis’s recent visit received many positive reviews online, yet she did not request any acknowledgment. Her reel on Facebook alone has garnered over 114 million views.”
Attached to her screenshot was what appeared to be a headline that said: “Siquijor Locals Call Out Influencers for ‘Entitled’ Remarks-Point to Anne Curtis’s 114M-View Reel as Example.”
Others pointed out that Siquijor has long been known for its picturesque beauty and breathtaking sights, even before celebrities and content creators explored the island province.
Image: Screengrab from TikTok/@positivethoughts386
Image: Screengrab from TikTok/@positivethoughts386
Image: Screengrab from TikTok/@positivethoughts386
The audacity of habibi and shaun pelayo to claim na sila nagpaknown sa Siquijor. Maygad. Di ra ba mo taga diri. Kahilason ba.
— ᶜᵘⁿᵗⁿⁱˢˢ ᵉᵛᵉʳᵈᵉᵉⁿ 🍉🇵🇸 (@tetszh) April 18, 2025
Pelayo and Liaging have yet to directly address the backlash, however, the latter has been posting clips of herself with her son and her soap business on TikTok since the incident.
