MANILA, APRIL 2020 – Before he became known as Kuya Ching on TikTok, Roland Prince Kua faced the biggest challenge of his life.
In 2016, he suffered a stroke, which caused him to be bedridden. It was only in 2018 that he was finally able to move around again, after a year of committing to a strict diet and exercise routine as part of his recovery.
Currently, Kuya Ching’s profile has 670K+ followers and 8.3M likes. So what made him TikTok famous in just a few short months? He believes that it’s his light and fun content, plus his friendly disposition.
“Actually yung mga nakakilala sa akin na mga influencers, parang natutuwa sila sa mga content ko kasi kahit daw medyo, yung nga, na-stroke ako, sumasayaw sayaw kasi ako noong una. Tapos yun, inapproach ako ng mga influencers dati. Naging kaibigan ko sila,” he shares.
Check out this video of Kuya Ching, which features fellow creators, Swerab Smith and Keanne Go:
@kuyaching #loveinthetimeofcorona Good deeds should be done with intention, not for attention.@Swerab Smith @Keanne Go #chingsters #teamramen #laughingjackz
His authenticity is another thing that draws fans and followers to Kuya Ching. Though he admits that his videos are often imitations of others, and not based on his original stories, he makes sure that they look nice, and are made from the heart with his own personal spin.
When asked what he would like to be known as, he answered, “For what I am. Kung ano ako. Kasi ako, ang motto ko sa buhay, di pa ako na-i-stroke, What you see is what you get.”
See another of Kuya Ching’s inspiring videos here:
https://www.tiktok.com/@kuyaching/video/6736104895084006658
In a way, TikTok has changed Kuya Ching’s life for the better. Since becoming a creator, brands have started entrusting him with projects and content assignments. This has allowed him to earn a living despite being out of a job since his stroke. “Masaya na ako sa ginagawa ko, hindi pa ako nagiging pabigat sa pamilya ko,” he says.
Individuals have also reached out to Kuya Ching to offer support. He cites one particular encounter with some fans. “Yung isang pamilya, mag-asawa, sabi nila, ‘Kuya Ching, kung kailangan mo ang tulong namin, pupunta kami sa’yo’. So, nagshoot kami ng video, kasama ko sila. Yung asawa ang nag-cameraman. Parang nakakatouch lang. So, naiinspire ko sila, tumatawa pa sila sa akin. Parang kaibigan ko na sila ngayon. Nagti-TikTok na sila.”
To his followers, and others who may want to try becoming TikTok creators themselves, Kuya Ching shares this simple bit of advice. “Wag kayong matakot sumubok. Try and try. You’ll never know, kapag sinubukan mo, kaya mo palang gawin kahit na ano.”
