A Filipino Croatian born and raised in California, Wil became a YouTube sensation when one of his video blogs or “vlog” posts went viral, garnering more than 350,000 likes. Aptly named “Pudra and Kyota”, the post under his Tsong and Tsonggo vlog featured Wil and his dad going around Manila, speaking gay lingo to salesladies and fastfood attendants. Their attempt often drew confused and puzzled reactions, but sometimes, they’d encounter a Pinoy who’d take the conversation into a whole new level. It is hilarious!

But his breakthrough vlog post is but the tip of the iceberg. YouTube fans will soon discover his other video expositions on Filipino culture, which are strikingly spot on. There is, for example, his post on why Filipino moms are the best, starring his mother, a brutally honest neat freak who cajoles Wil: “Ewan ko sa ‘yo. ‘Wag mo nga ako isasama diyan.” 

Though he’s only been in the Philippines for a couple of years, he has gone through so many adventures. He learned the language by watching Tagalog versions of Hollywood movies like Iron Man, Terminator, and The Avengers. He finds it funny that the Tagalog dialogue in Harry Potter is spoken with a British accent. He has eaten all sorts of exotic food, from balut to snake, but finds field rats from Pangasinan the strangest of them, saying they taste like chicken. He has also performed exciting daredevil stunts, including riding on top of a jeepney on a road trip to Baler. He didn’t just sit on the roof, he stood on it and made like he was surfing. (Kids, don’t try this!)

Truth be told, Wil would like to try living in the provinces. He says, “Simpleng bahay, simpleng buhay!”