Content creator Jeraldine Blackman surprised by her family's popularity in PH
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Jeraldine of the Blackman family still couldn't believe their family was popular in her home country.
The Filipina content creator based in Australia, gained popularity on social media because of her daily updates with her husband Joshua, and their kids named Nimo and Jette.
They have a massive online presence: on Instagram, they have about 2.5 million followers; on TikTok, they have about 2.4 million followers; and on Facebook, they have about 2.9 million followers.
Last April, the viral Blackman family visited the Philippines for several brand engagements. They also had a jam-packed meet-and-greet event held at a mall in Taguig City.
“Sobrang happy ako sa supporters namin,” Jeraldine told GMA News and GMANetwork.com in an interview after she and her daughter Jette were introduced as the celebrity endorsers of Luxe Kids. An intimate media conference was prepared for her by Anna Magkawas of Luxe Beauty and Wellness Group last week at the Sheraton Hotel in Pasay City.
She continued, “Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na ganito ang nangyayari. It's amazing. Natutulog ako every night nang hindi pa rin makapaniwala. Like here, they would always recognize us, 'Uy, the Blackman family.' Si Jette ang unang [nakikilala], 'Uy, si Jette-Jette.' Hindi pa rin nagsi-sink in sa akin.
“Unbelievable talaga. Kasi last year, nung umuwi kami rito, nag-start na kami ng content creation. Pero hindi pa [kami sikat]. Siguro sa sampung tao, there's one who would talk to us and ask for a selfie. Pero ngayon, noong pag-uwi namin ng April kasi apat kami, lahat nandun na sa airport, as in group. Hindi namin in-expect yun na ang dami...”
She also noted the number of people who attended the meet-and-greet event, which coincides with their donation drive.
“Noong nag-meet-and-greet kami, ang daming tao. Ang daming fans, na akala namin 300 lang kasi yun lang ang seats na allotted.”
Teaching kids to give back
According to Jeraldine, she and her husband Joshua wanted their kids, Nimo and Jette to get involved in the charity event they organized last April with other brands.
She said, “Naisip namin since the kids are involved, why don't we make it something where they're going to learn a lesson? It's not like we can just show off to the public and tell them, 'We're content creators from Australia.' Ang goal namin noon is [give back] to kids sa orphanage. Pero hindi yun natuloy. Sabi namin, we can do with the little kids in a public school and do whatever we can in the meet-and-greet.”
Jeraldine said it's a good opportunity to teach their kids about the importance of giving back.
She recalled saying, “We can do the charity para malaman nina Jette and Nimo that giving back to the community is also [good]. It was so good for them also to learn from it as well. 'Tapos, nag-enjoy talaga sila. They didn't expect it because schools in Australia are so different. The environment itself is different already, Even the kids, iba talaga. Gusto ko makita talaga yung ibang environment. Nag-enjoy talaga sila. I think that's one of the highlights of our last trip.
Aside from giving back, Jeraldine said she always teaches her kids about Filipino culture.
She said, “I was born here and raised here, in the Philippines, so I would never forget Filipino background and culture. My mom and dad are there, so they would come to our house every two weeks.
“I teach them everything, every Filipino [culture], hindi mawawala. My dialect is Ilocano, I was never taught to speak in Tagalog, but I learned it in school. So, I teach them Ilocano sometimes so they would know a few Ilocano. She cannot talk a lot but she can understand a little bit of Ilocano.”
On accepting endorsement deals
While they're getting more endorsement offers now, Jeraldine said she and her husband still need to think carefully before accepting any of it.
Of course, one of the important considerations is their kids' studies.
This is the reason only Jeraldine and Jette returned this May. Nimo is already in Grade 1 at a regular school while her husband is a registered nurse and has been working for the last 15 years.
“The main one would be me. With Jette, I can still bring her with me because she's still in prep, right? Pero kapag she's in kindergarten, [and] that would be next year, it would be less for her because it would be hard to take her out of school every now and then. Siya lang ang mahihirapan because, you know, catching up and everything.
“Like now, Nino doesn't want to be absent. I think, it's also peer pressure. Even he's only six years old, kapag nagwala siya and pagdating niya doon, nahihirapan siya.
“For now, [Jette] can do [endorsements], so she comes with me now and then. But when she starts to go to school full time, I'd be taking her out from school during the holidays. It's always school first.
Meanwhile, get to know more about the Blackman family in this gallery:
