SHUVEE ETRATA
- One Big Force -
With her star shining just as bright as the celebrated winners, Shuvee Etrata is gradually showing everyone that she’s a force to be reckoned with. But don’t mistake her success as mere luck. The ‘Island Ate from Cebu’ has worked her fingers to the bone to achieve everything that she’s reaping now. And she’s just getting started.
Text by EJ Chua
Photos by Clare Cabudil
Art Direction by Kaye Castillo
Shot on location at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ortigas
Unexpected journey to showbiz
Born Shuvee Chrisna Villanueva Etrata to Filipino parents Michael and Jorena, Shuvee reveals that being a celebrity was not her childhood dream, neither was it part of her plan in life.
In her interview with GMANetwork.com, Shuvee said that she initially dreamed of becoming a doctor when she was a young girl. “Ever since I was a kid I’ve always wanted to become a doctor. Iyon talaga ‘yung dream ko. The path that I really wanted to pursue is medicine.”
Shuvee was set to take that path. In fact, she enrolled herself in the Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy course at the Cebu Doctors’ University.
Before the opportunity to join showbiz came knocking on her door, Shuvee had made her mark online as @smilingshuvee on the popular video-sharing application, TikTok.
“Before ako naging celebrity naging ano po ako, TikToker [social media influencer]. I think it was 2021 when I had my first viral video. In the island my life there is very, ano, I would say very calm. Sa labas po ng bahay namin dagat na agad. All my life I was near the sea, the beach. Nung ginawa ko ’yung video na ‘yun, doon ko rin ginawa,” she recalled. “Never ko talagang inexpect lahat ng nangyari sa akin but then again, when I went viral, all the opportunities, doors nag-open, and now I’m here.”
A simple video filmed using a low-resolution camera that went viral on social media showcasing her natural morena beauty started it all for Shuvee. What also piqued the netizens’ curiosity and interest in her was her bubbly and candid personality.
Early clips of Shuvee, who many noted was “Pinay na Pinay,” spread quickly and widely across social media, capturing netizens’ attention and even catching the eyes of one of the Sparkle GMA Artist Center executives.
“Nung nag-open nga po ang door sa akin, of me being a celebrity, I kind of wanted to grasp everything as much as I can para no regrets po in the future. Right now, I feel like I'm being redirected and I’m really happy with my decision po na maging artista.”
“Nung nag-open nga po ang door sa akin, of me being a celebrity, I kind of wanted to grasp everything as much as I can para no regrets po in the future. Right now, I feel like I'm being redirected and I’m really happy with my decision po na maging artista.”
Smiling Shuvee in Showbiz
Shuvee’s unexpected popularity on social media led her to GMA Network, where she was invited to be part of Sparkle. Her acting debut came shortly after signing a contract, appearing on Hearts on Ice, which aired on GMA in 2023. In the Philippines’ first figure skating series, she played the role of Kring-Kring, one of the supportive friends of Ponggay, the lead character played by Ashley Ortega, who would later become one of her most supportive friends in the industry.
Following her first-ever major television acting role, Shuvee appeared in several other shows. She played Natty in one of the episodes of GMA’s drama anthology, Tadhana. Shuvee later portrayed the character of Feline in GMA’s fantasy anthology, Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko. Aside from acting, Shuvee also ventured into hosting. She became part of GMA’s long-running morning show, Unang Hirit in 2023, a year before she was launched as one of the Sparkle 10 ladies.
Shuvee told GMANetwork.com how she managed the massive shift in her life from being a simple island girl to a content creator to a celebrity.
“Grabe ang trials and challenges. I would say na hindi man ganon kahirap sa akin kasi… I’ve always been honest to everybody na I’ve had it easy compared to everybody else in the industry. I’ve had it easy kasi I started in social media. I would say talaga na mas madali sa amin naging artista kasi hindi naman kami nag-line up, auditions, we already had built our own following as a content creator. Doon po ako nagsimula.”
The “difficult” part came when she took on acting jobs. “Iyon pong shifting from content creation to becoming an actress, doon po tayo [ako] medyo nahirapan. Sa acting kasi, ang dami palang camera. Grabe pala kasi inaanggulo angulo ko pa ‘yung sarili ko kasi ‘di ba kapag cellphone lang… Bukod sa anggulo of course the skills that you need to hone to become a better actress. You really need to do something about it. You need to face that struggle, mahirapan ka talaga muna.”
Shuvee now views her career in show business with joy and enthusiasm. “Being an actor/actress naman, it’s like a lifelong skill. Para siyang habang buhay hindi tumitigil ang learnings. I’m just happy that I’m still learning and still happy with what I’m doing,” she said.
Island Ate ng Cebu
A proud Bantayan Island native, Shuvee now enjoys a powerful momentum after her stint in GMA and ABS-CBN’s big collaboration project Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition.
It can be recalled that Shuvee entered Bahay Ni Kuya/Big Brother House along with Star Magic artist Xyriel Manabat on Day 36, following the eviction of celebrity duo ChaKira (Charlie Fleming and Kira Balinger). Tagged as the “Island Ate ng Cebu,” Shuvee showed that she had all the makings of the next TV darling: lively humor that appeals across different markets and age groups, the innocent candour and simplicity of a proud probinsyana, and a quiet but determined drive to win. Before long, Shuvee had everyone drawn in — her PBB housemates, included.
While inside the iconic house, Shuvee was able to openly show off her authenticity, gentleness, sincerity, task-driven attitude, and even her fierce competitiveness.
In a more serious tone, Shuvee told GMANetwork.com that whenever she would hear praise that she did very well inside Big Brother’s house, she would want everyone to know that all of her accomplished tasks and achievements were not a performance nor scripted stuff just so she would look good on TV.
“Sometimes I feel… not naman offended but doubtful. Nag-alala ako na bakit ganon ‘yung tingin nila [na mahusay sa Bahay Ni Kuya]. It’s like they're saying I’m performing inside the house. Inside the house, I was just myself, staying true to myself. If that’s the case I will not say po na hindi ko siya kina-calculate or pagpapanggap inside the house. Although you are aware that there’s a lot of cameras you’re still able to be yourself and that’s what I did, I stayed true to myself. Masaya po ako na nagustuhan po ng mga tao kung sino po talaga ako as a person.”
A heartfelt collaboration was built between Shuvee and her final duo, Klarisse De Guzman, whom she frequently described as “really the person na sobra kong naging close sa house.” Viewers got to see that bond, especially during that emotionally-intense moment when Shuvee willingly dove into the swimming pool to save a drunk Klarisse De Guzman, who jumped into the pool during a latenight drinking session with their fellow housemates.
Without hesitation and even with her lapel on, Shuvee prioritized Klarisse’s safety over Big Brother’s rules. That incident inside the iconic house strengthened their bond, leading Klarisse to wholeheartedly accept Shuvee’s Final Duo proposal to her.
It was June 14, 2025, when Shuvee and Klarisse exited Big Brother’s house after the announcement of the results on the sixth eviction night. After the shock announcement that ShukLa's journey in Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition had come to an end, fans and their fellow celebrities were left in a daze. But when the door of Big Brother’s House opened to welcome her and Klarisse into the outside world, Shuvee realized that she had not completely lost the game. She saw that she still had the support from her fans, her friends, and her family. Teary-eyed and overwhelmed, Shuvee still felt loved.
Truth be told, Shuvee was afraid that her chance to make a name in showbiz ended around the same time she got evicted. “To be honest, nung na-evict po ako like [napaisip ako na] Oh My Gosh, hindi ako mahal ng tao kasi nga baka walang bumoto. Sa loob po ng Bahay Ni Kuya hindi mo talaga alam kung mahal ka ba or bina-bash ka na ng mga tao. My fear nung palabas na po talaga ako ng bahay, what if wala na akong career paglabas? When I saw my friends, my loved ones, doon ko po narealize na puwede ’yun na maraming may ayaw sa akin pero I’m so glad that my core people were there na sumalubong po sa akin. I just know that whatever is going to happen, I know I have them po. I was really grateful for them na sinundo po nila ako sa outside world.”
Relatable and down-to-earth, Shuvee gained a huge number of followers on Instagram and other social media platforms since her appearance in GMA and ABS-CBN’s collaboration project, Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition. She officially hit over 1 million followers on Instagram by July 10, 2025—achieving that milestone within weeks of her eviction from the hit reality show.
Despite not being part of the Big Four or becoming the Big Winner, Shuvee stills like a winner, especially after projects (or “blessings” as she calls them) such as guestings, endorsements, and many more, came pouring in.
It’s the validation that she needed. After being tagged as “Starlet ng Kamuning,” a harsh comment that she’s learned to laugh off, Shuvee now sees a brighter, clearer path ahead of her. And judging from the way fans are screaming when they see her, you can bet that Shuvee Etrata’s name will become much louder in the coming years. If that’s not a “big win,” then we don't know what is.
No longer seen by viewers as the 'Next Maymay' or 'Another Melai', Shuvee Etrata is gradually proving to all that she is her own woman.
“When I saw my friends, my loved ones, doon ko po narealize na pwede ‘yun na maraming may ayaw sa akin pero I’m so glad that my core people were there na sumalubong po sa akin. I just know that whatever is going to happen, I know I have them po. I was really grateful for them na sinundo po nila ako sa outside world.”
Shoot Producer: Gabby Reyes Libarios | Stylist: Van Mercado | Makeup and Hairstylist: Gwen De Lara | Special thanks to Vianney Antonio and Roselyn Jane Villa
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Shuvee Etrata: One Big Force
Published :September 15, 2025 10:37 AM PHTWith her star shining just as bright as the celebrated winners, Shuvee Etrata is gradually showing everyone that she's a force to be reckoned with.
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