Bella Poarch talks about sad childhood in the Philippines and her love for Filipinos

Internet sensation Bella Poarch rose to fame in 2020 on TikTok and quickly became one of the most followed people on the platform. She has branched out into singing and has released songs including "No Man's Island," "INFERNO," "Dolls," "Build A B*tch," and "Living Hell."

Born in Pangasinan, Bella Poarch says she's fully Filipino and lived in a farm. She speaks Tagalog, Pangasinense, and Ilokano.

She looks back on her life in the Philippines 10 years ago, before moving to the U.S. with her stepparents.

Bella narrated her experiences on "Updated with Nelson Canlas."

"I was living on the farm. My family owned 30 goats, three cows, three sheeps, and chickens--which I forgot how many they were. But I grew up on a farm, I grew up planting mango trees and bananas."

The content creator and singer shared that she plans to visit the Philippines this year. "[I left] 10 years ago, I left when I was 14. I'm planning to go this year, that's my goal.

When she moved to the U.S., Bella's life changed drastically, especially after enlisting in the Navy when she was 17, with her parents' consent.

"When I was 17 I decided to join the Navy because I wanted to be independent on my own. At that time, my brother was in the military. He also inspired me to join the Navy."

"I grew up not being able to be vocal and not being able to express myself because my parents were very strict. With my music, I wanted people to just be themselves and be vocal--don't be afraid of who you are and express yourself."

Bella also opened up about being in an abusive environment while she was growing up in the Philippines.

"I think the best part is me sharing my story, because I know a lot of people have similar stories. I came from a very abusive family. Being able to evolve from that, and being positive, and not losing hope along the way."

"The most vulnerable music that I've ever put out is 'Living Hell' which is part of my EP. So in the music video, the theme is the color yellow. My parents painted my bedroom yellow. That was them showing me they had the power over my life.

"I just want people to know they're not alone, a lot of people struggle with the same things I do. I want them to never give up."

Despite the trauma, Bella says she finds comfort in her music, her fans, and the support she gets from Filipinos.

"One thing about me that a lot of people don't know is I'm a very anxious person. I feel like because you're Filipino, I'm comfortable with that. I'm so grateful you're here today," she tells Nelson Canlas.

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