Being a K-pop idol, she explains, is a blessing but one that comes with sacrifices. “I feel really happy that I’m a K-pop idol, that I can call myself one. Not everyone gets that opportunity… It’s a really big blessing for me, and I’m really grateful. Pero at the same time, of course, it comes with a lot of sacrifices, effort and difficulties.”
She’s been on both sides of the K-pop dream; the fan who admired from afar and the artist who now feels the weight of its demands. “As a K-pop fan, you’re already somewhat aware of how difficult everything is… pero it’s different once you’re in there,” she says, her voice dipping lower. “The discipline… It made me respect K-pop artists, especially the big ones. Hindi madali yung pinagdaanan nila [What they had to go through wasn’t easy] to reach that level of fame.”
The reality is even starker for those who start young. The Maka actress debuted at 19, legal and aware enough to make her own choices, but she can’t help thinking of the 13-year-olds already enduring harsh diets, training regimens, and the pressure to look perfect.
“Parang they’re missing a part of their life na nasa school [It’s like they’re missing a part of their life where they had to be in school]… you have to deprive yourself of food… nasisira yung pagtingin mo sa sarili mo [Your self-image gets broken] because you have to lose weight,” she says. “It would be better if they started at an age where they can make their own choices and they know what they’re doing.”
Her own group, Lapillus, hasn’t had activities since October last year. The hiatus hangs heavy, but she’s practical about it. “We’re just waiting… grateful kami sa mga fans namin [we are grateful to our fans],” she says with a small smile. Still, the uncertainty is real. “Hindi naman kami galing sa malaking company [We don’t come from a big company]… so kami talaga, ang hirap i-predict [so it’s hard to predict]… we just rely on the resources na mayroon ‘yung company namin [that our company has].”
And yet, she refuses to let paranoia win. “Kung ‘yun talaga ang [It’s really the] will ni God and we’re really closing to an end, grateful nalang ako sa na-achieve at na-experience ko. I’m just opening myself up to new opportunities,” she says, her tone steady.
For now, Chanty is keeping herself grounded in work here in the Philippines: her acting projects, her craft, her own growth. She knows the K-pop spotlight can be fleeting, but she’s not chasing permanence, she’s chasing meaning.
