Andi Eigenmann goes viral for making dried fish, locally known in Surigao (where she currently lives) as “buyad” or “tuyo” in Filipino. She made it from scratch with the help of some locals – and the family got to enjoy it for lunch! Cool, isn’t it?

Andi Eigenmann Goes Viral For Making Dried Fish

Andi Eigenmann is an actress who’s now based in Surigao with her family, known on social media as the Happy Islanders.

Considering that she’s from showbiz royalty, what with the Eigenmann family being one of the most prominent actors and actresses in the industry, many people were surprised that Andi chose to live a quiet, simple life in Surigao.

And by simple, you’ll be surprised at what this young mom is able to do!

Aside from raising her kids the island way, she also opened a surf shop and snack bar with her partner, Philmar Alipayo.

And it appears that Andi has learned a lot from the many years she has spent in Surigao.

Aside from now obviously knowing the language, she also knows how to make dried fish!

In a video uploaded on their YouTube account, Andi shares how they got the fish fresh from the fishermen at the beach. Then, she prepared the dried fish by first cleaning up the catch.

She received instructions and assistance from some of the locals, and soon she was able to prepare the Filipino favorite.

“This is the time on the island na minsan na lang ‘yung sunny weather. Kaya ngayon we want to take advantage [of the sunny weather] and gagawa kami ng buyad.  Inexplain lang sa akin ni papa ng konti kung paano ‘to gawin,” she explained.

“The reason why I like to make home-made buyad is because mahirap makahanap ng hindi gaano ka-alat. Gusto namin kami magtimpla ng saltiness. Instead of using a whole lot of salt, we are using salt water from the ocean.”

The dried fish was ready for cooking the following day.

Fans were amazed by her skills in preparing dried fish – and how she cooked this and other food for her kids.

Watch the video here:

Why Is Dried Fish Popular in the Philippines?

Plenty of foreigners abhor the smell and taste of fried fish, but it’s an all-time favorite in the Philippines. It’s a popular dish across all walks of life, although the rich people have “more sosyal” options than the cheaper ones.

For example, one of Neri Naig’s many businesses includes gourmet tuyo.

“Anong lasa ng cooking oil, Andrea?” netizens couldn’t help but jokingly ask actress Andrea Brillantes after she appears to taste the oil she used for cooking hotdogs in a music video, “Tahanan.”

Andrea Brillantes Tastes Cooking Oil

OPM singer Adie’s music video for “Tahanan” started off with a cliché scene of a man waking up in bed alone, then finding his partner cooking breakfast for him. She ruffles his hair and offers him a slice of sandwich.

It’s clear that she’s really just cooking some hotdogs (nothing wrong with that, of course).

But netizens found the next scene hilarious: Andrea’s character appears to taste the soup she’s cooking, saying “Sarap!” with rounded eyes – and everyone knew she was cooking hotdogs! Ooooops.

Do you taste the oil when frying something, then say it’s delicious? Of course, not!

So, netizens had a field day laughing at Andrea, but the actress happily went along, posting “sinabawang hotdog supremacy” on her social media account.

Why Did Andrea Taste the Cooking Oil?

The biggest question in everyone’s mind is why she tasted the cooking oil in the first place? But the music video’s director and producer, Kris Cazin, clarified that it was exactly what they wanted to happen.

“Okay so nag viral tayo dahil sa sinabawang hotdog. It actually worked!” Kris happily announced.

“I just thought it looks dumb so I went for it. If you think it’s funny and stupid, that’s the point!”

He added that this isn’t about a gender role, but wants to point out that it’s important to show appreciation to your partner, even if they don’t really know how to cook – at least they tried to do it for you, right?

“Don’t expect all women, jowa, asawa, etc na marunong magluto,” he said.

“Ipagluluto ka parin niya kahit di siya marunong magluto. Show mo parin ang pagtingin mo sakanya, mahal mo parin siya despite mukha siyang ewan na umiinom ng sabaw ng hotdog.”

What do you think of this video?

NBA legend Michael Jordan has fulfilled the dreams of a Filipino fan when he sent him an autograph and gifts.

Christian Oliver Talampas, a pen and charcoal artist, couldn’t believe that his artwork captivated the interest of his “idol” Michael Jordan. On TikTok, Christan posted a video showing his artwork of Jordan’s “Last Shot” in the 1998 NBA Finals. He asked netizens to help him reach Jordan so he could show his artwork.

Christan’s attempt didn’t go to waste as Jordan took notice of his amazing work.

As his video went viral, a collector in the USA, Bryan Apodaca took notice and coordinated with Jordan’s camp. Jordan was impressed with Christian’s skills and asked the artist to send him the artwork.

His work was sent to Jordan and was returned to him signed by the former Chicago Bulls player.

According to Christian, he didn’t expect that he would get an autograph. The most he anticipated was a photo of Jordan with his artwork and he got more!

“Ang hirap paniwalaan. Ang ine-expect ko man lang picture na hawak niya [ang artwork ko]. Pero sobra-sobra ang binigay niya dahil sabi nila parang makakatulong ito sa career ko as an artist, “he said on GMA’s 24 Oras.

Jordan’s autographs are extremely rare. His signature is currently on a shoe line which is valued at $15,000 or around P765,000.

Aside from the autograph, Christian also received several gifts. He got a picture of Jordan as he signed his artwork. There was a souvenir shirt and playing cards which Jordan personally played with.

In the Joker card of the playing cards, Jordan even wrote a message for Christian. He wrote, “Christian enjoy this deck of cards played at MJ’s Grove XXIII.”

The Grove XXIII is an exclusive golf course owned by Jordan in Florida, USA.

Jordan returned the original artwork for Christian to keep while he kept a copy.

Being a long-time fan of Jordan, Christian inspired others to not give up on their dream no matter how impossible it may seem. He motivated other artists to take their “shot” and believe in themselves.

“‘Wag kayong mawawalan ng pag-asa na magtiwala sa sarili n’yo, na maniwala kahit wala nang naniniwala sa ‘yo,” he said.