Sporting a leather jacket and a gel-slicked hair, Cristopher Diwata hopped onto the stage of a popular noontime show with a swagger of someone hoping to impress a crowd.
Little did he know, he was moments away from blurting out a line that would haunt him 12 years later. It was a sentence that would somehow become the Filipino internet’s most beloved meme today.
“What hafen vela?” a slip of the tongue, likely a misfire of nerves, maybe just pure improv, was all it took to transform Cristopher Diwata from Twilight fan to meme legend.
It was 2013, and what started as a light-hearted Showtime appearance for a Kalookalike Jacob Black impersonation has since ballooned into something larger, which is a soundbite that would not fade, shared endlessly across TikTok, Facebook comments section, and even street shoutouts.
He was only told by his friends that he looked like Hollywood actor Taylor Lautner, who played Jacob from Twilight. Quickly, he watched all Twilight movies for himself and connected his similarities with the Twilight actor.
Now 35, Cristopher is as surprised as anyone to see his old alter ego trending again.
“Parang natulog lang ako, pagising ko, ito na—boom na. Sikat na naman ako,” he told PhilSTAR Tech, half in disbelief and half in amusement.
In the age of algorithm-fed nostalgia and virality, no moment is ever truly forgotten. The internet finds a way to dig and find the most absurd things in the past and turn it into a popular TikTok Sound, a GIF you send to groupchats, and campaign you use to build up your brand.
Because meme culture banks on reappropriation. In today’s digital space, a moment can no longer be only yours because, now, it be owned by your audience too.
“Ultimo bata, nakatutok na sa cellphone. Ayaw man nilang panoorin, lilitaw at lilitaw ‘yung mukha ko sa social media,” he said.
With this, Cristopher revealed that he is not bitter that the internet has turned him into a meme. Rather, he leans into it because he knows better than to fight the algorithm.
“Kahit anong project, gagrab ko,” he says. “Ayaw ko pong sayangin yung pagkakataon kasi hindi po natin alam hanggang kailan.”
A moment becomes a gain
Some time in 2024, the video made its first reappearance online, but Cristopher admitted that its return this year was different for him.
Unlike before, this resurgence felt different. It was not just a nostalgic callback, but it has turned into a branding tool.
“Ngayon, hindi na ako Cristopher. Ang pangalan ko na ngayon, ‘What Hafen Vela,’” He joked.
As he recalled everything that has happened since, his voice carried no bitterness. Rather, he seemed energized by the chaos.
With new gigs and endorsements, like becoming a Shopee and Mang Inasal endorser, Cristopher found himself in the middle of Filipino meme culture and social media influencer economics.
Furthermore, Cristopher revealed that he receives monetary gifts to say the line. He doesn’t ask for it, but people just come to him to express their admiration.
“Sa totoo lang, maganda kinikita. Halos lahat ng nagpapashoutout, nagbibigay talaga. Minsan nga, araw-araw, ‘What hafen Vella? What hafen Vella?’ Tuloy-tuloy,” He shared.
Even his young children have started parroting the phrase at home.
“Ginagaya ako. Sabihin nila bigla, ‘What hafen, Vela?’” he said, laughing.
“Na-adapt na rin nila. Parang linyahan na sa bahay.”
The man before the limelight
Beneath the memes and the fame is a man who never expected any of this.
Before Showtime, Cristopher was a college student studying education with a major in mathematics. Acting was a passion, but not the plan. He was not able to finish his degree, but he seemed to not regret where things ended up.
Despite the sudden attention, Cristopher has not let the spotlight blur his priorities. Off-camera, he still lives in Bataan with his family, working the same job since his childhood.
“Ang pamumuhay po namin ay simple lang. Pamamalakaya, pagtitinda ng isda, pamamakyaw,” he shared
His daily routine remains largely unchanged, except now, he gets occasional endorsement deals and paid shoutouts sprinkled between fishing trips and market days.
“Balik pa rin po sa hanap buhay,” he said simply. “Kasi ‘yun naman po talaga ang importante. Para sa pamilya.”
He spoke of fame as if it has been at arm’s length, saying that he has never adopted it.
“Sa akin po talaga, baliwala. Basta ako, laro lang. Papakita ko lang kung ano ako,” he said.
He is aware that virality is not forever; it is not staying a thousand years like Edward Cullen, but he is not letting the moment go to waste either.
“Hindi natin alam hanggang kailan ito. Pero habang nandito, sige, tuloy lang. Pag nawala, babalik ako sa dati. Lahat naman po nawawala rin,” He said, shrugging.
For Cristopher, this moment is not about chasing validation from the public. Rather, it is about enjoying a strange second chance life handed him this time, with more self-awareness and a bit of survival gain on the side.
He feels no need to act like he has made it to the top, because the internet already decided that he did.
